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Summit Presentations

Parent Project: 
Greater Philadelphia Regional Trail Network

Active Transportation Summit

June 23, 2011
The Hub at the Cira Centre
2929 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA

 

Welcoming Remarks

Barry Seymour (Executive Director, DVRPC), Joe Hoeffel (Montgomery County Commissioner and former Congressman), and Patrick Starr (Senior Vice-President, PEC) opened the conference with an overview of regional planning efforts and the roles of DVRPC and PEC.

Joe Hoeffel

Joe Hoeffel, Montgomery County Commissioner

Michael NutterPhiladelphia Mayor Michael Nutter challenged the audience to collaborate across the region to build the trail network, and to find innovative funding sources for active transportation.

PowerPoint: "DVRPC: Envisioning the Regional Trail Network" by Barry Seymour

 

 

Mayor Michael Nutter

What is the Regional Trail Network?

Spencer Finch (Director of Sustainable Communities at PEC’s Southeast Office), and Diane Kripas (Division Chief, Conservation Partnerships, DCNR) outlined the history of trail building in the region and the importance of trails to our environment, economic development and physical health.

For more information about the Regional Trail Network, click here:

Panel 1: Coming Attractions

Speakers discussed how the vision for a regional trail network is being realized through new trail and bikeway projects being built this year and next. Trail developers from across the region showcased new trail projects and discussed the barriers they have had to overcome. Moderated by Michael DiBerardinis, City of Philadelphia Deputy Mayor for Environmental and Community Resources.

Schuylkill River Trail Boardwalk

Joe Syrnick, President and CEO of the Schuylkill River Development Corporation spoke about the value of the Schuylkill River Trail and how the SRDC plans to connect the trail to the South Street Bridge, Gray’s Ferry Fishing Pier and Bartram’s Gardens.

The Camden GreenWay

Anthony Perno, President and CEO of Cooper’s Ferry Development Association presented on the extension of Camden’s Waterfront Promenade to local neighborhoods, and the importance of the trail to Camden’s economic development.  

Doylestown Route 202 Trail and Doylestown to New Hope Bike Lanes: A New Node for Bike Transportation and Recreation

Phil Ehlinger, Deputy Borough Manager & Planning Director used the concept of “bike sheds” to explain trail development in Doylestown. A bike shed refers to the area within a short biking radius from a given point.

Chester Valley Trail

Natasha Manbeck, Director of Transportation Services at the Chester County Planning Commission highlighted the opening of the first section of the Chester Valley Trail in 2010 which connects Exton to Great Valley. Construction for other segments is fully funded, and eventually the trail will connect with the Schuylkill River Trail through Valley Forge.

58th Street Greenway

Ruth James, Property Manager for Presby’s Inspired Live, and Michelle Reiff, 58th Street Greenway Neighborhood Steering Committee, spoke about the importance of neighborhood involvement in trail building, and how trails can benefit people of all ages and physical abilities. Once constructed, the 58th Street Greenway will form a part of the East Coast Greenway, connecting Southwest Philadelphia to local attractions such as Bartram's Garden and the Cobbs Creek Trail, and to other parts of the city.

PowerPoint: “The 58t Street Greenway” by Ruth James and Michelle Reiff

Lunch Keynote Speaker

Mia Birk

Mia Birk, President of Alta Planning + Design

Mia Birk, president of Alta Planning + Design and author of Joyride: Pedaling Toward a Healthier Planet, spoke about her years of work as Pedestrain and Bicycle Coordinator encouraging Active Forms of Transportation in Portland, Oregon. Mia identified 10 keys to implementing bike infrastructure and getting people to use it:

  1. Strong political leadership.
  2. Advocacy.
  3. A bold, visionary bike plan.
  4. The right staff.
  5. Embrace the role of the change agent.
  6. Have a thick skin (and patience).
  7. Institutionalize change throughout public works.
  8. Design for low-stress biking.
  9. Document progress.
  10. Use best practices.

Panel 2: Investing in Our Health and Economy

Trails and bikeways are not just for recreation. Investing in a rich network of active transportation options promotes healthier lifestyles, helps corporations in the region attract a talented workforce, and brings new jobs and businesses to our growing tourism industry. Experts and practitioners shared evidence of these successes and explained ways we can realize these benefits in our region. Moderated by Tom Morr, President & CEO, Select Greater Philadelphia.

Active Transportation: For the Health of It

Jackie Epping, Lead Public Health Scientist with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, made clear that building trails today is a fundamental public health issue, and can greatly reduce the cost of medical expenditures related to inactivity.

When Bicyclists Need Services and Small Towns Need Jobs

David Kahley, President & CEO of the Progress Fund explained the overwhelmingly positive economic impact of the Great Allegheny Passage to businesses and communities in Western Pennsylvania. In particular he emphasized The Trail Town program, which actively recruits businesses to locate along the trail and provide trail amenities and economic growth for small towns.

Local Response

Giridhar Mallya, MD, MHSP, Director of Policy and Planning for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and Paul Levy, President and CEO of the Center City District offered a local perspective on the human health and economic benefits of the trail network in the Delaware Valley.

ATS Panel 2

From left: Paul Levy, Giridhar Mallya, David Kahley, Jackie Epping

Panel 3: Overcoming Challenges

Despite the recent gains that have been made, several obstacles stand in our way to completing the regional trail network. This panel explored strategies that other regions across the nation are using to attract funding, coordinate across a large geographic (and even multi-state) area, and cut through the red tape that burdens large scale projects. Moderated by Andy Johnson, Program Officer, Environment & Communities, William Penn Foundation.

Proposition C: Clean Water, Safe Parks and Community Trails Initiative

Peter Sortino, Assistant Vice-Chancellor, Washington University in St Louis and Former President of the Danforth Foundation spoke about Proposition C, a ballot measure that supports the Great Rivers Greenway District through a 1/10 of 1% sales tax.  In 2000, the measure passed in 5 out of 7 counties surrounding St. Louis in two states, Mississippi and Illinois. For the past ten years, The Great Rivers Greenway District has received an average of $20 million each year to build greenways, and on-road bicycle lanes, and has preserved 1,400 acres of green space.  

Atlanta BeltLine: Meeting the Challenge

Lisa Gordon, Chief Operating Officer for the Atlanta Beltline, spoke about Atlanta’s ongoing success in converting an historic freight line circling the city into a visionary, multi-use recreational and transportation trail. The public-private partnerships and community engagement and support were keys to this success.

Local Response

Alex Doty, Executive Director of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and Chris Linn, Manager of the Office of Environmental Planning for DVRPC spoke about the current efforts to increase regional collaboration among trail developers, including the new $10 Million Regional Trail Fund made available through DVRPC. 

ATS Panel 3

From left: Chris Linn, Alex Doty, Peter Sortino, Lisa Gordon

Small Group Discussions

Click here to learn more about the small-group discussions about challenges and solutions to expanding the Delaware Valley Regional Trail Network.

Manayunk Bridge Tour

At the end of the Summit, many people toured the Manayunk Bridge, the future site of a multi-use trail segment connecting Lower Merion’s Cynwyd Heritage Trail to Philadelphia. The trail over the Manayunk Bridge represents the type of multi-governmental cooperation and adaptive reuse  rail corridor necessary to fully develop the regional trail network. Byron Comati, SEPTA, and Steve Buckley, Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities led the tour with Kay Sykora, Manayunk Development Corporation, Chris Lewsing, Lower Merion Township and Jeff Riegner, WR&A (consulting engineers fo the project).

 

Note: We hope to include audio recordings of the Summit along with the speakers' presentations soon.

Manayunk Bridge Tour

Active Transportation Summit participants walk on the Manayunk Bridge, the future home of a beautiful trail over the Scuylkill River.