http://www.courierpostonline.com/news/southjersey/m012204e.htm
Burlco keen on creating trail
Thursday, January 22, 2004
13-mile path would wind through abandoned rail route
By CAROL COMEGNO
Courier-Post Staff
MOUNT HOLLY
Hikers and bikers may have a new trail to explore in Burlington County in the future.
The county board of freeholders agreed Wednesday to pursue creation of a 13-mile trail that would follow an abandoned railroad right-of-way between Route 130 in Mansfield and Pemberton Township.
County open space coordinator Matt Johnson estimated the cost of the Rails to Trails project at $3 million - $1 million for the right-of-way acquisition of an old freight line and $2 million for land clearing and trail construction.
He said the trail would follow a path through the county's undeveloped farm belt. It would connect the Kinkora section of Mansfield near the Florence border with the Pemberton Township Railroad Station on Pemberton Road.
The trail would pass under canopies of woods and through the quaint downtown of Columbus in Mansfield, Jobstown in Springfield and a section of Wrightstown.
One of the project's advantages, Johnson said, is that there are only 10 property owners along the line and the four municipalities support it.
Part of the line is owned by nonprofit organizations and Springfield Township and will not be bought by the county.
"The trail goes through one of the most scenic parts of the county and through much land that will never be developed," Freeholder William Haines said.
Johnson said the Rails to Trails route is part of the county's master plan for parks and would connect to the greenways along the Delaware River and Rancocas Creek. The plan calls for a 10-foot-wide trail with 10 feet of clearing on either side of the right-of-way, which was abandoned in the 1980s.
The trail would be built in phases and could be several years away from opening. The county would finance the trail from its dedicated open space tax and could apply for state Green Acres money.
Burlco keen on creating trail
Thursday, January 22, 2004
13-mile path would wind through abandoned rail route
By CAROL COMEGNO
Courier-Post Staff
MOUNT HOLLY
Hikers and bikers may have a new trail to explore in Burlington County in the future.
The county board of freeholders agreed Wednesday to pursue creation of a 13-mile trail that would follow an abandoned railroad right-of-way between Route 130 in Mansfield and Pemberton Township.
County open space coordinator Matt Johnson estimated the cost of the Rails to Trails project at $3 million - $1 million for the right-of-way acquisition of an old freight line and $2 million for land clearing and trail construction.
He said the trail would follow a path through the county's undeveloped farm belt. It would connect the Kinkora section of Mansfield near the Florence border with the Pemberton Township Railroad Station on Pemberton Road.
The trail would pass under canopies of woods and through the quaint downtown of Columbus in Mansfield, Jobstown in Springfield and a section of Wrightstown.
One of the project's advantages, Johnson said, is that there are only 10 property owners along the line and the four municipalities support it.
Part of the line is owned by nonprofit organizations and Springfield Township and will not be bought by the county.
"The trail goes through one of the most scenic parts of the county and through much land that will never be developed," Freeholder William Haines said.
Johnson said the Rails to Trails route is part of the county's master plan for parks and would connect to the greenways along the Delaware River and Rancocas Creek. The plan calls for a 10-foot-wide trail with 10 feet of clearing on either side of the right-of-way, which was abandoned in the 1980s.
The trail would be built in phases and could be several years away from opening. The county would finance the trail from its dedicated open space tax and could apply for state Green Acres money.
