Camden Regional Trails
Years: 2006 to present

This project is part of RTC's Urban Pathways Initiative. Learn more about this work.

Location:
Camden, N.J.

Prepared for:
Coopers Ferry Development Association

Partners:
Camden Greenways, New Jersey Conservation Foundation; Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission; Coopers Ferry Development Association

Open a brochure produced by RTC showing the Camden Regional Trail system 

Project Description:
Southern New Jersey is an underserved region. But the Camden area is the historical hub of southern New Jersey's railroad system, making it a prime candidate for the hub of a future rail-trail system in Camden and Gloucester counties. The region has several short open trails of two miles or less, with many others in the planning stage, but without a regional plan these trails will continue to be short, isolated segments.

The goal is to quicken the pace of trail development by showing local leaders and residents the region's opportunities. RTC anticipates that this project will provide the foundation to bring these 70 miles of rail-trails and many miles of other accessible trails and greenways into full development in the next 10 years. The trail system will also link to such resources as southern New Jersey's Wild & Scenic Rivers, the N.J. Coastal Heritage Trail and the Pinelands region.

A second phase for this project, which began in October 2008, shifts from identifying the regional trail network to beginning implementation and trail construction. The focus is on roughly 25 miles of trails within Camden that will connect to Philadelphia via the Ben Franklin Bridge. Additional funding from The Kresge Foundation has allowed RTC to expand the reach of its work in Camden to include broader community outreach and engagement to foster ownership of the trail system concept.