Multi-Use Trails

Clean Air Council is proud to be the lead advocate for the Cobbs Creek Connector Trail and four trail connections to the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. Trails provide a range of benefits to nearby residents. They encourage healthier lifestyles through exercise and recreation, cultivate stronger communities, and generate economic opportunities for businesses surrounding them. They also create possibilities for alternative commutes reducing traffic congestion and carbon emissions leading to improved air quality in the region.

Clean Air Council Trail Work

The Council is currently focusing on the Cobbs Creek Connector Trail in Southwest Philadelphia. It seeks to connect the existing trail along Cobbs Creek Parkway to the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. Once completed it will be part of the East Coast Greenway (ECG), an urban trail system stretching from Maine to Florida passing through 23 major cities and 15 states. It will also help connect parts of the Circuit Trails, a network of nearly 750 miles of trails in the Philadelphia region.

In addition, the Council is developing four bike and pedestrian trail connections to the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. They include improvements along Route 420, connections to the Eastwick Regional Rail station, a trail along an abandoned trolley bed passing underneath I-95 and Route 291, and alternative routes along Route 291.

The Council is working closely with regional partners including the East Coast Greenway Alliance and the Circuit Coalition. The Council is committed to maintaining an inclusive design process with communities in Southwest Philadelphia and neighboring communities in Delaware County.

Resources

The East Coast Greenway’s vision is to create the nation’s longest shared use urban trail system connecting 25 cities from Maine to Florida. It seeks to create a continuous route for people of all ages and abilities to use. Find out more about the project and recent updates here.The Circuit Trails is a network of almost 750 miles of bike and pedestrian trails in the Greater Philadelphia region. The vision is to create a strong system for transportation and recreation. Learn more and help connect The Circuit here.

The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge is America’s first urban refuge. It’s one of Philadelphia’s natural treasures and was created to preserve the Tinicum Marsh and support environmental education for the public. It serves as an important wildlife habitat and recreational center in the region. Learn more about the refuge here.

Travel farther with GoPhillyGo, The Clean Air Council’s free multimodal mapping tool. The site lets people map out routes that combine biking + walking + public transportation all in a single, easy to read trip. Customize your trip the way you want it and learn how to get around without a car!