Schuylkill River Trail

Though the welt on cyclist Brenda Miller's right cheek has healed since she was attacked two weeks ago, her confidence in the Norristown stretch of the Schuylkill River Trail will take longer to mend. "It will be a long time before I feel OK riding by there," she said. Miller, 49, was riding the path alone at 7:30 p.m. June 3 when five to seven red-shirted youths, estimated to be 16 to 18 years old, spread across the path as she approached. When she picked up speed to try to ride through them, one stepped into the trail and punched her. She rode to the Norristown Transportation Center and called police.

Riding the Schuylkill River Trail is like taking a trip by rail. Just add the sweat. Over its 23 miles (and growing), the paved bike path travels from woods to suburbia, town to city, meandering in and out of eyesight of the river that at one time symbolized great industrial power. The trail largely follows old rail lines, which themselves followed old canals dug to haul coal to port. Even when the river is hidden from view, that loading-dock feeling comes from cycling past a steel mill and sewage treatment plant, big construction projects and crumbling warehouses.

THE NATION'S railroad and highway systems are the arteries of the nation's economy, and they drive, so to speak, civilization as we know it. Both were built in such a different age, it's hard to imagine any transit networks left to create. Unless, that is, you own a bike or like to walk, and then you know that a growing system of trails throughout the country -as well as this region - has a similar potential to change life as we know it by connecting communities and cities, with new ways for people to get from points A to B. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission recognizes this and is trying to give a common identity to the many trail systems here, including the Schuylkill River Trail, the Cooper River Trail and the East Coast Greenway, with a cash-prize contest to name the trail network.

Montgomery County commissioners said yesterday that they support a $16.4 million plan that would build 29 more miles of recreational trails in the county over four years. The plan features links to existing trails, city-suburb connections, and creation of trail loops. Construction is expected to begin this spring. Steven L. Nelson, the county's deputy chief operating officer for policy planning, presented the plan, which shows future trails jutting from and circling the Perkiomen Trail and Schuylkill River Trail.

In about a week, crews will begin work on a $1.1 million expansion of the Schuylkill River bike trail, connecting Falls Bridge with Ridge Avenue and filling one of the most strategic gaps in the city's trail system. Bike enthusiasts hope the project, to be completed in June, will inaugurate a busy year of constructing bike lanes and trails, including two more extensions of the Schuylkill River Trail. Falls Bridge to Ridge Avenue is a particularly important piece. The crumbling narrow sidewalk there now often discourages bikers from continuing into Manayunk, or pushes them into an unfriendly high-speed section of road.

Cyclists with large lungs and iron legs will have a new challenge to pedal in Montgomery County. The county commissioners expect to approve plans tomorrow night for the construction of a 17-mile bike path from Pennsburg to Oaks, where it will connect with the Schuylkill River Trail and complete a continuous 50-mile run from Center City Philadelphia to the borough of Pennsburg. The cinder trail will wind north along the bed of the dormant Perkiomen Rail Line, on the banks of the Perkiomen Creek.

Amid panoramic vistas and sultry air thick with the scent of honeysuckle, officials Wednesday celebrated three projects related to the preservation of the Schuylkill Highlands, a premier Southeastern Pennsylvania landscape. The addition of nearly 300 acres to French Creek State Park will facilitate the construction of a hiking and biking trail that connects to the Schuylkill River Trail, ultimately linking Philadelphia to Berks County and beyond. Calling the Highlands area "a jewel," Molly K. Morrison, president of Natural Lands Trust, said the acquisition of two farms, one of which had been slated for development, would not have occurred without multiple state and local agencies "pulling at the oars.

With the advent of better weather, bikers and joggers can begin enjoying the first segment of one of Montgomery County's most difficult-to-build links in its ambitious trail program. The first mile or so of the Cross County Trail has opened in Plymouth Township, mostly along Chemical Road and through an area dominated by Ikea and other big-box retailers. When completed, the $6.3 million Cross County is designed to link the much longer Schuylkill River and Wissahickon Creek trails.

The Borough Council has voted to apply for a federal grant that could net a local group up to $1 million to build a link to the approximately 120-mile Schuylkill River Trail. The council voted unanimously in support of the grant application at its Tuesday night meeting. Council members also voted to file a separate grant application to fund new lighting downtown. Now, the pressure is on to complete the 10-page application by the Nov. 20 deadline. It sounds simple, but the application process for the trail grant will require up to $10,000 in consulting fees and days' worth of work.

HERE'S WHAT WILL make news in Philly this week: SCHOOLS Supe-search hearing The Philadelphia School District will continue its series of community forums as part of the search for a new superintendent with three meetings this week. The meetings, organized by the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania and the Penn Project for Civic Engagement, are all at 6:30; tonight at West Philadelphia High School, Wednesday at Strawberry Mansion High School and Thursday at Edison High School.

THE NATION'S railroad and highway systems are the arteries of the nation's economy, and they drive, so to speak, civilization as we know it. Both were built in such a different age, it's hard to imagine any transit networks left to create. Unless, that is, you own a bike or like to walk, and then you know that a growing system of trails throughout the country -as well as this region - has a similar potential to change life as we know it by connecting communities and cities, with new ways for people to get from points A to B. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission recognizes this and is trying to give a common identity to the many trail systems here, including the Schuylkill River Trail, the Cooper River Trail and the East Coast Greenway, with a cash-prize contest to name the trail network.

In a wind-whipped setting high above the Schuylkill, officials shook hands Thursday over a plan to link the region's trail system by running a pathway across the old Manayunk railroad bridge, creating a "park in the sky. " "This is a fantastic opportunity we have to personally, economically, and physically unite the city with the suburbs," Mayor Nutter said. The ceremony at midspan launched a $1.5 million project that when complete - estimated at 18 months from now - will use the bridge as a greenway for hikers, bikers, and joggers.

What about Sunoco workers? Once again corporate America focuses on "determining the best way to deliver value to shareholders," as Sunoco plans to close or sell two refineries. Citing "tough decisions in the face of a challenging market environment," CEO Lynn L. Elsanhans has decided to throw 1,500 employees under the corporate bus so as to insure stockholders a profit. I find it curious that whenever corporate America uses "profitability" as an excuse to lay off workers and close plants or outsource jobs, the ax is always swung at the bottom of the organization.

Don Carey, Princeton University Class of '51, returned to his alma mater for his 60th reunion last weekend. Carey, 81, a retired physician, and his wife, Barbara, 82, traveled from their home in Gilford, N.H., a distance of 540 miles - by bicycle. This was the fourth time the Careys (no relation) pedaled to a reunion at Old Nassau, but this trip was different because they followed the East Coast Greenway, which bills itself as the nation's premier intercity long-distance trail.

John DiRenzo, a former chef and tavern owner, once weighed 270 pounds. Resolved to reform, he began biking and running. Today, he is lighter by 100 pounds and he brims with the exuberance of a man who is convinced he's in the right place at the right time. Now a bike mechanic and the owner of Tri-County Bicycles in Pottstown, DiRenzo, 42, believes the faded river burg has a bright future, and the instrument and symbol of that rebirth is the bicycle. In front of his shop on High Street, Pottstown's main commercial thoroughfare, is a bike lane, indicative of the town's respect for human-powered transportation.

In about a week, crews will begin work on a $1.1 million expansion of the Schuylkill River bike trail, connecting Falls Bridge with Ridge Avenue and filling one of the most strategic gaps in the city's trail system. Bike enthusiasts hope the project, to be completed in June, will inaugurate a busy year of constructing bike lanes and trails, including two more extensions of the Schuylkill River Trail. Falls Bridge to Ridge Avenue is a particularly important piece. The crumbling narrow sidewalk there now often discourages bikers from continuing into Manayunk, or pushes them into an unfriendly high-speed section of road.

Amid panoramic vistas and sultry air thick with the scent of honeysuckle, officials Wednesday celebrated three projects related to the preservation of the Schuylkill Highlands, a premier Southeastern Pennsylvania landscape. The addition of nearly 300 acres to French Creek State Park will facilitate the construction of a hiking and biking trail that connects to the Schuylkill River Trail, ultimately linking Philadelphia to Berks County and beyond. Calling the Highlands area "a jewel," Molly K. Morrison, president of Natural Lands Trust, said the acquisition of two farms, one of which had been slated for development, would not have occurred without multiple state and local agencies "pulling at the oars.

Bob Borski heads down a long lane off State Road and stops his car at a city park on the Delaware River in Northeast Philadelphia. The former congressman scans the broad shoulders of the muddy river. "It's spectacular," Borski said. "And no one ever gets over here to see it. " That is set to change dramatically in the next two years. The long-discussed North Delaware riverfront greenway is moving closer to reality, with enough public support and public money - $34 million - to begin construction on two-thirds of the proposed 11-mile trail for runners, walkers and cyclists.