Trails with gaps can still breach political divides.
State and local officials, Republicans and Democrats, gathered Wednesday at New Trail Brewing Co., a Williamsport craft microbrewery to celebrate $649,000 in new state funding for the Susquehanna River Walk extension that will connect two trail segments.
The event brought together Williamsport Mayor Derek Slaughter and County Commissioner Mark Mussina, both Democrats, and state Rep. Jamie Flick and state Sen. Gene Yaw, both Republicans.
The funding came from Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration, part of about $70 million spent on trail projects, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said.
“It takes a broad partnership of local government, state agencies, state elected officials, private interests to really make magic like this happen,” Dunn said.
Slaughter highlighted the bipartisanship and the officials' involvement, too.
“Through their leadership, the riverwalk extension grant will pave the way for an expanding trail system that promotes outdoor recreation and preserves the beauty of our natural resources,” Slaughter said. “This project will have a lasting positive impact, not only by enhancing quality of life for residents, but by attracting visitors, fostering tourism and driving economic growth for years to come.”
Dunn said trails and other recreation play a huge part in rural Pennsylvania. She said the Shapiro administration has helped the state’s outdoor recreation economy grow to about $19 billion, boosting employment by about 10%.
“One thing that the governor and our legislature agree on is that we need to find ways to attract and keep young people in Pennsylvania, we need to have workforce development, we need to have jobs and we need to have quality of life,” she said.
The administration’s investments have affected outdoor recreation and tourism outlets like cycling, fishing, hunting, festivals and more, she said.
“In today's world where people can choose where they want to live, they can choose to live in Williamsport and have this quality of life of walking to Jersey Shore, walking the Pine Creek Trail, getting on a bike, walking along the beautiful Susquehanna River. This is part of our economic future, part of our quality of life future,” Dunn said.
Project design began five years ago and will ultimately connect Williamsport with Jersey Shore. It will also connect the trail to another in Pine Creek in Clinton County. Phase one is expected to be complete in 2026.
The completed extension will mean a connection to trails from Lake Ontario in Rochester, New York, to the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.
The river levee’s 10-foot-wide paved walkway will extend from Maynard Street in Williamsport to Susquehanna State Park’s riverfront.
The river walk is a part of the Susquehanna Greenway, 535 miles of parks, trails and communities along the river. A group called The Susquehanna Greenway Partnership helps maintain it.
The partnership’s director of trails and recreation, Poppy Breining, noted the benefits of trails, including health, transportation, financial and environmental impact.
“They connect you from point A to point B, connect you to active and healthy living, connect you to another place in time with the stories of local history and culture. They connect you to the natural environment and inspire stewardship and conservation,” she said.
DCNR named the Susquehanna River Walk fourth in the state’s top ten trail gaps. Gaps are five-mile or less segments along major greenways or a regionally specific trail, according to DCNR. They connect two existing trail segments.
The state reduced its gaps from 248 to 112, a part of DCNR’s 2020 to 2024 land and water trail network plans.
“We're focused on getting stuff done. We're aiming to close as many trail gaps as we can, so this is the fourth one, and a very significant one for us to close,” Dunn said. “I look at the next phase, which is the bridge, and then beyond that, keep going till they get to the primary rail trail. So that's been pretty exciting. We will be able to get to Susquehanna State Park, which is not too far away.”
