Community Parks Trail to connect campus to city

A 2.4-mile extension of the Richard E. McDowell Trail, which runs along the Tunungwant Creek on the edge of campus, will make a loop around the city, connecting the university with downtown Bradford, Hanley Park and Callahan Park.

Richard Esch, vice president of business affairs at the university and president of the Trails Association, said that one of the main goals of the trail was to connect the university to downtown and vice-versa.

Esch pointed out are numerous benefits that students and residents will see from the trail’s completion, walking safety being one.

The Tuna Valley Trail Association received a $1.2 million federal transportation grant with the promise of safe travel for its walkers and with the intention of connecting the town to the facilities on campus such as the Kessel Athletic Complex and Sport and Fitness Center.

The trail will be strictly for the pedestrians and bicyclists, who will no longer have to share a path with cars. Families with strollers can enjoy the trail, and the many students living on and off campus will be able to use it to travel to and from the center of the city.

Esch also points out health and social aspects of the trail. “At any one time there is going to be a lot of traffic on the trail. So now there is that opportunity to get out and meet someone or run into someone you probably already know.”

The biggest benefit may come to the city itself though. With the completion of the trail, many on foot will be able to see the beautiful architecture that has given Bradford a Pennsylvania Historical District status.

“Having the trail come into the historical district is huge,” said Main Street Manager Anita Dolan. “With the extra foot traffic, many people are going to be able to see the building structure and take in what has made this town a historical district.”

Dolan attributed the continued expansion of the trail with pushing the revitalization of the city itself.

The city’s Office of Economic and Community and Development has recognized the need for revitalization and development of the downtown, and the idea of it becoming a so-called "Trail Town" seems to be a very real possibility.

“Bradford is slowly becoming the central hub of the Tuna Valley Trails,” Esch said. “And becoming a sort a ‘trail town’ is a direction it is going. There are a lot of statistics about the economy of trail towns, and they are quite good.”

Esch said that, in time, he hopes to see all 50 miles of the trails connect and have them all stemming out from Bradford, although there is no strict timeline for completion.

“People come from all around to walk trails, but they’re not just walking,” said Esch. “They’re staying in the hotels, they’re shopping at the stores, eating at the restaurants. It could bring in a lot of business.”

Esch also made sure to commend the Bradford residents, saying the trail was, "definitely a community project.”

He said when the initial McDowell trail needed to be built, the community was very supportive in raising the funds.

Community support continued with trail volunteers building a wooden pedestrian bridge with lumber obtained by Rep. Martin Causer through a community revitalization program grant.

Naming opportunities are also available for community members to have a section of the trail in their name. The names will act as a road map of sorts, according to Esch, helping people find their way through the town while the funds would help keep the trail in good condition.

The Community Parks Trail is due to be completed by mid-September.

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