In a former factory town still associated with steel production, the Bethlehem Greenway is linking urban areas to forests and open spaces.

On June 4, Mayor John Callahan announced that Bethlehem City closed on a $1.9 million deal to acquire 28 acres of land from Norfolk Southern. The land encompasses an abandoned rail yard, which extends south and east from Hill-to-Hill Bridge. It is intended for use as a three mile pedestrian and biking trail.

DCNR administered $600,000 of Keystone and Growing Greener funds for the acquisition.

"This grant will help provide for the long term conservation and creation of safe open space in a dense urban section of Bethlehem where opportunities for land protection and recreational areas are limited," said DCNR Secretary Michael DiBerardinis. "This greenway and trail effort is about connecting people to local green space, and providing a transportation alternative between South Bethlehem and the downtown area,” he added.

The existing dirt path will be paved, allowing it serve as both a leisure site and a functional non-motorized transportation route.

“The greenway is much more than a park and recreation project,” Callahan said. “It is also a project of economic and cultural renaissance in Bethlehem.”

Increased pedestrian traffic on the trail will serve to boost the local economy as visitors are drawn to the Lehigh Valley area.

“It is more than a Rail Trail. It’s very close to the Bethlehem Steel Site so that gives us an opportunity to tell the history of the city,” said Darlene Heller, Director of Planning & Zoning for Bethlehem City.

“There are opportunities to create places to display art. And, there are economic developments,” she added. “An old Bethlehem Steel parking lot was replaced with new town homes. Without the greenway being there, they probably wouldn’t have been built at that site.”

DCNR’s involvement does not end with the recent land acquisition, however. The Department has pledged $250,000 in the form of a Keystone grant toward the creating a master plan to further develop the trail.

The first development phase involves the section running from Union Station to Taylor Street. Grading, paving and seeding the area will take two years.

The second development phase will focus on the area between Taylor Street and Saucon Park. The construction should be complete by 2011 if funds are in place by then.

Other grant money will go toward developing skate park along the trail. DCNR has donated $200,000 of the $400,000 total project costs using Keystone money. The skate park will include streetscape equipment, lighting and fencing.

This is a Lehigh Valley Greenways project aiming to create state and local partnerships to protect and connect urban spaces and green areas. With this project, Bethlehem continues on the path toward striking a balance between community revitalization and land conservation.

Visit DCNR’s Greenways and Trails webpage for more information.

Written by Emily Weir, who is currently serving as an intern in the DCNR Bureau of Recreation and Conservation’s planning, outreach and technical support division. Reprinted from DCNR’s Resource newsletter.

7/18/2008