philadelphia trail master plan - draft

7/29/2019 Philadelphia Trail Master Plan - Draft

1/8

PHILADELPHIA

2 35

TRAILMASTER PLAN> PHILADELPHIA TRAIL PLAN


2/8

Cobbs Creek Trail

PHILADELPHIA TRAIL MASTER PLAN


4/8

Philadelphia Trail Master Plan


5/8

Introduction 1

INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE

> Why Plan?

The Citywide Trail Master Plan process began in the Spring of 2011as a joint effort of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission andPhiladelphia Parks & Recreation, in collaboration with the MayorsOffice of Transportation & Utilities. Due to limited funding for trail andpark projects, the City recognized the need for prioritizing proposedtrail projects to serve Philadelphians citywide and best use availableplanning, design, and construction funding.

The Trail Master Plan is a recommendation of Philadelphia2035,Philadelphias Comprehensive Plan in the Renew section under Goal6.1 Watershed Parks and Trails: Complete, expand, and connectwatershed parks and trails in the city and the region.

There is great need and momentum for trails in Philadelphia. In thepast two years, several miles of trails were renovated or completedand 7 miles are under construction with an additional 8.5 miles indesign and 13.2 miles in the planning and feasibility stages.

Recent construction projects and feasibility and design studies werefunded by the federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic

Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grant Program, the Delaware ValleyRegional Planning Commission and William Penn Foundation RegionalTrail Program, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resourcesgrants, and City of Philadelphia capital dollars through PhiladelphiaParks & Recreation and the Department of Commerce.

The push for design and construction is fueled by an awareness ofthe positive impact of public open space and linear parks for exerciseand transportation, as well as local, state, and federal leadershipand funding. While each project that offers the public access torecreation space has a notable positive impact, in the developmentof trail projects in Philadelphia, there is no central entity charged withprioritizing areas where trail amenities are most needed or the demand

and support for proposed projects. The expanding trail network putsincreasing pressure on City resources for long-term maintenance aswell as repairs after storm damage.

The key goals of this Plan are to quantify and inventory existingtrail facilities, identify the alignment, demand, and City priority forproposed trail projects, and clarify the process of trail developmentand construction in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia is known for watershed parks, such as the Wissahickon Valley Park

and Pennypack Parks, waterfront passive recreation areas, and multi-purpose

trails. The City and non-profit trail development entities are expanding the existing

trail network along the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers, within watershed parks, and

through neighborhoods. This Plan will define priorities for future trail development in

Philadelphia.

Goal 6.1:

Copmlete, expand, and connect watershed

parks and trails in the City and the region.

Objective 6.1.1:

Create a citywide trails master plan to

coordinate the planning and construction of

trail systems within Philadelphia.

Objective 6.1.3:

Create a trail cooridor network that connects

parks, neighborhoods, and trails citywide.

Philadelphia2035

Citywide Vision


6/8


7/8

Introduction 3

> Process

The Plan effort included City staff, aSteering Committee of key City agencyrepresentatives, and an Advisory Committeeof advocacy, regional, state, and traildevelopment entities. Over 1.5 years, theSteering and Advisory Committees met

several times to guide the development ofPlan analysis and results.

The resulting analysis is a list of seventy-fiveproposed trail projects citywide in stagesof development from vision to planning/feasibility study to pre-construction, eachwith an associated priority ranking. Theproposed trail alignments are shown onMap 1. Each of the alignments was scoredin five main factors: Project Status, Demand,Connectivity, Feasibility, and Cost. Under

the factors were 28 criteria, such as Closeto Schools, In area of Zero Auto-Ownership,Major Riverfront Spine Trail, Part of a Multi-Agency Project, or Investment Needed toMake Connection.

The project team assigned a score undereach criteria for each project and talliedand weighted the values with guidancefrom the Steering and Advisory Committees.The analysis matrix with the criteria scoresfor each project will be updated yearly asmany of the projects are moving through

the development process and criteria maychange with time. The result of this analysismatrix is a three-tiered list of highest,medium, and lower priority proposed trails,based on the extensive analysis described inthis Plan, shown on Map 2.

> Analysis Results

The resulting list of high, medium, andlow priority proposed trails will shapehow the City of Philadelphia demonstratessupport for trail projects, through funding,

letters of support, involvement on SteeringCommittees, and maintenance and operatingagreements for long-term maintenance oftrails.

This Plan will serve as a guide for Citydepartments and non-City trail developmententities alike and shape trail development inPhiladelphia. The Plan includes a descriptionof each proposed trail alignment analyzed

here as well as information beneficial togroups interested in developing trails, suchas communication guidelines for groupsproposing new trail concepts, standard traildesign and wayfinding signage guidelines.

The Steering Committee for this Plan willremain the City Committee for PhiladelphiaTrails, a group of City employees with a lead

staff in the Planning Commission. Using thisPlan as a guide, the group will organize theCitys response to proposed trails, such assupport letters, capital funding for design,construction, maintenance, and operation.The group will hear proposals from non-profitdevelopment entities for proposed trailsnot included in this analysis. Finally, thecommittee will coordinate regular updates ofthis Plan, as needed.

> Steering Committee

Philadelphia City Planning CommissionPhiladelphia Parks & RecreationMayors Office of Transportation & UtilitiesCommerce DepartmentStreets Department

Philadelphia Water DepartmentPhiladelphia Redevelpment AuthorityPhiladelphia Industrial Development CorporationMayors Office of Sustainability

> Advisory Committee

PA Department of Conservation & Natural ResourcesMontgomery CountyDelaware CountyBucks CountyLower Merion TownshipBicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia

SE Pennsylvania Transit AuthoritySchuylkill River Development CorporationDelaware River City CorporationDelaware River Waterfront CorporationClean Air CouncilEast Coast Greenway AllianceDel. Valley Regional Planning CommissionPennsylvania Environmental CouncilThe Schuylkill ProjectFriends of the WissahickonFriends of Cresheim Valley Trail

> How to Use This Plan

City employees who deal with environmentalor health issues, planning, parks andrecreation, or specific neighborhoods can usethis plan to determine which trail conceptswill impact the departments area of focus.

Non-profit environmental and trail

development entities will use this planto determine the status of proposed trailprojects and how projects rank on the Citypriority list. Entities can cite this Plan as proofof City priority of a proposed project. If anentitys focus project does not rank as a highpriority, City staff can work with the entity toexplain the methodology behind City priorityareas or strategize potential alternativeproposed projects, as appropriate.


8/8

Philadelphia Trail Master Plan

Existing and Proposed Trails

PLACEH

OLDE

R

philadelphia trail master plan - draft

Documents