Work on the Rail Trail project along the old railroad bed will begin “right away” – which in Chesterspeak means any time now as well as pretty darn soon.
Town Manager Bill Ingersoll says there are sufficient funds in hand, something like $150,000, to start Phase One that will run from Wilmer Park to where High Street gets confusing with the Bypass and Rt. 20.
And the Town Council enthusiastically embraced the plan presented by McCrone Engineering at its meeting Monday night.
Tristan Stewart of McCrone showed plans for a 10-foot-wide paved trail, with another 10 feet cleared on either side of it. He said when all phases are complete – and that depends on when more money is available – the Rail Trail will extend about four miles. And it is laid out so it can be expanded well beyond that.
At some point it could loop around the pavilion, follow the Chester to sweep around the Washington College riverbank campus, cutting alongside the old armory building before reconnecting with South Queen Street. With funding, it could also follow the railbed well out into the county.
McCrone’s design includes extensive landscaping: planting native species, clearing out brush that chokes the path and limbing up trees to provide more visibility and security for strollers, skaters and bikers using the trail.
Council member Mabel Mumford-Pautz said she had worries about the safety of people using the path.
“No trail is perfectly safe,” said Stewart. “It will be safer when we clean it out. It is what it is.”
Derek says
Is it safe to assume the path is not paved? Just curious, since no details as to the trails make-up was mentioned in the article.
Gibson says
It is a 10-foot-wide paved trail (to be ADA compliant).
Margie says
We’ve waited soooo long for a bike trail! This is great and wonderful news.