Residents and stakeholders had the opportunity to review maps detailing proposed new trails during a township public information session.
Burlington County has completed an in-depth study on expanding its network of accessible trails to include an additional 50 miles through the central and southern towns of Mount Laurel, Moorestown, Maple Shade, Evesham, Medford, Tabernacle, Southampton and Shamong.
County commissioners recently voted to accept the completed Southern Regional Trails Feasibility Report, a 251-page document that describes possible routes, objectives, benefits, challenges, projected costs and available funding mechanisms to expand the trail network to all eight towns.
The report was prepared by the Taylor Design Group for the Burlington County Department of Resource Conservation, with funding obtained by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. It’s the product of approximately two years of study that included input from municipal officials and residents from each of the proposed towns, along with regional stakeholders.
In addition to accepting the final report, the commissioners authorized the county’s Department of Resource Conservation to take the necessary steps for proposed paths in the report designated as future parts of the Circuit Trails, a network of more than 850 miles of interconnecting, off-road trails planned to connect Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Mercer counties with Philadelphia and other Pennsylvania counties in the Greater Philadelphia region.
Burlington County has already created more than 50 miles of regional and interior park trails through parts of northern, western and eastern Burlington County, including multiple segments of the Delaware River Heritage Trail through Bordentown, Mansfield and Florence, and the first leg of the Rancocas Creek Greenway Trail, which is expected to travel the 30-mile length of the Rancocas Creek from Pemberton Township to Delran.
The report represents the first look at potential trails in the southern half of the county, including the Pinelands.
The reports also provides details on potential routes for more than 50 miles of new trails, predominantly new off-road paths on easements and right-of-ways, with the goal of connecting county communities, schools, downtowns, parks and other trail systems.
Among the routes studied were potential trails through Maple Shade and Moorestown that would link with the planned Pennsauken-Merchantville Trail in Camden County and pass by Strawbridge Lake. The trails would also connect to Memorial Fields parks, the Moorestown Friends School campus and the county’s Rancocas Creek Greenway Trail near the Burlington County Agricultural Center.
In Mount Laurel, the report proposes a trail from the planned Rancocas Creek Greenway Trail, along Marne Highway South and Briggs Road, where it would connect with the Rowan College at Burlington County campus. The trail would continue south across Route 38 and through the township to connections with the Melvin and Florence Levin Nature Conservancy and Springville Park. The proposed trail would continue along the PSE&G right-of-way to the Evesham border.
The report proposes three distinct pathways in Evesham, beginning at the PSE&G substation near the Mount Laurel and Evesham border. The main trail from Moorestown and Mount Laurel townships would continue south through Evesham, along the PSE&G right-of-way and into Medford. The report also details an additional westerly route known as the Evesham-Cherry Hill Spar through downtown Marlton into Camden County to the Cooper River Trail. There would also be an easterly route to historic Medford, called the Medford Spur.
The main Evesham Trail route would provide connections to Arrowhead Park and Savich fields. It is also proposed to enter the Pinelands and run through the Black Run Preserve. The Marlton-Cherry Hill Spur would provide links to the former Garden State Beagle Club property and the Evesboro Downs Sports Complex.
In Medford, Southampton, Tabernacle and Shamong, the proposed Evesham-Medford Spur would continue east through the township toward Tabernacle and would provide links to Kirby’s Mill Elementary School, Freedom Park, the Milton Allen School and Medford Village. The trail route would also extend along Hawkin Road to link to the Chairville Elementary School and Burlington County Institute of Technology-Medford Campus before crossing over into Southampton and passing through Tabernacle along Pricketts Mill Road. It would then loop west through Shamong and rejoin the Main Trail in southern Medford.
All the proposed trails would be designed to be completely accessible for those with mobility challenges. Some trails would be so-called “shared use” paths with existing roads, but the majority of them are expected to be off-road to separate pedestrians, bicyclists and other vulnerable users from motor-vehicle traffic. It is expected to be a significant safety improvement for the eight towns in the report.
Boardwalk paths will be constructed in some environmentally-sensitive areas, and the county is open to using pervious pavement in some areas of the Pinelands.
The report estimated the costs to design and construct most of the trails to be more than $117 million. Because of the size, scope and expense, it recommends trails be developed in multiple phases, with funding likely to come from a mix of federal, state, county and nonprofit sources.
The full report is available online at www.co.burlington.nj.us.
