Residents of Trenton and beyond are invited to join any of 12 more Trenton Walks! in September and October, with volunteer leaders hosting walks four or five times a month on Mondays through Saturdays. The goal of Trenton Walks! is to get people together to enjoy being outdoors, get some healthy exercise, and celebrate being part of the capital city community.
The new routes will complete the season for the Trenton Walks! 2024 inaugural program. Some of the routes are new; others are favorites from the walks hosted since the Trenton Green Team launched the new program in June. Those 14 walks have drawn 85 participants (and three dogs) who have covered a total of 207.4 miles.
Powered by the Trenton Trails subcommittee of the Circuit Trails Mercer County Action Team, the walks run from one to three miles, and everyone is invited to join any or all walks.
“We are very excited at the turnout so far and hope to see many more people come out this fall, said Larry Paul, the Trenton Green Team chair and executive sponsor of the Trenton Walks! Program. “Since we launched the program, people have been saying that walking — especially in a group — is a great way to get to know Trenton.” The Trenton Green Team, with the blessing of the City of Trenton Recreation Department, is hosting these walks.
Tim Brill, Central Jersey project manager for the N.J. Conservation Foundation and a leader of the Trenton Trails Subcommittee, said trail enthusiasts from several nonprofit organizations are working with the public sector as well as private citizens to continue enhancing trails in Trenton. The Trenton Walks! program was created to enable people to enjoy the results of efforts to make Trenton walkable.
For those who might be intimidated by the prospect of walking rather than driving, Trenton Walks! offers a new approach to reassure people about safety while walking.
“For these walks, we ask all participants to embrace our new pledge, called Walk the Talk,” said Becky Taylor, another Trenton Trails subcommittee leader and former co-president of the Lawrence Hopewell Trail. This credo, like Scout pledges, commits each walker to have every other walker’s back. If there’s an issue on the trail, whether it’s health, social, or safety related, walkers promise to help fellow walkers in distress.
Volunteer walk leaders include:
• Two new guest leaders/presenters, Robert Barth, program leader with D&R Canal Watch, and James (J.R.) Capasso, City of Trenton Brownfields coordinator and Trenton Green Team liaison.
• Gulu Brewer, vice chair for the Trenton Green Team and Permanent Housing Case Manager with Homefront.
• MacKenzie Piggott, State Trails coordinator for the Green Acres Program at N.J. Department of Environmental Protection.
• Jacque Howard, media guru with Trenton365.
• Shereyl Snider, community organizer for East Trenton Collaborative.
• Zeke Weston, policy coordinator for New Jersey Future.
For the most up-to-date information about Trenton Walks! please go to the GMTMA/Trail-Happenings webpage: gmtma.org/trail-happenings. Maps of each walk are shared there.
The September 4 through November 2 Trenton Walks! calendar is as follows.
• Wednesday, September 4 at 12 p.m. Led by Zeke Weston, N.J. Future policy coordinator, and Tim Brill, Central Jersey project manager for the N.J. Conservation Foundation and MCAT Trenton Trails subcommittee leader. Leave from N.J. Justice Complex, 25 Market Street to Morrisville via Trenton Makes and Calhoun Street Bridges via State House and back. 2.7 miles roundtrip (Trenton Green Team Walk 5)
• Thursday, September 12 at 5:15 p.m. Led by Gulu Brewer, vice chair for the Trenton Green Team and community and permanent housing case manager with Homefront. Leave from Roberto Clemente Park, D&R Towpath / Greenway to Mulberry Street and back. 3 miles roundtrip. (TGT Walk 1)
• Monday, September 16 at 4:30 p.m. Led by Mackenzie Piggott, State Trails coordinator for the Green Acres Program at N.J. Department of Environmental Protection. Meet at NJDEP entryway at 401 East State Street and walk along the Assunpink Greenway to Stacey Park and back. 2.4 miles roundtrip. (TGT Walk 4)
• Saturday, September 21 at 9:30 a.m. Led by Tim Brill, Central Jersey project manager for the N.J. Conservation Foundation and MCAT Trenton Trails subcommittee leader. Meet next to the Old Trenton Wharf in front of Cooper’s Riverview, 50 Riverview Plaza and walk along the Delaware River behind the Trenton Thunder Arm & Hammer Baseball Park and along the South Riverwalk Park to the Marine Terminal Park and back in time for the start of the Trenton River Days event at 11 a.m. 2.5 miles roundtrip. (TGT Walk 8)
• Wednesday, September 25, 11 a.m. Led by Jacque Howard, media guru at Trenton365. Leave from Hub 13 co-working space at 13 West Front Street, through downtown Trenton to Mill Hill and back. 1.2 miles roundtrip. (TGT Walk 6)
• Saturday, September 28, at 10 a.m. Led by Becky Taylor, Trenton Trails subcommittee leader and former co-president of the Lawrence Hopewell Trail, and Shereyl Snider, East Trenton Collaborative community organizer. Special guest presenter, Robert Barth, program leader with D&R Canal Watch, will share the colorful history of the D&R Canal in the City of Trenton. Meet at Ellarslie Museum in Cadwalader Park and walk about 3.25 miles along the D&R Canal Towpath and Greenway to the Trenton Battle Monument and back. (TGT Walk 9)
• Wednesday, October 2 at 12 p.m. Led by Zeke Weston, N.J. Future policy coordinator, and Tim Brill, Central Jersey project manager for the N.J. Conservation Foundation and MCAT Trenton Trails subcommittee leader. Leave from N.J. Justice Complex, 25 Market St. to Morrisville via Trenton Makes and Calhoun St. Bridges via State House and back. 2.7 miles roundtrip (TGT Walk 5)
• Thursday, October 10 at 5:15 p.m. Led by Gulu Brewer, vice chair for the Trenton Green Team and community and permanent housing case manager with Homefront. Leave from Roberto Clemente Park, D&R Towpath / Greenway to Mulberry Street and back. 3 miles roundtrip. (TGT Walk 1)
• Monday, October 21 at 4:30 p.m. Led by Mackenzie Piggott, State Trails coordinator for the Green Acres Program at N.J. Department of Environmental Protection. Meet at the NJDEP entryway at 401 East State Street and walk along the Assunpink Greenway to Stacey Park and back. 2.4 miles roundtrip. (TGT Walk 4)
• Wednesday, October 23 at 11 a.m. Led by Jacque Howard, media guru at Trenton365. Leave from Hub 13 co-working space at 13 West Front Street, through downtown Trenton to Mill Hill and back. 1.2 miles roundtrip. (TGT Walk 6)
• Wednesday, October 30 at 4 p.m. Led by James (J.R.) Capasso, City of Trenton Brownfields coordinator and Trenton Green Team liaison, and Shereyl Snider, East Trenton Collaborative community organizer. This special walk will highlight the Assunpink Greenway and exciting Redevelopment Project in the East Trenton neighborhood. (TGT Walk 10)
• Saturday, November 2, at 9:30 a.m. Led by Becky Taylor, Trenton Trails subcommittee leader and former co-president of the Lawrence Hopewell Trail. Meet at Ellarslie Museum in Cadwalader Park and walk toward Ewing Township on the D&R Canal State Park Towpath for about 3 miles roundtrip. (TGT Walk 11)
