PlanPhilly recently wrote about a fact finding trip by some Philadelphia planners who visited the Big Apple to learn a little about its trails - water trails.

Fun fact: Philadelphia has 37 miles of shoreline, providing a great opportunity to get a unique, almost detached, view of the city from the water.  New York, with its own share of shoreline, has gotten this right:

Led by Queens Borough Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski, New York has seized this opportunity over the last year, completing a map and website showing 30 sites around the five boroughs that can be accessed by boat.

A water trail in Philadelphia would allow boaters - canoers, kayakers, maybe even tubers - to paddle along the shoreline guided by several landmarks.  Access to the rivers at several points along the way allows paddlers to start and stop where they like and make the trip as long or short as they want.  Folks who take these trips could be guided by experienced paddlers or use a detailed map and written guidebook.

The New York trip was organized by the Southeastern Chapter of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC), which is trying to promote such a trail for Philadelphia.  Officials in New York seemed to reveal (a) how cool a water trail can be and (b) how easy and inexpensive it can be to make it happen.

An aside: the PEC also collaborated on one of last week’s Park[ing] Day displays with their own water-themed micro park in front of SoHo Pizza at 2nd and Market.  I joined them for a few minutes in their lush curbside oasis.

Water trails, if they come to fruition, can serve to make the city a more attractive place to live and visit, bring greater awareness to our natural environment and provide recreational activities to improve public health.  And before folks line up to express their skepticism about the quality of the water, they should know that the rivers are cleaner than they have been for decades.   Take it from this river otter which was caught on camera in the fish ladder at the Fairmount Dam:

If it’s clean enough for him (or her, can’t tell from this angle), it’s clean enough me to paddle around.

Want to learn more?  Check out PlanPhilly’s write up of the New York trip.

To help make this happen, consider getting in touch with your local council person or the mayor’s office to express your support for projects like this.  While most of the heavy lifting will be done by groups like PEC, it never hurts to have friends in the city government.