East Coast Greenway hosts Philly 17.76, a people-powered celebration
Dozens of Philadelphia-area trail supporters joined the East Coast Greenway Alliance and Circuit Trails Coalition on Saturday, Oct. 3 for Philly 17.76, a people-powered celebration of the Delaware River Heritage Trail and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Starting and finishing at Franklin Square, participants biked or walked up to 17.76 miles, visiting sights in Philly’s historic Center City and Camden, New Jersey. The free, community-centered event provided a unique opportunity to learn about and reflect upon the Greater Philadelphia region and its role in the founding of our nation — all connected by the Delaware River Heritage Trail.
East Coast Greenway Alliance partners led the event, with FreeWalkers leading the walking tour and the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia leading the bike ride.
“It was such a joy to come together with friends to trace the connections between the sites of our nation’s founding with the incredible network of waterfront trails, all tied into the Delaware River Heritage Trail, Circuit Trails and East Coast Greenway,” said Alliance Mid-Atlantic Manager Daniel Paschall.
Alliance New Jersey & New York Manager Sofia Barandiaran added, “This event reminds us what it’s all about — getting out on the trail with friends, family and neighbors that you’re meeting for the first time. We enjoyed learning about Philadelphia and Camden’s rich history, as well as exciting trail and public realm projects soon to come.”
Other organizations involved in the memorable event included Rails to Trails Conservancy and New Jersey Conservation Foundation. Philly 17.76 was made possible thanks to generous support from the William Penn Foundation, 1772 Foundation and Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial.
“The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is proud to be a partner of the Circuit Trails Coalition, and we’re grateful for the collaboration across organizations that made the Philly 17.76 bike ride possible,” said Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia Regional Organizer Patrick Monahan.
“Our advocacy work aims to raise awareness of the regional Circuit Trails network to those that are biking, walking and exploring the network from Southeast Pennsylvania, across the Delaware River and into New Jersey, including the continued development of the Delaware River Heritage Trail.”
The Delaware River Heritage Trail is envisioned as an approximately 80-mile-long looped walking and biking path highlighting the cultural and natural resources along the upper portion of the scenic Delaware River estuary. The trail will link 28 communities, from Trenton to Camden on the New Jersey side and from Morrisville to Philadelphia’s Old City neighborhood in Pennsylvania. It is also part of two larger trail systems: the Circuit Trails and the East Coast Greenway.
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