Since 2009, Cooper’s Ferry Partnership (CFP) in cooperation with New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), Camden County, Camden City, Camden Greenways, Inc., Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC) and numerous neighborhood partners, has guided an effort to build support for the development of a comprehensive, interconnected network of trails—the Camden GreenWay— centered in Camden and reaching into other Camden County municipalities, Gloucester and Burlington counties, and Philadelphia.
In 2009, CFP worked with NJDOT and numerous local, regional and national stakeholders to develop the Camden GreenWay Trail Location Study (published in 2010) and also an NJDOT - (Local Technical Assistance) LTA, which identified 16 potential trail corridors linking numerous parks and destinations in the City of Camden, throughout Camden County, and beyond. Many of these trail segments are identified as part of the Circuit. Since the development of the study, CFP and its partners have continued to work on the planning and advocacy necessary to ensure the funding and gradual implementation of the network. To date, several segments have been completed and several more are underway. Upon completion, the Circuit will connect over 128 miles of multi-use trails, with Camden acting as a hub for South Jersey.
In addition, in 2011, the William Penn Foundation made a $7 million grant to DVRPC for their Regional Trails Fund and Cooper’s Ferry Partnership was an additional awardee representing the City of Camden for present and future Circuit design and construction. This study, developed in partnership with Camden City and Cooper’s Ferry Partnership will identify the exact alignment for the Camden GreenWay and identify what portions of the Camden GreenWay will be designated as part of the Circuit.