Doylestown Community Bike and Hike System

Doylestown Borough and Doylestown Township together, in 1992, formed a joint committee to study the concept of developing a multi-use path that would surround the Borough. The initial plan showed a path largely in the right-of-way of the Route 202 and Route 611 Bypass.

The committee began meeting in October of 1992. The first committee meetings tackled the overall concept of the initial plan as well as reviewing an application for funding through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Intermodal Surface Transportation Enhancement Act (ISTEA).

The ISTEA application was not successful. The overall approach was modified after that and a mission statement on goals established as follows:

"To safely interconnect principle population centers, places of work, schools, commercial areas, historical and cultural sites, parks and recreation areas, mass transit and other intermodal connections in both Doylestown Township and Doylestown Borough".

One of the first products of the committee was a listing of community resources and neighborhoods that should be connected by safe pedestrian and bicycle facilities. This list is as follows:

1. Connect Delaware Valley College to various locations.
2. Connect Edison Village Park & Historical Area into the system.
3. Connect the Pine Run Reservoir and open space into the system.
4. Connect the YMCA into the system.
5. Connect all Central Bucks Schools within both municipalities into the system.
6. Connect all Bed and Breakfasts within both municipalities into the system.
7. Connect the Township's Central Park into the system.
8. Connect the Township's Turk Park facilities into the system.
9. Connect the Borough's Maplewood, Hillside Avenue, Fanny Chapman, and Burpee Park facilities into the system.
10. Connect the Doylestown Hospital facility and property into the system.
11. Connect the Barn Plaza Shopping Center and Theaters into the system.
12. Connect the Township's Sauerman Park into the system.
13. Connect Fonthill and the Tile Works into the system.
14. Connect all retail centers into the system.
15. Connect the post office into the system.
16. Connect the Senior Citizens Center into the system.
17. Connect the Township's Victorian Gardens open space into the system.
18. Connect the Township's Neamand Park and Neshaminy Green Way into the system.
19. Connect residential population centers into the system.
20. Connect the library into the system.
21. Connect the Art Museum into the system.
22. Connect the James Lorah house into the system.
23. Connect the Bucks County Courthouse into the system.
24. Connect the Aldie property into the system.
25. Connect or make provisions for future connections to the Peace Valley Park into the system.
26. Connect the Covered Bridge Park in New Britain Borough into the system.
27. Connect the North Branch Park in New Britain Township into the system.

Through bi-monthly meetings, the committee also walked and drove the entire area involved. This allowed the committee to address practical concerns influencing the path location such as noise, safety and aesthetics. It was a combination of this exercise and the goals established for connecting various community facilities and neighborhoods that influenced the final recommendation for the path location as generally shown on the following map.

Finally, and most importantly, education of pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists was a continuing part of the Committee's discussions. While the provision of a path system in itself should improve the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists, education is needed to prevent accidents that could occur on newly created paths. The public, adults as well as children, need instruction in skills, safety and courtesy to make the path system successful and attractive to use.

Since its founding, the committee has overseen the completion of several important segments of the path system. Kutz Elementary School has been linked to Doylestown Township Central Park and the Pebble Hill neighborhood. Doyle Elementary School, Lenape Middle School, Community Fields Park and Doylestown Hospital have been linked via another segment.

In 2000, Linden Elementary School will be linked to Chapman Park and the Farm Office Complex path. Plans are also underway for a path along Pebble Hill Road and Green Street and along Shady Retreat Road. Lastly, to come full circle, another ISTEA grant application has been submitted for a path along Route 202 linking Delaware Valley College with the Doylestown Train Station.

Related Links

• Bike and Hike System Map

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