PETERSBURG – A proposal for the extension of a bike path through Upper Township that was first presented to the governing body in April 2023 has come up again, Mayor Curtis Corson says.

“It’s been about two years since we talked about it, and it met a slow death because a lot people were not happy with it,” Corson said.

The mayor said there were some problems with the proposed project, which was a coordinated effort by the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization and Cape May County. The project would connect a bike path that ends in Dennis Township with a bike path in Atlantic County. Ultimately, the path is projected to extend 105 miles, from Cape May to Philadelphia.

However, Corson said, not everyone was happy with the plans to run the path 13.9 miles through Upper Township. In May 2023 a number of residents expressed their concerns to the Township Committee about possible illegal parking, obstruction of delivery vehicles, package theft and break-ins, and attracting the homeless population and drug use, to name a few.

Corson said the Great Cedar Swamp presented a problem for the project. “The plan to go through the swamp would involve bridging and would result in high maintenance by the township,” he said.

He said there has been little discussion of the proposal over the last two years, but it was raised after the new year.

“We talked a little … and will start talking about it again,” Corson said.

Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.