New Segment of Circuit Trails to Connect Three Riverfront Parks

Philadelphia, PA (October 17^th, 2022) Representatives from Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, City of Philadelphia, elected officials, and other special guests gathered today with Riverfront North Partnership, the Circuit Trails, and community members to celebrate the groundbreaking of the K&T2 trail segment.

This 0.6-mile trail segment is the newest addition to the Riverfront North’s planned 11-mile network of trails and parks along the Delaware River in Northeast Philadelphia. This trail also serves as an important link in the Circuit Trails, the region’s multi-use trail network of more than 375 miles of completed trails, as well as an important segment for the East Coast Greenway, a 3,000 mile trail from Florida to Maine.

“We are excited to break ground on this trail that will connect the Tacony Boat Launch, Lardner’s Point Park, and the Frankford Boat Launch, creating vital access to the variety of recreational uses that these spaces offer to the public,” said Kathryn Ott Lovell, Parks and Recreation Commissioner.

The K&T2 is part of a vision started in 2004 to connect diverse Philadelphia neighborhoods back to the northern Delaware River. Residents have long been disconnected to the beauty of the river by the I-95 corridor and miles of former industrial sites. The trail reclaims an abandoned railroad corridor for public use and is a perfect realization of this vision.

“Safe access to the parks and trails on the Delaware River is priceless to our communities,” said Stephanie Phillips, Executive Director of Riverfront North Partnership. “The K&T Trail has been long anticipated by our neighbors and has come to fruition through the persistence of many dedicated partners.”

The planned extension of the K&T Trail connects Lardner’s Point Park at the base of the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge to the Tacony Boat Launch, via a 12-foot wide multi-use trail. It closes a key gap in the Circuit Trails, a network of trails that when complete will span more than 800 miles throughout the Greater Philadelphia and southern New Jersey regions.

“Breaking ground on this new section of the K&T Trail speaks to the progress being made toward our goal of completing 500 miles of Circuit Trails by 2025,” said Patrick Starr, Executive Vice President of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Pennsylvania Co-Chair of the Circuit Trails Coalition. “This extension will close a critical trail gap in an underserved and diverse community, expanding access to the Delaware River and increasing connectivity within the community and throughout the region.”

Even as K&T2 trail construction begins, plans to improve visitor amenities, safety, and access at the Tacony Boat Launch and the Frankford Boat Launch are underway. Developer Link Logistics will extend the K&T Trail .25 miles further north this fall, a donation that is part of a public/private partnership with the City of Philadelphia.

Construction will be managed by the City of Philadelphia Department of Streets, with support from Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, Philadelphia Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability, Riverfront North Partnership, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

About Riverfront North Partnership

Riverfront North Partnership works with the City of Philadelphia to create, activate, and steward an 11-mile network of parks and trails on the Delaware River in Northeast Philadelphia. RNP was founded in the belief that every Philadelphian has the right to direct access its rivers. The trail is currently 65% built, and seven of the eight planned parks are open to the public. Even as we see the dream for a continuous river trail in Northeast Philadelphia – and connections to the national East Coast Greenway trail system – becoming a reality, we are building a diverse community of stewards for these spaces through outdoor recreation, nature and cultural activities, and volunteerism.  For more information, visit riverfrontnorth.org.

About Philadelphia Parks & Recreation:

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation advances the prosperity of the city and the progress of her people through intentional and sustained stewardship of public land and waterways as well as through safe, stimulating recreation, environmental and cultural centers. PPR helps Philadelphia’s children and other residents grow by connecting them to the natural world, to each other, and to fun, physical and social opportunities. For more information, find Philadelphia Parks & Recreation online at www.phila.gov/parksandrecreation  and follow @philaparkandrec on social media.

About the Circuit Trails

The Greater Philadelphia ​and southern New Jersey region is the proud home of the Circuit Trails, a vast regional trail network of hundreds of miles of multiuse trails that is growing in size each year. One of America’s largest trail networks, the Circuit Trails includes more than 370 miles of completed multiuse trails with a vision of more than 800 miles of interconnected trails across the nine-county region in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Nearly 65 nonprofit organizations, foundations and agencies are working together as part of the Circuit Trails Coalition to advance the completion of the trail network. Learn more at www.circuittrails.org and connect with the Circuit Trails on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok to find out what is happening #OnTheCircuit

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Thank you to all of the speakers from the presentation:

Bob Borski, Riverfront North Partnership Chair

Stephanie Phillips, Executive Director of Riverfront North Partnership

Patrick Starr, Executive Vice President of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Co-Chair of the Circuit Trails

Congressman Brendan Boyle

Kathryn Ott Lovell, Philadelphia Parks & Rec, Commissioner

Councilmember Mike Driscoll

Senator Jimmy Dillon

Representative Joe Hohenstein

Liz Gabor, Vice President – Development at Link Logistics Real Estate

Jane Golden, Executive Director of Mural Arts Philadelphia