Cynwyd Heritage Trail Masterplan

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Cynwyd Heritage Trail

ma s t e r p l a n


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Acknowledgements

Lower Merion Township Board of Commissioners

Bruce D. Reed, President, Commissioner Ward 1Maryam W. Phillips, Vice-President, Commissioner Ward 4Philip S. Rosenzweig, Esq, Commissioner Ward 6 Chair Open Space Committee

V. Scott Zelov, Commissioner Ward 10 Chair Parks and Recreation CommitteeMark Taylor, Commissioner Ward 1Jenny Brown, Commissioner Ward 2Jane Dellheim, Commissioner Ward 8Lance Rogers, Commissioner Ward 14Paul A. McElhaney, Commissioner Ward 3Cheryl B. Gelber, Esq, Commissioner Ward 5George T. Manos, AIA, Commissioner Ward 9Brian A. Gordon, Esq, Commissioner Ward 12

Lewis F. Gould, Jr., Esq, Commissioner Ward 11Elizabeth S. Rogan, AICP, Commissioner Ward 7

Staff

Douglas S. Cleland, Township ManagerPatricia Ryan, Assistant Township ManagerLindsay L. Taylor, Director of Parks & RecreationChristopher Leswing, PP, AICP, Assistant Director Building and Planning

Special thanks to

Gerald A. Francis, President, Lower Merion Historical SocietyMax Buten, Lower Merion Historical SocietyEdmund L. Goldsborough, Lower Merion Historical SocietyJim Easter, Lower Merion Historical SocietyKenneth E. Davis Chairman Lower Merion Township Ad Hoc Open Space Committee

Kate Galer, Lower Merion Township Ad Hoc Open Space CommitteeNancy Winkler, Friends of the Cynwyd TrailLaurie Actman, Friends of the Cynwyd TrailDrew Ries, Friends of the Cynwyd TrailStephanie Black, Friends of the Cynwyd TrailBryan Shipenberg, Friends of the Cynwyd Trail


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Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction ...7

Guide to the Plan ..9

The Vision ..12

Benefits of the Trail 14Trail Plan Principles 17

Plan Context .19

Planning and Implementation Process ....26

Partners ..29

Cynwyd Trail Past and Present ..31

Chapter 2: Trail Program .39

Trail Design Criteria ...39

Trails, Interchanges, and Stops .43

TrailsInterchanges

StopsFurther Connections

Property Ownership

Chapter 3: Implementation .75

Implementation Tasks ...75

Construction Phasing and Estimated Cost ...76

Project Implementation Sheets ..78

Implementation Matrix ..96


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introduction Implementationtrail program

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INTRODUCTIONThe Master Plan for the Cynwyd

Heritage Trail presents a compre-hensive, long-range vision andimplementation strategy for trans-forming acres of overgrown and un-derutilized land in Bala Cynwyd intoa dynamic 21st century recreation

trail and linear park. The new publiclands will be connected in a mean-ingful way with existing natural andrecreational resources, and com-mercial and institutional open spacelands of public value. This MasterPlan has been prepared to informgovernment officials, neighbors, fu-

ture trail users and potential partnersabout the great potential for this trailand to describe the steps necessaryto make it a reality.

This Master Plan document is in-


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tion and community outreach. The

ideas and design vision expressedin the plan are conceptual, and arepresented as a menu of project el-ements that may be implementedover time. At this planning stage,estimated construction costs are or-der of magnitude based on prelimi-nary design concepts. As elementsof the plan advance toward imple-mentation, each individual projectwill be further refined and designedin detail and cost estimates will be-

come more precise. The plan is in-

tentionally flexible; As opportunitiesand constraints change and comeinto focus over time, individual plansegments may become higher orlower priority. This flexibility allowsthe Township to respond effectivelyas opportunities emerge to enhancethe Cynwyd Heritage Trail experi-ence.

The grand vision presented herewill take many years to realize and

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MANAYUNK

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PENCOYD TRAIL

IVY RIDGE TRAIL

HARRY OLSON TRAIL

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SCHUYLKILL RIVER TRAIL

is dependent upon funding sources

and private agreements that haveyet to be fully identified. Yet while theentire park may take years to devel-op, there is an opportunity to estab-lish the core recreational trail andkey public linkages in the short term,using funds available through theMontgomery County Open SpaceProgram, fees generated from newresidential development, and privatecontributions of money, resourcesand labor. The planning process


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laid out in the document seeks to

achieve quick and tangible resultswithin the framework of a long-termvision that relies on the communityand public and private sectors in ameaningful and indispensible way.

This Master Plan was undertakenas one of the outcomes of the Town-ships Open Space and Environmen-tal Resource Protection Plan adoptedin 2006, which included the CynwydTrail among its recommendations.In order to advance the recommen-dations of the Open Space Plan, in2007 the Township formed an adhoc open space committee, alsoreferred to as the Emerald Neck-lace Committee, to identify projectsfor eligible for funding through theMontgomery County Open Spaceprogram. The Committee reviewedand endorsed the concepts for theCynwyd Trail and recommended tothe Board of Commissioners that theTownship acquire property and al-

locate capital funding necessary toimplement the trail.

In the largest sense, the CynwydHeritage Trail refers to an approxi-mately 350-acre linear open spacepark comprised of public, privateand institutional lands located in the

Bala Cynwyd section of Lower Mer-

ion Township, Montgomery County

Pennsylvania. The core of this openspace network will be a 2-mile long,12-14 wide, paved trail with widegravel shoulders for multiple uses.The trail will extend primarily alongthe vacant, former SEPTA R-6 Com-muter rail corridor from Cynwyd Sta-tion to the arched Manayunk Via-duct, with a spur extending downthe former Pencoyd rail spur to theintersection of Rock Hill Road andBelmont Avenue. Given the long-standing cultural associations of thislandscape, the Cynwyd Heritage Trailderives its name from the corridorsoriginal purpose as the CynwydBranch of the Schuylkill Division ofthe Pennsylvania Railroad, which ranfrom Philadelphia to Reading alongthe northern bank of the SchuylkillRiver from the late 19th century untilthe middle of the 20th century.

As seen in the accompanying

graphic, the Cynwyd corridor followsa curvilinear alignment through theBala Cynwyd landscape and roadnetwork. As a result, when the cor-ridor is converted into a recreationaltrail it will provide direct pedestrianand bicycle connections between res-idential neighborhoods, commercialareas, public parks and institutionalproperties that are currently physi-


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cally separated by winding roads,

steep hills and large properties thatcharacterize the Bala Cynwyd area.

Guide to the Plan

The Cynwyd Heritage Trail is anambitious project with many variedand distinct components. The Mas-ter Plan is structured in three sec-tions: Introduction, Trail Program,and Implementation.

The Introduction section presentsthe overall goals and vision for thetrail and provides a summary of theexceptional benefits that the trail willprovide. This section also describes

the way the Cynwyd Trail creates syn-

ergy with the various local, regionaland statewide trail and greenwayplanning efforts that are underway,and the profound potential for knit-ting together these myriad individualtrail segments into a continuous andcoherent regional trail network.

The core of the document is theTrail Program section, which breaksdown the broad vision for the Cyn-wyd Heritage Trail into 19 definedprojects and program focus areas.Each project includes maps showingthe relationship to the larger TrailPlan as well as detailed graphics il-lustrating the various components of

the project area. Each project area

contains short-term and long-termcomponents, and also identifies po-tential partners and funding sources.In addition to individual constructionprojects, this section also includesseveral programmatic elements,such as public safety and education,which relate across entire trail.

The document concludes withan Implementation section for theplan, including construction cost es-timates, potential funding sources,key partners, and a project/programpriority matrix.

The trail plan includes numerous projects that can be implemented incrementally over time.


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THE VISION

When fully realized, it is envisionedthat the Cynwyd Trail will become thecivic nexus of Bala Cynwyd, a com-bination public green and mainstreet that allows neighbors to inter-act while walking or biking and thatwill also provide a central locationfor community events like parades,

festivals and concerts. The ideascontained in the Cynwyd HeritageTrail Master Plan are much deeperthan the literal trail itself. The poten-tial value of the trail is as wide-rang-ing and diverse as that of the differ-ent experiences of each individualtrail user. Imagine

Imagine waking up on weekdaymorning and going for your regularwalk along the trail before headingoff to work. Every morning you seesomething different along the trail,whether it is a new songbird, thechanging colors of the landscape,

or someone from the neighborhoodgetting their morning exercise.

Imagine a warm summer eve-

ning and two couples from Glad-wyne who have known each otherfor years meeting at the BarmouthInterchange and walking on the trailto the restaurants of Manayunk fordinner. The couples have wanted toget together for years, but they haveavoided the hassle of driving/parkingin town. The Cynwyd Trail providesfree parking and a pleasant 10 min-ute walk over the Manayunk Bridgeto work up an appetite. On the wayover to Manayunk, the couples havea chance to talk to each other andrun into some other friends exercisingon the trail. After dinner, they watchthe moon rise over the Schuylkill Riv-

er and marvel at the newly installedlighting display along the ManayunkCanal Tow Path.

Imagine the first day with yournew bike in Merion and riding downto the Cynwyd Trail for a ride. Youmeet up with a couple of fellow rid-

ers at the Station Caf, check your

tires for air and plan your route.

Since you rode out to Valley Forgeand the Perkiomen Trail last week,you decide this week to ride thetrail to the Fall Festival at the Mor-ris Arboretum. You and your friendshead down the trail from CynwydStation past dozens of walkers anda father teaching his son to ride abike at the West Laurel Hill pocketpark. Past the frisbee players on theWestminster Green you turn rightand head down the new paved path

The Cynwyd Trail will be designed to appeal to all types of users.

The trail can be a perfect setting forcommunity events.


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through the Connelly Connection

and around the Connelly Meadowwhere volunteers from the LowerMerion Conservancy are countingbirds. You emerge through the railtunnel, pass the waterfront park withseveral kayakers putting into thewater and run smack into the water-front Pumpkin Festival in front of thenew waterfront apartments. You andyour friends dismount your bikes andwalk through the crowds along thewaterfront trail where you stop andbuy some fresh fruit and cider at theweekly farmers market at the base ofthe Pencoyd Bridge. After a snack,you head over the bridge where youjoin the newly completed waterfront

trail connection that provides -mile long, traffic free route to theWissahickon Trail and Kelly Drive.

Imagine being a kid in the sub-urbs and having to be driven every-where. Imagine being a kid living inBala Cynwyd and being able to get

everywhere on the Cynwyd Trail byfoot or bike! Imagine that you meetyour friends from Belmont Hills and

Ardmore at the trail entrance ofRock Hill Road and Belmont Avenueone day after school. The three ofyou ride up the trail to the SchuylkillOutlook where you check out the

cool new educational signs beinginstalled before heading over to theWestminster Green for a rousinggame of Capture the Flag with moreof your friends. Afterwards you raceback and forth to Cynwyd Station

The Cynwyd Trail will enable important connections to be made to recreation and retailopportunities on the Philadelphia side of the river.


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BENEFITS OF THE

TRAILThe Cynwyd Heritage Trail offers

many potential benefits to the BalaCynwyd neighborhood, Lower Mer-ion Township and the greater Phila-delphia region.

The approximately 5 miles of Cyn-wyd Trails will create new publicrecreational opportunities forresidents of Bala Cynwyd and LowerMerion Township and will expandexisting recreational opportunities byproviding pedestrian linkages withCynwyd Station Park, Bala CynwydPark, West Laurel Hill Cemetery and

Westminster Cemetery.

The recreational activities associ-ated with the Cynwyd Trail will resultin direct public health benefitsto the Lower Merion population byproviding safe, attractive and con-venient opportunities to integrate

walking and bicycling into everydayactivity. The basic loop of the Cyn-wyd Trail from Cynwyd Station tothe Manayunk Bridge is 2 miles inlength, and the intermediate loopover the Manayunk Bridge, downMain Street and back over the TowBridge/ Connelly Connection is ap-

proximately 5 miles. Each of thesewalks undertaken at a reasonablepace of 5 miles an hour would takebetween 40 minutes and an hourand burn between 500 and 700calories.

Tow Bridge and Pencoyd waterfrontinto the trail experience through in-terpretive signage, websites and lec-tures. The trail will also strengthen lo-cal historic preservation /educationefforts through its partnership withthe Lower Merion Historical Society,the Montgomery County Depart-ment of Heritage and Cultural Re-sources, the Pennsylvania SchuylkillRiver Heritage Corridor and the Fed-eral Governments Preserve AmericaProgram.

The Cynwyd Trail will promoteeconomic development by pro-viding pedestrian and bicycle link-ages between the residential neigh-

borhoods of Bala Cynwyd and theexisting commercial centers of Bala,Merion-Cynwyd, City Avenue andMain Street Manayunk and themixed-use commercial district alongRock Hill Road. By being located atthe ends of the trail, the commercialcenters are ideally located to be-

come trail destinations for trail users.It is anticipated that the use of the

trail will help to revitalize the Balaand Manayunk commercial districtsby creating a demand for cafes, ser-vices and restaurants by trail users.Trail use is an ideal means to cre-ate the critical mass of foot trafficto support the pedestrian-orientedstreetscape pattern of these com-mercial districts.

The pedestrian and bicycle link-ages of the Cynwyd Trail will createnew non-motorized transporta-tion options between residences,


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commercial centers and culturalresources. The Cynwyd Trail willprovide Lower Merion residents di-rect trail access to the Montgom-ery County Trail system through theSchuylkill River and WissahickonTrails and to the recreational andcultural resources of Philadelphia viathe East River/Kelly Drive /SchuylkillBanks Trail. In addition, the projectsassociated with the Cynwyd Trail willstrengthen the regions trail infra-structure by providing a paved, offroad connection between the EastRiver Drive/Kelly Drive/WissahickonTrail interchange at Ridge Avenue inPhiladelphia and the paved portionof the Schuylkill River Trail in Rox-

borough and Montgomary CountyWhen completed, these connectionswill provide seamless pedestrianand bicycle connections betweenthe western suburbs of MontgomeryCounty/Chester County and CenterCity Philadelphia. These connectionswill significantly improve opportuni-

ties for bicycle commuting across theregion.

The Cynwyd Trail will improvethe natural environment throughsustainable landscape restoration ofthe Cynwyd Corridor, the Westmin-ster site, the Spaventa site, the Con-nelly site and the Schuylkill water-front. Due to their relatively remotelocation and vacant condition thesesites have been degraded throughillegal dumping of trash and con-struction debris and have becomeinundated with invasive species likeJapanese Knot Weed and DevilsWalking Stick, which have stressedthe native ecology. Trail improve-ments will clean up debris, manageinvasive species and restore the na-tive ecology.

The Cynwyd Trail will improvewater resource ecology throughriparian restoration of Vine Creekand the Schuylkill River waterfront.Parts of Vine Creek, which runthrough the planned WestminsterGreen, have been filled with con-

struction debris that has altered thestream banks and stressed the native

Connections to commercial centers will promote economic development.

The trail will enhance heritage resources(above) and new transportation options.



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ecology. The Schuylkill waterfront isalso trash strewn and overrun withinvasive species, which reduce its ri-parian capacity. Both of these waterresources are important componentsof the Townships stormwater infra-structure. Restoration projects willenhance water quality and reducestormwater runoff.

The Cynwyd Trail will provideecological education opportu-nities by creating public access tothe Schuylkill River waterfront andthe Cynwyd Corridor, both of whichhave high habitat value. The LowerMerion Conservancy currently moni-tors the bird population in this area

and reports a great diversity of birdspecies. A key programmatic rec-ommendation of this plan is to raiseenvironmental awareness of the na-tive ecology of the trail corridor andSchuylkill waterfront through part-nerships with environmental/educa-tional organizations like the Lower

Merion Conservancy, Riverbend En-vironmental Education Center andthe Lower Merion School District.

One of the most significant ben-efits of the Cynwyd Trail will resultfrom direct community participationin trail projects and programs that

will build social capital by providingopportunities for volunteer, institu-tional and business involvement inbuilding, developing and maintain-ing the trail. Community service is ahallmark of the Bala Cynwyd com-

the City of Philadelphia that will benecessary to integrate the Mana-yunk and Tow Bridges into the trailnetwork. Repurposing these bridg-es for trail will be complicated andwill require significant resources of

time, money and political capital. Itis envisioned that the Cynwyd Trailprojects will lay the tracks for futuremulti-municipal projects, programsand policies necessary to strengthenthe region.

Above:

The trail landscape is home to diverseflora and fauna and environmental

education opportunities abound.

Below:Township volunteers participate in

community walks of the trail and are avaluable stewardship resource.

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TRAIL PLAN

PRINCIPLESThis Trail Master Plan is based

upon the mutually supportive prin-ciples of ecological, social and eco-nomic sustainability. While we areall familiar with the idea of a trail asa recreational resource, the CynwydTrail has the potential to be muchmore. The physical linkages it willcreate are easy to appreciate. Thethematic linkages are more subtle,but no less valuable. At the core ofthis plan is the commitment to Sus-tainability: design principles that cre-ate value and enhance communityresources. This principle is exempli-

fied in many ways:

Ecological Sustainability

This plan presents an opportuni-ty to heal and restore a landscapethat has been ravaged by industrialuse, mismanagement and neglect.Through its history, the landscapehas been designed to serve theneeds of industria and commerce.Now, the trail plan will re-designthis landscape to serve the needsof people. A central design focusis to employ practices that will helpto restore the woods, fields and wa-terways of the Cynwyd Trail toward

an ecologically sustainable balancewhere native plants and wildlife cancoexist and thrive with human activi-ties on the trail.

Social Sustainability



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as a multi-use space that will makeit an attractive place to walk, bikeor rollerblade. It is envisioned thatthe majority of trail users will use thetrail for walking. However, due to thediverse nature of the Bala Cynwydcommunity, it is also anticipated thatsome trail users will use the trail forrunning or biking. There is also thepotential that some trail users will

use the trail for bicycle commutingto City Avenue, Norristown or Cen-ter City Philadelphia during the workweek.

As the trail moves to the designphase, it is recommended that thedesigners investigate the feasibility

of dividing the trail into different sec-tions to accommodate different ac-tivity levels. A goal of this plan is todevelop a trail plan that reasonablyaccommodates as many trail usersas possible while reducing potentialconflicts resulting from different lev-els of activity and use patterns.

One potential design scenarioproposes dividing the trail into threesections; a local trail to be primar-ily used for strolling, an express trailfor higher speed activities, like run-ning and a commuter trail dedicatedto bike use. The three trail sections

could be developed over time inresponse to actual trail use and asresources permit.

Economic Sustainability

It is envisioned that the CynwydTrail will become a first class rec-reational amenity to include high-quality site features and public land-scaping. This plan presents creativestrategies to maintain public expec-tations of a high quality trail experi-ence without undue public expense.

One of the key strategies for de-veloping economic sustainability isthe inclusion of volunteer and com-munity resources in developing andmaintaining the trail. This strategyhas two main components.

The first component will be theformation of a non-profit Friendsgroup of the community to workwith the Township in promoting, pro-gramming and maintaining the trail.Friends groups are a proven tool forinvolving the community in publicspaces and also provide a means ofraising additional capital necessaryfor high-quality supplemental main-tenance.

The second component involvesestablishing the social infrastruc-ture to harness and manage volun-teers to provide supplemental laborto construct and maintain the trail.

The trail has already benefited from

thousands of hours of volunteer la-bor in removing brush and debris.

Volunteer and community servicelabor represents a significant sourceof potential labor to build and main-tain the trail.

A goal of this plan is to work witha local College or University to de-velop a business plan for a Cynwyd

Trail Volunteer Coordinator (CTVC).The CTVC would work with theTownship to identify appropriate trailprojects and solicit/coordinate vol-unteers to execute the projects fromlocal businesses, schools and thecommunity. An additional source ofsemi-volunteer community service

labor is available from the Mont-gomery County Corrections Officeand the Montgomery County DistrictCourt.

Volunteers are most effective whenthey are properly organized andprovided with necessary resources.

A volunteer coordinator would alsobe responsible for working with localbusinesses and non-profits to coor-dinate donations of tools and re-freshments to support the volunteerexperience.

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PLAN CONTEXT

Relationship to Local,Regional, & State PlanningEfforts

Though the Cynwyd Trail plan istailored specifically to the needsof Lower Merion Township and theunique characteristics of this Bala

Cynwyd landscape, the concept ofthe Cynwyd Trail is hardly a stand-alone idea. The Cynwyd Trail ideais intricately linked to numerouscomplementary planning initiatives,studies and projects in the regionseeking to expand recreational op-portunities, enhance access to the

Schuylkill River, stimulate economicdevelopment and promote heritageand environmental conservation.

The significance of the CynwydTrail lies in the projects potential totie many of these related projects to-gether and create value far exceed-ing that normally associated with asingle recreational amenity, such asa trail.

An example of the synergy cre-ated by the Cynwyd Trail Plan isthe impact that the proposed trailis already having on riverfront plan-ning efforts in Manayunk and alongthe Schuylkill River in Montgomeryand Chester Counties. For years, astrong coalition of state, county, cityand neighborhood organizationswith the help of foundations, likethe William Penn Foundation have

dents of Lower Merion Township tothe Schuylkill River for water-basedactivities. The social and financialcapital represented by the residentsLower Merion Township has reen-ergized Schuylkill River planning upand down the river and may be thecatalyst that finally brings many ofthe plans to fruition.

The various plans for improvingpublic access along the SchuylkillRiver are diverse and fascinating,and deserve to be publicized. Thefollowing is a summary of the local,regional and state planning effortsrelating to the Schuylkill River andthe Cynwyd Trail.

Local Level

Open Space Plan

The Cynwyd Trail was identifiedas a medium priority project in the2006 Lower Merion Township OpenSpace and Environmental Resource

Protection Plan. At the time that theopen space plan was prepared there

were many unknowns regardingSEPTAs plans for Cynwyd Station,the rail corridor, the status of theManayunk Bridge, the developmentof the Pencoyd Waterfront and theavailability of several key parcels in-cluding Westminster and Spaventa.

In 2007 the Township formed anad hoc open space committee, also

referred to as the Emerald NecklaceCommittee, to identify projects eli-



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gible for funding through the Mont-gomery County Open Space pro-gram. The Committee focused onidentifying open space projects andopen space acquisitions to connectexisting open spaces together andto create an Emerald Necklace oflinked open spaces throughout thetownship and along the SchuylkillRiver. The Emerald Necklace Com-

mittee sough to maximize the Town-ships open space investments byimplementing the broad goals of theOpen Space Plan through targetedprojects that complemented previ-ous investments and existing poli-cies. The committee placed priorityon new projects that:

Provide pedestrian and bikelinkages between existing openspaces;Expand existing open space cor-ridors and areas of environmen-tal habitat and protect sensitivenatural features;Increase awareness of the Town-ships natural and open spaceresources;

Provide public access to theSchuylkill River in Lower MerionTownship; andProvide safe, convenient, off-roadconnections to the regional trailnetwork for Township Residents.

The Committee reviewed the con-

cepts of the Cynwyd Trail and rec-ommended to the Board of Com-missioners that the Township acquirethe Spaventa and Westminster prop-erties for inclusion in the trail. TheCommittee also endorsed the visionof the Cynwyd Trail.

Schuylkill River West Feasibility Study(SRWT)

In addition to planning for theCynwyd Trail, the Township is alsoparticipating in a multi-municipalfeasibility study to explore trail con-nections along the western side of theSchuylkill River from Philadelphia to

Valley Forge. The Cynwyd Trail and

Schuylkill River Trail alignments over-lap along the Pencoyd Waterfront.Both studies seek to improve con-nections to the regional trail networkfor Township residents. Regardless ofthe final findings of the SRWT study,this plan is based on the assumptionthat a trail is both desirable and fea-sible along the Pencoyd Waterfrontand has directed its planning effortsfor the Pencoyd Waterfront into theCynwyd Trail Master Plan.

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Relationship to Local

Zoning & PlanningThe planned Cynwyd Heritage

Trail is consistent with all municipalplanning documents in that it pre-serves natural features, conserveshistoric resources, provides recre-ational opportunities and enhancesexisting and planned residential

neighborhoods by providing con-nections to community, transporta-tion and commercial centers.

During the process of prepar-ing this Master Plan the Townshipamended its zoning ordinance topermit medium density mixed/use

residential development in closeproximity to the trail on Rock HillRoad (ROHO) and along the Pen-coyd Waterfront (M District). It iscurrently anticipated that approxi-mately 600 new residential units willbe constructed on Rock Hill Roadand another 700 along the Pen-

coyd Waterfront. Open space, andparticularly the relationship of thenew developments to open space,is integral to both zoning changes.Both ordinances include goals toreduce auto dependency and bothordinances include requirementsto link to public transportation. TheCynwyd Trail is intended to providerecreational amenities for these newresidents as well as provide impor-tant transportation connections toimplement the purposes and objec-tives of the ordinances.

Provisions for public open space are built into M District Township zoning.

Schu

ylkillRiv

er

West Laurel HillWest Laurel HillCemeteryCemetery

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The trail plan is also consistentwith current plans to prepare a zon-ing overlay along City Avenue tofacilitate higher density, mixed-use,and pedestrian friendly develop-ment. The Cynwyd Trail Plan includesprovision for direct connection be-tween the core trail spine and City

Avenue, thus connecting the hugenumber of people who work, visit,

and live along the Avenue with thetremendous recreational and scenicresources of the trail environmentand Schuylkill River.

Manayunk Waterfront Plans

Since 2006 Lower Merion Town-ship has been participating in theSchuylkill Project a regional effortto revitalize the Manayunk Water-front for active recreation and heri-tage tourism that is primarily fundedby the William Penn Foundation andDCNR. Lower Merions participationhas expanded the project to considerboth sides of the waterfront and has

created an open space synergy thatis accelerating many of the studysrecommendations and is bringingthe Cynwyd Trail closer to realiza-tion. The joint Schuylkill Project/Cynwyd Trail planning effort is anexcellent example of multi-municipalcooperation.

Above: Manayunk has for years been heavily involved with design and planningfor its waterfront.Below: Regional trail connections will increase with the many planned trails inthe area.

Sc

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SCHUYLK

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CITY

AV

LAN

TWENTYNINTH

ST

IvyRidgeTrail

Cynw

ydTrail

East Falls to Ridge Ave Improvement

Tow Path Bridge

ShuylkillRiverTrail&Tow

Path

UpperpartofWestBank G

PencoydSegm

ent

Marti

n

ve

SchuylkillRiverTrail

IvyRidgeTrail

Cynw

ydTrail

East Falls to Ridge Ave Improvement

Tow Path Bridge

ShuylkillRiverTrail&Tow

Path

UpperpartofWestBank G

PencoydSegm

ent

Marti

n

ve

SchuylkillRiverTrail

IvyRidge

Trail

Cynwyd Trail Spur -Main Street Bypass

Wissahickon Gateway

IvyRidgetoPortRoyal

AvenueTrailExtension

IvyRidge

Trail

Cynwyd Trail Spur -Main Street Bypass

Wissahickon Gateway

IvyRidgetoPortRoyal

AvenueTrailExtension

Port Royal Avenue

Manayunk Bridge

Cynwyd Station

PencoydBridge

WissahickonConnector Bridge

East Falls Bridge

Ivy Ridge Station

Lock Street -Tow Path

West LaurelCemetery

Laurel HillCemetery

WestminsterCemeteryMontgomery

Philadelphia

West Fairmount

Park

East FairmountPark

Cobbs Creek

Park

Wissahickon

Park

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Regional Level

Fairmount ParkThe broad vision and many of the

specific projects outlined in the Cyn-wyd Trail Master Plan seek to pro-vide physical, economic and pro-grammatic linkages between BalaCynwyd and the regions recreation-al trails. While immediate connec-

tions include the Wissahickon andSchuylkill River Trails, longer rangeprojects include enhancing the gre-enway community of public, privateand non-profit organizations work-ing toward conserving natural re-sources, promoting recreational op-portunities and celebrating cultural

resources. Beyond inter-governmen-tal cooperation, the Township alsoseeks to strengthen ties with success-ful volunteer organizations includingthe Friends of the Schuylkill Banks inCenter City and the Friends of theWissahickon in Mt. Airy, ChestnutHill and Lower Montgomery County.

State Level

Schuylkill River Heritage Area(SRHA)

The vision and many of the proj-ects outlined in the Cynwyd TrailMaster Plan seek to integrate theBala Cynwyd community into the

Schuylkill River Heritage Area bymaking physical connections to theriver, educational connections to theareas industrial and railroad his-tory and economic and social con-nections to the Heritage Areas re-

The trail will connect to regional trailnetworks, such as the Schuylkill Banks,

the Wissahickon Trail, and the SchuylkillRiver Heritage Area, below..



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One of the recommendations of thisplan is that Lower Merion Township

become a Schuylkill River HeritageArea Partner. Partnership requiresthe submission of an applicationand a municipal resolution.

The Schuylkill River DevelopmentCorporation (SRDC) is the effort torevitalize the banks of the Schuylkill

along the formerly-industrial Phila-delphia waterfront. The SRDC re-cently completed the Schuylkill RiverMaster Plan which describes theefforts to expand the existing trailsouth past South Street in Philadel-phia and to the mouth of the river.

Pennsylvania Department ofConservation and NaturalResources (DCNR)

The Cynwyd Trail Master Planwas prepared after reviewing overa decades worth of Greenway andTrail Planning Studies prepared byDCNR (www.dcnr.state.pa.us). This

Plan is consistent with all of thoseplanning efforts including DCNRscurrent priorities outlined in Shapinga Sustainable Pennsylvania, DCNRsBlueprint for Action. Specifically thetrail vision and projects outlined inthis master plan promote the follow-ing DCNR priorities, which include:

Building and MaintainingSustainable Communities

The Cynwyd Trail promotes in-tergovernmental cooperation on

l l i l di j i t j t

Cynwyd Trail

tourism and open space preserva-tion. These projects are consistentwith regional, county and local plansand will implement goals to improveestablished communities by build-ing green infrastructure, improvinggreenway connections, encouragingnew outdoor recreation and promot-

ing heritage based development.

Creating Outdoor Connections forCitizens and Visitors

The Cynwyd Trail Master Plan pro-motes outdoor connections for citi-zens and visitors by identifying proj-ects that create spaces for citizens to

experience the outdoors, increasingawareness of natural and culturalresources and encouraging citizenparticipation in the stewardship ofthe Townships cultural and environ-mental resources

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National Level

East Coast GreenwayThe Cynwyd Trail has the oppor-tunity to connect directly to the EastCoast Greenway (ECG, www.gre-enway.org), a planned continuousbikeway stretching all along the eastcoast from Maine to Florida. Morethan 20% of this 3,000 mile longroute has already been constructed,with new sections completed everyyear. In Philadelphia, sections of theSchuylkill River Trail have alreadybeen designated as part of the ECG,and locally, numerous individualsections of the Greenway are be-ing planned and constructed at thistime. The North Delaware Green-way Trail is under construction innorthwest Philadelphia; the CenterCity Greenway Connection is beingplanned to cross the densest part ofthe city to join the two rivers; andtrail planning is advancing along thelower Schuylkill that will extend theexisting trail all the way to the airport

and beyond. All of these trail seg-ments are envisioned to be part ofthe East Coast Greenway. BeyondPhiladelphia, both Delaware andBucks counties are developing theirown master plans to continue thetrail. The opportunity the Cynwydtrail affords township residents to

connect directly into this tremendousnational-scale recreational resourcecannot be overemphasized.



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PLANNING AND

IMPLEMENTATIONPROCESS

The Cynwyd Trail was originallyproposed in 2004-05 during thepreparation of the Township OpenSpace Plan. Through that processand the planning that has taken

place subsequent to the OpenSpace Plans 2006 completion, theCynwyd Trail has been the subjectof dozens of public and communitymeetings and has benefitted fromthe input of hundreds of interestedcitizens, planning professionals, andeager volunteers.

Public Participation

Over the past two years, the fun-damental ideas for the Cynwyd Trailhave been developed through aunique public process that has in-cluded review by the Townships AdHoc Open Space Committee, tele-

vised public meetings, roundtableswith adjacent landowners, severalvolunteer workdays and dozens oforganized community trail walks. Asa result of this hands-on approach,many of the natural questions abouta rail trail have been addressed andthe community has been able to con-

centrate on specific design issues ofwhat the trail will look like and howit will function.

In addition to open communityevents, and meetings with adjacent

The public has been provided withregular updates of trail progress and

events through the Townships cableaccess channel, website and newslet-ters. The Lower Merion Historical So-ciety website includes extensive slideshows on the clean up and history ofthe trail and the renovations to Cyn-wyd Station. In February 2008, theMain Line Life newspaper devoted

of its front page to a trail walk andWHYY 91FM also provided a 4 min-ute segment on the public participa-tion with the Cynwyd Trail. Links tothe radio segment and news cover-age are provided on the Townshipswebpage. Extensive photography ofthe renovations to Cynwyd Station,

the history of the Schuylkill Division

The public has shown enthusiastic supportfor initial trail planning activities.

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and the clean up of the Cynwyd Trailare available on the Lower Merion

Historical Society website. (www.low-ermerionhistory.org/)

One unexpected benefit of thepublic participation process is thatit has encouraged many differentpeople and organizations to adopttheir own part of the trail. For in-

stance, after the February 2008 walka group of residents from Manayunkwho had participated formed theFriends of the Ivy Ridge Trail to ex-tend the trail from the Philadelphiaside of Manayunk Bridge to the IvyRidge Station in Roxborough. Thisgroup has since established its own

website, organized significant cleanups and has also begun workingwith SEPTA and elected officials toremove rail/track infrastructure andhave the corridor placed on theFairmount Park Trail Plan. The BoyScouts of Lower Merion Townshiphave officially adopted the Connelly

Connection. In April 2008, the BoyScouts assisted Andrew Guggolla incleaning up the site and construct-ing a trail as part of his Eagle ScoutProject. It is anticipated that the BoyScouts will participate in more proj-ects in the Connelly Connection inthe coming years.

Bala Cynwyd is a unique neigh-borhood with a long history of citi-zen activism and community partici-pation. The Cynwyd Heritage Trailwill reflect the passion and talent of

Bala Cynwyd and it is anticipatedthat generosity of the community will

help to develop the trail at a quickerpace than if it was undertaken by thegovernment alone. The communitysupport for the trail has already beendemonstrated through the technicalassistance provide towards the revi-talization of Cynwyd Station and thethousands of hours of volunteer la-

bor devoted to cleaning up the trail.A key implementation strategy will

be the formation of The Friends ofCynwyd Trail to assist Lower Merion

Township in developing and main-taining the trail. Friends groups areproven tools for enhancing publicspaces to meet community expecta-tions through fundraising, program-ming and maintenance. The Friendsof the Cynwyd Trail will be instrumen-tal in customizing the trail to meet

the needs of the community and inaccelerating its implementation.



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Next Steps

This Plan represents a documen-tation of the goals, principles, andproposed alignment and basic phys-ical characteristics of the Trail andassociated linkages and open spac-es. The next step in moving theseideas toward reality is to examinein more detail the actual design of

the trail. This will involve evaluat-ing and reaching agreement on themost appropriate dimensions, mate-rials, amenities, and landscape fea-tures that make up the trail and itsenvironment.

Pursuant to that goal, the Town-ship plans to undertake a concep-tual design effort that will addressthe overall strategy for the site whilealso identifying opportunities forthe re-use of available construc-tion material. This will consist of amulti-part design charrette in whichthe Township will engage the manyconstituencies of the project. These

groups include Township Staff, theStudy Committee of the Cynwyd

Trail, Friends of Cynwyd Trail, SEPTA,PECO, as well as the community at

large. The culmination of this phasewill be an overall concept designbased on the analysis informationand the Trail Master Plan.

This Conceptual Design effort willalso result in a refined Phasing Planthat prioritizes individual projects

contained in the overall Plan, andrecommends which ones should beconstructed first.

The Strawberry Mansion Bridge, downstream from Lower Merion on the Schuylkillfeatures an LED lighting scheme that can be varied by season or for special events. The

Cynwyd Trail could spur a similar improvement project on the Manayunk Viaduct.

Immediately following completionof the Conceptual Design in the first

half of 2009, actual detailed designand engineering for the first seg-ments of the trail will begin, with thegoal of constructing the central spineof the trail in late 2009. Additionalconnecting links and associated trailheads and park spaces will be slatedfor design and construction in 2010.

In each subsequent year, projectswill be identified for design and con-struction, to be built as opportunityand capital funding allows.

Implementation timeline

PropertyAcquisitionAcquireR6RightofWay

AcquireSpaventaParcel

AcquireadditionalparcelsPlanningActivitiesPrepareMasterPlan PLANNING

PrepareDesignGuidelines PLANNING

PrepareMaintenanceandOperations Plan PLANNINGDesignandConstructionActivitiesCynwydStationRenovations CONSTRUCTION

Phase1Trailwork:TrailSpine:NeighborhoodTrail,VineCreekTrail, DESIGN

2008 2009 2010 Beyond

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PARTNERS

While Lower Merion Township isthe lead agency in developing theCynwyd Trail, the Township seeks topartner with the numerous organiza-tions to realize the greater vision ofthe trail. This plan identifies numer-ous ways that different organizationscan get on board the Cynwyd Trail

and participate in its developmentand maintenance.

Core partners are involved in thefunctional infrastructure operationsof the trail and their cooperation isessential to developing specific ar-eas of the trail. Core Partners will be

consulted during the design phaseto ensure that trail plans will com-plement their operations and thatappropriate maintenance provisionshave been considered.

Although SEPTA has leased thecorridor for trail use, SEPTA will con-tinue to be integral to the reactiva-tion of the Manayunk Bridge for trailuse and the efficient development ofthe Cynwyd Station Interchange. Trailuse of the Cynwyd/Ivy Ridge Cor-ridor is consistent with SEPTAs mis-sion to provide public transportationto the region. Cynwyd/Ivy Ridge Trailprojects will significantly enhance

access to the Ivy Ridge CommuterRail Station (R-6 Norristown), Cyn-wyd Station Commuter Rail Station(R-6 Cynwyd) and the WissahickonTransfer Station (regional bus lines).I dditi th t il ill t

tentially new business nodes couldoccur in underutilized or threatened

cultural resources like Cynwyd Sta-tion or Shawmont Station.

The potential conflict betweenvegetation and high power transmis-sion along the trail corridor requiresPECO to be partnered in the designand maintenance of the trail land-

scape. In addition to removing inap-propriately located trees, there is theopportunity to partner with PECO toreplant a sustainable landscape ofmoderately sized material that willscreen adjacent neighbors, enhancethe trail experience, provide wild-life habitat and significantly reduce

PECOs maintenance costs for thecorridor.

PECO has been working with theCity of Philadelphia to install orna-mental lighting on the bridges overthe Schuylkill River. Once the Mana-yunk Bridge is reactivated to pedestri-

an bicycle use there is a tremendousopportunity for the trail communityto partner with PECO to create or-namental lighting to transform thebridge into the symbolic gateway toPhiladelphia from the west.

The presence of the intermodalrail line along the Pencoyd water-

front and ownership of key water-front lands and the Tow Bridge en-sures that Norfolk Southern (NFS)will play an important role in con-necting the Cynwyd Trail to the Pen-coyd Waterfront. Belmont Avenueand Conshohocken State Road areboth state roads and are under the

jurisdiction of the PennDOT. Pedes-trian and streetscape improvementslike crosswalks, street trees and di-rectional signage for the BelmontLoop will require cooperation withPennDOT. In addition trail improve-ments will need to be integrated intoplans for the realignment of the Rock

Hill Road/Belmont Avenue intersec-tion and gateway/capacity improve-ments to Belmont Avenue betweenRock Hill Road and the Green LaneBridge.

The following is a list of currentpartners of the Cynwyd Trail, which

may provide a variety of resourcesor technical assistance to realize thetrail vision. For convenience, part-ners have been grouped accordingto their potential role in trail devel-opment. Some partners may playmultiple roles. It is anticipated thatthis list will expand as the trail de-

velops.PECO has guidelines for planting nearutility lines.



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Functional

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Association(SEPTA)Pennsylvania Electric Company (PECO)Pennsylvania Department of Transportation(PennDOT)Norfolk Southern Rail Corporation (NFS)

Government

United StatesPreserve America Program- www.preserveamerica.gov

State of PennyslvaniaDepartment of Conservation and Natural Resources(DCNR)Schuylkill River Heritage Area (SRHA)Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission

(PHMC)Department of Transportation (PennDOT)Department of Community and EconomicDevelopment (DCED)

Montgomery CountyMontgomery County Planning CommissionMontgomery County Department of Parks andHeritage ServicesMontgomery County Correctional Facility

City of PhiladelphiaFairmount Park CommissionWater DepartmentPlanning Commission

Non Profits/Foundations

William Penn FoundationMontgomery County Lands TrustNatural Lands TrustPennsylvania Horticultural SocietyPennsylvania Environmental Council

Community

Neighborhood Club of Bala CynwydBelmont Hills Civic Association

Girl Scouts of Lower Merion TownshipBike Commitee of Lower Merion TownshipWest Laurel Hill CemeteryWestminster CemeteryThe Cynwyd ClubManayunk Civic Association

Business

ONeill Properties Group

Penn RealtyCity Avenue Special Services DistrictBala Commercial DistrictMammas PizzaManayunk Business AssociationManayunk Brewery and RestaurantManayunk Development CorporationEast Falls Development Corporation

Educational

Lower Merion Historical SocietyLower Merion School DistrictLower Merion ConservancyRiverbend Environmental Education CenterSaint Josephs UniversityLocal private schools

Recreational

Philadelphia Mountain Biking Associationwww.phillymtb.comAquatic Fitness Center

Environmental

Sierra Club Southeastern Pennsylvania Group

Trail/Parks Open Space

Friends of the Ivy Ridge Trail

Friends of the WissahickonSchuylkill River Development CorporationBridlewild Trails AssociationRails to Trails ConservancyThe Food Trust

Cynwyd trail partners

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CYNWYD TRAIL:

PAST & PRESENTMuch of the area of the proposed

trail is lost space that may be in-visible now to most Township resi-dents. Though the land may havebeen vacant for some time, it hasby no means been unused. In fact,the availability of this land today for

redevelopment as a recreationaltrail is directly related to its long his-torical function as a rail corridor. Asthat historic function ceased to berelevant, it created an opportunity tointroduce a new function with newrelevancy. Understanding what washere before, and how the imprint of

that history remains evident today,will help us understand how best todesign a new trail landscape that re-flects and acknowledges the value ofthe past.

History

The Reading Railroad waschartered in 1833 to build a freightrail line between Philadelphia andReading along the Schuylkill Riverwhich opened in December 1839.This line brought hard coal toPhiladelphia from central PA coalcountry and was extremely financiallysuccessful. The Pennsylvania Railroad

(Pennsy), founded in 1846, was thenchartered by the State of Pennsylvaniato connect Harrisburg and Pittsburghand then extend to Philadelphia.Work on the Pennsylvania SchuylkillV ll R il d C

when coal was no longer in highdemand. The Pennsylvania Railroad

merged into Penn Central and wasoperated by Conrail until SEPTApurchased it in the early 1980s. TheSEPTA line on this alignment wasclosed in 1986 between Manayunkand Cynwyd Station.

Stations

The Cynwyd and Bala stationswere built by the Schuylkill ValleyDivision of the Pennsylvania Railroadin approximately 1890.

The Bala and Cynwyd stationswere named by Miriam Pyle Williams

Roberts, the wife of George B Roberts,president of the PRR, Bala after thetown in Wales, the Roberts familysancestral home, and Cynwyd after a

Welsh saint/confessor. The stationsgave their names to the surrounding

areas.

The Cynwyd station, like mostrural stations, was a combinationresidence for the stationmaster, ticketoffice, and waiting room. Like mostcommuter stations, it was on theinbound side of the tracks, since

most of the passenger traffic went toPhiladelphia.

On the Schuylkill Division, freightbusiness was much more importantthan the commuter. In its peak year,1929 revenues reached five milliondollars from freight and one million

dollars from passenger service.

The rail alignment traces back at leastto 1839, preceding most of the adjacent

development.



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(Barnhart, p 122) A 1910 pictureshows a sign for Adams Express,the predecessor to Railway Express,a small-package service that usedrail. In the 1920s the station had afreight terminal on the other side ofMontgomery Ave, and in that pre-electric age there was a signal tower

near where the track now ends.

Cynwyd Station to BelmontAvenue

In 1906, the Lower Merion RealtyC i t d b

was sold to J J Swan in the fall of1907 for $11,000.

As part of the development,the Realty Company establishedThe Cynwyd Club adjacent to therailroad, building the first tennis courtin 1910, and completing the club in

1913. In 1916 the 2.632 acre clubwas sold to its members. Rebuilt aftera fire in 1957, the club continues tobe one of the Philadelphia MainLines premier private clubs fortennis squash bowling fitness and

1913 and is still in use as a sewagepumping station.

Barmouth and West Laurel Hill

After crossing under BelmontAvenue, the trail alignment descendstoward the Schuylkill River on theeast bank of Vine Creek betweentwo cemeteries.

West Laurel Hill Cemetery openedin 1869, before Schuylkill Divisionrail was built. Originally, access to

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Today this is an access point to thetrail alignment. On the inbound

side of the trailway is WestminsterCemetery, which was incorporated in1893. The trail borders this cemeteryas it approaches the Schuylkill. Bothcemeteries now have their entranceson Belmont Ave.

Vine Creek

Vine Creek runs in a tunnel underBelmont Ave, West Laurel Hill, andthe trailbed, emerging just below thestreet entrance to Barmouth stationfrom Belmont Ave. It is soon hiddenfrom the trail behind a berm of refuseon the Westminster side, but can beseen from the edge of Westminster

Cemetery

The main sources of Vine Creekare around Lodges Lane and BrynMawr Ave in Cynwyd. The creekruns along Lodges Lane, then behindLevering Mill Circle. Behind RollingRd it flows under the trailbed into

the Bala Cynwyd Playground, whereit runs into a tunnel, under Belmont

Ave near the entrance to West LaurelHill Cemetery, below the cemeterysmain road past the present office, andunder the trailway before emergingon the Westminster Cemetery sideof the trail just below the Barmouth

station. Most of it is separated fromthe trailway by a berm of fill.

Starting two hundred years ago,the Creek supplied a powerful

stream of water that powered twomills near its foot. When steamengines became a stronger andmore constant source of power, thecreek continued to supply water forengines and products. Later thecreek became an obstruction to bemanaged and hidden. The valley was

used by the Pennsylvania Railroad forits rail line from West Philadelphia tothe coal country upstate. Now thatthe railroad isnt operating, it is partof the Cynwyd Trail.

In the last decades of the 19thcentury, large factories succeeded the

mills all across the country. PencoydIron Works spread along the riverfrom City Line almost to Belmont

Ave, replacing the small mills, andsending Vine Creek undergroundagain 20 yards below its exit from thePRRs culvert. This second culvert stillcarries it under the Reading tracks

and the Expressway to the Schuylkilland is now operated by NorfolkSouthern. The creek had becomean obstacle, not a resource.

In the 1950s, construction of theSchuylkill Expressway obliterated theindustrial buildings and foundations

at Vine Creek, covering mill sites withtons of fill, converting the flat millproperties to gently rolling slopes.

Pencoyd and the River

In November of 1683, JohnRoberts, acquired 150 acres fromWilliam Penn as part of the WelshTract in present day Lower MerionTownship and cleared the land forfarming. Roberts named his propertyPencoyd (meaning head of thewoods) after his familys ancestralhome in Wales.

The Pencoyd Iron Works wasthe creation of Roberts heirswho had entered the hardwarebusiness in Philadelphia. In 1852,they began the construction of aspecialty foundry under the name

A & P Roberts Company, joining an

array of specialty iron works alongthe Schuylkill uniquely situated totake advantage of the railroadstransportation of raw materials andfinished goods.

A & P Roberts Companys focus atPencoyd Iron Works quickly shifted

to the manufacture and shapingof soft wrought iron specificallysuited for railroad axles and bridgeparts. Pencoyd Iron expanded andrearranged itself many times, takingover the mill properties on VineCreek and even building a wall atthe river to replace the sloping bank

and create more level ground.

Vine Creek and Cleggs Mill in the 1886 atlas, Properties along the Schuylkill Valley



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The company evolved into a majorbridge and structural steel supplier.

In 1898 the company, famouslydispatched steel girders and sixengineers to the Sudan to bridgethe Nile for Lord Kitchener, who washurrying to transport soldiers forwhat would be the last great cavalrybattle in history.

The company became theAmerican Bridge Company whenit joined the United States SteelCompany in 1900 and later becamea subsidiary to the Carnegie-IllinoisSteel Corporation. In 1937, theplant became a subsidiary of theCarnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation.

At this time, the plant constructed thePencoyd Bridge across the Schuylkill,which connected their property to thenorth side of the river in Manayunk.

American Bridge spread along theriver from City Avenue almost toBelmont Ave, replacing the smallmills like Cleggs on Vine Creek and

burying the creek underground.

After World War II, the plant wasclosed. A portion of the old plantwas occupied by the ConnellyContainers, Inc., corrugated cartonfactory. Next to the Pencoyd mill wasthe Ashland Dyewood and Chemical

Mill, later to become S. A. RudolphsAshland Paper Mill.

Rail and Right of Way History

George Brooke Roberts, who wasrelated to the Roberts family of the

edge (below the Reading, on thesame level as Pencoyd Iron) to the

Pencoyd mill.

As railroad engines grew stronger,trains grew heavier and the trackshad to be stronger. The Readingimproved incrementally, shuntingtraffic from one of the two tracksto the other while it worked on the

first. The PRR decided its trestle overVine Creek wasnt strong enough

and the iron S Curve bridge overthe Schuylkill curved too sharply.

In 1917 the PRR buried the creekin a culvert, and filled in the gorgeto make the roadbed almost level.

Also at this time, to make a moregradual curve that trains could roundfaster, the Pennsylvania Railroad cutthrough the cliff behind WestminsterCemetery. To replace the light truss

bridge over the Schuylkill, they builtthe concrete arch bridge we seetoday.

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Current CorridorConditions

Rail Service

The rail corridor is currently ownedby the Southeastern PennsylvaniaTransit Authority (SEPTA), which hasdesignated it as the R-6 Cynwyd Re-gional Commuter Line. Commuterrail service operated through Lower

Merion between Ivy Ridge Stationand Suburban Station until 1986,when service to/from Philadelphiawas terminated at Cynwyd Stationdue to low ridership, redundantroutes and concern over the spall-ing of concrete from the ManayunkBridge onto the Schuylkill Express-

way and Main Street Manayunk.

Currently, rail service operates toand from Cynwyd Station at peakhours Monday through Friday, witha mid day run. Service consists of asingle Dinky rail car. The Cynwydline has the lowest, but fastest in-

creasing ridership of all of the SEP-TA Regional Rail lines. SEPTA alsooperates another R-6 CommuterRail line between Philadelphia andNorristown on the opposite side ofthe Schuylkill River. While this lineshares the same R-6 designation, itruns through Ivy Ridge, on which itoperates on a former Reading Railcorridor instead of the PennsylvaniaRail Corridor that the Cynwyd andIvy Ridge lines operated.

Between 1998 and 2003 SEPTA

extend rail service to the commer-cial/office centers around King ofPrussia. Ultimately, the entire SVMproject was abandoned after it failedto receive approval from the Fed-eral Transportation Authoritys NewStarts program, which questionedridership projections and financing

assumptions.

In an effort to provide commuterrail to fast growing communities,Montgomery County in 2008 beganexploring extending rail service westof Norristown. For the foreseeablefuture County transportation plan-

ners do not consider extending railservice over the Manayunk Bridge tobe a prudent investment and plan onfocusing transportation resources onthe faster growing communities tothe west

Above: The Cynwyd Trail is in closeproximity to several regional transit lines.Below: Remaining tracks will be removedby SEPTA.

dential properties between the Cyn-wyd Station and Belmont Avenue.North of Belmont Ave., steep slopesup from the trail along WestminsterCemetery feature picturesque rockoutcroppings. On the West LaurelHill side, slopes pitch down steeplyinto a shady forested area.



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understand the implications of mov-ing or removing it.

The existing physical infrastruc-ture associated with the trail is ofvarying condition. Catenary polesand foundations, drainage culverts,fences, walls, utility poles, and vari-ous obsolete structures are all pres-ent along the trail route, and should

be carefully evaluated for functionalintegrity and public safety.

Tracks & Ties

In fall 2007, Township staff withassistance from the MontgomeryCounty Planning Commission wassuccessful in negotiating a railbank-

ing agreement with SEPTA to permitthe corridor to be developed intoa recreational trail. In spring 2008SEPTA removed the remaining railsand the majority of the ties betweenCynwyd Station and BarmouthStation. SEPTA had previously re-moved the tracks and ties between

Barmouth Station and LeveringtonStreet in Manayunk. SEPTA is cur-rently planning on removing theremaining tracks and ties betweenLeverington Street and the Ivy RidgeStation to permit the creation of theIvy Ridge Trail.

Environmental ConditionsDuring the process of negotiating

the purchase of the Spaventa par-cel, trace amounts of contamina-tion were discovered. The quantity

d t f thi t i ti i

ping through the creation of a pavedrecreational path. The Township ex-

pects to remove the ties in prepara-tion of constructing a trail. Since theties are most likely the source of thecontamination, it is likely that theirremoval will significantly reduce onsite contamination.

Manayunk Bridge

The majestic, arched ManayunkBridge across the Schuylkill River isone of the most defining elements ofthe corridor and is also one of theregions most iconic architecturalfeatures. The bridge was completedin 1917 to replace the former SBridge in a similar location to pri-

marily convey freight trains loadedwith anthracite coal.

Thousands of drivers on theSchuylkill Expressway pass under-neath the bridges arches everydayon their daily commute betweenPhiladelphia and the western sub-

urbs. In the mid 1980s SEPTA be-came concerned with spalling fromthe faade and installed netting toprotect drivers. A study conductedby Urban Engineers concluded thatthe bridge was structurally sound,but that surface renovations wouldbe required to stop the spalling.

Stabilization and refurbishment of

the bridge faade over the Express-way and Main Street Manayunk was

completed in 1999.

Currently the Township is work-ing with SEPTA, PECO, MontgomeryCounty and the City of Philadelphiato establish pedestrian and bicycleuse over the bridge.

Power Transmission LinesThe Cynwyd Corridor is dominat-

ed by large catenary structures strungwith an assortment of transmissionlines. Inbound from Cynwyd Station,SEPTA uses these structures to elec-trify rail service. The entire corridor

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is used by the Philadelphia ElectricCompany (PECO) to transmit 230kV

of electricity. The transmission ofelectricity is a major component ofthe regions power infrastructure andmust be carefully considered in fu-ture trail design. However the Town-ship plans on working with SEPTAand PECO to remove extraneouslines and poles to improve public

safety and to reduce visual clutter.The Township also plans on explor-ing ways to creatively incorporatethe catenaries into the trail designthrough the use of paint, sleeves orbanners.

Vegetation

The existing vegetation in the cor-ridor is dominated by invasive non-native species. Proper control andmanagement of existing vegetationwill be critical for the future of thetrail to ensure that new plantingswill be sustainable. Native speciesare present on site especially out-

standing tree specimens -- and canbe nurtured as a significant featureof the restored landscape.

Vine Creek

Vine Creek runs along severalsections of the proposed trail. Eastof Barmouth Station the creek is

contained within a channel, but thecreek opens up into a wide flood-plain between Barmouth Station andthe Connelly site, where it becomeschannelized again. The ecology ofth k b t B th St ti

Overgrown Vegetation includes invasive species and removal will require carefulmanagement.


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TRAIL PROGRAM

Trail Design Criteria

This section of the Master Planpresents a summary of the entireproposed trail, and indentifies itsvarious projects and programs. It is

intended to present a clear vision ofhow the different trail components,users and programs will fit together.

Fundamental to the design of thetrail are the guiding principles of en-vironmental, economic, and socialsustainability. Much more than just

a recreation path, the trail will be thecatalyst to heal a damaged land-scape, prompt economic growth,and bring together diverse usersaround a common civic purpose.

Typical trail cross sections will consist of a paved main trail with gravel shoulders.

typical trail section

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pull over and rest, overlooks to en-joy the scenic views, and trail head

access points with parking and useramenities will be provided at regularintervals. These are the functionalcriteria for the trail design.

Careful attention must also bepaid to the aesthetic criteria,which will guide the look and feel

of the actual trail and associatedamenities. The trails rustic settingand evident railroad-industrial heri-tage can provide valuable cues toinform trail design details. Thesesuggest that design details have arugged, honest simplicity evocativeof the working landscape. Emphasis

should be placed on indigenousmaterials that are present locally(and even on-site), such as stone,wood, and naturalistic landscaping.It is fitting that the same straightfor-ward, no frills approach to designthat characterized working rail facili-ties durable, low cost, practical to

maintain - also characterizes publicworks of a civic nature, such as thetrail.

Where the trail borders residences, proper screening and fencing will be provided.

The design for Cynwyd Trail willalso respond to specific conditions

found on the site, and the uniqueopportunities and constraints foundhere. The result will be distinct anddifferent landscape types alongthe length of the trail, which will cre-ate an engaging experience for us-ers. For example:

Along the portion of the trail thatabuts residential properties (theNeighborhood Trail segment)emphasis will be placed on provid-

ing appropriate privacy screen-ing and buffering to create an

adequate buffer between the publictrail and private residences and so-cial clubs adjoining the trail. Whilethe landscaping may be naturalisticin style, it will nonetheless be well-tended, to ensure that invasive plantspecies do not encroach, and thenative plantings are sustained.

Portions of the trail will runthough areas that were cut into thenative bedrock when the rail was

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built. These exposed rock facesare beautiful and dramatic features

of the trail, and should be cleared ofovergrown brush so they can be fullyappreciated. New rock outcroppingsmay be developed to define the trailand also used as landscape featuresusing indigenous rock made avail-able to the Township through theredevelopment of the quarries along

Rock Hill Road.

In some places, the trail right-of-way widens substantially. The planis to take advantage of these areasby creating usable park spacesadjoining the trail, to support re-lated recreational activities. In these

In wooded sections, the natural sylvan character will be preserved. Access along the waters edge will be restored along VineCreek and the Schuylkill River

places the landscaping will be moreopen, with lawn and shade trees that

are familiar staples of park and pic-nic sites.

Where the trail travels throughwooded areas (ie, Westminster,Spaventa and Connelly sites), thewooded character will be preservedand enhanced. Trees will be re-

tained, and invasive plant specieswill be removed, so that the nativeecosystem can be allowed to flourishonce again.

Portions of the trail are plannedfor along the Schuylkill River (long-term) and Vine Creek (near-term).

For these areas, the riparian andstream-bank edges will be re-

stored, to remove invasive plantsand allow proper access for the pub-lic to the waters edge.

Where the trail passes beside va-cant or unused property, natural-istic meadow landscaping can beemployed. This low-maintenance

approach can utilize native peren-nial flowers and grasses to create abeautiful, sustainable and environ-mentally-friendly landscape. Nativeplantings, such as ferns as sunflow-ers will be considered to naturallycleanse the soil of the residue of theindustrial past.

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The trail head access pointswill have the highest level of design

detail and amenity of all the areasalong the trail, as these locationsmust function as welcoming gate-ways for trail users. These areaswill require the most intensive main-tenance, as they may include mani-cured plantings along with comfortstation, identity and interpretive sig-

nage, and other features.

Existing infrastructure and histori-cal features such as the ManayunkBridge or the foundation to the for-mer West Laurel Hill Station will beidentified through interpretive ele-ments, such as signage and websites

and incorporated into the trail wherepossible. Other historical elementssuch as the former Barmouth Station

Radnor Trail, Radnor Township, PA

shelter shed may also be recreatedas trail features as funding becomes

available.

The basic trail cross section will bea 12-to-14 foot wide paved asphaltpathway, with wide gravel shoulderson each side. The objective is toprovide room for multiple simultane-ous users moving in both directions,

with faster moving traffic (bicycles)in the center on the pavement, andslower-moving traffic (walkers) offto the edges. The extent to which amore formal separation between dif-ferent types of users may be neces-sary (such as striped lanes, multipledifferent materials, etc) will depend

on the level of use and congestionthat may occur on the trail over time,and the preferences among frequent

users. Fortunately, the rail right-of-way is wide enough to allow for

great flexibility in trail design.

There are many trails in the regionthat we can refer to for images ofwhat the Cynwyd Trail may look like.Nearby trails such as the RadnorTrail, Perkiomen Trail, WissahickonTrail, and Schuylkill River Trail are

good models to use for reference,though it is likely that the CynwydTrail will develop its own uniquecharacter.

The images from such other plac-es are useful mostly as cues. TheCynwyd trail will not be a copy, but

will borrow the most useful aspectsof these places to become some-thing wholly unique.

Wissahickon Trail, Philadelphia, PA

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Trails, Interchanges,and Stops

This plan divides the long-rangevision of the Cynwyd Trail into eigthseparate project areas, each withnumerous individual project. Proj-ects are divided into three functionalcategories: Trails, Interchanges andStops. The Trails, Interchanges and

Stops concept is the local equivalentof the Hubs and Spokes trail-de-sign concept presented in CreatingConnections: The Pennsylvania Gre-enways and Trails How-To Manual.

This section presents a summaryof the entire trail and indentifies itsvarious projects and programs. It isintended to present a vision of howthe different trail components, usersand programs will fit together.

Map: Trail Segments

Segment 1: Neighborhood Trail

Segment 2: Vine Creek Trail

TRAILS

Trails of various widths and mate-rials will provide the connective tis-sue between the various elements ofthe Cynwyd Trail Park. For the pur-poses of this plan, Trails refer to thephysical trail and surrounding land-scape that will comprise the differenttrail sections. Two primary trail sec-tions, the Neighborhood Trail andthe Vine Creek Trail, form the spine

of the Cynwyd Trail Plan. These trailsegments will be identical in trail

composition (12- 14 wide asphaltsurface with soft shoulders), but dif-ferent in landscape character. Othertrail sections will branch off to makeimportant connections to adjoiningcommunities, open space resources,and the broader network of regionaltrails, to maximize the functionality

of the trail for Township residents.

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Segment 1: NeighborhoodTrail

This segment of the trail from Cyn-wyd Station to Barmouth Station runsthrough an established residentialneighborhood in Bala Cynwyd andwill serve as a valued recreationalresource accessible within an easywalk of hundreds of households.The trail will be a safe, convenient,

off-street pathway for residents toaccess a wealth of other open spaceresources existing and planned re-sources in the Township includingplaygrounds, ball fields, landscapedparks, wooded and natural areas,the Schuylkill River, and the connect-ing regional trail network.

It is envisioned that this trail willbe lushly landscaped with floweringtrees, evergreens and large beds ofperennials and ornamental grassesto reinforce the public realm andto buffer the adjacent homes fromthe trail. The Neighborhood Trail

will have an intimate garden sub-urb character, similar to other well-planned, turn of the century rail-road communities like Forest HillsGardens outside of Manhattan andPalos Verdes Estates outside of Los

Angeles.

Since dozens of residential prop-erties directly abut the trail in thisarea, along with the Cynwyd Club, aprivate tennis facility, issues of secu-rity and privacy will be given properattention in the design of the trail

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stall new understory trees, shrubs

and evergreens along this section ofthe trail. Over the years, many ho-meowners along the corridor havelandscaped their back yards withfast-growing plantings like white

which is a good height for plantings

in close proximity to overhead pow-er lines. The Township should workwith PECO to develop a landscapeplan that will serve both objectivesof improving screening and reduc-

The Neighborhood Trail will have an openpark-like character with adequate privacyscreening for adjacent residents.

ecologically sustainable plantings.

There is an opportunity to save mon-ey by using volunteers to prepareand plant along this trail section.

Storm water management is also a

trail at neighborhood

Proposedexisting

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reduce runoff by designing the sides

of the trail as bio-swales. Properlydesigned, bio-swales could managestorm water, provide wildlife habitatand create opportunities for land-scaping and screening.

In the long term, there is the op-portunity to use the trail to capture

storm water from surrounding roadsand parking areas. The potential tostore captured storm for later use toirrigate the landscape should be ex-plored.

Segment 2: Vine Creek Trail

The Vine Creek Trail runs fromBarmouth Station to the ManayunkBridge and forms the boundary be-tween West Laurel Hill and West-minster Cemeteries, which togethercomprise approximately 260 acres

This trail section is also intended to

connect to the adjacent Vine Creek,which runs parallel to the trail on theWestminster Cemetery property fromthe Barmouth Interchange to theConnelly Connection. Vine Creek isan important natural feature that hasplayed a historical role in the devel-opment of Mills in the area. Vine

Creek is currently in poor conditiondue to filling, channeling and dump-ing by Westminster Cemetery andthe railroad over the years. A goal ofthis plan is to clean the creek up andintegrate it into the design of the trailand associated amenities.

Heading north, the Vine CreekTrail section offers panoramic scenic

views of the Schuylkill River, and will

provide trail users options to walkacross the arched bridge to the pro-posed Ivy Ridge Trail and the attrac-tions of Main Street Manayunk, or toveer off through the mature woodsof the Spaventa Junction or the Con-nelly Connection. The Vine CreekTrail will link with the planned 9-acre

Westminster Green and SchuylkillOutlook.

In many ways this will be the easi-est and most straightforward sectionof the Cynwyd Trail to construct sincethe tracks and most of the ties wereremoved years ago. Immediate trail

projects should focus on cleaningand greening this trail for public

trail at Rock cut

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use. Such projects involve removalof trash and overgrown vegetation

so that the trail can be efficientlymaintained. The trail is currentlyso overgrown that it is infeasible touse commercial mowers becauseof the potential that a blade mighthit something buried in the weeds.Immediate projects should focuson cutting back overgrown vegeta-

tion with hand tools (chain saws andstring trimmers) and removing large-scale debris that could damagecommercial mowing equipment, likewires, poles and large brush. Thistask is best undertaken in the win-ter when vegetation is dormant andherbaceous plants have died back.

The hand-to-hand nature of thiswork makes it a very good projectfor volunteers and community ser-vice labor.

Once the overgrown vegetationhas been cleaned, Township staff,with assistance from contractors andvolunteers, can begin replacing in-vasive species with easy-to-maintainnative species. In addition to vegeta-tion management, another immedi-ate cleaning and greening projectinvolves installing fencing and/orrailing along edges of the trail thatsteeply drop off, for safety reasons.

trail at vine creek

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It is recommended that low cost postand rail fencing be installed at first.

This is also a very good project forvolunteers and community servicelabor. Vegetative management andfence construction projects, in addi-tion to removal of any remaining tiesand rail infrastructure, will preparethe site for construction of the trailand public use.

Trail construction will require ar-eas for material staging. It is rec-ommended that the Township workwith West Laurel Hill Cemetery andWestminster Cemetery to establishappropriate material staging loca-tions, including areas for leaf/brush

composting and storage of brushto be chipped. Over time, there isan opportunity to work with SEPTAand PECO to integrate the catenarystructures along this trail section intothe trail design through banners,painting and other ornamentation.

The Spaventa Trail segment is wooded andprivate. However, widening of Belmont

Avenue may threaten the wooded slopes(below).

Segment 3: Spaventa Trail

While a river crossing for the trail

over the Manayunk Viaduct may indue time be possible, in the nearterm the trail is envisioned to remainto the west of the Schuylkill Express-way and touch down on Belmont

Avenue at Rock Hill Road. This seg-ment is also a former rail spur, so it isperfectly suited as a trail alignment.

Long held in private ownership, this

undeveloped property is currentlyin the process of being acquired by

the Township. Currently this prop-erty has an informal woodland trail,and includes broad stands of ma-ture trees on the steep slopes, andspectacular rock outcroppings. Inaddition to the main trail there is asmaller trail that runs along the edgeof Westminster Cemetery that can be

developed over time.

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trail at steep slopeS

Historically, the parcel once servedas a rail switchback over the Read-

ing Railroad Main Line for railcars toaccess the Pencoyd waterfront. Thebridge over the Reading Line was re-moved with the construction of theSchuylkill Expressway in the 1950s.In the 1980s Conrail divested itselfof the property, and over the yearsmany speculators have considered

constructing commercial uses on the

site to capitalize upon its proximityto the Belmont Avenue/Green Lane

Bridge interchange of the SchuylkillExpressway.

While the usefulness of this sitefor commercial or residential devel-opment may be limited, it is ideallysuited for development as a trail.The majority of the 6.5 acres are

heavily wooded and steeply sloped,

however there is a relatively flat ac-cessible grade shelf through the

length of the property where trainsonce operated.

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Segment 4: Connelly Trail

The most unique segment of the

Cynwyd Trail will be the portionthrough the Township property knownas the Connelly Tract. This 7-acreproperty was donated to the Town-ship in 2005 by Tom Connelly. It hasuntil now been landlocked and un-used piece of land surrounded by ac-tive and inactive rail lines. However,

now with the creation of the CynwydTrail the Connelly Tract becomes akey site that will allow a connectingpathway between the main trail andthe Schuylkill River. The gently-slop-ing property itself is remarkably sce-nic, with a wooded stream, rock out-cropping

Cynwyd Heritage Trail Masterplan

Documents

Transcript of Cynwyd Heritage Trail Masterplan