Despite the rainy weekend, residents of Chester County joined Bike Chester County on May 4th for a ride along low-stress roads from Berwyn to Malvern as part of the Western Mainline Greenway. The Greenway may sound familiar to some — the Bicycle Coalition has joined residents of Montgomery and Delaware Counties for previous rides along the original Mainline Greenway. The full vision for the Mainline Greenway is a 40 mile network of low-stress roads that connects riders to the vast array of community assets the Main Line has to offer. The original low-stress route has inspired many throughout Southeast Pennsylvania to identify something similar in their communities, including the Affiliate Chair of Bike Chester County, Manny Menendez.
Last year, Manny led a group along the Western Mainline Greenway route which picks up where the original Mainline Greenway ends near Radnor Township and continues west to Exton before looping back along the Chester Valley Trail. The route connects riders to the Radnor Trail, several parks, stations along the SEPTA Paoli/Thorndale Regional Rail line and Immaculata University (these are just a few notable locations among many along the Western Mainline Greenway).
Photo Credit: Manny Menendez — Paoli Battlefield Historical Park
The ride held on May 4th highlighted a small portion of the full route between Berwyn to Malvern and can be accessed here. Despite a few steep climbs, the ride provides several low-stress routes between townships, beautiful views through the rural areas south of Paoli, and at several locations is only a short distance from the Chester Valley Trail to the north.
Questions about the route? Looking to get involved with Bike Chester County? Contact the Bicycle Coalition’s Regional Organizer, Patrick Monahan, at patrick@bicyclecoalition.org for more information.
The Bicycle Coalition’s work is only possible thanks to the collective support of individuals like you across our communities in the Greater Philadelphia Region—Join, Renew, or make a One Time Donation today, so we can continue programming and advocacy for better, safer, and more accessible streets now and into the future! During Bike Month, make a donation of $100 or more to be entered to win a brand new Retrospec Ascent mountain bike.