The Delaware River Bridge project team is hosting a second series of public meetings to gather community input on proposed improvements. Here’s everything you need to know about these upcoming events and the broader context surrounding the project.
Virtual Public Meeting (via Zoom)
Tuesday, October 14, 2025: 6pm
Register here
Pennsylvania In-Person Public Meeting Open House
Wednesday, October 15, 2025: 5 – 8 pm
Benjamin Franklin Middle School
6401 Mill Creek Road, Levittown, PA 19057
New Jersey In-Person Public Meeting Open House
Thursday, October 16, 2025: 5 – 8 pm
Florence Township Municipal Building
711 Broad Street, Florence, NJ 08518
Meeting materials will be made available on the website starting October 14 and you can provide feedback online through November 14.
The Turnpike Commission Pushes Back With Outdated Regulations
The proposed fully segregated, non-motorized path on the Delaware River Bridge could serve as a vital link, but current regulations and bureaucratic inertia stand in the way.
The current regulations, established when the PA Turnpike (1940), NJ Turnpike (1951), and the Delaware River Bridge (1954) were built, prohibit pedestrians and bicyclists from using these routes. Back then, sidewalks and pedestrian pathways along highways were minimal or non-existent, and the focus was solely on motor vehicle traffic. At the time, bicyclists and pedestrians had access across the river via a sidewalk on the Burlington-Bristol Bridge, 3 miles downstream. The Burlington County Bridge Commission dismantled the connecting stair tower in the 1970s, leaving a 28-mile gap for bicyclists and pedestrians between Trenton and the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge.
When asked repeatedly what the reason is for excluding the bicycle and pedestrian pathway from the project, the team has given a rote response.
The project team is investigating potential improvements to existing trail facilities in both PA and NJ as a part of the DRB Project. The improvements will consider connections in and around the bridge. Regarding the potential for a multi-use facility on the structure itself, please note that the DRB carries I-95, a limited-access highway that is part of the Interstate Highway System. Pedestrians and bicyclists are not permitted to operate on I-95 in either state. Further, cyclists and pedestrians are prohibited from operating on the PA Turnpike and NJ Turnpike.
What the regulations say:
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Statute is straightforward:
Pedestrian travel. Pedestrian travel or entry upon the right-of-way of the Turnpike System is prohibited.
While the rules are clear, there are a couple of notable pedestrian and bicycle facilities within the right-of-way of the system.
Laurel Highlands Trail Pedestrian Bridge – While it is an apples-to-oranges comparison, the Laurel Highlands Trail Bridge is similar to the Delaware River Bridge Path proposal in that it would be a fully segregated, non-motorized path using the PA Turnpike right-of-way to overcome a barrier.
The Sideling Hill Trailhead – Last month, the Trailhead opened up at the north end of the Sideling Hill Service Area to serve The Old PA Pike (TOPP) Trail, not only providing parking access, but access to all the Service Area amenities for TOPP Trail users.
NJ has similar regulations, but has an exception built in:
Code § 19:9-1.9 – Limitations on use of Roadway
(a) Use of the Roadway and entry thereon by the following, unless otherwise authorized by the Authority, is prohibited:
- Pedestrians
- Bicycles with or without motors and any other two or three-wheel vehicles, excluding motorcycles
This exception proved useful when the Great Egg Harbor bridges were reconstructed between 2016 and 2019.
Examples to Cite Across the Region
The Great Egg Harbor Shared-Use Path – opened in July 2020 and was created with the construction of a new southbound bridge for the Garden State Parkway between Cape May and Atlantic Counties.
The Edgar Felix Bicycle Path – Uses two former railroad bridges to cross the Garden State Parkway in Wall Township, Monmouth County. In addition, six additional pedestrian bridges span across the Garden State Parkway in Passaic, Essex, Union, and Cape May Counties.
The Chester Valley Trail borders the PA Turnpike Right-of-Way along the Hanson Access Road in Upper Merion Township. Just to the west is the Allandale Rd sidewalk bridge provides safer access for pedestrians to reach the King of Prussia Malls.
Finally, a great example of a recently constructed interstate bridge with a first-class bicycle and pedestrian path is right off the NJ Turnpike.
The Goethals Bridge Shared-Use Path – between Elizabeth, NJ and Staten Island, NY crosses over 16 lanes of the NJ Turnpike. The western terminus of the path is adjacent to NJ Turnpike Exit 14 interchange
View of the NJ Turnpike from the Goethels Bridge Shared Use Path in Elizabeth NJ.
Questions and Comments that you should add to your own thoughts:
As advocates push for safer, more accessible pathways, it’s essential to question why outdated rules continue to hinder progress and how we can work together to create a more connected, sustainable transportation future for everyone, including a third of the US population that does not drive.
Tell the PA Turnpike Commission: Include options for a shared use path in your alternatives analysis and ask for an exception to the prohibition of pedestrians and bicyclists on Turnpike Right of Way or an amendment to the code. The Sideling Hill Trailhead and Laurel Highlands Trail Pedestrian Bridge, which both include trail facilities within Turnpike Right of Way, show that outdated regulations don’t need to stand in the way of good ideas in Pennsylvania.
Tell the NJ Turnpike Authority: Authorize bicycle and pedestrian access of the bridge to allow for the construction of a shared-use path. The State Code clearly states that the Turnpike Authority can make exceptions to the prohibition of these types of uses, and the Great Egg Harbor Shared Use Path provides an excellent example of the Authority doing exactly that.
Have your say! Attend the meetings, review the materials, and share your feedback. Together, we can help bridge the gap—literally and figuratively—in our regional trail network.
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