In 1942, during a period of wartime rationing, a Pennsylvania hiker encouraged his walking companions by reminding them that “hiking is a matter of muscles, not rubber tires and gasoline, and so we need not forego the simplest and yet most glorious of sports.” This is a good reminder for twenty-first century Americans, surrounded as we are by chaotic markets, debates over oil, climate change, and sustainability, and high tech gadgetry. Walking and its various manifestations (hiking, jogging, even biking) require just two things: good old body power and a path. Thanks to subdivisions, busy roads, and privatization of the land, however, even this basic activity is increasingly difficult to pursue.

Trails in the Lehigh Valley

Given such circumstances, the organizations that are currently working to protect and maintain existing trails and attempting to expand walking, hiking, and biking opportunities are doing critical work. In the Lehigh Valley, we are blessed with several long-distance trails. The Delaware &Lehigh (D&L) Trail follows the Delaware and Lehigh Canals for 165 miles between Bristol, Bucks County and Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, making stops in Easton, Bethlehem, Allentown, and a number of other communities. The Appalachian Trail runs along the Kittatinny Ridge in Berks, Lehigh, and Northampton counties. The Palmer Bike Path, Slate Heritage Trail, Lehigh Parkway, Ironton Rail Trail, and an extensive park system provide ample opportunities for nature walks, biking, jogging, and the occasional commute.

A Pragmatic Justification of Trails

Most of us probably support the creation and protection of trails because they provide opportunities for recreation, simple transportation, and are aesthetically pleasing. Unfortunately, not everyone does. Many taxpayers would be upset to find that the state and federal governments allot tens of millions of dollars for trail construction and maintenance every year. They would argue that concern for open, green space and recreation should take low priority, during periods of economic instability. These are significant and widespread opinions that are difficult to counter.

Economic Impact

For all of the trail critics who oppose investment and all of the proponents that wish to make an argument on behalf of trails, there is a more pragmatic justification for investment in trails: economic impact. A number of recent studies have show that communities can improve their economic base by constructing trails or catering to existing trail users. There are two arguments to be made here. First, trail users spend significant amounts of money at state and local businesses. A 2006 study of the Pine Creek Rail Trail in Tioga and Lycoming Counties found that trail users spent an average of $350 on hard goods (bikes, clothing, etc.) related to their use of the trail each year. The average user also spent an additional $230 on accommodations and $30 per person on soft goods (food, drinks, souvenirs, etc.) on each trip to the trail. A similar study conducted in 2008 at sites along the D&L Trail found that 65% of trail users spent $50 or more on each trip. A 1999 University of Pittsburgh study found that six trailheads along the Allegheny Trail in western Pennsylvania each generated from $5.4 to $14.1 million each year. In short, trail users pump tens of millions of dollars into local and state economies every year, but they can only do so when communities have decided to invest in the construction and maintenance of those trails.

Community Impact

Second, communities with trails tend to have higher real estate values, less crime, and more vibrant downtowns. The National Association of Realtors has found that access to trails often ranks higher than security, parks, and sports fields in surveys of potential homebuyers. In a 2004 New York Times survey, 57% of potential homebuyers cited access to trails as an important feature of a new home. Indeed, homeowners with property adjacent to trails report 1% to 6% higher real estate values than the national average. Of course, increases in property values are only a monetary expression of what we already know: trails improve our quality of life. Home owners are willing to pay more for nearby recreational opportunities, a sense of community, and easy transportation. Unlike other forms of gentrification and redevelopment, the positive characteristics of trails also benefit the people already living and working in the community.

Investing in the Lehigh Valley’s Trail Infrastructure

The Lehigh Valley is unique for its blend of history, culture, and natural beauty, but the region’s towns have suffered from deindustrialization and suburbanization. Traditional main streets, like those in Freemansburg, Northampton, Slatington, Walnutport, and Palmerton, are no longer vibrant centers of business and social life. Ironically, town dwellers are more likely to drive to the countryside for shopping and entertainment than they are to walk to the center of their community. Trails cannot solve all of these problems, many of which result from macroeconomic and cultural trends beyond our control. But, if we support the construction of trails, we can at least give our downtowns the opportunity for a renaissance. Look at the success of Pocono Whitewater and Jim Thorpe in reinventing the Lehigh Gorge as a recreational biking, rafting, and hiking mecca.

We already have the infrastructure in place to do the same thing here. The towpath of the Lehigh Canal runs through almost every major town in the Lehigh Valley and connects to parkways and trails that provide access to communities off of the river. Imagine snack stands, bicycle repair shops, restaurants, and bed and breakfasts springing up in downtown Freemansburg, in an abandoned store front in Allentown, or on an old railroad property in Cementon. Imagine commuters traveling from Bethlehem Township to Easton on the Palmer Bike Path or from Egypt to Coplay on the Ironton Rail Trail. Devoted individuals and organizations have been working for decades to make these images a reality, but they need our support to convince policymakers to protect land and invest in trails. There are hundreds of national and local examples of how effective trails can be at rejuvenating economies and improving community life. We in the Lehigh Valley need to advocate the same for our communities and support the ongoing projects that are achieving success.

Don’t worry! If you’re a resident of Weissport, you might be a little frightened that the muddy, barren lot now occupied by a pile of cinders and some machinery will end up as an eye sore.

We can assure you that as soon as warmer weather returns, the parking lot of the new trailhead will be improved, the new trail surface will be installed, and the long embankment that parallels the railroad tracks will be stabilized with native grasses and trees. We even hope to get our Trail Tenders working on the area of the bank, where the canal passes under Bridge Street. So, brighter, greener days are in the not-so-distant future.

Until then, we are working on the parts of the project that can be completed during winter weather. In the last week, crews constructed a timber-frame pavilion at the north end of the trailhead. The pavilion rests on four, laid-stone platforms that match the new stone work along the canal. In the next few weeks, a red, metal roof will be added and the wood will be stained. When completed, the pavilion will house two picnic tables.

The trail is open during construction, but please use caution when traversing the construction site, as sporadic work will continue throughout the winter and early spring.  Work on the parking lot will temporarily close the trailhead later in the Spring.

Hang in there and check back for further updates! This promises to be a beautiful trailhead when it is complete.

Is there a person, business, or organization that is making Bucks County a better place to live? Consider nominating them for the 2009 Landmark Towns of Bucks County Community Achievement Awards. The awards are intended to recognize and celebrate those whose work complements the mission of Landmark Towns.

Residents, business owners, and municipal officials are encouraged to nominate people, businesses and organizations from the Bucks County community who meet the specific category criteria listed in the Call for Nominations brochure. The nomination form can be dowloaded here, picked up at the borough municipal buildings, or requested through email at Donna@delawareandlehigh.org.

“The countless hours that these individuals, businesses, and not for profit organizations provide significantly contribute to a better quality of life, making the four Landmark Towns better places to live, work and play,” says Regional Main Street Coordinator Donna Boone. “The staff and board of directors intend for this event to serve as an annual reminder of the positive impact they have on the climate of the Landmark Towns.”

The awards ceremony honoring the finalists will be held at the Yardley Country Club on April 29, 2009.

Landmark Towns of Bucks County, a project of the D&L, is a regional revitalization initiative of four boroughs along the Delaware Canal (Bristol, Morrisville, New Hope and Yardley) that have traditional downtown business districts. The Landmark Towns project is designed to help these small towns breathe renewed economic life into their business districts, while preserving and enhancing the industrial and cultural heritage they share. All of these boroughs have exhibited the will and interest to improve their quality of life, preserve historic resources, and enhance economic conditions.

For more information concerning the 2009 Community Achievement Awards or the Landmark Towns program, please contact Donna Boone at Donna@DelawareandLehigh.org.

Although the D&L Trail benefits from partnerships with a wide swath of municipalities, government agencies, landowners, and businesses that often contribute their services to building and maintaining the trail, the bulk of trail maintenance comes through the volunteer work of the D&L Trail Tenders.

The Trail Tenders are individuals that come out weekend after weekend, year round to clear brush, clean up trash, eliminate invasive species, replant and reseed natives, expose historic locks, and educate trail users about the effort that goes into building and protecting the trail.

The Lehigh Valley Trail Tenders are an especially dedicated group. In 2008, volunteer hours amounted to a whopping 1,448, thanks to a devoted corps of Tenders that missed very few opportunities to work on the trail, regardless of weather or season. At September’s Trail Tenders’ picnic Jerry Weiner of Nazareth, Beth Masiado of Bethlehem, and Steve Szarko of Allentown received plaques recognizing each for their individual contribution of over 300 volunteer hours.

Some of the highlights from the past year include:

• Two locks cleared of undergrowth and exposed for the public to enjoy
• Construction of a nature trail and native plant test site near Sand Island
• Removal of debris from Lock 42
• Charlie Brown Clearing (Bethlehem) extended to Lock 43 for an improved view
• New mile markers and directional blades installed
• Worked closely with the Bethlehem Department of Parks to initiate controlled burns and arrange for removal of collected garbage and clippings

Outside of the Lehigh Valley, Tenders cleared brush from the high locks in Luzerne County, installed mile markers on the Black Diamond section, and cleaned up the Parryville lock.

All of these achievements will encourage community members to use the trail, but none would have been possible without the devotion of the Trail Tenders. To ensure that 2009 is just as successful, the Trail Tenders need your help. We can always use volunteers along all 165-miles of the D&L Trail. If you are interested in volunteering in any capacity, please contact Dennis Scholl at Dennis@DelawareandLehigh.org or 610-923-3548 (ext. 225).

Image you are in fourth grade. Over several weeks, your teacher has read a book about a nineteenth-century boy, the same age as you that grew up in a town just down the road. You learned what games he played, what chores he had to do, and what sights, smells, and noises he experienced. Your teacher has a big, wooden trunk from which they pulled the very items you read about in the book–coal! a conch shell horn! a straw hat! Jacob’s ladder! You are even chosen to dress up like the main character!

With the kick off of the D&L’s Traveling Trunks program, hundreds of elementary school students will enjoy this same experience. The pilot program is off to a great start with trunks in a handful of classrooms across five different counties and more to come.

Local History Comes to Life 

Outreach Coordinator Dennis Scholl developed the Traveling Trunks program to bring the rich history of nineteenth-century canal life to elementary school students across the Lehigh Valley. The trunks, constructed by students in a woodworking class at Moravian Academy, are authentic canvas and wood replicas of those used by canal boat captains and their families. Each trunk contains a variety of items, from old-fashioned games and toys to arrows heads, a mule feed bag, and a DVD of rare canal footage. The items complement a full-length book: Tales of the Towpath.

The book, authored by Scholl, follows the life of Finn Gorman, a fictional Irish man from Freemansburg, who reflects back on his time as a ten-year old boy living along the Lehigh Canal. As teachers and students work their way though the book, they will learn about the items contained in the trunks. Because Tales of the Towpath is set in the Lehigh Valley and is based on Scholl’s historical research, students will also learn about the often-forgotten history of their hometowns.

Serious Learning

The trunks are not just fun and games.  The Traveling Trunks curriculum is aligned with the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s academic standards, and the training course offered to participating teachers has received Act 48 accreditation. Scholl worked closely with the D&L’s twenty-member Educational Advisory Team, composed of educators and historians, to develop a program that would appeal not only to students but to teachers as well. Recognizing that educators are increasingly hard pressed for time to incorporate outside materials, the Trunks curriculum is clearly related to subjects already taught in the classroom. “We’re trying to offer teachers all types of options for education and then allow them to pick and choose which ones suit their needs,” said Scholl. “There are opportunities to teach language, arts, math, science, geography, social studies, art, music, and even family and consumer science.”

Looking forward to the full launch

Currently, Traveling Trunks is in the pilot stage. During the spring, Scholl hopes to gather feedback from teachers and finalize the trunks’ content and curriculum. “We want these pilot teachers to help us decide what works and what doesn’t,” said Scholl. With the full program launch in fall 2009, additional trunks will be added to the program and rotate between classrooms and schools.

For more information on the Traveling Trunks program or Tales of the Towpath, please contact Dennis Scholl at Dennis@DelawareandLehigh.org or 610-923-3548 (ext. 225).

Funding for Traveling Trunks comes from the Keystone Nazareth Charitable Foundation, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, through Senator Robert Wonderling, PA DCNR, Luzerne Foundation, Sovereign Bankcorp, Sovereign Securities, Embassy Bank, Capital BlueCross, and the D&L.