Last week, we told you about a couple of grants that recently came through for projects along the Delaware River. Today, we have news about the completion of the first quarter-mile of the Delaware River Trail, a path along the river that will ultimately extend over a five-mile stretch of waterfront from Oregon to Allegheny Avenue. Running both on-road, as this first section does, and off-road along the river, the Delaware River Trail will, once complete, connect with other regional trails at its northern and southern end.

The whole trail

The first section

The Delaware River Trail, designed by the RBA Group, is the brainchild of the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation, and a critical element of the Master Plan for the Central Delaware. And the opening of the Penn Street section of the trail yesterday marked the first step to this trail becoming a reality. The Penn Street section of the trail, which runs from Spring Garden Street to Ellen Street, features many unique qualities, including rain gardens that aid in stormwater management, new landscaping along the trail, as well as new benches, bike racks, and lighting. In addition, the new trail, with its 12’ bi-directional bikeway and 10’ pedestrian walkway, offers the first separated on-road bicycle and pedestrian trail in town.

Check out some photos:

Looking south

Looking north toward Sugarhouse

End of the trail for now

The next step is for Sugarhouse to create an extension through their parking lot, pictured above, to connect the Penn Street section of the trail to the trail along the river behind the casino. This should take place over the next few months. While this will likely mean the end of Sugarbeach once and for all, it will extend the trail another half-mile at least, and will represent the next incremental step in its growth. Hopefully, this plan will continue to be executed successfully in the years to come, and this trail will someday rival the Schuylkill River Trail as a perfect place for a bike ride, a jog, or a stroll along the water.