December 3, 2025
The new long-range plan for Greater Philadelphia, Update: Connections 2050, calls for completing 850 miles of trails across the region.
The Circuit Trails Coalition recently celebrated a significant milestone: 500 miles of Circuit Trails completed or in progress across the Greater Philadelphia region. In a short time, the network of trails has transformed how people move through the region. The network currently consists of more than 420 miles of completed trails with 91.4 miles in progress. The new long-range plan for Greater Philadelphia, Update: Connections 2050, calls for completing 850 miles of trails across the region.
DVRPC is committed to the Circuit Trails’ vision of safe, accessible, and connected spaces for walking, biking, and recreation, connecting people to jobs, communities, and nature across the region. As part of this commitment, DVRPC has allocated all of the necessary funding for the Circuit Trails in Update: Connections 2050, which means all unbuilt miles can be completed by 2050.
“The work of DVRPC, local government, our state, federal, and philanthropic partners, and the Circuit Trails Coalition is as critical as ever. We cannot stop until we complete the Circuit Trails,” said DVRPC Chair Tom Stanuikynas at the mid-November Toast to the Circuit Trails event celebrating the 500-mile achievement.
DVRPC’s Board recently approved the receipt of a $5 million grant from the William Penn Foundation to continue the Regional Trails Program’s investment in the development of the Circuit Trails. This grant supports the planning, designing, and constructing of new trail segments and connecting infrastructure. This effort supports the foundation’s goal of adding at least 75 miles to the Circuit Trails network by 2035.
To date, DVRPC’s Regional Trails Program has provided $25 million in funding to more than 150 trail planning, design, and construction projects, thanks to ongoing financial support from the William Penn Foundation. The program also offers planning assistance and technical guidance to municipalities, counties, and nonprofit trail developers as they evaluate the feasibility of trail segments or seek additional funding sources.
Through the Regional Trails Program, DVRPC will continue working with regional partners to strengthen community connections to the Circuit Trails and expand access to active transportation and outdoor recreation. Together, these investments advance DVRPC’s vision for a safe, modern, multimodal regional transportation system that fosters opportunity for all.
DVRPC helps to shepherd trails from idea to completion—planning, prioritizing, funding, mapping, and monitoring progress. Learn more at www.dvrpc.org/trails. If you have questions, contact Shawn Megill Legendre, Manager of the Regional Trails Program, at slegendre@dvrpc.org.