A portion of the old rail line on Lincoln Avenue in Newtown Borough.
Credit: Google Maps
Newtown Borough’s Council is expected to make a decision on the Rails To Trails program before summer.
At Wednesday evening’s council work session, Paul Gordon, who is with the Bucks County Planning Commission, spoke to Newtown’s governing body about the plan to turn the long abandoned SEPTA Fox Chase-Newtown Regional Rail line into a maintained trail through a long-term lease with SEPTA. The 8.4 mile trail would go from Newtown Borough through Newtown Township, a small portion of Middletown on the George School property, Northampton and into Upper Southampton. In Montgomery County, a large portion of the old rail line has been converted into a walking and biking trail.
Middletown, Newtown Township and Upper Southampton has said they were on board with turning the rail line into trails. Gordon said there are already requests for proposals out for the Upper Southampton portion of the proposed trail.
Gordon said a resolution supporting the plan would help with getting the county to get the ball rolling on planning and design. He added that there would still be a land development process where towns would have to give a final go ahead.
If all towns agree to the plan and the county moves forward, construction could be completed by 2018, Gordon said.
Borough officials raised questions about maintenance costs to a paved trail, police patrols and liability.The estimated cost to have Newtown maintain their roughly half-mile section of the trail would be under $5,500 per year. Gordon said the plan currently relies on local police to patrol the trail but he would speak with county officials about the possibility of having Bucks County Rangers patrol the trail.
Lower Makefield resident Ken Boyle of Bike Bucks County said he was in favor of the plan and thanked borough officials for their leadership.
“I love the idea of a place where you could take your kids and friends and just ride your bike,” resident Christine Edmonds said.
A Newtown resident spoke in favor of the plan and called a trail a “great addition.”
SEPTA passenger service on the Fox Chase-Newtown line ended in January 1983 due to declining ridership and the hassle of operating diesel-only trains along the tracks between Philadelphia and Newtown. Up until the late 2000s, SEPTA floated the possibility of restarting the train line but such goals have since faded.
A resolution to support the Rails To Trails plan is expected to be on the agenda for the council’s May work session.
