After more than a decade of planning and $4.4 million in grants, Chadds Ford Village finally has a safe way to walk across Route 1. Walkable Chadds Ford officially opened on Thursday, October 29, with a ribbon-cutting outside the Township Building on Ring Road.

Neighbors attending the Walkable Chadds Ford ribbon-cutting ceremony — Ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct 29, 2026

For years, walking from one side of Chadds Ford Village to the other felt like a game of Frogger. 🐸 Don’t press your luck! Now you can press a walk signal button so you no longer have to rely on luck to cross Route 1.

And the best news?! Already yesterday morning, I saw two middle school girls walking along the path to grab breakfast at OsoSweet Bakery Cafe on a day off from school. I know where they were going because one was the daughter of a friend. 😉 Not all of our kids can walk from their homes, but even giving some of them a new avenue for independent adventure brings me joy. Letting kids explore their world matters!

I know not everyone is thrilled about Walkable Chadds Ford. The keyboard warriors (most of whom don’t even live in Chadds Ford) have already started complaining on Facebook about something they’ve never used. Oh, Facebook, land of the curmudgeons sometimes. Sigh…

But I think it’s going to be great, and many neighbors feel the same. It’s a useful addition to our community, given all the ways we can use it.

Visit the Chadds Ford Historical Society and then grab lunch at Hank’s Place.
Get an inspection at Leader Sunoco and grab a coffee at Chadds Ford Coffee House while you wait
Visit Turner’s Mill Park and walk the kiddos in strollers or on their little bikes to OsoSweet for a fun treat.
Stay at the Brandywine River Hotel and walk to the Brandywine Museum of Art before heading back to Pizza Night at OsoSweet.
Walk the loop around Harvey Run Trail and back around through the new paths along Route 1, but hidden behind vegetation.
Park behind the post office and head to Hank’s or the Great Pumpkin Carve
Plan a historical adventure day, walking from the Brandywine Battlefield Park to the Chadds Ford Historical Society and grab a bite to eat along the way.
… I’m sure neighbors will find lots of ways to use it with friends, neighbors, book clubs, families, and more.

A couple dozen residents and neighbors attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, along with several local government leaders. Supervisors Timotha Trigg and Kathleen Goodier cut the ribbon, joined by Supervisor Samantha Reiner, Township Manager Lacey Faber, PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll, State Sen. John Kane, State Rep. Craig Williams, and Delaware County Councilwoman Joanne Phillips.

Now that the trail is open, here’s what you need to know about Walkable Chadds Ford.

What is Walkable Chadds Ford?

Walkable Chadds Ford is a green space development project that adds more than a mile of shared walking and biking path connecting Brandywine Battlefield, the Township’s municipal campus, and Chadds Ford Village. The route links destinations that have always been close on a map and out of reach on foot: the Battlefield, Turner’s Mill Park, the Chadds Ford Historical Society, the Brandywine Museum of Art, and the shops and restaurants in between.

Highlights of Walkable Chadds Ford:

A paved trail from Ring Road and Route1 to Creek Rd and Route 1, with elevated boardwalks, including a wetland boardwalk, and two new pedestrian bridges between the Township Building and Creek Road
A paved trail from Creek Road toward Hoffmans Mill Road to get to the Brandywine Museum of Art and another paved trail from Hank’s Place to the Chadds Ford Historical Society
New curbs, sidewalks, and ADA-accessible ramps around Station Way, Creek Road, and Ring Road (at Route 1 intersection)
Pedestrian push buttons on the Route 1 traffic signals, so walkers can stop traffic and cross safely

The paths are great, but the push-button walk signals to control traffic are the quiet game-changer. Route 1 has split the Village in two for as long as most of us have lived here. The signals now give pedestrians time and countdowns to cross safely.

And if it slows down traffic a bit? Good, IMO. People drive too fast on Route 1 through Chadds Ford anyway. Roads are for more than just cars. We can build human-centric infrastructure that doesn’t always put “moving cars through as quickly as possible” as the top priority.

Walkable Chadds Ford is a long time in the making

A more walkable Chadds Ford Village was first floated in the early 2000s and picked back up in 2014, when the Township partnered with the Brandywine Conservancy. A Village master plan, finalized in May 2015, laid out the goals: slow traffic, add walkways, and stitch the Village’s two National Register Historic Districts back together.

From there came years of grant applications, PennDOT reviews, easements, and redesigns. PennDOT opened bidding in spring 2025, Allan Myers won the contract, and crews broke ground on August 11, 2025.

Who paid for Walkable Chadds Ford?

Walkable Chadds Ford cost about $4.38 million, funded through a stack of federal, state, and county grants:

Funding Source	Amount
FHWA – Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program (TASA)	$2,771,179
FHWA – National Scenic Byways Program	$408,000
DCNR – Development, Rehabilitation & Maintenance Grant	$500,000
Delaware County – Delco Greenways Grants	$600,000
DCED – Greenways, Trails & Recreation Program	$100,000
Total Construction Grant Funding	$4,379,179

The largest share came through PennDOT, which Secretary Carroll noted gets far more funding requests than it can fill. He credited the Township’s persistent advocacy for landing the money, and called Chadds Ford “the place to walk and bike.” That might be a little generous, but it’s something to aspire to!

The price tag grew along the way. Early Township estimates anticipated a $3.6 million project cost. When bids came in higher, PennDOT added $771,179 to the TASA grant to close the gap.

Going forward, Chadds Ford Township will handle maintenance. The 2027 budget includes $10,000 for annual maintenance expenses for things like vegetation management, though the actual amount is fairly uncertain. Township management can better estimate the cost after a year in operation.

Chadds Ford Supervisors Kathleen Goodier and Timotha Trigg speaking at the Oct, 29 ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Why Walkable Chadds Ford matters

Walkable Chadds Ford is a great addition to make it more enjoyable walk in our community. Walkable communities are really nice! But it’s more than that. Walkable Chadds Ford is an economic bet too.

Both the Battlefield and Chadds Ford Village are National Register Historic Districts. While its future remains uncertain, Painter’s Folly (a direct neighbor to the Battlefield) is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Chadds Ford Village used to be a popular tourist destination, but the Township has watched visitor numbers slide over the past decade. If people can park once and walk, they’ll stay longer, visit more places, and spend money with the small businesses and museums that make the Village special.

Did you know the Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway also goes right through Chadds Ford? It’s another opportunity to attract visitors to the small businesses that make our community unique.

The economic argument runs even deeper than supporting our local entrepreneurs. Chadds Ford tax revenue has remained flat for many years, and it’s becoming a problem (more on that another time, but fire department funding is a good example). At some point, not increasing taxes is no longer a flex; it just leads to a failure to fund basic municipal services.

Chadds Ford earns a significant portion of tax revenues from Business Privilege Taxes and Local Service Taxes. Increasing revenue from these taxes by attracting new businesses and boosting activity for local businesses can help offset some of the necessary funding increases residents will ultimately have to bear.

Mixed opinions on Walkable Chadds Ford

Not everyone is sold. Some residents have questioned what the new path, bridges, and boardwalk will cost to maintain. The Township has budgeted $10,000 for maintenance next year, though it won’t know the real number until it has been through a full season.

Others say crossing Route 1 still doesn’t feel safe. A push-button signal doesn’t slow down a speeding driver, and traffic calming on Route 1 is a bigger fight that isn’t over. Anyone using Walkable Chadds Ford paths still needs to be diligent about using the shared spaces.

But building infrastructure shows how the puzzle pieces fit together and how the community can use it. Every walker on the boardwalk and every pedestrian at the crosswalk shows that people want to get around Chadds Ford Village on foot. The more we use the trail, the harder it is to argue Route 1 should stay built for speed. And don’t we all want everyone slowing down on Route 1?

Go use Walkable Chadds Ford

Before we all decide if we love it or hate it, let’s use it. A few ways to make this trail part of community life:

Walk it (or run it). Start at the Township Building, 10 Ring Road, and head toward the Village. Plenty of parking is available behind the township building near the playground. You can also park behind the post office and explore from there.
Plan a Village outing. Walk to lunch, a museum, or a shop instead of moving the car.
Bring the kids or the dog. Check out the boardwalk and bridges, and make a stop at the playground behind the township building.
Tell the Township what you see. Notice a confusing crossing, a missing sign, or a spot that needs a bench? Let the township know; feedback shapes what comes next.

Some Walkable Chadds Ford FAQs

The township has an informative page with project details, rules, guidelines, and more. It’s worth a look. I’ve seen a few common questions pop up on social media, so let’s answer them. I’ll expand on this as more questions come up.

Can you ride bikes on the paths?

Yes. But motorized vehicles are not allowed. According to the township website, “Motorized vehicles, including e-bikes, electric scooters, motorcycles, ATVs, and dirt bikes, are prohibited.”

How long is the trail?

It’s about a mile long, but it connects to other grassy paths in the area (Harvey Run, Studio Trail, and Potts Meadow). The grassy paths are mowed regularly but can be pretty wet. You could definitely run on the trails, but expect potentially wet shoes. Here is a map.

Is there a use fee?

No. The paths are free to use.

Where can you park?

The best place to park is the Chadds Ford Township Building. You could also park at Chadds Ford Barn Shops, Chadds Ford Village Center (behind the building there is lots of space), the Chadds Ford Historical Society, or the Brandywine Battlefield (when they are open).

Can you bring dogs?

Yep! “Dogs must remain leashed. Owners must clean up and properly dispose of pet waste,” per the township guidelines. Friends, please clean up after your dogs. Leaving their mess behind is a sh*tty thing to do. 💩

Join us on Thursday for Chadds Ford Walking Club

To celebrate the opening and get to know the route, the Chadds Ford Walking Club will explore Walkable Chadds Ford this week at our weekly meet-up. Anyone is welcome to join us!

Meet in the parking lot of Chadds Ford Barn Shops (maybe arrive early for a coffee or snack from OsoSweet). We’ll walk along the new Walkable Chadds Ford paths, down to the township building, back up near the Brandywine Conservancy, and up to the Chadds Ford Historical Society!

Share about your experiences with Walkable Chadds Ford

Once you’ve had a chance to use it, let others know what you think! Leave a comment so we can all get to know it better! I’ll update after my first adventure later this week with more photos and notes.