The Circuit Trails Coalition is marking 2023 as a successful year of trail progress for the Circuit Trails network. With eight miles added this year, the planned network of more than 836 miles of trails in the Greater Philadelphia and southern New Jersey region now includes more than 393 miles of open trails — bringing the entire network to approximately 47 percent complete. 

In addition to the completed miles, 77 miles of trail are currently in progress, which means they are actively being designed or built.

“We’re closing in on our interim goal of completing 500 miles of Circuit Trails by December 2025,” said Patrick Starr, Pennsylvania Vice-Chair of the Circuit Trails Coalition and Executive Vice President at the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. “Our coalition had a successful year in terms of securing project funding, and sustained federal, state and local funding remain critical to maintaining the momentum we’ve built this year. Time is ticking, and available dollars are still on the table for trail projects. It’s up to our elected leaders to seize the moment, prioritize connected trail and active transportation infrastructure, and pursue the funding to help address the significant transportation, safety, climate, and quality-of-life issues facing communities in our region.”

In 2023, Circuit Trails projects were awarded $41.7 million for various stages of development from state and federal funding sources specifically allocated for trails and transportation. Funded projects include:

• Camden County Link Trail – $20.6 million
  • $19 million from Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant program (RAISE)
  • $1.5 million from New Jersey Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside program (NJ TASA)
  • $100,000 from Regional Trails Program (RTP)
• Rancocas Creek Greenway: Route 130 Bridge and Trail – $13.2 million from Surface Transportation Block Grant Program
• Elephant Swamp Trail – $1.4 million from NJ TASA
• Burlington-Camden Trail: Route 130 Bridge – $1.2 million from NJ TASA
• Schuylkill River Trail: Near 61st Street to Passyunk Avenue – $1.1 million
  • $600,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Community Conservation Partnerships Program (PA DCNR C2P2)
  • $400,000 from Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Multimodal Transportation Fund
  • $100,000 from RTP
• Cross County Trail and Wissahickon Trail – $1 million from Pennsylvania Local Share Account (PA LSA)
• Camden County Link Trail: Hi-Nella Segment – $525,000 from New Jersey Department of Transportation Bikeway Grant
• Chester Valley Trail: Whitford to Downingtown – $500,000 from PA DCNR C2P2
• Schuylkill River Trail and Chester Valley Trail Junction Center – $500,000 from PA LSA
• U.S. 202 Trail: Solebury – $465,000 from Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Multimodal Transportation Fund
• Chester Creek Trail: Crozer Park – $250,000 from PA DCNR C2P2
• Cobbs Creek Trail: Segment B2 – $200,000
  • $100,000 from PA DCNR C2P2
  • $100,000 from RTP
• Gulph Road Connector – $188,000 from federal funding
• Chester Creek Trail: Chester Township – $115,000 from PA LSA
• Cresheim Trail – $100,000 from RTP
• Liberty Bell Trail: Schwab Road – $100,000 from RTP
• Schuylkill River Trail: Haws Avenue and Chain Street Trailheads – $100,000 from RTP
• Burlington-Camden Trail: Pennsauken to Maple Shade – $90,000 from RTP
• Chester Creek Trail: Chester City – $30,000 for RTP

Looking ahead, there are 112 miles of trail in the Circuit Trails network’s pipeline stage, meaning that although a feasibility study has been conducted, design of the project is not completed, or additional obstacles exist, such as lack of public right of way. An additional 254 miles are planned, having been documented in local, county, or regional plans. These miles represent excellent opportunities for regional-scale, multi-use trails. Studies or plans may have been prepared for these trails, but a sponsor is not actively working to move them forward.

This map shows the development status — existing, in-progress, pipeline, and planned — of Circuit Trails.

The Circuit Trails Coalition is comprised of more than 60 nonprofit organizations that work in collaboration with 25 state and local agencies and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission to promote the development of the Circuit Trails, marketing it to the general public and highlighting the multiple benefits of the Circuit Trails.