The Delaware River Heritage Trail, when completed, will be a 60-mile loop along the upper portion of the Delaware River estuary. The trail is a component of The Circuit, a proposed 800-mile network of bike and pedestrian trails in the Greater Philadelphia region, and will link 24 communities from Trenton to Palmyra in New Jersey and from Morrisville to Philadelphia’s Tacony neighborhood in Pennsylvania.
The trail was initially planned by the Delaware River Greenway Partnership (DRGP) with an advisory committee of government and nonprofit representatives from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. DRGP focuses on heritage trail interpretation, which includes trail signage and a virtual trail website. New Jersey Conservation Foundation serves as the primary organizing advocate for the trail and will assist organizations and government entities in taking the trail to the next stage.
Trail construction is typically undertaken in segments by county and municipal governments with various funding sources. The Story Map provides an overview of the trail. The 60 mile loop is divided into segments in four categories.
Existing — Segments which are completed and are open to the public
In Progress — Segments currently being designed or constructed.
Pipeline — Segments at various stage of project development. Various entities conducting various task such as: conducting studies, acquiring rights-of-way, engaging local communities, and laying the groundwork to obtain funding for future design and construction.
Planned — These segments are documented in local, county, or regional plans. They represent excellent future opportunities for connecting other segments.
Click Map to see Large View
The highlight of this Story Map is the Route 130 Bypass segment Burlington County, New Jersey (segments 29-34). This $8.1 million project was funded through NJDOT’s Regional Transportation Alternatives Program in collaboration with the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), NJ Transit, other regulatory agencies and other partners who were instrumental in making this segment a reality. The proposed 60-mile loop will connect New Jersey and Pennsylvania along the Delaware River. This section included a first of its kind at-grade crossing where the Kinkora Railroad ROW meets New Jersey Transit’s River Line light rail.
The Transportation Alternatives and Regional Transportation Alternatives programs are federally funded programs can be used to:
- Design and construct off-road trail facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists and other non-motorized forms of transportation
- Convert abandoned railroad corridors for trails for pedestrians, bicyclists and non-motorized transportation users.