The Delaware River Heritage Trail (DRHT) is making progress in Burlington County. The 60-mile multi-use trail loop recently received $2.3 million in federal funding through the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) to extend the path through Fieldsboro and Mansfield, New Jersey.

Circuit Trails within Burlington County recently got a boost as well. Earlier this year, the county received $3.1 million in federal funds to extend the DRHT to the recently re-opened Crystal Lake Park. The five-mile segment, known as the Route 130 Bypass, will create a safe connection between Crystal Lake Park and the DRHT via the Circuit Trail’s Kinkora Trail to travel under Route 130. And last month, Burlington County adopted a County Bicycle Master Plan, which emphasized building safe routes to existing trails and adding more mileage to the Circuit network.

Support from local, county and regional levels is essential for these projects to move forward and to provide Burlington residents with safe passages between and along trails. From a regional perspective, New Jersey County Freeholders should follow Pennsylvania’s lead by including a Transportation Improvement Program line item to dedicate funding for regional trails. On a more local level, municipalities should support county governments to ensure that these multi-use connections get built.

Celebrate the region’s biggest and boldest recent transportation initiatives at TSTC’s 2016 Benefit on September 27. Get your tickets here.