Taking a fresh look at Philly's Trail Master Plan

The City is currently developing a new Trail Master Plan to guide the future of trail planning in Philadelphia. To help develop this new plan, the City seeks public feedback through the Citywide Trails Survey and is recruiting Philadelphia Trail Ambassadors.

The original Trail Master Plan, published in 2013, established a vision of Philadelphia's trails as transportation and recreation resources.

In general, trails are wide off-street paths with infrequent road crossings, often covering long distances near waterways and through parks.

This new plan will more clearly define and classify trails. It will propose an accessible, world-class trail network. It will identify maintenance needs, like a dedicated maintenance crew and stewardship staff. It will also make recommendations around safety and trail etiquette.

A core component of this initiative is inclusive engagement: listening to affected communities and communicating the many benefits of trails. It is all in support of making more trails more useful to more people.

There are two ways we hope you will support this work:

• Complete and share our Citywide Trails Survey.
• Apply to be a Philadelphia Trail Ambassador.

Citywide Trails Survey

Knowing how folks currently use trails, what they want from trails and how they think the existing network should be improved will be very helpful to trail planners, and to the new Trail Master Plan. The Citywide Trails Survey collects this information. The survey is available in 13 languages to allow for the broadest possible participation.

Participants who complete the survey will be entered into a random drawing to win one of five $25 gift cards. The drawing will close on Monday, August 31, 2026 at 11:59pm.

Philadelphia Trail Ambassadors

Philadelphia Trail Ambassadors are passionate about Philadelphia, their communities, and connecting people to community resources like trails. They will serve as trusted listeners and messengers between their communities and the City. With support and guidance from City staff, Philadelphia Trail Ambassadors will tell their communities about the benefits of trails and help the City understand how trails can better serve community needs.

Ambassadors will receive training, organize or co-host community events, and gather feedback to inform the Trail Master Plan. They will receive a $600 stipend for this work.

Stipends will be distributed in quarterly installments at a rate of about $50 per hour. In addition to building leadership and teamwork skills while spending time outdoors, Philadelphia Trail Ambassadors will have real opportunities to influence priorities, messaging, and recommendations in the Trail Master Plan.

The application will close on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at 11:59pm. Selected applicants will be notified by May 1 and expected to attend a paid in-person training session with details to be announced. Apply via the Trail Ambassador online form.

Who should apply?

There is a strong need to engage with communities that have had less access to trails, have not been fully included in past planning efforts, and who stand to benefit most from the opportunities that trails provide. No prior experience is necessary: training will be provided!