You pull your bike from the car rack and set it on the path at the far southwest corner of Camden County in Winslow, near the borders of both Gloucester and Atlantic counties. Start pedaling north on this flat ride and maybe three hours later — or more, or less — you end up at the Ben Franklin Bridge in Camden.
For much of the beginning of your ride, you're surrounded by wilderness or rural South Jersey. For the second half or so, you'll pass through many of the older communities of Camden County that grew up along the railroad line. Stop at one of those boroughs and you'll get something to eat, drink or you can spend your break shopping.
That's the vision for the Camden County Link: A 33-mile biking, running and walking trail that under the best of circumstances will take about five years to complete.
"We are on our way," county Freeholder Jeffrey L. Nash, one of the leaders of the ambitious project, told 70and73.com in a telephone interview. "It’s complicated, but it’s exciting," said Nash, who estimates the total cost at $50 million, much of which would be provided by state and federal programs that fund trails.
A public feedback session on the Winslow section will be held July 13, from 7 to 8 p.m. Register here. Other details from Camden County on the Link are available here.
It didn't take much persuasion to enlist Jack Sworaski to coordinate the project for the county. "This is something I raised my hand for," he told 70and73.com. "I am a biker myself and love the idea of trails," said Sworaski, the county's director of the division of open space and farmland preservation.
The Pennsauken resident often rides around Cooper River Park or into Moorestown and the neighborhoods. The Link will expand his riding up and down Camden County and connect him to other bike trails in New Jersey and in Philadelphia and eastern Pennsylvania.
Sworaski said the idea began in 2007 with a feasibility study. When the study was complete, it showed the potential for a trail but the project's proponents had a "Where do you start?" moment, he said. Freeholder Nash said let's sit down and talk about this. From that, the project supporters developed a "spine" for the trail system, connecting about half of the county's towns. "So simple. Brilliant," Sworaski recalled.
A key component to Sworaski was letting the public gain access to county-owned wilderness in southern Camden County. "We tried to open up the hundreds of acres of open space the county has in Winslow Township that no one's able to access," he said.
Although the Link is touted as 33 miles officially, it's actually about 34 miles at this point, Sworaski explained in a telephone interview. Math error? No. That Winslow leg of the trail bumped up the mileage and gave the planners a lesson in quick and effective cooperation with other stakeholders.
The county's property in Winslow is a Wildlife Management Area, well-used by hunters. At a meeting, the hunters pointed out the Link's path cut the area for hunting in half — a serious concern for hunters and trail users alike. That evening, the planners sat down with the hunters and moved the trail's terminus from the Atlantic County border near Hammonton, Sworaski explained. To accommodate, the planners redrew the trail to make a right turn and end. The detour added about a mile.
Although the Link parallels the railroad line for about 13 miles, it can't be called a rail trail because the tracks still are active. The county has been working with track owner Conrail for permission to use the right of way.
To Matt Ludwig, the excitement of planning the Link is designing the whole project at once.
Ludwig, senior engineer in engineering firm NV5's Philadelphia office — NV5 has the county contract to design the Link — said the large scale of the project makes it stand out from many of the other trails his company has worked on.
Many local governments will commit to one or two miles of trail at a time, going through designing, getting the permits and then construction. Then the process repeats itself and the pieces are connected. It's a "stutter step" approach to a full build out, Ludwig said. "It takes a very long time to do that."
Camden County's approach will be more efficient. For example, Link planners can meet with the state Department of Environmental Protection about several trail segments at one time.
The trail will be an easy ride or walk and the difficulty will be set by each person's objective. "It's just a matter of how much distance you want to go," said Ludwig, who has traveled about 85% to 90% of the path.
Ludwig said the design standard is: All ages and abilities. Would you allow your eight-year-old child to go on a ride with your 80-year-old grandmother, Ludwig asked. People should be comfortable with that scenario on the Link, he added.
Beyond the recreational opportunities are the economic impacts, Ludwig said. Riders, runners and walkers will stop in the communities along the path and spend money, he said. "You’re going to see people from Philadelphia and all parts of the region coming through those towns."
BEYOND CAMDEN COUNTY: When complete, the Link will connect other trails in NJ and many in the Philadelphia area. Go to Find a Trail on the Circuit Trails network. Many are available for your feet or bike tires now.
"A fully-built-out community like Audubon has very little opportunity to expand recreational spaces for our residents. This provides a linear park that will run right down the middle of our town, making this available to almost all residents with just a short walk or bike ride," borough Mayor John Ward said at the June 23 public input session.
Added Haddon Heights Mayor Zachary Houck: "It’s huge for both of our communities, Audubon and Haddon Heights." Houck also spoke at the meeting about how fully developed his borough is. "We've almost painted on the entire canvas. For us to really grow our communities, something like this Link trail is huge."
