Key Greenway connection comes to life in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA — Hundreds of cyclists, walkers and runners — even beloved Flyers mascot Gritty — gathered in Philadelphia on Saturday, May 17, to celebrate one of the most eagerly awaited East Coast Greenway segment openings in recent memory.

The Christian to Crescent Trail Connector is an impressive half-mile of new boardwalk, paved trail and a 650-foot cable-stayed pedestrian bridge that links the Schuylkill Banks portion of the Schuylkill River Trail with the Grays Ferry Crescent Trail, creating 3.7 miles of continuous East Coast Greenway through Center City.

“It really elevates biking and pedestrian infrastructure to a whole new level. Prioritizing infrastructure on a human scale — for people, not just vehicles — is powerful,” said Daniel Paschall, Mid-Atlantic Manager for the East Coast Greenway Alliance. “It sets a new standard not only for this city, but for walking and biking in cities across the country.”

Saturday’s official ribbon cutting ceremony opened the trail to hundreds of people waiting to walk, run and bike the trail connector for the first time. It was followed by a community day celebration featuring Philadelphia Streets Commissioner Kristin Del Rossi, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Susan Slawson, PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll, PADCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn and a host of other state and local officials. 

“This is what our mission looks like in action: connecting people and communities, improving transportation, supporting environmental health and boosting local economies,” Slawson said. “We're proud to offer this space just in time for summer for kids, for families, for residents, for visitors to enjoy. This is a trail for everyone, and we're excited to keep building forward.”

This new trail section serves as a critical connection in the broader vision for a seamless trail network — locally, regionally and nationally. Its completion marks a major step forward for both the regional Circuit Trails network and the East Coast Greenway through Philadelphia. Historically, the Greenway in Philadelphia has been built in fragmented sections, but the Christian to Crescent Trail begins to bridge those gaps, linking neighborhoods with safe, accessible routes for walking and biking.

​​”This is an incredible project for the city. It's transformative for the neighborhoods,” Paschall added. 

The critical infrastructure project was brought to life by a collaboration of the Philadelphia Department of Streets, Schuylkill River Development Corporation and PennDOT. Longtime East Coast Greenway partner William Penn Foundation complemented federal and state investment in this transformational project.

“For more than a decade of planning and three years of construction, hundreds of workers across dozens of trades and professions brought their skills to this project to make it a reality today,” said Mayor Charelle L. Parker. “When I say our City government provides services that you can see, touch and feel – this is a great example of what I mean. And we couldn’t have done it without the intergovernmental collaboration and support of the state senators, representatives and department leaders who were part of our celebration.”

An illuminated tunnel connecting the trail to the Grays Ferry Crescent segment, as well as new lighting, benches, trash cans and trees, enhance the new trail segment.

“I think it just makes it more accessible in general, for whether it’s fitness or whether it’s just a reason to get outside, so that you don’t only see trash or just sidewalks that are cracked and hard to walk on or hard to run on,” Grays Ferry resident Kyndall Nicholas told WHYY. “So being able to have a space like this actually makes it easier for us of all ages and all kinds of people, to be able to do these things on a regular basis.”

The Philadelphia Streets Department reported more than 20,000 people used the segment on its opening weekend.

View the segment on the East Coast Greenway mapping tool. 

Momentum for the East Coast Greenway will continue in the region, as the next major project — the Schuylkill Crossing swing bridge — is expected to complete and open by the end of 2025, further leveraging decades of trail projects to link Southwest Philadelphia with Center City. 

With trail projects in motion along both the Cobbs Creek Trail down to the Heinz Wildlife Refuge and the Delaware River Trail up to Glen Foerd, combined with the in-design Spring Garden Street Connector, the East Coast Greenway is projected to grow from being 61% complete today to nearly fully complete in Philadelphia by 2030.