The Pennsylvania Committee of the East Coast Greenway Alliance gathered at the historic Lazaretto in Essington, PA, for its semi-annual meeting, bringing together planners, advocates, and local officials to discuss the future of cycling and pedestrian infrastructure in the region. The Pennsylvania portion of the Greenway stretches from Morrisville in Bucks County to Marcus Hook in Delaware County.
Bridging the Trail Gap Between the State of Delaware and the City of Philadelphia
Delaware County planners provided insights into PennDOT’s rehabilitation of Route 291, which will include a sidepath along the south side of the roadway in Ridley Township and Chester City, which broke ground on a section along Highland Avenue on Tuesday. Another promising proposal in Eddystone Borough would leverage Conrail’s right-of-way to develop a new shared-use path, improving connectivity for non-motorized travelers.
Subcommittee members also discussed the effort to include a shared-use path on the Delaware River Turnpike Bridge between Bristol, PA and Florence, NJ. Public meetings and a recent Circuit Trails campaign have shown strong support for a facility but PA and NJ Turnpike officials have so far rebuffed the idea citing prohibitions of bicyclists and pedestrians on the PA Turnpike. To demonstrate the need for this facility, you can see the video of my attempt to travel between Florence and Bristol by public transportation.
Philadelphia Airport planners shared exciting updates on efforts to improve bicycle access at the airport, including plans for future bike parking facilities. They also highlighted a new shared-use path running parallel to Tinicum Island Road, a step toward making airport access more cyclist-friendly. Tinicum Township officials stated their committment to work with the Philadelphia Department of Aviation to ensure that bicycle and pedestrian access will be included in all airport projects in the Township.
The meeting concluded with an optional bike ride from the Lazaretto to the new path along Tinicum Island Rd.
The Historic Lazaretto: A Fitting Venue
The Lazaretto, often dubbed the “Ellis Island of Philadelphia,” served as a quarantine station for ships entering the Port of Philadelphia. Remarkably, it predates Ellis Island by 93 years. The building narrowly escaped demolition in 2005 and was transformed into the Tinicum Township Municipal Building just before the onset of the pandemic in March 2020. An ironic twist, given its past function.
As the East Coast Greenway continues to evolve, these efforts illustrate the importance of collaboration between transportation agencies, local governments, and advocacy groups in shaping the Pennsylania portion of the Maine to Florida trail.