The remote sections are nice and trail well maintained but would choose a different trail next time. The installation of the new bridge over Henderson Road in Upper Merion Township for the Chester Valley Trail. Loved having retail on both ends for drinks/snacks. Does anyone know for sure how exactly they're going to connect where the trail currently ends (at Walmart basically, in Exton), to the existing Downingtown Trail that runs along 322? It was understandably busy. Join us at Chester Valley Trail West Public Meeting, Planning Commission Releases Final Plan for Chester Valley Trail Extension to Downingtown, Download a full copy of the final report and watch a short summary video of the recommended improvements. This gives rise to multiple road crossings, and many are signal controlled, especially at major crossings. I spent an hour trying to get to it off of ship road and route 30. On March 13th, 2023 a 3.8 mile extension of the Chester Valley Trail officially opened in Montgomery County. If you are looking for a quiet bike ride in a beautiful setting, I would not suggest it. The first section is in design and will extend the trail from Exton Town Center to near US 30. the work area is estimated at 85% complete. In other areas, homes and office parks are along the way. I like this trail for early season rides or when riding with a group of mixed ability. I went to the East end and then to Rt 100. East Branch Brandywine Trail Facts. This trail is perfect for local residents. The bulk of this section parallels Commerce Drive from Iron Lake Blvd. The Chester County Planning Commission has officially unveiled a recommended route for the Exton-to-Downingtown extension of the Chester Valley Trail. The Chester Valley Trail is currently 18.6 miles in length with 13.5 miles open for use in Chester County and 5.1 miles open to the east in Montgomery County. So in conclusion, if in the area and want to get a few miles in, give this a try. Within Montgomery County, the Chester Valley Trail passes . You need to cross roads three times to reach the other side of 100. The construction of the Chester Valley Trial extension to Downingtown will be completed in two phases. Hartman described the trail system like a humans circulatory system with the Cross County as the trail artery because it allows path users to make many connections to other major trails. The Chester County Parks & Recreation Department opened this trail in 1979 on part of a former Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way. More than 1/3 of the distance is directly adjacent to 202 and the road noise is very loud. Fortunately, this will likely change in the next few years, as major sections between Route 29 and Warner Road, and King of Prussia and Norristown, will close two of these gaps and create an unbroken trail from Ship Road to the Schuylkill River Trail. Map of the Cross County Trail in Montgomery County. It's an easy 30mi (end-to-end and back again). The access at Exton Park is great with parking and restroom. The easternmost segment, in Montgomery County, extends from Warner Road east across the Schuylkill Expressway to South Gulph Road, and was built during a major highway reconstruction project. You will really enjoy this one! The trail surface is paved in asphalt that is fully ADA accessible. Highlight was on the east end there is a Wegmans Super Store just off the trail. And there is a massive hill between that area, and where the Downingtown Trail is along 322. We are very excited about the potential for developing this trail in the heart of central Chester County and expanding The Circuit, Greater Philadelphias regional trail network. Noise from 202 was blocked mostly by a wall. Also a lot of stops because of those roads. Duane Morris investigation into Central Bucks finds no discrimination against LGBTQ students, Shapiro signs first bill, expands Pa. health insurance coverage for breast cancer screenings, 3 unions at Rutgers University have reached tentative agreements. I recommend starting at KoP to make the return trip slightly downhill. on the other side. Lots of bikers, walkers and families on this trail but majority were friendly as you passed. The trail extension project included the installation of two new pedestrian bridges at South Gulph Road and Henderson Road, and the enhancement of two existing bridges. Heads up tho! But due to the many road crossings and that some of the trail is along major highways and that one is funneled to road crossings requiring sharp turns , I am giving this trail a 3 star rating. I'm anxioust to ride end-to-end. It will offer access to Philadelphia and the western parts of Montgomery County. Along the trail are some new bridges one in Bridgeport over railroad tracks, one above South Gulph Road in King of Prussia, and one over Henderson Road in Upper Merion Township. You are riding through an urban area and along some highways. In the 3.1 miles out, I crossed 4 roads. Help defend and expand trails nationwide. Path users will be able to connect to other major trails with a plethora of directional possibilities they could walk or ride west to the Perkiomen Trail and travel all the way to Green Lane Park in Perkiomenville. Great Job!! Trail end points: PA Route 322/Downingtown Pike (near Bradford Road Avenue) and PA Route 322/Downingtown Pike (east of the Sugars Bridge Road intersection) Trail surfaces: Asphalt. 100 is chaotic! Next time I'll know, but the first time was not easy. 0 The Trestle Bridge may be renovated for . Even saw a group walking with a large American flaga great bonus to our Labor Day ride! Please direct any questions or comments you may have to Brian Styche at bstyche@chesco.org. After some lunch - off to Exton where we reached the (dead) end of the trail! Two of them had pedestrian yields that at least meant I could cross. The Chester Valley Trail (CVT) is a Chester County project utilizing a former Reading Railroad right of way between Chester County's Struble Trail in Downingtown Borough, through the length of Tredyffrin Township, to the Chester County/Montgomery County line in King of Prussia. I am looking forward to the completion! To get from Clover Mill Road to Boot Road, and then down 322 to where the existing trail begins, there is a massive hilly area. Montgomery Countys fully accessible 5-mile portion of the Chester Valley Trail now links the Schuylkill River Trail in Norristown to the existing segment in Chester County that extends 14.5 miles west from Tredyffrin Township to Exton. Use figures as determined by Chester Valley Trail Counters showed 477,092 users of the Chester Valley Trail, 68,225 on the Schuylkill River Trail and 350,713 along the Struble Trail, during 2021. The down side of this trail is the deafening noise from the traffic on 202 and that theres not much in the way of scenery. This extension of the existing 13.5 mile trail will provide connections to the existing Struble and East Branch Brandywine Trails in the Downingtown area. Luckily, I saw a gentleman and his daughter unloading bikes and asked - well, it was STILL not the easiest to find! Its shaded much of the way and successfully hides the fact that it runs very close to the 202 expressway. For more information, please contact Brian Styche, CCPC's Transportation Services Director at 610-344-6285 or bstyche@chesco.org. Users will eventually be able to take the Cross County Trail to the Wissahickon Trail, Power Line Trail, Cresheim Trail, and the Schuylkill River Trail into Philadelphia. Alternately, Downingtown also has the Streubel Trail, on the other side of town. I only walked a small section, about 3 miles but it was clean and perfect. I found it unsafe since many of the bike riders do not observe the 15mph speed limit that is clearly marked on the pavement and is appropriate for a multi-use trail. (the back.) It's mostly flat, though, heading back West was a BIT more difficult than the ride East. I saw a lot of different types of bikes, recumbents, rollerblades, runners! Several new bridges have been constructed to carry the trail over local roads, while a few underpasses and culverts left over from the railroad, have been refurbished. The trail is used for commuting, exercise, and recreation by a variety of users including, walkers, joggers, cyclists, and inline skaters. Montgomery County is advancing another major trail project the new Cross County Trail. 36.0 Seeking Funding TBD Paoli Pike Trail: Airport Road to Ellis Lane (Segment A) Multi-use trail along Paoli Pike (0.15 miles) . All in all the CVT is a nice trail, one that I would like to do every year. Ran to the left after parking. The eastern most section was recently added which extends the trail to Montgomery county. WHYY thanks our sponsors become a WHYY sponsor, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program (CMAQ). Get a FREE Rail Trails Guidebook when you become a Member with Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. :( OK so NOW the GOOD! A look into SEPTAs new transit systems proposed for the Philadelphia suburbs. Pursue grant funding for design, right-of-way, and construction of the Chester Valley Trail Extension. I rode the entire 13.5 mile trail from King of Prussia to Exton. Anyone who knows, I would appreciate it. Work on the Chester Valley Trail has been ongoing since 1991 when representatives from Montgomery County, Chester County, and PennDOT first envisioned it. and continue the trail from the Exton Wal-Mart west to Downingtown are still in the planning stages. I like having access to it at different points. The Chester County Commissioners accepted the plan at their December meeting to close out the grant provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Community Conservation Partnerships Program that partially funded the study. Just need to be attentive around mile 7.5 when the trail seems to end -- it doesn't just need to go left at the PNC Bank. Today the 2.6-mile trail attracts more than 125,000 visitors each year. I have ridden the paved portion many times with my seven year old daughter and she has no problems making a round trip. Beware of the many road crossings, too many, and some of them are 4-lane roads- a little dangerous especially if your riding with little ones. It has already completed a feasibility study for one section. Your donation will help us to continue connecting more people to trails around the country. Incoming traffic has the right of way and does not stop. %%EOF Completing this trail gap between two of the areas most significant Circuit Trails is a significant milestone in the regions trail development efforts. despite what the map may indicate. - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. The spur connects to the Exton SEPTA/Amtrack Station. We will have to wait for the politicians to get some good weather to pat themselves on the back about what a great job they did before the trail is officially open, but in the meantimeexcept for the extreme eastern edge east of Old Eagle School Road and the extreme western edge, west of the Church Farm School, the path is open and clear of snow and ice. It will link the existing 14.5-mile portion of the Chester Valley Trail to the Schuylkill River Trail in Norristown. Our suburban reporters want to hear from you! Because of all of the rain this, have ridden this & other paved trails more than I would like. estimated completion in November 2013 from Paoli,cedar hollow road to Valley Forge Park. It continues past the Veterans Memorial Park and into the King of Prussia area of Upper Merion Township. In the less congested western end, the trail utilizes short tunnels to cross US 202 and Swedesford Road.Theres no lack of fast food and restaurants in the retail centers along the eastern segment. There's construction at the main intersection in Exton at the moment about a mile-ish from the trail end. The CVT is well-maintained, paved, offers shade on hot days, and provides links to numerous residential, commercial, and recreational areas, making it perfect for cyclists, in-line skaters or walkers. The project study area includes 6 Chester County municipalities: Caln Township; Downingtown Borough; East Bradford Township; East Caln Township; West Bradford Township; and, West Whiteland Township. Smooth asphalt trail and well maintained with lots of shaded areas. All motorists very considerate. What is the Chester Valley Trail? What is the Chester Valley Trail Yes, there are road crossings. It was raining, but still plenty of people out and about. This morning it was overflowing. hbbd```b``+@$SdExA$40,8`q L|` l@Z ".D@1#cmT#30}0 Kn This trail dose have some potential, I have no idea how is managing it. Riding east, there is 2 miles round trip east of the trailhead off of S. Warner Rd; as w. the western end of the trail, it's ugly but at least more interesting. Overall a great trail! Image via the Montgomery County Planning Commission. Maps were disabled by the visitor on this site. The recommended alignment connects the existing CVT to the inactive Philadelphia and Thorndale (P+T) line, which runs parallel to but separate from the SEPTA/Amtrak main line for 7.4 miles. For a newbie, these crossings were sometimes confusing. The trail would be just over a mile long and expand the practicality of connecting these two major transportation facilities. This proposed segment of the Chester Valley Trail would connect the currently planned terminus in Downingtown to the Enola Low Grade Trail in Lancaster County. lacks trail etiquette And mostly I hated the busy road crossings from Malvern on. The second phase will take the trail over US 30 and into Downingtown. Many points of access as the mostly tree-line trail runs besides neighborhoods, corporate parks, and shopping centers. Starting from the King of Prussia trailhead I found the trail too close to busy streets for me. I'm just curious what the plan is, if anyone knows. I drove up from Wilmington De and it was close to a waste of time and effort. Home Planning Topics Transportation Trail Planning Chester Valley Trail Extension Study. I love running on this trail! The third required me to navigate a high traffic intersection. Chester County Planning Commission The rail-trail ends in another 2.4 miles after passing through the community of Exton. Superb trail as far as smooth and maintained, but the road noise from Rt 202 made parts of the trail unbearable. I did not cross Rt 29 (not necessary if only doing a 10 mileryou can run a little more near the parking lot in Exon to supplement the small shortage), but all other street crossings were simple and very well marked. I highly recommend it! Beaver Creek Trail | Brandywine Conservancy and Museum of Art Youve got to build that basic infrastructure that provides the broad access that you can then tie into and connect, he said. TWICE, on the way back, I LITERALLY got LOST! Complete Streets, Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans. So, if you are riding this trail roundtrip and want to be riding downhill on the return trip, then I suggest that you park at the King of Prussia Trailhead. Together we can reach 100% of WHYYs fiscal year goal. Worth the travel from Maryland. Park at either Exton Park or the trailhead off of S. Warner Rd, and you can get a 28 mile ride; the former has a restroom, while the later has a port-a-john. Overpasses and tunnels, which help avoid street crossings, make this a family-friendly route. Its how we live. The scenery varies greatly, from woodsy tree tunnels to office parks and residential. (Courtesy of Montgomery County). This will likely change once future segments are finished. it is best to start this trail from the King of Prussia side and ride to the end point in Exton. This way you can have a nice picnic waiting for you in Exton Park. If you are travelling a bit to get here and ride this trail you may want to hold off until it's finished because the KOP section is only a little over a mile. This was our longest ride since starting back to riding and we were wooped at the end. Each of these municipalities is represented on a project Steering Committee along with representatives from other County departments and local stakeholders. @oiA'@!=pH0pb` 6^,n The additional mileage is coming to the Chester Valley Trail and the Schuylkill River Trail. Found it to be much easier to run on than the Valley Forge Freedom Trail since there were far less cyclists riding at high speeds. The trail parallels US 202, which youll barely notice as you travel through a wooded corridor that opens up to farmland approaching Exton. One was in a development and had no traffic. I have a Mountain bike, but this trail is good for road bikes as well. Would recommend to families, runners, walkers alike!