Overview of the East Coast Greenway along Spring Garden Street

The East Coast Greenway enters Pennsylvania in Bucks County from Trenton, NJ. and winds it way along the Delaware River as it heads into Philadelphia. From there, the trail must pass through Center City Philadelphia to connect with the Schuylkill River Trail and continue through Southwest Philadelphia.

The Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) is working with the national East Coast Greenway Alliance, and local partners to create a new walking and biking trail through Center City Philadelphia to connect the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers.

PEC  seeking to transform Spring Garden Street in Center City into a greenway that pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities will be able to safely move along and enjoy.

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The Spring Garden Street Greenway (SGSG) will transform a 2.2 mile-long east-west artery in Center City Philadelphia into a linear park, a green street, and a high-quality walking and biking trail separate from traffic lanes. Spring Garden Street was chosen as the main connection in Philadelphia because it has sufficiently wide right-of-way available for a separate "bikeway" along the street. In keeping with East Coast Greenway, Fairmount Park, and Philadelphia Water Department "Green Street" guidelines, a modified streetscape with trees and plants will provide cutting-edge open-space opportunities and will help manage stormwater runoff.

The SGSG will provide an attractive and direct link for cyclists through Center City. The SGSG will also ameliorate the abandonment, vacant lots, dangerous street intersections, and lack of connections to other routes and destinations in the city. By providing safe and attractive facilities for residents and visitors to walk, jog, and bike in their own neighborhood, this project will improve the quality of life for the community, as the connections between outdoor recreation, healthy lifestyles and economic benefits are realized.

When completed, the SGSG could make Greater Philadelphia's commitment to developing multi-use trails a national model, especially for large cities that want to:

• Utilize relatively small transportation investments to leverage significantly higher environmental and recreational benefits,
• Provide recreational opportunities to a diverse population,
• Leverage small projects into large national initiatives, such as the East Coast Greenway
• Manage stormwater more sustainably,
• Create opportunities for local economic development, and
• Promote healthy lifestyle choices.

Click here to view the cycling demand and benefits estimates for Spring Garden Street.

Maps:
Existing walking and biking trails that connect to Philadelphia
Location of Spring Garden Street through Philadelphia
Map of existing parks and trails that connect to Spring Garden Street
Map of vacant lots along Spring Garden Street
Map of different types of land use along Spring Garden Street

Take Action!

Help us build this trail (no shovel required!).

1. You can help make the Spring Garden Street Greenway a reality by writing Congressmen Brady and Fattah to tell them to support this project.
2. Ask PEC to make a presentation about the ECG to your group
3. Get outside and ride completed sections of the trail. Click here to download the Pennsylvania/Delaware trail map
4. Then tell others about it by posting your stories to the ECG Trail Tales page
5. Donate to the East Coast Greenway Alliance for trailwork nationwide or donate to PEC to help efforts locally.

Click here for a complete list of action items identified at the East Coast Greenway Summit in May 2009.