Go take a walk. It’s getting easier and easier in Chester County.
Three regional, county-owned multi-use trails snake across the county. Several private connector trails allow access to those trails for neighbors and businesses.
Almost 22 miles of county-owned, paved trails host walkers, bikers, runners, commuters, and occasionally when weather permits, cross-country skiers.
While it is probably decades away, plans call for one day linking Reading, Honey Brook and the Philadelphia Art Museum by trail.
“Trails are a great resource,” said Brian Styche, Chester County Transportation Services director. “And they are a good way to see a lot of places.”
Trails are family friendly; you see a lot of people, of all ages using the paved pathways. On a recent chilly, weekday morning, when chatting with four county officials alongside the Chester Valley Trail, several users pedaled, ran and walked by us.
Whether it’s the hard-core cyclist pushing the 15 mph speed limit on the Chester Valley Trail or the 2-year old out for a walk with mom on the Struble Trail, Chester County’s trails are a safe way to go.
Stephen Fromnick, Chester County Director of Facilities and Parks, said millennials are also embracing the trails.
David T. Stauffer, Chester County Capital Projects Coordinator, said regional trail users “don’t have to worry about traffic,” except at intersections.
“It’s good for the kids – a safe place where they don’t have to fight cars,” Styche said.
Brian O’Leary, Chester County Executive Director of the Planning Commission, probably summed it up best when he said that the trails are “plain old fun” and a good way to “get out and exercise.”
Not everybody has been in favor of building pedestrian trails in their back yards. Thankfully, that attitude has for the most part changed.
O’Leary said the county hears limited complaints as property values increase, along with a negative impact on crime.
Builders are often including trails within new communities and home owner associations are taking over these gateways, with many connecting to the county trail network.
O’Leary said that developers in Phoenixville use the term, “trail-oriented developments” for use in the sales pitch.
He also said that many of the traiils sit on former railroad beds (Rails to Trails) and are American Disabilities Act compliant with a grade of 2 percent.
Trails don’t just pop up overnight.
A lot of people think that if it’s clear, then it’s a trail, since the trail looks ready, but we still have to go through a process, according to Stauffer.
The county has to work through the bidding process and a new trail must meet county standards. As always, funding is necessary, not just for construction, but as a continued source of income for upkeep and maintenance.
PennDOT needs to be consulted and historical issues must sometimes be considered.
Trails also spark economic development.
O’ Leary is a regular user and has eaten lunch along trails around the area, including in New Hope, Phoenixville and Manayunk.
There are three-county owned trails, the Struble Trail, the Schuylkill River Trail and the Chester Valley Trail.
The Struble Trail is the granddaddy of the county trail network. It follows an old railroad bed along the East Branch of the Brandywine Creek in Downingtown for 2.6 miles. The trail accesses part of the creek limited to fishermen with artificial lures and is stocked with brook and brown trout.
The Schuylkill River Trail is used annually by 30,000 visitors. The walkway is 7.5 miles long, and plans are underway to extend it in Chester County to 12 miles. It follows the Schuylkill River, and will one day link Pottstown and Mont Clare. This trail was named the “Best Urban Trail in America” by USA Today in 2015.
Chester Valley Trail is my favorite and the most popular in the county with 350,000 annual visitors. The county is close to linking Exton, Great Valley and King of Prussia, with 13.5 miles already built. Plans call for eventually extending the walkway to Downingtown. This is an especially cool trail because it hooks up homes and many businesses. Commuters must love it.
Spring is almost here! Get out and burn some shoe leather. See you on the trail.
Bill Rettew Jr. is a Daily Local News staff reporter and Chester County resident. He prefers a Sunday walk to a Sunday drive, but either will do. Access his travel novel, “Chasing the American Dream,” at Amazon. You can reach him at brettew@dailylocal.com
