The first Bike North Penn Community Ride of the 2025 took place on the evening of Wednesday, March 26. This continues our tradition of our first ride taking place in North Wales Borough, on what was a chilly, but pleasant night. As usual the ride started and ended at the Tex Mex Connection.

Here is a link to the route for this ride.

North Wales Ride Start

We started in the northeast section of the borough on the same route as the Tex Mex 5K, so we had a number of flat sections and some climbing on the streets in that neighborhood.

Map of North Wales Borough showing the parking lot cut through between 2nd Street and Main Street

Sometimes when we do this ride, we do a dog-leg crossing of Sumnytown Pike between East and West Montgomery Avenue. Because the road conditions of the SEPTA railroad crossing are currently so poor, we instead cut through the parking lot between 2nd Street and Main Street, and then used the crosswalk to get across Sumneytown Pike.

We then wound our way around the southeast section of North Wales Borough as the sun started to set and the collection of our bike lights shown brighter as we moved through the quiet neighborhood streets. The planned route was to cross North Wales Road on Shearer Street, and then enter Upper Gwynedd’s Parkside Place through the back entrance. However, we made a wrong turn, and ended up crossing North Wales Rd. at West Street and then completed a short an out and back via the path leading into the park off of Center Street.

North Wales Ride – Group leaving Parkside Place via the Center Street Connector.

When possible, we try to program into these community rides to include cut-throughs or other features which might expose ways to get around on a bike which may not be familiar to folks on the ride.  Though the back entrance to the park is not new and the path in and out of the park connecting to Center Street was upgraded with pavement and lighting more than three years ago (and North Wales Borough continues to add sidewalks along these street where they have been lacking), a number of people on the ride noted they were unaware of the Center Street connector path, and the lighting made it a very dramatic passage.

At the end of the ride, some of us stayed for a round of drinks at Tex Mex. What was unexpected was their outdoor porch was headed, both from overhead and a live fireplace.

North Wales Ride – at the end, outside Tex Mex Connection.

Here are the link for the March Organizational meeting held on March 13.

Link to PDF of the presentation deck used in the meeting

Link to meeting recording using Microsoft Teams (this recording will expire)

Key Agenda Items:

• Bike Infrastructure – Welsh Rd. – Action Item
• Bike Infrastructure – Upper Gwynedd Township
• Bike Infrastructure – Hatfield – The Partnership TMA of Mont Co. 
• Bike Infrastructure – Lansdale Borough
• Lansdale Active Transportation Plan
• Community Rides – March – North Wales Borough
• Bike Valet for 2025 Dates
• Bike Valet – Lansdale 2nd Saturday – July
• Bike Valet – Looking for Valet Leader
• Philadelphia Bike Expo – Recap and Show & Tell

This is an interesting, short article describing the results of a recent study on the effects of bike riding and the metal health of middle school-aged students

https://momentummag.com/study-shows-cycling-programs-in-middle-schools-a-win-for-mental-health/

Here is the link to the presentation deck used for the January 2025 monthly organizational meeting (January 9).

Here also is a link to the meeting recording via Microsoft Teams – this recording will expire.

Cover of Draft Upper Gwynedd Comprehensive Recreation Parks and Open Space Plan

On January 13, at 7 PM at the Upper Gwynedd Township building at Parkside Place on Sumneytown Pike, commissioners will be presented with recommendations by the committee involved with the Comprehensive Recreation, Parks and Open Space Plan.

The committee has been working on this plan and recommendations for more than a year, including multiple public sessions and an online survey to collect input on the plan.

• The final draft of the plan was issued in October of 2024
• Here is a link to the deck including the committee recommendations.

Because Upper Gwynedd Township sits in a very important geographic location for bike infrastructure, all members of the North Penn community are encouraged to review this recommendation deck and show up at the Township meeting on Jan. 13. Upper Gwynedd residents are encourage to stand up and speak in support of these committees recommendations.

Upper Gwynedd Township also broadcasts commission meetings live on Facebook.

It is cold outside, but tonight at 7 PM in Lansdale, Bike North Penn will be discussing warmer activities related community bike rides, bike valet and issues related to bike infrastructure. Everyone is encouraged to come out tonight and participate in the meeting and bring your ideas!

The meeting is at 7 PM, at Eclipse Center for Creative Community – 30 Vine Street, Lansdale PA 19446.

You can also participate remotely via Microsoft Teams

Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 227 746 092 906
Passcode: 7iC3Xa2A

Link to the Bike North Penn Calendar

Cover of the North Wales Borough 2040 Comprehensive Plan ({Published 1918)

North Wales Borough is in the process of collecting resident feedback to prioritize the next round of action items and budgets for items outlined in the  2040 Comprehensive Plan, which was published in 2018.  

Here is a link to the 2018 Comprehensive Plan  

Here is a link to the survey – which will only be open through December 31, 2024. 

Some key points of interest the plan: 

Page 6 and 43-45 and page 47 

Transportation Goals: 

• Facilitate safe and efficient movement within the Borough through continued maintenance of roadways and enforcement of traffic laws. 
• Enhance existing pedestrian amenities such as painted crosswalks and street lighting to improve safety and encourage more residents to walk to local destinations. 
• Identify missing links in the Borough’s sidewalk network system and prioritize areas for repair and installation to create connections to local destinations. 
• Enhance biking opportunities and bike safety in the Borough. 

 Page 45  

Notes the bike rack capacity at the SEPTA train station but low numbers of SEPTA riders arriving by bike (2%) and how this should be improved. But it does not mention SEPTA’s lack of staffing at the train station and the potential of bike theft as a deterrent to use. Maybe in 2018 there were still some open ticket office hours at the station? 

Page 47 

Includes suggestions for improving visibility of cross-walks and adding establishing designated bike routes in the borough using “sharrows” but states most streets are too narrow to accommodate dedicated bike lanes. 

Page 18 

Suggesting opportunities for mixed-use development round the North Wales SEPTA station and the business district (generally, on the blocks along Main Street/Sumneytown Pike and Second Street). “Mixed-use” meaning retail on the first ground floor with residential space on other floors. 

Pages 24 and 31 

Related to connecting North Wales Borough to Upper Gwynedd’s Park Side Place. The photos and details on page 24 show the state of the entrance in 2018, Since then significant improvements have been made to the park entrance coming off Center Street as well as sidewalks added to Center Street where they did not exist, and the installation of the pedestrian crossing light at Center Street and Walnut/North Wales Rd. On page 31 there is a suggestion to add wayfinding signs to promote awareness of the Center Street entrance.   

Page 37 

For the downtown district – identified as a “Medium Priority”: 

• Improve access and safety of pedestrians along Main and Walnut Streets through additional streetscape improvements and traffic calming initiatives. 

Page 39 

This section on parking talks about limited parking in the Borough and, among other things proposes adding metered parking, but makes no mention of bike racks in the downtown or encouraging biking or walking improvements for incremental alternatives to cars and trucks. Walkability is vaguely mentioned on page 41 and adding bike racks along Main Street is briefly mentioned on page 50, but these would be better to be treated as one unified approach in the report.   

Page 47  

Mentions a new borough bike-share pilot, but does not specify if it is the bike share operated by The Partnership TMA of Montgomery County or some other program. Later on the same page it talks about funds awarded more than one million dollars to the Borough to improve walkabilty to Norh Wales elementary and what was the St. Rose of Lima Catholic school for “installation of curbing, sidewalks and traffic calming measures.” The section is written like work is ANTICIPATED to start in 2018, so this may be an editing error or info left over from an earlier report.  

Page 48  

Includes ideas for possible trail connections along PECO powerlines. Some of this is also detailed in the recent draft of the Upper Gwynedd “Comprehensive Recreation and Parks and Open Space Plan.”  

Page 49-50  

Details performing studies related to traffic and sidewalks to address mostly speeding traffic and walkability. There is also mention of coordinating with SEPTA on bus stops in the borough and “Evaluate need for lighting, seating, or shelters at bus stops along East Walnut Street and Main Street.” 

Page 50:

About biking 

Recommendation:

• Increase safety and convenience of bike ridership by creating new bicycle amenities. 

Strategies: 

• Using Bike Montco as a guide, adopt a Bike Plan that identifies preferred bike routes through the Borough. 
• Identify placement locations for new bike amenities (e.g., bike parking at the train station and along Main Street). 
• Coordinate with Upper Gwynedd on bike routes. 
• Promote the Borough’s bike share program through advertising and at community events.

The committee working on the Lansdale Borough Active Transportation is asking for the public to complete an online survey which be an input to the committee’s final report. The committee is looking into ways to improved Lansdale Borough for people to get around on foot, by bike or other types of transportation other than cars and trucks. Please do consider taking a few minutes to participate, and complete this survey: 

https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/0e3c26e8427549debc294b464458147d 

The Del Web “North Penn” development is a private, “gated” community in Hatfield Township with its main entrance on Forty Foot Rd across from the ShopRite grocery store. Homeowners have been moving in for a while, but construction continues around the development, particularly in the east end, at the back of the development.  

Unless you have been closely following the zoning approvals for Hatfield Township, you are probalby not aware the development design includes a publicly accessible trail, running from Pennfield Drive to the Ralph’s Corner shopping area at the corner of Welsh Road and Forty Foot Road, emerging  in the back corner by Kohls department store.  

Map of the North Penn Trail and connections to local streets.

At Pennfield Drive, what once was a dead end, will now turn into Mason Rd at the edge of the development. Rather than accessing the trail from the street, pedestrians and bikers instead need to follow the last bit if sidewalk on Pennfield Dr. There are signs posted here and along the length of the trail, calling it a “walking path” and asking users to “stay on the path,” among other things. I rode it on a bike and none of the residents out walking their dogs or biking on the trail gave me any trouble. The signs do not give the path/trail a name, but since it passes through the North Penn neighborhood, it will be referred to from here forward as the “North Penn Trail” unless someone officially names it otherwise. 

Image of North Penn Trail Route

The North Penn Trail probably runs less than a quarter of a mile and has several street crossings inside the development. The south end, connecting to Ralph’s Corner, is not yet complete, but the signs are in place so the general path is rather obvious. Still, it is an active construction site and it is not recommended anyone ride through to the shopping area until the trail is done. 

North Penn Trail entrance at Pennfield Road.

This trail is an important connector for both residents of the development and anyone else wanting access Ralph’s Corner by foot or by bike. Because Welsh Road lacks sidewalks coming out of Lansdale/Towamencin and is not very hospitable on a bike, locals will be able to use the North Penn trail as a cut through via quieter secondary streets. This could also be considered a way through to the neighborhood on the south side of Welsh Rd (via the intersection near Aldi), on to Grist Mill Park, on to the bike lanes on Allentown Rd and then to the designated Towamencin bike route on Keeler Rd. getting riders way across Towamencin Township. In the opposite direction, nearby East Vine Street connects over to the Liberty Bell Trail near Cowpath Road.

North Penn Trail headed north.

Imagine living in the development and heading over to the shopping area on foot or by bike, rather than taking your car to reach shops just around the corner? It is fantastic Hatfield Township made this publicly accessble trail a requirement for the development plan. Let’s press and support municipal officials to ensure this same connectivity improvements for other developments in our area! 

Uncompleted section of the North Penn Trail connected to Ralph’s Corner shopping area.

In recent weeks, Lansdale Borough has placed a new set of site-customized bike racks and a new bike fix-it station along the Liberty Bell Trail, next to the historic Fright House on South Broad Street, across from Borough Hall. This is part of the improvement work on the Freight House property, which started with re-engineering and re-surfacing of the parking lot and will eventually include the restoration of the interior and exterior of the Freight House itself, turning it into a welcome center/community space when completed. 

The fix-it station is the second for the borough in 2024, after the first was installed in Stoney Creek Park in the spring. Wayfinding signs were also added to the location recently, identifying the location as a “trail head.”