Burlington Review

Burlington County is advancing a new regional trail project aimed at improving pedestrian and bicycle safety while connecting Historic Smithville Park with the Pemberton Rail Trail. The Burlington County Commissioners voted unanimously last week to apply for $6 million in state funding to support the design and construction of the proposed 4-mile trail, named the Smithville Park to Pemberton Rail Trail Connector. The pathway will cross through parts of Eastampton, Pemberton Township, and Pemberton Borough and become part of the Rancocas Creek Greenway Trail envisioned to travel the entire 30-mile length of the creek, from its headwaters in Pemberton to its terminus with the Delaware River. It will also include a pedestrian and bicycle-safe crossing on Route 206.

“Burlington County already has one of the best trail networks in New Jersey with more than 50 miles of regional and interior parks trails, so we’re excited about this opportunity to expand our system with a new trail linking Smithville Park with the Pemberton Rail Trail in Pemberton Township,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson. “This project will improve mobility, enhance one of our most popular County parks, and dramatically improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.”

The project anticipates constructing a 10-foot wide off-road path along the former Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way from a trailhead off West Railroad Avenue in Smithville Park through Smith’s Woods and across Route 206 through Pemberton Township, where it will connect with the Pemberton Rail Trail near Birmingham Road.

The Pemberton Rail Trail travels another 1.6 miles through Pemberton Township, ending at the North Pemberton Railroad Station on Fort Dix Road in Pemberton Township and at Hanover Street in downtown Pemberton Borough. The crushed stone path was created by the Pemberton Rotary in 1999 with support from community groups, local businesses, and the State of New Jersey.

The new trail project has already been pre-screened by both the New Jersey Department of Transportation and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Both agencies determined that the project is authorized to receive funding through the Regional Transportation Alternatives Program.

Burlington County has already received and invested more than $19.3 million in grants towards its earlier trail projects, including the first 4-mile segment of the Rancocas Creek Greenway Trail between Amico Island Park in Delran and Pennington Park in Delanco.

The first segment of the Rancocas Creek Greenway was completed in 2022, and the county is also working on plans for a 2-mile extension of the path from Pennington Park across Route 130 to both Willingboro Lakes Park off Beverly-Rancocas Road in Willingboro and Rainbow Meadow Park in Delran. The extension will include a pedestrian-safe crossing of Route 130 plus pedestrian safety improvements to the Route 130 Bridge in Delanco.

Earlier this year, Burlington County was awarded a $400,000 grant from the U.S Department of Transportation under its new Safe Streets for All program to study and plan for additional improvements aimed at boosting safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.

“All residents deserve to have safe and accessible methods to move about our county, and we are proud of our county’s record of creating accessible trails that improve mobility for all users,” said Burlington County Commissioner Allison Eckel, liaison to the Department of Resource Conservation and Parks. “This new trail project will be another welcome addition to our network. It will boost safety for some of our most vulnerable users, and it will bring more visitors to Smithville and Pemberton.”