Its Baaack! The Newtown Greenway which would run along the former SEPTA R8 tracks (unused but not officially abandoned)from Fox Chase to Newtown. Two of the Townships that it run through Southampton TWP and Lower Makefield TWP have expressed support for the project.
The next presentation on the Newtown Greenway On May 22nd at The Northampton Twp Municipal Building. The Presenter; Lower Moreland Township Supervisor, Fran Devinney, will be asking the Northampton Board of Supervisors to approve the proposal to pursue the Newtown Greenway. Bucks County residents who are interested in the Greenway are encouraged to show their support at the meeting on May 22nd. Wednesday May 22nd 8:00 pm Northampton Township Administration 55 Township Road Richboro, PA 18954 Some background on the history of the proposal About 10-12 years ago, there was a major effort to turn the defunct Newtown train line (Fox Chase to Newtown in Bucks & Montgomery Counties) into a bike trail (we proposed calling it the Newtown Greenway). We got the support of a large number of state and federal politicians, many bike clubs, nature groups (eg. Sierra Club, Bucks County Conservancy, etc.), the Montgomery County Planning Commission and several hundred residents in Bucks and Montgomery County. But we ran into a stonewall with the Bucks County Commissioners who directed the Bucks County SEPTA Board members to oppose SEPTA's leasing the corridor out for a bike trail (Montgomery County was completely on board with the bike trail proposal). After a few years of hard work, we gave up, at least temporarily. A few months ago, a Lower Moreland Township Supervisor, Fran Devinney, resuscitated this project and has been going full speed on it. He obtained the unanimous support of the Lower Moreland Board of Supervisors for the trail and also made a presentation to the Southampton Township Board of Supervisors (although they appointed a Task Force to study the issue and report back to the Board, the Supervisors have all indicated to Fran that they like the proposal). For bicyclists in the area, this bike trail would be a dream come true. With small feeder trails it would connect to both Tyler and Core Creek Parks at the upper end of the line. Coming down from there, it would go through Churchville Park, Tamanend Park, the Pennypack Wilderness and Lorimer Park. With a small link through Lorimer Park (which they are eager to put in), it would also connect with the bike trail of Pennypack Park in Philadelphia. The trail would also provide a beautiful and safe bike trail connection for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of residents to Bethayres Train Station (which runs three express trains in and out every weekday) and Fox Chase Train Station, as well as the many restaurants and shops of Southampton (and the Bethayres Shopping Center). ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the Bicycle Coalition of the Delaware Valley list named "bike." To subscribe or unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
