Ivy Ridgers — this Tuesday (8/3) we’re venturing out of the neighborhood to the Schuylkill Center with our friends Tom and Rich. We did this last year and it was a blast.

So let’s meet at Union Jack’s at 6pm and ride up to the Schuylkill Center from there. We’ll work from 6:30 until the gas runs out, and have refreshments afterward. RSVP if you need us to save you a seat.

If you want to meet us there, that’s fine:

• Schuylkill Center Website
• 8480 Hagys Mill Road

There’s LOTS to tell about the Trail, about the Fountain Street Steps and the rest of our work in Ivy Ridge. Come on out and let’s trade stories — it’s always good to see you all.

WHAT: “Two on Tuesday” at the Schuylkill Center
WHERE: Meet at Union Jack’s, 6pm for a ride
RSVP to: Chris, 610.812.8931

Just like that — and the rails are gone.

In 5 mid-June days, a subcontracted crew with a truck from Tennessee removed every remaining rail from the Manayunk Bridge to the Ivy Ridge Regional Rail station. (Hey, it’s looking more like a trail all the time…)

The ties remain – removing them would require a separate contract that would cost SEPTA money, whereas they made a few dollars by scrapping steel from the rails.

But it looks gorgeous out there. Click the photo above for another couple photos of the rail bed, and plan on joining us in July for another cleanup of Canton Street.

If you missed the first walk in February (attended by over 100 people), the Complete the Schuylkill River Trail Coalition is holding a second walk from Bartram’s Garden to Dupont Crescent on Saturday, June 19th.

Meet us at the Bartram’s Garden parking lot at 9:30am. We will walk through the Bartram’s property to 51st Street, over to Gray’s Ferry Ave, and over the Gray’s Ferry Bridge to see the newly constructed Dupont Crescent site across the river. Refreshments will be provided. The walk will end at the Philadelphia Trolley Works, who will kindly “bus” everyone back to Bartram’s Garden after light refreshments. Approximate length of walk: 2 miles. Please RSVP for this event.

Last night the Lower Merion Township Commissioners on the Park and Recreation Committee voted 13-0 to recommend to the full Board that the Planning Department move forward on developing the Cynwyd Heritage Trail for $2.4 million.

Congratulations to Chris Leswing, the Lower Merion Parks & Rec team, the Friends of Cynwyd Trail, and to Sarah Stuart and the Bicycle Coalition for tying this to the growing Schuylkill River Trail network.

Still not up to speed on this project? There are some great maps at the Cynwyd Trail website. Check it out!

The Lower Merion Township Commissioners vote on the final design for the Cynwyd Heritage Trail, at their Wednesday, May 5 meeting 6 p.m. at the Township Building, 75 East Lancaster Avenue in Ardmore.

Come help demonstrate to the Commissioners that the backing of the community for the project is broad and enthusiastic — and it includes those of us in Philadelphia who look forward to working with them to eventually link the Cynwyd Heritage Trail to Ivy Ridge across the Manayunk Bridge.

The Friends of Cynwyd Trail are optimistic that their vote will be positive to approve the proposed design and the township’s commitment of capital costs to supplement the state and federal grants and County Open Space funds that are paying for the vast majority of the trail construction costs. (This commitment is necessary to start the bidding process.)

But your presence is invaluable.

SEE YOU AT THE MEETING!

Manayunk is shot through with land owned by public agencies and private agencies like SEPTA: think of Germany Hill (Fairmount Park), Fountain Street Steps (City of Philadelphia, Water Department), and Ivy Ridge Trail (SEPTA) — just to name a few of that pieces that we care an awful lot about. This “in between” land makes up a lot of the character of Ivy Ridge, and maintaining it is an expensive hassle no matter which agency is trying to keep up with the trash & vines.

So let’s take a minute to just acknowledge the work SEPTA has done, over the years, to keep both the old and active R6 lines in shape and to partner with groups like Ivy Ridge Green who work with them to continue the effort.

Thanks to SEPTA’s team downtown — Lydia Gross, Joseph Devanney, and Enjoli Edwards — for getting us credentials every time we host volunteer cleanups. Thanks to Wendy Green-Harvey, in Government Affairs, for walking the line with us and helping to coordinate SEPTA’s maintenance with the neighbors. And thanks to Ed Wallace, the engineers, and the maintenance staff who have worked so hard to secure the safety of the bridges over Leverington and the Schuylkill River.

It’s my hope that eventually the old R6 can be leased to the City and the neighborhood as “Ivy Ridge Trail” and improved so that it is a safe, clean amenity for ‘Yunkers and a river-spanning connection to our friends in Lower Merion. But in the meantime, take a minute to send SEPTA your appreciation and remind your neighbors that we’re all pulling in the same direction here:

Please: if you see anyone dumping trash or tires, throwing rocks off any of the SEPTA bridges, or destroying SEPTA’s fencing, notify the Friends of Ivy Ridge Trail (chris@ivyridgetrail.org) and Ed Wallace (edallace@septa.org). Thanks in advance!

– Chris

Join us!

This coming Sunday, noon to 5pm, at Cotton and Main Street, there will be a boat load of activities for kids and cheap eats, haircuts, manicures, etc., for the rest of us.

Ivy Ridge Green will be there, honoring the spirit of the day and all of the work ‘Yunkers are doing to reclaim their riverfront. Come say “hi”, will you?

Poster linked here and check Destination Schuylkill River for more.

Ivy Ridge Green had the great pleasure of joining our friends in Lower Merion for an ambitious session of tree planting this weekend. (Apparently both sides of the river are pulling long hours this spring.) The Cynwyd Heritage Trail — Ivy Ridge by another name, just across the Manayunk Bridge — has 270 new trees, courtesy of PHS, the Township, and hundreds of volunteers.

The good people at Penn Mitzvah planted five bare-root crab apple trees along the Barmouth entrance to the station; a lot of fun and new experience for all of us.

Thanks to Penn Mitzvah for the great work, to the Friends of Cynwyd Heritage Trail for the hospitality and tree planting lessons, and to Bruce Reed and the Township for leading the way on what we hope will be a trail that will better-link our two communities. We hope to see a lot more of you on both sides of the river.

Check that field preparation! Blaise Syrnick and Annie Scott flagged every single plant they needed volunteers to protect while they weeded. No kidding.

Ivy Ridge Green kicked off its spring season today with the Mayor’s 3rd annual cleanup, “Keep Up the Sweep Up.”

Big thanks to the several dozen volunteers who joined us, to City Year, to the great folks in the City Streets & Sanitation Departments who supported the effort. And thanks to all of the project partners, of whom there are too many to name at this point — you know who you are.

We tackled projects spread out over nearly a mile today, working all the way from the Manayunk Bridge — where volunteers hung a sign, discouraging dumping and vandalism to SEPTA’s fencing — to the banks of Germany Hill. But the main action was along the Fountain Street Steps & the Tow Path where volunteers hauled debris and weeded in preparation for Philly “Spring Into Your Park” day in May.

Join us then: Saturday, May 8th. Check back here for details in a couple of weeks.

• Fountain Street Steps
• Germany Hill
• Ivy Ridge Trail
• Tow Path

Meet: 9am at the Fountain Street Steps (Umbria and Fountain Street, across from Union Jack’s).

This is a great annual event, and we can’t wait to see you all. Kids, pets welcome, give Chris a call if you have any questions:

610.812.8931

See you out there!

P.S. – Want to pass out fliers to let your neighbors know about the event? Download one here: [PDF]. Thanks!