In 2003, the Borough of Pottstown became the first Pennsylvania municipality outside of Philadelphia or Pittsburgh to reduce travel lanes on a major street. The project included back-in angle parking and bike lanes along West & East High Street. This happened largely thanks to the advocacy of Tom Hylton, a former reporter for the Pottstown Mercury, founding member of 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania and author of Save our Land Save our Towns. Tom continues to push for improved multi-modal access and a greener more sustainable environment through his advocacy work that places Pottstown as a leading example in the region. With that in mind, we had to get out there and explore the Borough and its bike facilities that spurred from Tom’s work that started it all.
Fifteen years later in 2018, an award winning two-way separated bike lane, with more than four miles of bicycle boulevards to connect residents to destinations, including neighborhood schools, downtown businesses, and connections to the Schuylkill River Trail, was officially opened. This project was completed by Simone Collins Landscape Architecture, Traffic Planning and Design (TPD), local stakeholders and the general public in 2017. Plans were to develop a low-stress bicycle network of on- and off- street bicycle facilities, sidewalk/crossing and intersection safety improvements, including ADA & green stormwater infrastructure.
If you haven’t had the chance to explore these bike facilities first-hand, we have you covered! Watch our video A look at Bike Access and Connections to the Circuit Trails in Pottstown, PA. Next time you’re riding along the Schuylkill River Trail, be sure to ride along the bike facilities that Pottstown has to offer. For the latest on the Circuit Trails, join the Circuit Citizens to learn about the status of trails in your area and throughout the region. The Circuit Trails Coalition is constantly advocating to accelerate the development of the trails and closing priority gaps to improve accessibility to the network for all.
Questions about the project or wondering how you can be an advocate for improved bike facilities in your neighborhood? Contact the Bicycle Coalition’s Regional Organizer, Patrick Monahan at patrick@bicyclecoalition.org for more information.