The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) has released the 2025 draft for Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for Pennsylvania, which proposes landmark funding for the Circuit Trails.
According to the Circuit Trails Coalition, “major funding” is proposed for the Cross County Trail in Willow Grove.
Currently, three miles of the trail have been completed from Conshohocken to Germantown Pike in Plymouth Township. Eventually, the completed 17.5-mile trail will connect to Willow Grove and into Bucks County.
It will also join up with the Wissahickon Green Ribbon Trail, which will grant access to Fort Washington State Park, Morris Arboretum, and Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, officials said.
In 2023, $41.7 million in federal, state and local funds were secured for multiple Circuit Trails projects, including a $19 million federal RAISE grant for the Camden County LINK Trail, and the Route 291/East Coast Greenway project in the City of Chester was the recent recipient of a $2.5 million federal Neighborhood Access and Equity grant.
In February 2023, the Montgomery County Planning Commission began the design and engineering work for Section C of the Cross County Trail East. This 1.75-mile segment is the easternmost section of the Cross County Trail, and will connect the county’s Pennypack Trail with the Willow Grove YMCA. Design is anticipated to be completed in 18 months to 2 years.
Regional trail projects championed by the Circuit Trails Coalition include four major corridors: Spring Garden Street Greenway, Cross County Trail, Chester Valley Trail and Route 291 Trail/East Coast Greenway.
The trails are eligible to receive nearly $90 million in funding from a mix of federal sources.
“Trail funding has long been a time-consuming and competitive process of seeking project-specific grants that delays trail creation and disadvantages under-resourced communities,” said Patrick Starr, EVP, Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Circuit Trails Coalition Chair. “Inclusion in the DVRPC TIP on a corridor basis allows for flexibility as trail development projects advance while guaranteeing that construction funding for fully-designed trails is budgeted in the TIP regional transportation infrastructure capital plan.”
From a press release on behalf of the Circuit Trails Coalition:
This infrastructure amplifies the region’s climate resiliency and improves quality of life for residents, ensuring more people can get where they need to go without a car. Nationwide, increases in connected trails and active transportation infrastructure is estimated to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 12 million tons annually and are an essential component of a low- or no-carbon transportation system.
The Circuit Trails Coalition is asking the public to demonstrate support so that all proposed Circuit Trails projects are included in the final TIP.
To learn how you can support the project, you can visit CircuitTrails.org.
DVRPC’s public comment period goes through 5:00pm on June 24. After consideration of public comments, the Draft TIP with any recommended changes will be presented to the DVRPC Board for adoption at the regularly scheduled Board meeting on July 25.
For all the latest news, follow us on Facebook or sign up for Glenside Local’s “Daily Buzz” newsletter here.
Image: valleyforge.org