Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
OFFICIALS EXPLORE NEW TRANSPORTATION CHOICES
been a bike person much of my life,” he said. “When I was a kid, I got my first bicycle at age nine and I rode that…through high school.”
Broennle rode his bike when he delivered newspapers as a boy. He used it to commute to another job at a library. He commuted by bike while doing his medical residency training in Boston, Massachusetts. He rode his bike while stationed in San Antonio, Texas for the Air Force.
Though Broennle took a break from riding for some time, he’s back at it—even with arthritis in his neck. In fact, he’s been riding a recumbent tricycle since 2011.
Broennle, an East Goshen resident who is a founding member and board secretary of the Friends of the Chester Valley Trail, is one of many Chester County residents who enjoy spending time on trails in the local area.
“It’s a healthy benefit to Chester County and its users,” he said of the Chester Valley Trail.
County officials also value transportation choices as they plan for the future with the development of the county’s next comprehensive plan, Landscapes3. The Chester County Commissioners launched a Landscapes3 public survey in an effort to gather residents’
“Working with its partners, Chester County is making smart investments in our trails and train stations; these investments provide clean and affordable mobility options for commuters.” — Tim Phelps, executive director of the Transportation Management Association of Chester County
input. Transportation is one of the topics at the forefront of the public survey, and more than 4,200 people have filled out the survey to date.
“Chester County is advancing a holistic approach of the multimodal movement of people,” said Tim Phelps, executive director of the Transportation Management Association of Chester County. “Whether it is biking along the Chester Valley Trail or taking a train on the Keystone Corridor or even sharing a ride on newly reconstructed
highway, Chester County commuters have a variety of safe and convenient transportation options to get to work. Working with its partners, Chester County is making smart investments in our trails and train stations; these investments provide clean and affordable mobility options for commuters.”
Phoenixville is one of several Chester County municipalities that are embracing different transportation options for residents. Borough Manager Jean Krack said every developer who builds in Phoenixville nowadays has to figure out a way to connect to a segment of the Schuylkill River Trail. The developers of the new Phoenix
Village and Riverworks have done that.
“Phoenixville has benefited immensely from bringing the Schuylkill River Trail segment through the borough,” said Krack. “It has had an impact on all of the development that has occurred because of the new investment we have here.”
Krack said the abandoned Devault Branch rail line would be a perfect way to connect the Schuylkill River Trail and the Chester Valley Trail. He believes the county should take the steps necessary to acquire that line from Norfolk Southern Railway, and it should be a priority for alternative transportation.
Krack said building
roads only encourages the problems that come with driving to continue.
“We have to focus our energies toward other modes of transportation,” he said. “That’s a game changer and that takes a lot of willpower to do that.”
On a countywide scale, approximately 380,000 commuters live or work in Chester County every day, according to Census figures. Many of these people are commuting within Chester County, but there is a large proportion of commute trips to other counties in our region, according to the Chester County Planning Commission.
About 80 percent of commuters in Chester County
are traveling by single-occupancy vehicle. However, other modes of transportation to work have seen an increase in recent years. For instance, transit ridership has increased 20 percent in the last 15 years, according to the county’s Planning Commission.
The Chester County Commissioners recognize the need to offer alternative transportation, and they were the first of the nine counties in the region to formally endorse the completion of the Circuit Trails network, a connected system of multi-purpose trails located in the Greater Philadelphia area that, when complete, will comprise more than 750 miles of trails. This initiative was spearheaded by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.
“As we look toward the future with the development of Landscapes3, the next county comprehensive plan, we need to ensure that we’re providing transportation choices to our residents beyond roads and highways,” said Chester County Commissioner Terence Farrell.
Chester County Planning Commission Chairman Matthew Hammond, who is also the vice president of Traffic, Planning and Design, Inc., noted that planning efforts help “lay the groundwork for significant investment within the county relating to its transportation infrastructure.”
Broennle believes better
infrastructure near train stations and businesses along trails will help employees commute by bike. Broennle knows some people who combine a train, employer shuttle, and bike for their commute now.
Tim Lander, a Tredyffrin resident who is president of the Friends of Chester Valley Trail, said he likes how the Chester Valley Trail provides opportunities for people of all ages to exercise and socialize.
“It’s a good opportunity to get outside and exercise,” he said.
“Transportation options” is just one of the topics being addressed as part of the development of Landscapes3, the long-range plan for the county’s future. Residents are invited to share their input on other issues, including managed growth, open space and the environment, modern infrastructure, the economy, healthy lifestyles, and housing options. Join the discussion by filling out the survey here: http://www.chesco. org/Landscapes3 Survey.