- Gov. Josh Shapiro was in Bethlehem to announce $500,000 in grant funding for the city
- The money is earmarked to close a gap in the South Bethlehem Greenway
- It's part of $52 million awarded for 220 park, trail and conservation projects statewide
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — As far as city residents are concerned, the South Bethlehem Greenway ends a mile past Mechanic and Taylor streets, Scott Slingerland said.
That could soon change.
“The community knows there's another rail trail somewhere beyond, in Hellertown, on the other side of I-78, but of course, they don't connect,” said Slingerland, executive director for the Coalition for Appropriate Transportation, or CAT. “This project closes that trail gap from Bethlehem to Hellertown, which not only creates an additional transportation link that connects the city and a borough — it opens up possibilities to beyond.”
Slingerland, along with Gov. Josh Shaprio and a slew of other officials and legislators, on Thursday announced a $500,000 grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to close the South Bethlehem Greenway gap. As part of the agency’s Natural Resources’ Community Conservation Partnerships Program, more than $52 million was awarded for 220 park, trail and conservation projects statewide.
Of the total funding awarded, more than $1.7 million is earmarked for eight projects in the Lehigh Valley.
“I want more communities in Pennsylvania to be able to make those kinds of investments,” Shapiro said. “Look, I believe this isn't just the right thing to do. I also think it's the smart thing to do. Let me explain, when we invest in outdoor recreation, when we invest in our outdoor economy, we invest in Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania's economy.
“All told, our outdoor recreation accounts for $14 billion. It adds to Pennsylvania's economy every year, and it sustains 150,000 jobs in our commonwealth.”Gov. Josh Shapiro
“All told, our outdoor recreation accounts for $14 billion. It adds to Pennsylvania's economy every year, and it sustains 150,000 jobs in our commonwealth.”
The South Bethlehem Greenway Trail is a 1.9-mile paved trail that follows a former Norfolk Southern rail line, beginning just north of Lehigh University and ending just outside of Saucon Park. It’s currently sixth on the state’s list of “Top Ten Trail Gaps.”
“The South Bethlehem Greenway is one of the things that when people come to Bethlehem they ask that question, ‘How was it done? How did you do it? How did you turn that old railway into a greenway that is a center for culture?’” city Mayor J. William Reynolds said. “It's a center for recreation, for bikes, for families, for people walking and just having a conversation with people.
“You don't see a lot of projects like that in Pennsylvania, and it is about collaboration and cooperation.”
Asked when residents could see the gap closed, Reynolds said “our goal is obviously to start that as soon as possible.”
“A lot of times these projects need the momentum of announcements like today to be able to enter into that last phase of planning, that last phase of engineering,” he said. “And the resources that we got today are going to really speed up that process."
“And obviously, as the answer always is, we want to do it as quickly as possible. But those conversations and negotiations and planning [are] going on now, and hopefully, we'll be able to announce something soon.”
Below, find the grants awarded to Lehigh and Northampton counties:
Lehigh County
- $250,000 for rehabilitation and further development of Lenape Park in Upper Milford Township. Work includes renovation of basketball courts and tennis courts; construction of pedestrian walkway; installation of fencing; ADA access, landscaping, project sign, and other related site improvements.
- $121,800 for Wildlands Conservancy to restore approximately 1,100 feet of Laurel Run in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County. Work includes streambank stabilization; installation of instream habitat structures, riparian forest buffer planting; landscaping, project sign, and other related site improvements.
Northampton County
- $500,000 toward the acquisition of approximately 23.12 acres in Bethlehem to provide approximately 0.9 miles of trail for the development of South Bethlehem Greenway
- $250,000 for rehabilitating Friendship Park in Bethlehem, including the construction of pedestrian walkways, plaza, pavilion, basketball court, and splash pad; installation of fencing and utilities; ADA access, landscaping, project sign, and other related site improvements.
- $114,000 to Bushkill Stream Conservancy for further restoration of approximately 1,500 feet of Bushkill Creek within Binney and Smith Preserve in Palmer Township. Work includes streambank stabilization; installation of instream habitat structures, riparian forest buffer, landscaping, project sign, and other related site improvements.
- $219,000 for rehabilitation and further development of Reinhard’s Park in Hellertown. Work includes renovation of a baseball field; construction of pedestrian walkways, gazebo, and stormwater management measures; installation of fencing; ADA access, landscaping, project sign, and other related site improvements.
- $80,000 for installation of approximately 20 acres of meadows at public parks in Northampton County. Work to include landowner outreach and engagement; watershed forestry plantings and post-planting establishment; project sign and other related site improvements.
- $250,000 for rehabilitation of Meuser Park in Wilson. Work includes renovation of tennis courts and parking area; construction of pedestrian walkways; installation of fencing; ADA access, landscaping, project sign, and other related site improvements.
