I really enjoyed today’s ride here in eastern Pennsylvania. Mom lives just outside Doylestown, the seat of government for Bucks County. It’s still a pretty place despite the urban sprawl that comes from being squeezed between Philadelphia and New York City. Doylestown itself is charming. Imagine Cedarburg WI with county courthouse and stately homes that go back to the 18th Century. There’s a lot to like … for those who can afford it. My biggest complaint about Doylestown is its motor vehicle traffic, which is far greater than you would expect in a community of only about 8,400 residents.
When I lived here in the late 1980s, riding a bike never occurred to me. I don’t know where I would have done it. The region’s 30 miles of bike and pedestrian infrastructure didn’t exist yet. Now it forms the backbone of my rides when I visit Mom, but by itself it’s still not enough. The network of trails is growing in piecemeal fashion, requiring many on-road miles to link the pieces. It will be great someday.
The photo above shows the most recent piece of the network. That 0.3-mile section along New Britain Road is so new that you can still see sawdust on the ground under the fence rails! On previous visits, my rides down New Britain Road were a little uncomfortable. Motor vehicle traffic wasn’t too bad, but the road surface was poor and there was no shoulder. As you can see, the road has been resurfaced and there’s now a physically separated bike lane. It’s a beauty, and all it took was a little extra asphalt. This new link in the trail system doesn’t change where I go, but it changes how I feel about that section. For some local riders, especially kids, the new link probably opens up a part of the system that seemed too dangerous to access before.
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