The City of Philadelphia and Schuylkill River Development Corporation (SRDC) will unveil the newest segment of Schuylkill Banks, the Grays Ferry Crescent, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, June 11 at 11 a.m.

This new riverfront trail and greenway has transformed a former brown field into a beautiful recreational space and has opened up river access to diverse neighborhoods in South Philadelphia that have been cut off from the Schuylkill for generations.

The Grays Ferry Crescent is the first segment of the popular Schuylkill River Trail to be built in South Philadelphia, expanding waterfront recreation opportunities to Forgotten Bottom, Grays Ferry and Point Breeze.

You can access it at Schuylkill Avenue and Wharton Street, and there’s parking nearby at the Philadelphia Trolley Works, 1350 Schuylkill Avenue.

The opening of the Grays Ferry Crescent marks a major milestone in SRDC’s short-term vision of connecting the Schuylkill River Trail on Schuylkill Banks from the Water Works all the way to Bartram’s Garden. One small step for man…

The first 1.2-mile segment of the Schuylkill River Trail from MLK Drive to Locust Street opened back in 2000 and is an extremely popular local amenity (check it out on our Philly 101 video!). This new extension makes the trail that much more accessible.

The project provides a 3,700 foot-long bicycle and pedestrian trail, plus several walking trails, totaling another 1,600 feet for the trail.

The next goal is to to build a half-mile boardwalk on the Schuylkill Banks from Locust to South Street; a pedestrian and bicycle access ramp will also be built at the new South Street Bridge, providing a connection to the boardwalk and improving access with linkages to regional trail systems.

Read more about long-term plans for the Schuylkill River Trail in our previous coverage.

Grays Ferry Crescent [Schuylkill River Development Corporation]