A multi-year feasibility study exploring options for the Schuylkill River Trail between Reading to Hamburg is complete and the public is invited to learn about the results and how they can help get the trail built in their communities.
The study spans 17 municipalities between Reading and Hamburg. A consultant team led by Herbert, Rowland and Grubic, Inc. (HRG) prepared the study. Working with Schuylkill River Greenways NHA, and a regional Steering Committee, HRG analyzed the existing gaps in the trail, sought public input through public workshops, public presentations, a survey, stakeholder interviews, and pop-up events, and recommended the route for over 20 new miles of the SRT.
The Steering Committee included trail users, municipal officials, business owners, property owners, the Berks County Commissioners and Planning Commission, and elected officials at all levels of the state government.
The project team worked to engage the public, residents, stakeholders, and elected officials through five Steering Committee meetings, four community workshops, an online community survey, eight key person interviews, and a Birdsboro Focus Group Tour.
The 120-mile Schuylkill River Trail is the spine of the Schuylkill River Greenways NHA. 80 miles of the trail are complete, and 40 miles remain to be built. In Berks County, the SRT is complete from Pottstown to Reading but only a few small sections are complete between Reading and Hamburg.
Schuylkill River Greenways will present the findings of the trail feasibility study to Berks County Communities at three upcoming meetings:
Bern Township, May 2, 2023 at 7pm @ Bern Township Board of Supervisors Meeting 1069 Old Bernville Rd, Reading PA 190605
Berks County Commissioners Meeting, May 9, 2023 at 10am, @ County Operations Meeting, 13th Floor Commissioners’ Boardroom, Services Center, 633 Court Street, Reading PA 19601
Hamburg Borough, June 13, 2023 at 6pm, @ Borough Committee Meeting, Hamburg Municipal Offices, Council Room, 61 North 3rd Street, Hamburg PA 19526
The full findings of the study can be found on the Schuylkill River Greenways website: schuylkillriver.org/about-srg/resources/
