Stories from the Banks

Art in the Open (AiO) is looking for volunteers to support this 3rd annual art event held on Schuylkill Banks from May 18 through 20, 2012. Volunteers handle a wide variety of tasks during AiO, including photographing the event, handing out information and answering visitor questions, and providing support for the artists.

Those interested in participating should email volunteer@artintheopenphila.org. Learn more about AiO on the event website.

After years of debating and delaying, Congress is preparing to vote on a new federal transportation bill. Leaked copies of the bill do not include dedicated funding for biking and walking. It does not include the federal Transportation Enhancements (TE) program which was the primary funding source for bike lanes and trail projects for the past 20 years. SRDC depends on this funding program to fund new trail segments along Schuylkill Banks and our partner organizations rely on TE funding for other bike and pedestrian projects within the city and region.

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia has prepared a form that allows you to quickly and easily send an email to your Congressional Representative asking that they support dedicated funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects. SRDC asks that you please take the time to fill out and submit this form or to call or write to your Representative asking that they protect dedicated funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects in the new transportation bill.

In early January, someone broke into the bulletin board at Walnut Street, shattering the plexiglass doors. As a result, SRDC will need to replace the board with a new, more vandalism resistant model. This broken bulletin board shocked SRDC staff more than most of the vandalism that we see on the trail, as the area under the Walnut Street Bridge is our home base on the greenway. The board is also one of SRDC’s primary tools for spreading information to trail users.

We know that many of you check this bulletin board regularly, so please bear with us over the next couple of months while we work on finding a good replacement board and installing it.

If you would like to make a donation to help offset the cost of replacing the Walnut Street bulletin board and tackling other on-trail vandalism, please consider donating to SRDC online or sending a check to SRDC in support of our 2012 annual giving campaign.

See the joy on the face of the Schuylkill Banks fan in your life when you give them a custom sweatshirt, mug, waterbottle or any of the other items in the online Schuylkill Banks store! Six Schuylkill Banks inspired designs are available on a wide variety of clothing and household products. New products offered this year include customized bags and wallets, covers and cases for tech gagets, high performance shirts, jewelry, blankets and more. Most items cost less than $25 and proceeds benefit the trail and greenway.

Winter is just about here, but summer will arrive before we know it! Schuylkill Banks Bucks gift certificates make a great gift now and allow the recipient to enjoy a kayak tour and/or Meet Me on the Banks t-shirts from the Schuylkill Banks Center in the summer or fall. Call 215-222-6030 x100 for more information about Schuylkill Banks Bucks.

Looking for a purely philanthropic gift? Surprise your giftee with a Schuylkill Banks membership. You and the new Schuylkill Banks member can feel good about making a difference on the trail and greenway, and the donation is tax deductable! Call 215-222-6030 x106 or email josh.nims@srdc.net for more information about donating to SRDC.