Commission approves at least $300 million in funding to expand bike and walking trails in Philly area

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A regional transportation planning board has approved at least $300 million in federal, state and local funding to expand pedestrian and bike trails in the Philadelphia region.

The projects aim to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety in traffic-heavy areas of the city and the surrounding counties, reduce vehicle emissions, and improve access to natural resources.

Last year, Dr. Barbara Friedes, a 30-year-old doctor at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, was killed after a drunk driver struck her in the bike lane at 18th and Spruce streets. She was one of 17 pedestrian and three cyclist fatalities in 2025, according to the Bicycle Coalition.

Part of the investment from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission will support the Circuit Trail network, which aims to connect more than 850 miles of trails in the Philadelphia region by 2040. More than 420 miles have been completed so far.

“One of the strong characteristics of a healthy and vibrant community is that it is well-connected, is that people can walk out their front door and within 10 minutes get to a place where they can safely access nature, where they can safely connect to the points of interest that they need to get to,” said Justin Dennis, chair of the Circuit Trails Coalition.

“Trails bring people together, they support mental health, they support physical health, they create safe spaces to move, to gather, to recreate, to find joy, to find peace.”

The projects include the Spring Garden Connector, a proposed $58 million  2.1-mile multiuse urban corridor, linking the Schuylkill River Trail and the Delaware River Trail.

The connector will start at the intersection of Christopher Columbus Boulevard and Spring Garden Street, stretch across Spring Garden Street, and end at the intersection of Eakins Oval in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

In addition to improving traffic signals and lighting, the project will create accessible sidewalks, protected bike lanes and access to bus and subway stations. It also aims to prevent traffic accidents in the area of Spring Garden Street.

The latest investment in Circuit Trails also includes the Route 291 Complete Streets Safety Project, which would connect Irving Street to a bridge over Ridley Creek in Chester.

The estimated $50 million project will construct a multiuse sidepath to connect Chester residents with the Delaware River waterfront, and prevent traffic accidents. Between 2015 and 2019, there were 355 crashes along Route 291 in Ridley, Eddystone and Chester. Ten of those accidents were fatal, with eight involving pedestrians and three involving bicyclists.

“The improvements that we’re looking at and having a separated trail will make a big difference there,” said Jesse Buerk, associate director of capital programs and project developer at the regional commission. “I think part of the larger vision is to be able to make all those connections safe and accessible, and connect the dots between all the different trails.”

The new projects will also help expand the national East Coast Greenway, which aims to create 3,000 miles of walking and biking paths from Maine to Florida.

The funding must get final approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation, and would be available in October.