Bicycle riders using bike lanes on South Broad Street in Upper Gwynedd.

On Tuesday, June 18, Bike North Penn will lead two community bike rides in Upper Gwynedd Township in celebration of the new bike lanes just installed on South Broad Street between Sumneytown Pike and Morris Road. These rides are in conjunction with the Upper Gwynedd township’s “Unplugged Week” activities. Riders should gather at Parkside Place at 6:30 PM, with the rides to start no later than 6:45.

The Young Family Ride is for families with younger children and will head out through the back of the park to do a short loop of the neighborhood there before coming back into the park and returning to the starting point. The length of the ride will be about 1.5 miles and go at a very gradual place. Riders must wear bike helmets. All children must be accompanied by adults.

Handout Promoting Community Bike Ride in Upper Gwynedd on June 18.

The longer ride will be about six miles. It will also exit through the back of the park, but will head over to South Broad Street for an out-and-back on the bike lanes, and then take a winding path through neighborhoods along the intended route of Power Line Trail to return to Parkside Place. Again, bike helmets for all riders are required and kids under the age of 15 need to be accompanied by adults.

These bike lanes are a first for Upper Gwynedd Township and add an important option for biking between Upper Gwynedd and Lansdale Borough. They are the result of more than a year of planning as part of the re-surfacing of the road. Bike North Penn has been advocating for bike lanes on South Broad Street since 2022 when plans for the re-surfacing of the road between Morris Rd. and Lansdale Borough were announced.

Bike North Penn would like to thank Upper Gwynedd Township for their leadership in making the first move to add these lanes to South Broad Street and to The Partnership TMA of Montgomery County for their continued guidance, with their “Bike More, Drive Less” program which has been instrumental in working with the local government entities involved.