Bike trail opens along Delaware River waterfront in Phila.

A riverfront bicycle trail that was built in Philadelphia last fall is finally opening. A paved, multi-use trail along the Delaware River had been tied up in legal limbo for months.
The trail begins behind a Wal-Mart store on South Columbus Boulevard, and winds through an industrial brownfield that is supposed to become a casino. The opening of the trail was delayed until the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation could secure easements agreements on the privately-held land.

A riverfront bicycle trail that was built in Philadelphia last fall is finally opening. A paved, multi-use trail along the Delaware River had been tied up in legal limbo for months.

The trail begins behind a Wal-Mart store on South Columbus Boulevard, and winds through an industrial brownfield that is supposed to become a casino. The opening of the trail was delayed until the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation could secure easements agreements on the privately-held land.

Corporation president Tom Corcoran says the trail is modeled on the Schuylkill Banks trail on the other side of the city, “Every other waterfront city in America has biking and jogging trails. We’re a little late to the game with the Delaware, but you can already see the trail along Schuylkill River and see what they did.”

So far the trail is complete only up to Washington Avenue, with plans to continue up to the Race Street Pier. Center City District president Paul Levy says the trail makes an easy connection with the new Pine and Spruce Street bike lanes.

The Pine and Spruce trails will take you right to Schuylkill Trail. The long-term vision is you’ve got two riverfront trails with good east-west trails across center city.

The bike trail will be open from dawn to dusk every day of the year. The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation will hire security to ride up and down it.