We will believe it when we can walk it, but it looks as though the Chester Valley Trail may be on the fast track.
We — and any number of walkers and bicyclists and outdoors enthusiasts — have been waiting for the 12-mile-long trail connection between Exton and the Montgomery County line to be up and, shall we say, running, since it was first discussed in 1991.
But we know that in Chester County, a wait must come before good things arrive, especially when it comes to parks. Look at the county's former Embreeville County Park. Conceived in the mid-1980s, it was not until 2007 and its inclusion in the Natural Lands Trust's ChesLen Preserve that the 500 acres of natural beauty at Embreeville became something more than a dot on a map.
The latest in the Chester Valley Trail saga came on Tuesday, when county Commissioner Carol Aichele admitted to putting in a call to state Transportation Secretary Allen D. Biehler about the six or so miles of abandoned rail line land that the department owns, and which would make up the eastern portion of the Chester Valley Trail. Aichele described their chat as "a nice time," and by the end of the conversation, Biehler had apparently given the go ahead to turning over the land to the county.
That means, above all else, that construction of the trail could conceivably begin this summer.
It will also mean that construction of the trail will have a cost saving associated with it. Under the old arrangement, PennDOT would have had to approve all the construction, repair, and replacements associated with getting the trail in order. Not to shock anyone, but we understand that doing business with the state is considerably more expensive than doing business at the county level.
"The bureaucracy associated with working with the state agency is just staggering," county construction projects director Don Thompson said Tuesday. Even putting one stone back in a crumbling culvert would take extraordinary efforts to win approval, he said. With the state handing over the rights to the 5.5-mile segment it owns, Thompson said, the county stands to save significant time and money in years to come. The trail will cost some $25 million to complete, but Aichele said the funding is guaranteed through the state's Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP).
The completion of the trail has long been sought by bicycle clubs, recreation buffs, and businesses and commuters in the Route 202 corridor. Aichele, who also serves as chairwoman of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, said many feel it would improve traffic conditions if commuters could stop and ride their bikes along the trail instead of remaining in their cars in Route 202 traffic jams. Local housing developers are also excited about the plan because it adds a selling point to homebuyers.
When it opens, it will be among the jewels of the county's planned trail network, and would allow someone to walk from Downingtown to Norristown and on to Philadelphia.
Again, we will believe it when we walk it, but we hope to be doing that soon.
CHICKS HELPING CHICKS
So, you want to stop driving a gas guzzling car and ride a bike. Only one problem; you have a few kids and lots of stuff to haul around. Solution? A cargo bike.
There are several different kinds of cargo bikes. What really makes a cargo bike different then an average bike is it's ability to hold lots of stuff. Most of them are extra long either in the front or the back. The Madsen pictured above is a "new" kind of cargo bike. Instead of having two wheels in the back or a cart in the front, this one is designed with a cart in the back, similar to a single wheeled bike trailer. The advantage of having a cargo bike over a bike trailer is that it is easier to control. Bike trailers have a tendency to pull a bike off balance making it harder to steer or turn.
The more traditional push-cart style bicycles or Bakfiets can be more then twice the price of the Madsen. Despite the price they are hugely popular in Europe and are gaining ground in Portland. I really love the Philadelphia made Haley bikes (trikes?) that are similar to Bakfiets but way cheaper and were designed to haul a drum set instead of children.
Another popular option is the Xtracycle. The Xtracycle frame can be attached to an existing bike or can be bought as a complete bike. The idea is a extra long bike that can hold everything from groceries to people on the back.
They are popular because they do not take up much space on the road.
All of these options sound awesome but are way beyond my price range. A friend is offering to look into building a cargo bike like the Haley bicycle for me so maybe one day I can ride around in style. Until then, I guess I will stick to my folding bike or look for a good used bike and just attach things to my bike rack. I also have a nice bike trailer I bought so I could take my daughter with me. It has a separate compartment for groceries etc. but not nearly as nice as having a cargo bike.
The hills and lack of bike lanes around here are not helping either.
Bicycling can help solve two of our nation's leading crises: skyrocketing healthcare costs, which are damaging every sector of our economy, and the obesity epidemic, which in 2000 caused 400,000 deaths, 16.6 percent of all deaths recorded, due to physical inactivity and poor diet. A study of almost 200,000 General Motors employees found that overweight and obese individuals average up to $1,500 more in annual medical costs than healthy-weight individuals. By getting people moving again, bicycling can help improve Americans lose weight and improve their physical fitness. This could not only save lives, it could help greatly reduce the total costs to society of obesity, estimated at $117 billion per year (including $39 billion a year through Medicare and Medicaid programs, which cover sicknesses caused by obesity including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and several types of cancer).
Recreational bike riding is a safe, low-impact, aerobic activity for Americans of all ages. A 150-pound cyclist burns 410 calories while pedaling 12 miles in an hour-almost the equivalent calories of a McDonald's Quarter Pounder®. A 200-pound cyclist burns 546 calories while going 12 miles per hour-almost the equivalent of a Big Mac®.
Sources: Exercise and Your Heart -- A Guide to Physical Activity. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute / American Heart Association, DHHS, PHS, NIH Publication No. 93-1677 and McDonald's.
The President, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Surgeon General, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services have all recently expressed concern over America’s overweight problem. According to the CDC, 61% of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese; 13% of kids aged 6 to 11 and 14% of kids 12 to 19 are overweight. Obesity is second behind tobacco in U.S. health risk factors, contributing to 300,000 deaths a year.
According to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, approximately 70% of US adults are sedentary. This includes 28% who engage in no leisure-time physical activities and 42% who undertake less than 30 minutes of physical activity (such as walking) each day.
The Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health said, "Physical activity of the type that improves cardiovascular endurance reduces the risk of developing or dying from cardiovascular disease, hypertension, colon cancer, and type 2 diabetes and improves mental health. Findings are suggestive that endurance-type physical activity may reduce the risk of developing obesity, osteoporosis, and depression and may improve psychological well-being and quality of life."
