First time on the trail today and loved it. I saw a lot of different types of bikes, recumbents, rollerblades, runners! Despite its current, short length, this trail allows residents from communities south of the Schuylkill Expressway and Route 202 to walk or bike to the King of Prussia Mall. The remote sections are nice and trail well maintained but would choose a different trail next time. The Spring Garden Street Greenway would connect the Schuylkill River Trail and the Delaware River Trail, creating safe passage across Philadelphia. Separately, King of Prussia has committed to complete their 2 mile connector section by 2013 which will connect the Chester Valley Trail to the 50+ mile Schuykill River Trail system. :). Will definitely be back. At its full length, the Chester Valley Trail is planned to run from Atglen at the Chester County line to the Schuylkill River. Highlight was on the east end there is a Wegmans Super Store just off the trail. The park commemorates a Revolutionary War attack in 1777 that was foiled by a horrific thunderstorm that drenched the soldiers gunpowder.Another 1.3 miles ahead is Exton Park, which covers 727 acres and features a pond, picnic sites, and trails. Overall, again, a NICE TRAIL! Primarily residential on one side and highway (202?) I highly recommend it! We found it well maintained, paved and wide. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. It's harder going then coming back, but the street crossings are minimal and non invasive, the other riders/walkers are considerate and upbeat. Little loud since your close to the interstate. It's a pretty run, homes to look at, woods, hills parts are shaded, parts are not. Is the plan to connect to that?? This is not for riders looking for speed, because as mentioned in other reviews, the trail is shared with walkers, runners, strollers, skaters and training wheels. The Planning Commission is working towards determining a recommended alignment for extension of the Chester Valley Trail into the Borough of Downingtown and . It continues past the Veterans Memorial Park and into the King of Prussia area of Upper Merion Township. My recommendation would be to drive further down (3-4 miles in the trail, around Penn medicine) and its getting quieter. Bill Rettew traversed the particulars for the Daily Local News. 0 Localized trails can link to the veins and the capillaries in the larger system. If you are looking for a great trail to hear mother nature. The Road crossing at Rt 100 is rather bizarre. 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. Once completed, the Chester Valley Trail will form a prominent link in southeast Pennsylvania's emerging greenway network, with connections to the Uwchlan and Struble trails, several local parks and Valley Forge via Patriot's Path, another multi-use trail currently in development. The Chester Valley Trail is also part of the Circuit Trails, a developing 800-mile urban network of trails in Greater Philadelphia, of which about 350 miles are complete. Cons - The scenery is less than ideal. Crossing rt. Good for casual riding. Luckily, I saw a gentleman and his daughter unloading bikes and asked - well, it was STILL not the easiest to find! Additionally, 202 can be a bit noisy. Park benches were pretty common, too. Routes 30 and 202 through central Chester County from West Whiteland Township east into Montgomery County. Does anyone have firm facts about the path that the existing Chester Valley Trail is going to use to get to Downingtown? You will really enjoy this one! Complete Streets, Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans. I just moved up to PA from FL a few months ago and while I've been an avid runner for some time, frankly the Florida topography, at least on the East coast, doesn't do much by way of hill conditioning. Complete a comprehensive feasibility study for the Chester Valley Trail. 100 in the next phase and eventually all the way to Downingtown so you cannot yet gain access at Ship Rd. Enjoy! WHYY thanks our sponsors become a WHYY sponsor, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program (CMAQ). All in all, I would say that the portion of the trail that I saw was very nice. Some sections of CVRT are quite lovely; passing by parks and wooded areas. endstream endobj 502 0 obj <. it is best to start this trail from the King of Prussia side and ride to the end point in Exton. The road crossings provide natural stopping points to re-group. The railroad roadcut - dating from the mid-1800s - was a cool oasis of green walls. Upper Dublin is taking the lead on designing and funding its section of the trail just over 4 miles from Pennsylvania Avenue up to Welsh Road. Another time I wouldn't go further west than Rt 100 until the trail is extended further toward Downingtown, which, apparently, is to happen soon. This trail does track w/ R-202 along KoP which can get pretty noisy but for the most part its pretty quiet, hence the 4 stars, not 5. You can get to Valley Forge National Park either via The Schuylkill River Trail or via the trail system in Chesterbrook (being formerly developed as part of the Patriot's Path to Valley Forge). Once this occurs, the Chester Valley Trail will form part of the Schuylkill-Susquehanna Passage, a long-distance greenway that will connect Harrisburg and Philadelphia. The only drawback is crossing several roads which could be a challenge at busy times, and could be a negative for bikers. I don't know? The trail has a slight downhill grade from the Exton Trailhead to its southwest end (Between Rt 100 and S.Whitford Rd) and is about 2 miles one way. The westernmost segment runs for 0.8 miles in the vicinity of the Main Street at Exton shopping center. TWICE, on the way back, I LITERALLY got LOST! You'll be pleased. Hazards include dangerous road crossings and high speed road bikers. Smooth asphalt trail and well maintained with lots of shaded areas. On the plus side, if you take your shopping cart with you, it passes by Wegmans, Target, Walmart and every other big box store along its way, with convenient access to all their parking lots. I then headed out on my run going East (I think) for 3.1 miles. - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. The eastern most section was recently added which extends the trail to Montgomery county. Other riders were friendly and there were East Branch Brandywine Trail Facts. Took several minutes (and several again on the way back). Bike shops in Exton also make for easy service. 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. In the 3.1 miles out, I crossed 4 roads. . Construction of segments that will close the gap from Ship Road to Iron Lake Blvd. Most is shaded and the cars were very good about stopping when We won't bother with that again. There is lots of green space on both sides of the trail so that most of the time you don't realize that you are in the middle of quite a built-up area. The paved trail will be 12 feet wide, off-road, and designed for both cyclists and pedestrians for recreation and commuting. More than 1/3 of the distance is directly adjacent to 202 and the road noise is very loud. 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. West of Church Farm School towards Exton the trail is unpaved and becomes packed gravel then old train bed with large rocks and weeds. It really contributes to the quality of life for our residents, whether its in the form of recreation or as a commuting resource, said Bill Hartman, the countys trails and open space planning manager. The crossings are well designed to keep cyclists and pedestrians safe. Possible alignments are looked at the Route 30 Multimodal Transportation Study. (Not sure how busy it is one weekends.) Is it still there? 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. Meet Our New Community Planning Director, Bill Deguffroy! I look forward to learning how to connect, on the east end, to the Schuylkill River Trail that goes all the way to Center City (PHL). The completed $20.2 million trail will be 22 miles long. We take a break while he plays on the playground and then off we go, back towards home. SRPRA not to be confused with SEPTA is finally chugging along with plans to restore rail service connecting Reading, Pottstown, Phoenixville, and Philadelphia. Looking forward to more rides! It was understandably busy. hbbd```b``+@$SdExA$40,8`q L|` l@Z ".D@1#cmT#30}0 Kn There are several road crossings that require (and have) crossing controls. This is a great trail for those that want to get in a good workout either running or biking without battling the hills of Chester County. Lots of stops to cross traffic. It is also a very wide trail with plenty of passing room. It's not congested like the Schuylkill River Trail. Montgomery County Parks, Trails, and Historic Sites, Chester County's Exton Park Site - 132 Church Farm Lane, Exton, Battle of the Clouds Park - 125 N Phoenixville Pike, Malvern, East Whiteland Municipal Building - 209 Conestoga Rd, Malvern, West Whiteland Municipal Building - 101 E Commerce Drive, Exton, Battery powered wheel chairs by persons with disabilities, Strollers, including those connected to bicycles, Equestrian use, including horseback riding or carriage use, Motorized vehicles, including motor vehicles (excluding authorized vehicles). 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. Starting from the King of Prussia trailhead I found the trail too close to busy streets for me. It is primarily shady and completely flat which makes it perfect for long training runs. This feasibility study and master plan will pick up where the Chester Valley Trail Extension to Downingtown study leaves off and will identify and evaluate potential routes for extending the Chester Valley Trail (CVT) westward across the county to connect with the future 29-mile multi-use Enola Low Grade rail trail . I thought it was a great ride. Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? The trail takes visitors over the Schuylkill River in Norristown and provides access to view the new fish ladder at the Norristown Dam as well as opportunities to visit various shops, restaurants, and art galleries along the way. 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. (Courtesy Montgomery County). Image via the Chester County Planning Commission. The county is looking for funding to construct a roughly $8 million to $10 million trail bridge over Germantown Pike to continue the trail into Whitemarsh. These trails are flat and family friendly and often have a shoulder for running or stepping off the trail. From that point, Montgomery County has built a link over the Schuylkill Expressway to South Gulph Road in Upper Merion. This feasibility study and master plan continues the planning work from the Chester Valley Trail (CVT) Extension to Downingtown study and recommends the primary routing for the remainder of the CVT westward through Chester County. What is the Chester Valley Trail Extension? Runs too close to busy highways and past shopping centers. However, when bikers traveling over 20mph on the trail choose to pass in the middle of the trail, where there is east and west bound congestion, the risk they create for collision is a serious threat to everyone. So the Chester Valley Trail was a site for sore (hamstrings) eyes! It is estimated that there are over 85,000 jobs and 58,000 residents, as well as professional buildings, corporate centers and shopping malls along the trail in West Whiteland, East Whiteland, and Tredyffrin Townships. We saw a park ranger marking trees for maintenance on our way, too. The trail . I almost never give out 5 stars and never give out a single star so a three is not bad in my book. In Exton, the crossing at Rt 100 is a mean 3-way dog-leg. Just rode this trail for the first time today - 4/2/16 - started in Exton - FIRST, the "BAD" - my complaints - I followed the directions posted here, but, when I got there, I had NO IDEA WHERE the trail WAS. Plans call for extending it westward to Downingtown. On March 13th, 2023 a 3.8 mile extension of the Chester Valley Trail officially opened in Montgomery County. on the other side. We rode the entire length out and back on a 95 deg day. Chester County is actively working to extend the trail an additional five miles to the west into Downingtown with the first one mile leg currently under engineering review. I'm just curious what the plan is, if anyone knows. This should be on all trails. Clean trail and a decent amount of tree coverage at most points for those hot sunny days. There are two intersections in particular that I found quite dangerous. Friends of the Chester Valley Trail has a Facebook page for current information, photos and quick responses to questions. This includes the area known as "Battle of the Clouds," where an impending battle was cancelled due to torrential rains and dampened black powder, in the vicinity of Phoenixville Pike and Swedesford Road. The 6.4 mile of the Chester Valley Trail is expanding in both directions with construction starting this month. I love this trail. Instead of taking one directly across Rt 100, one is forced to divert 90 degrees away from the trail (heading northbound) to cross over Commerce Dr and then cross over Rt 100 (paralleling the trail), and then cross the opposite direction on Commerce Dr (Southward) to return to the trail on the west side of Rt 100. Nice trail. MAYBE it's me? It's mostly flat, though, heading back West was a BIT more difficult than the ride East. Two of them had pedestrian yields that at least meant I could cross.
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