TRAIL UPDATES
BACKGROUND
TRAIL FEASIBILITY STUDIES
RESOURCES
PUBLIC MEETINGS
FOR MORE INFORMATION

TRAIL UPDATES

Heinz Refuge Access Study: Feasibility Study Final Report Now Available!

BACKGROUND

The Tinicum-Fort Mifflin Trail loop is a planned multi-use trail network serving as the southern terminus of the five-county Schuylkill River Trail and the hub for a regional trail system that includes the Cobbs Creek Bikeway, the Botanic Trail, and the East Coast Greenway. The 20-mile loop trail will connect Historic Bartram's Garden with Fort Mifflin, loop around the Philadelphia International Airport, connect with the trails within the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, and then back to Bartram's Garden via the Cobbs Creek Bikeway.

The trail will provide expanded opportunities for close to home recreation, fitness activities, environmental education, and open space preservation. A portion of the trail will become a key segment of the East Coast Greenway, a multi-use trail corridor connecting cities from Maine to Florida.

Connecting neighborhoods in Philadelphia and Delaware counties, including Essington, Eastwick, and Lester, the trail will serve as an alternative transportation corridor and a stimulus for business revitalization and new business formation.

In June 2003, a Trail Development Study was completed for the Tinicum-Fort Mifflin Trail loop. The Trail Development Study is the culmination of a five-year planning process, led by the National Park Service, Fort Mifflin on the Delaware, and the consulting firm of Campbell Thomas & Company. The Study outlines potential short-term and long-term trail alignments, an inventory of historic, cultural, natural, recreational, and community resources along the trail, and estimated costs and benefits of construction of the trail.

The Tinicum-Fort Mifflin Trail Advisory Committee, a diverse group of stakeholders, met multiple times throughout the development of the Study, providing input on a trail vision and goal statement, sharing concerns regarding trail development, and approving the final Study.

TRAIL FEASIBILITY STUDIES

Since the completion of the Trail Development Study in June 2003, Clean Air Council, the National Park Service, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, and other stakeholders have been working to ensure that the Tinicum-Fort Mifflin Trail project moves forward. In 2004, the Council successfully secured funding to complete a detailed feasibility study of two high priority trail segments. The detailed feasibility study stage is the necessary next step, followed by trail design and engineering, and finally, trail construction.

Trail Segment 1- Fort Mifflin to Essington (Tinicum-Fort Mifflin Trail): The first of the two high priority trail segments begins at Fort Mifflin in Philadelphia County and travels south/southwest along the Delaware River, adjacent to the Philadelphia International Airport and Hog Island Road in Tinicum Township, Delaware County. The trail segment then follows 2nd Street into the community of Essington, ending at Governor Printz Park. Once completed, the Tinicum-Fort Mifflin Trail will also become a key link in the East Coast Greenway, a continuous, multi-modal trail corridor from Maine to Florida. The Council subcontracted with the architecture and planning firm of Campbell Thomas & Company in early 2005 to conduct the detailed feasibility study for this trail segment. The detailed feasibility study for this segment also includes an assessment of a trail link from Fort Mifflin to FDR Park in South Philadelphia.

The detailed feasibility study for this trail segment was completed in October 2005 and is available for download off of the Council's website or by contacting Emily Linn at 215-567-4004 x. 103 or elinn@cleanair.org.

Trail Segment 2- John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum to Cobbs Creek Trail (Cobbs Creek Connector Trail): The second of the two high priority segments links existing trails in the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum to Fairmount Park's Cobbs Creek Trail, which currently ends at 70th Street and Cobbs Creek Parkway. The Council subcontracted with the architecture and planning firm of Campbell Thomas & Company in early 2006 to conduct the detailed feasibility study for this trail segment.

The detailed feasibility study for the Cobbs Creek Connector Trail was completed in spring 2007 and is available for download off of the Council's website or by contacting Emily Linn at 215-567-4004 x. 103 or elinn@cleanair.org.

Heinz Refuge Access Study: In December 2006, the Council embarked on a study to examine how to improve bicycle and pedestrian access in and out of the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum. The Refuge is a key recreational, historic, and educational hub along the Tinicum-Fort Mifflin Trail loop. Improved connections between the Refuge and the surrounding proposed trails, communities, businesses, and the Delaware River waterfront is essential to creating seamless, safe non-motorized travel in this region.

The final Heinz Refuge Access Study report was completed in fall 2007 and is available for download off of the Council's website or by contacting Emily Linn at 215-567-4004 x. 103 or elinn@cleanair.org.

RESOURCES

General- Tinicum-Fort Mifflin Trail Loop:

Trail Map: Illustrates two high priority segments of the Tinicum-Fort Mifflin Trail loop currently being studied.

Heinz Refuge Access Study:

Executive Summary-Heinz Refuge Access Study

Heinz Refuge Access Study
(.pdf) (8.18 MB) (published in Fall 2007)

Tinicum-Fort Mifflin Trail (Fort Mifflin to Essington):

Executive Summary- Tinicum-Fort Mifflin Trail, Fort Mifflin to Essington

Detailed Feasibility Study- Tinicum-Fort Mifflin Trail, Fort Mifflin to Essington Trail Segment
(.pdf) (83.45MB) (published in October 2005)
Note: This is a large document and may take some time to download.

Cobbs Creek Connector Trail:

Executive Summary- Cobbs Creek Connector Trail

Detailed Feasibility Study- Cobbs Creek Connector Trail (.pdf) (19.8MB) (published in spring 2007)

Tinicum-Fort Mifflin Trail Development Study:
(published in June 2003):
All sections are in .pdf form.

Cover, Acknowledgements, Executive Summary (pgs. 1-4)
Sections 1-3 (pgs. 5-29)
Section 4 (pgs. 30-33)
Section 4 cont. (pgs. 34-36)
Section 4 cont. (pgs. 37-44)
Section 4 cont. (pgs. 45-60)
Section 5 (pgs. 61-120)
Sections 6-7 (pgs. 121-189)

PUBLIC MEETINGS

There are no public meetings scheduled at this time.

To be added to our mailing list and/or to be notified about upcoming trail public meetings, contact Emily Linn at 215-567-4004 x.103 or elinn@cleanair.org.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For more information on the Tinicum-Fort Mifflin Trail or related trail projects, contact Emily Linn at 215-567-4004 x. 103 or elinn@cleanair.org.