Two of them had pedestrian yields that at least meant I could cross. Note: we started at the King of Prussia end and rode to Exton, but the last mile or so of the trail was closed. Image via the Montgomery County Planning Commission. I will definitely be back. You are riding through an urban area and along some highways. The county will start designing the last 5-mile stretch of the trail in 2023. The completed $20.2 million trail will be 22 miles long. (NJ drivers are less likely to stop than PA drivers.) Our suburban reporters want to hear from you! Chester County is expecting to extend the trail into Downingtown. I don't know? If your looking for a relaxing ride this trail isnt for you. Because of all of the rain this, have ridden this & other paved trails more than I would like. But going further has major road crossings, and one enters into a major commercial area, and about a mile or so past that, the trail simply stops. Well maintained, paved, with plenty of shade. Very smooth if you are on a road bike. The trail is well kept and access to many restaurants if you like that. While the Chester Valley Trail West Study completed . We saw a park ranger marking trees for maintenance on our way, too. This trail is perfect for local residents. (Courtesy Montgomery County). The Chester County Planning Commission (CCPC) completed the Chester Valley Trail Extension Study (CVTE) which investigated alternatives and determined a recommended alignment for extension of the Chester Valley Trail (CVT) from its current terminus in Exton into the Borough of Downingtown. Fabulous ride not at all marred by the multiple road crossings. Parking is available at a number of locations along the trail. Image via the Chester County Planning Commission. it is best to start this trail from the King of Prussia side and ride to the end point in Exton. Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. (Courtesy of Montgomery County). This unique corridor is a hidden gem that will provide for a safe and completely grade separated trail that will attract many users due to its scenic and historic quality and proximity to regional rail stations including Exton, Whitford, Downingtown, and Thorndale. For more information, please contact Brian Styche, CCPC's Transportation Services Director at 610-344-6285 or bstyche@chesco.org. Only about 500 ft of total elevation after doing a down and back. Overall, I think CVRT is more a commuter trail than recreational trail. Named for the late Robert G. Struble, a teacher, conservationist, county commissioner and Brandywine Valley . We rode the entire length out and back on a 95 deg day. This feasibility study and master plan will pick up where the Chester Valley Trail Extension to Downingtown study leaves off and will identify and evaluate potential routes for extending the Chester Valley Trail (CVT) westward across the county to connect with the future 29-mile multi-use Enola Low Grade rail trail . Within Montgomery County, the Chester Valley Trail passes through three municipalities: Upper Merion Township, Bridgeport, and Norristown. The project study area includes 6 Chester County municipalities: Caln Township; Downingtown Borough; East Bradford Township; East Caln Township; West Bradford Township; and, West Whiteland Township. Town Tours & Village Walks Program Wraps up 27th Year, Brownfield, Greyfield, & Infill Development. I will definitely be back for speed work and I will probably use it for my longer runs (10+ miles). As part of the Chester Valley Trail Extension project, this 11' lane will widen to 13' after . The second phase will take the trail over US 30 and into Downingtown. I like this trail for early season rides or when riding with a group of mixed ability. Completed in 2010, this segment is already very popular with cyclists, in-line skaters, hikers, joggers, dogwalkers and parents pushing young children in strollers. Complete a comprehensive feasibility study for the Chester Valley Trail. The trail would be just over a mile long and expand the practicality of connecting these two major transportation facilities. Help is close by if you have any type of accident or need help. Public Meeting #2: 'Alternatives Analysis Review / DRAFT Recommended Alignment' was held March 30th at the West Whiteland Township Main Meeting Room. Only major crossing is at rte 29 by Wegmans but even there it's ok - wait for the crossing light. Fourth very nice bathroom and parking area at Exton Park on Church Farm Road. The bulk of this section parallels Commerce Drive from Iron Lake Blvd. We will have to wait for the politicians to get some good weather to pat themselves on the back about what a great job they did before the trail is officially open, but in the meantimeexcept for the extreme eastern edge east of Old Eagle School Road and the extreme western edge, west of the Church Farm School, the path is open and clear of snow and ice. The Chester Valley Trail is currently 18.6 miles in length with 13.5 miles open for use in Chester County and 5.1 miles open to the east in Montgomery County. So the Chester Valley Trail was a site for sore (hamstrings) eyes! 29 you need to zig and zag and wait for the traffic light and as you continue east the trail goes through the Target/Wegman's parking lot. About the Trail Formed in 1850 by the Philadelphia and Reading Company, the Chester Valley Railroad stretched 22 miles between Bridgeport and Downingtown.The Chester Valley Trail will generally follow a now-abandoned rail corridor and will connect Chester County's Struble Trail in Exton with Montgomery County's Schuylkill River Trail in Norristown.Chester County is expecting to extend the . We biked northeastward to the end of the trail along King of Prussia Blvd and returned to the Exton Trailhead and continued to the southwest end of the trail. Read more about the planned trail extensions in the Daily Local News. Currently part of the trail is under repair so there is a clearly marked detour but that added 2 more crossings on a busy road. We were both very comfortable. Liked the fix it stations. 527 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<30715B5F81D1434990890CD627567620>]/Index[501 42]/Info 500 0 R/Length 124/Prev 659292/Root 502 0 R/Size 543/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream I'm anxioust to ride end-to-end. He has a mountain bike. The new 3.9 miles will run through Upper Merion Township and Bridgeport Borough to Norristown, where it will then connect with the Schuylkill River Trail. on the other side. I was pleasantly surprised the first time I road this trail. Youve got to build that basic infrastructure that provides the broad access that you can then tie into and connect, he said. Nice trail in great condition. Ask us a question or send an idea for a story you think we should cover. Emily Rizzo is WHYY News suburban reporter covering Bucks and Montgomery counties. Extension to identify a preferred alignment and preferred bicycle/pedestrian facility types from Downingtown to the Enola Low Grade Trail. endstream endobj 502 0 obj <. More than 1/3 of the distance is directly adjacent to 202 and the road noise is very loud. This is an very good suburban rail trail that passes by a variety of businesses and residential areas. This trail dose have some potential, I have no idea how is managing it. Longer-term plans anticipate extending the trail even further west, to Atglen, where it will join the new Enola-Low Grade Trail. Battery-powered wheelchairs, dog walking under leash, and strollers are also permitted. My recommendation would be to drive further down (3-4 miles in the trail, around Penn medicine) and its getting quieter. I drove up from Wilmington De and it was close to a waste of time and effort. Use figures as determined by Chester Valley Trail Counters showed 477,092 users of the Chester Valley Trail, 68,225 on the Schuylkill River Trail and 350,713 along the Struble Trail, during 2021 . Copyright 2023 American Community Journals, LLC |, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Chester County pedestrians and bicyclists will soon be able to spread out a little more. The Chester County Parks & Recreation Department opened this trail in 1979 on part of a former Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way. The paved trail will be 12 feet wide, off-road, and designed for both cyclists and pedestrians for recreation and commuting. 29 near Wegmans is not as obnoxious as the rt. In icy/snowy conditions the trail may be closed until parking and access areas are addressed. Clean trail and a decent amount of tree coverage at most points for those hot sunny days. A popular well kept asphalt trail of 14 miles. On the plus side, if you take your shopping cart with you, it passes by Wegmans, Target, Walmart and every other big box store along its way, with convenient access to all their parking lots. The Chester Valley Trail is also part of the Circuit Trails, a developing 800-mile urban network of trails in Greater Philadelphia, of which about 350 miles are complete. Looking forward to more rides! Click to open the map in a new window. Its just a little boring. First of all, we had a late winter snow storm and this trail was cleared quite quickly and very well. The extensions recommended alignment is to develop the trail within the inactive Philadelphia and Thorndale low-grade rail corridor which parallels the Amtrak Keystone Corridor or the Main Line between Exton and Thorndale. It is a favorite destination for walkers, runners, families, and bikers since it is convenient to a large population. This Phase will be about 1.25 miles. There is a 0.8-mile spur trail that splits from the main route by the intersection of Commerce Drive and S Pottstown Pike/Main Street. Nice trail. In Exton, the crossing at Rt 100 is a mean 3-way dog-leg. Each of these municipalities is represented on a project Steering Committee along with representatives from other County departments and local stakeholders. Overall, again, a NICE TRAIL! Final Report. Sections not yet open to the public are posted as "NO TRESPASSING. Security issues and maintenance are coordinated by calling 610-344-5656. Find more trail information and detailed trail maps on TrailLink.com. First time users of the CVT. The recommended alignment connects the existing CVT to the inactive Philadelphia and Thorndale (P+T) line, which runs parallel to but separate from the SEPTA/Amtrak main line for 7.4 miles. The trail will be constructed to be 10-12 feet wide with an asphalt or concrete surface. Several of the crossings are by bridge or tunnel and some are on the street. In the future, extensions to the trail will allow . It is flat, shady and immaculately maintained. There are multiple places to park and access the trail, but they can be difficult to find initially. Chester County is actively working to extend the trail an additional five miles to the west into Downingtown with the first one mile leg currently under engineering review. Construction of segments that will close the gap from Ship Road to Iron Lake Blvd. We will go back after a few more trails to see if we still think the same. this is not it! Around the 8 mile point, the scenery is more open, with farms along the trail. Smooth asphalt trail and well maintained with lots of shaded areas. If you are going to do this trail you really need to read a few reviews. Superb trail as far as smooth and maintained, but the road noise from Rt 202 made parts of the trail unbearable. Friends of the Chester Valley Trail has a Facebook page for current information, photos and quick responses to questions. This can also be viewed as a negative as I was passing people and getting passed by cyclists. Second complaint - I rode east to around Mile 5.0, then turned around. The Chester County Commissioners accepted the plan at their December meeting to close out the grant provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Community Conservation Partnerships Program that partially funded the study. It is a nice long trail with things to see and do easily accessible from the trail. Today the 2.6-mile trail attracts more than 125,000 visitors each year. The historic Reading Railroad is planning a comeback as Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority holds its first meeting. Would recommend to families, runners, walkers alike! SURE, it's EASY for someone who knows it already, which obviously includes those who designed it and put it together, and don't realize where the "fails" in the markings are, and NEXT time, and there WILL BE next TIMES, I'll know, but, again, there are places where it needs to be better marked. The access at Exton Park is great with parking and restroom. The down side of this trail is the deafening noise from the traffic on 202 and that theres not much in the way of scenery. I rode on a Sunday, so all these roads in and out of the shopping centers and office parks in the busy Rt 202 corridor were relatively empty. Incoming traffic has the right of way and does not stop. Our first ride on the CVT was our last. Its shaded much of the way and successfully hides the fact that it runs very close to the 202 expressway. Very shady for hot days. (the back.) All motorists very considerate. I found the use of audible signals or vocal warnings by those passing is also infrequent. There are lots of road crossings, and road noise from Route 202, but it was so pretty! I thought it was a great ride. It was raining, but still plenty of people out and about. The design will enable people with different capacities and abilities to use the trail system, whether its because of your age or a handicap or some other disability, Hartman said. Other riders were friendly and there were The new trail section is a 10- to 12-foot-wide, paved, multiuse path that is part of the Circuit Trails network, a vast regional network of hundreds of miles of multiuse trails in the Greater Philadelphia region that is growing each year. Much of the trail has a nice canopy of trees. The trail extension project included the installation of two new pedestrian bridges at South Gulph Road and Henderson Road, and the enhancement of two existing bridges. Fairly flat, and blacktop from start to finish, an easy ride even for beginners. Length: 2.5 miles. In the 3.1 miles out, I crossed 4 roads. If the CVT was designed for such high speeds there would be mandatory lanes for bike riders. The Exton end is very flat while the King of Prussia end has a few not-too-difficult hills. Chester Valley Trail - Montgomery County Parks, Trails, & Historic Sites, Chester Valley Trail - Chester County Parks & Recreation. Not too difficult and the trail is shady so for an August day it wasn't too hot. 100 crossing, but you need to be alert. The scenery varies greatly, from woodsy tree tunnels to office parks and residential.
Lotto Cake Strain, Adrian Edward Simon, Pa State Retirement Pay Dates 2022, Royal Surrey County Hospital Map, Articles C