Happy (HABPI) 2022! The Trail Ahead.

With the holidays behind us and spring still months away, January can seem pretty cold and bleak.  But as we usher in a new year, January also gives us a chance to look ahead.  For Healthy Adams Bicycle/Pedestrian, Inc. (HABPI), the outlook seems pretty warm and sunny.   

Could we see a new trail for biking and walking in Littlestown?  We think so!  Last year a local business approached us with the idea of using an old railroad bed that they own as the start of a trail that would run from Littlestown south through Germany Township to the Maryland border.  We’ve been investigating the possibility and it looks promising.  The Parks and Recreation Department in Carroll County, Maryland, is already working to develop a trail along the same unused railroad line in Maryland.  If the required easements can be secured from the railroad, the combined trails could extend roughly six miles from Littlestown to just north of Taneytown. Stay tuned as we pursue this further.

HABPI is also working with the Borough of Gettysburg on the next phase of the Gettysburg Inner Loop, a bicycle and walking path that will eventually circle the Borough.  This phase of the project runs between Chambersburg and Washington streets, providing easy access to downtown businesses while also addressing critical stormwater management issues in the area.  Funding for trail development is a complicated endeavor, often involving multiple grant applications as well as requirements for local matching monies.  We recently received news that the Pennsylvania Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) has approved the Borough’s funding request.  It’s looking like 2022 will be a very good year for the Inner Loop!

HABPI is also looking at development of a new sidewalk or bicycle/walking path that would connect the Adams County Historical Society’s (ACHS) new facility on Carlisle Street with the Borough. The path will enable safe bike and pedestrian access to the new buildings. We are working with Andrew Dalton, Executive Director for the ACHS, on the effort.  We’re still in the early stages of analysis but hope to see our plans firm up in 2022.  

Work continues on developing a trail along Boyds School Road that would connect with the existing North Gettysburg Trail at Old Harrisburg Road.   This year we’ll be checking with property owners along Boyds School Rd. about their willingness to grant easements for the trail. 

HABPI is also working with the Gettysburg Area Recreation Authority to install a bike repair station at the Rec Park so that local cyclists will have the equipment they need to carry out simple bike repairs and maintenance, such as changing a flat tire or adjusting brakes and gears.

Also coming in 2022 is a new website for HABPI, which we’ll unveil shortly.  The website will have a more modern look and easier navigation to a broad range of information for cyclists and walking enthusiasts. We also plan to reinvigorate our “Friends of HABPI” program to provide better communication and seek more involvement with our supporters.

Finally, a number of people have asked if we’ll be bringing back our free group bike rides.  We’d like to hear from you about what type of rides you’d be interested in (distance, location, pace) and what timing works best for you (weekdays, weekends, evenings, etc.). Send us your input via the email address below.  If there’s enough interest, we’d love to organize a few local rides!    

We’re very appreciative of the record-breaking donations we received at the Giving Spree.  It was a truly uplifting way to close out 2021.  We’re excited about what lies ahead in 2022 and we hope you are too.