The Interim East Coast Greenway in Pennsylvania
and
Pennsylvania Bike Route E
PennDOT has designated this 52.5-mile Interim Route as Bike PA Route E, part of the network of nine state-maintained bike routes that cross Pennsylvania north to south and east to west: hundreds of miles of scenic roads. You can use the Bike Route E signs to navigate the Interim East Coast Greenway. They are the same.
The Trail Guide pages contain an extensive list of the facilities available to muscle-powered tourists. The list is not exhaustive. Volunteers surveyed the route and asked themselves "what would I tell my friends about if they were planning a trip along this route?" In particular, off-route facilities are mentioned only if they are note-worthy, provide a scarce service (e.g. hospital Emergency Room), or enrich your variety of choices.
The survey was done in December 2002 and re-validated in May 2006 when the final Route E signs were placed. At printing, all phone numbers etc. were verified, but undoubtedly some numbers will change, some shops will close, and some construction detours will pop up. This makes it doubly wise to call ahead; to confirm the listed hours and to verify the facility is still in business.
The list is organized by category. To find a hospital/urgent care facility, look for the heading "Medical Assistance" and then find the nearest bold-face northbound ((NB) or southbound (SB) milepost to your current location. When facilities are off-route, the last two lines of the listing give directions for northbound and southbound travelers. On-route facilities will be visible from the route. The address (and the directions, if it is off-route) should be your primary method of finding facilities. Mileage readings are given as an aid to navigation, but odometers vary. The principal value of the mileage is to get you into the right community before reading street numbers. Pennsylvania was settled early in US history as small independent towns. Often when you reach an old town border, the street numbers change.
Sample Listing
21.3 31.2 Society Hill Hotel 3rd & Chestnut Philadelphia 19106 215 925-1919
Historic Bldg.
$60/nite+ Bike storage in
basement.
NB L on Dock St. R on 3rd to Chestnut St.
SB R on
Dock, then as above.
In the sample listing above, the NB (in bold) and SB mileposts and name are followed by address, phone, etc. Surveyor's notes are next. Because this hotel is off-route, directions appear at the bottom. In this example, they mean "around NB mileage 21.3, turn left on Dock St., then ..." Some listings include web addresses; these are a good way to update information before your trip. Some information, like hotel rates, can be seasonal or depend on demand. The rate mentioned in this sample listing is intended only for comparison with the other listed rates.
There are very few "long lonely stretches" of trail on this route, so finding bathrooms should be very easy. The abundance of food listings is good evidence of that. In those few places where bathrooms are scarce, surveyors noted some additional ones; these are listed in "Other." The "Other" category also includes train stations; SEPTA rails parallel this route. SEPTA trains allow bicycles on board except during rush hours. Non-rush trains run every 30 – 60 minutes, roughly 6:00 am until midnight. Schedules are posted in the stations.