Beautiful trail, yes?

We agree, and we are advocating for that there be over 750 miles of Circuit trails like this in our nine-county, multi-state region by 2040, so everyone will be able to experience this kind of natural beauty by bike, not just folks who can get to Valley Forge.

Unfortunately, our region is not yet on track to meet this goal that was set out by the long range plan of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC). In order to meet this goal, the region needs to build approximately 20 miles of trail per year. Last year, less than five miles were built in the five PA counties in our region.

Click here or below to make your voice heard in this process by sending an email to DVRPC.

This is why the Circuit Coalition started the 500/2025 Campaign. At present, 75 governments in the nine county region have adopted a resolution in support of building 500 miles of The Circuit by 2025. If the region can make this interim goal, we’ll be back on track to meet DVRPC’s goal.

The Circuit’s recent lack of progress in PA isn’t for lack of funding. In 2015, BCGP was part of a successful advocacy team that won $5 million in dedicated Circuit and suburban bike lane money. Since then, DVRPC apparently added another $1 million, then another $4 million at its December 2017 board meeting. Unfortunately, none of these funds have been touched yet, as there hasn’t been enough trail progress to utilize this construction funding. Put another way, The PA Circuit has $10 million in funding that is waiting to be used, and is also falling well behind schedule to meet DVRPC’s 2040 goals.

From now until 5:00 pm on June 3, the DVRPC is accepting public comments for the 2019 Pennsylvania Transportation Improvement Program (PA TIP).  We are asking you to encourage DVRPC’s board members (who consist of officials from each county in our region) to push eight projects along at a faster clip. These projects are all identified as part of the Circuit’s “pipeline,” or prioritized trails that have the best chance of being completed next:

1. Bucks – Bridge Street Crossing on D&L Towpath MPMS #105845;
2. Bucks – Newtown Branch Rail Trail – Southampton Twp. MPMS #105847;
3. Delaware – Chester Creek Trail Phase 2 MPMS #TBD;
4. Montgomery- Chester Valley Trail Extension Design Supplement for MPMS #16705;
5. Montgomery – Pennypack Trail Extension MPMS #105484;
6. Philadelphia – Pennypack Trail – State and Rhawn Crossing MPMS #105849;
7. Philadelphia -Lindbergh Blvd Sidepath – 84th St to John Heinz NWR MPMS #105853;
8. Philadelphia -Spring Garden Street Greenway MPMS #105850

Help us get these trails moving! Click here to send these comments to the DVRPC, and feel free to add your own comments about projects you’re concerned about.

If you’re looking to give in-person feedback about the TIP, or just want to learn more about it directly from DVRPC, you can attend this meeting:

Thursday, May 24, 2018 
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
DVRPC Conference Room
190 N. Independence Mall West, 8th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Web conferencing is available for the May 24th meeting. Please register by Wed. May 23rd by contacting 215-592-1800 or public_affairs@dvrpc.org if you are interested in using this option.