WEST CHESTER — Almost 900,000 pedestrians and bicyclists a year will be able to spread out a little bit more as Chester County adds on to its busy 22 miles of paved pedestrian trail network. Immediate plans call for five new miles of trails.
The Chester Valley Trail stretches 13.5 miles in Chester County from the Montgomery County line and through Tredyffrin, and both East and West Whiteland townships, with a planned one-mile extension to the west.
Bidding and construction will likely start this year. The cost of approximately $1.5 million will be paid for with county bond funding in addition to a Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant, and a grant from Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission Regional Trails Program/William Penn Foundation.
Four miles will soon be added this spring to the 5.75 mile-Schuylkill River Trail located in East Coventry and North Coventry townships. The cost for the extension is $6.2 million, with 100 percent federal reimbursement through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program.
The Struble Trail runs 2.6 miles along the Brandywine Creek in and near Downingtown. Hurricane Ida damage that had shut down a portion of the trail was recently repaired.
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.
Dave Stauffer is the Director of Chester County Parks and Preservation and a huge advocate of the trails.
“More and more people are using the trails — especially the Chester Valley Trail and the Schuylkill River Trail — as commuter options,” Stauffer said. “The trails are a great opportunity to get out and get fresh air and exercise.”
Long-term plans include adding four or five miles to the western end of the Chester Valley Trail now at Exton to connect with Downingtown.
Long-term plans also call for connecting the Chester Valley Trail with the Enola Low Grade Trail in Lancaster County.
The Chester County Commissioners are all big fans of the trails and open space.
Commissioners’ Chairwoman Marian Moskowitz noted that commuters are using the trails.
“Chester County’s many trails, including the three county-owned trails, are loved by people of all ages,” Moskowitz said. “The trails provide recreational benefits that contribute to our physical and mental health, and trails like the Chester Valley Trail and Schuylkill River Trail are being used, more and more, for alternative transportation, including cycling to work.”
Commissioner Josh Maxwell talked about the importance of trails.
“When we, as a county, focus on our climate response, developing trails has become a key piece of the puzzle in reducing our carbon footprint by creating safe ways for car trips to be substituted with cycling and walking,” he said. “More and more, we are finding ways for people to get ‘from a to b’ via trails.”
Commissioner Michelle Kichline said that trails are more than just about recreation.
“The value of our trails isn’t just measured recreationally,” she said. “Our employers highlight them to attract and retain employees and their families, and we also know, based on the findings of our ‘Return on Environment’ report, that living close to protected open spaces, including trails, increases the value of homes by, on average, $11,000 in Chester County.”
To view a countywide interactive trail map that includes the three paved county trails, go to chesco.org and search for “Interactive Trail Map” or visit https://chesco.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=23332f7f24b44937af337a155d5ea13b
