While cyclists completing the 2026 9/11 National Memorial Trail Tour enter the home stretch this week, important work is happening in tandem to get more people on that trail.
The cyclists are traveling more than 1,250 miles along the multi-use trail that connects all three places associated with the terror attacks of September 11, 2001: the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia; the Flight 93 crash site in Somerset County, Pennsylvania; and Ground Zero in New York City.
Jersey work by Corey White, one of the cyclists on the 9/11 National Memorial Trail Tour
Last week, 69 News reported on the group’s arrival outside Pen Argyl in Plainfield Township. They refueled at the Buss Street Trailhead before hopping back on their bikes and moving on to the next stop.
They reached Ground Zero on Thursday, July 2, and then began their journey back to the Pentagon, where the tour began on June 13. They’re expected to pedal their way into Arlington on Friday, July 10.
During the brief rest break in Plainfield Township, tour director Bruce White told 69 News that, while the main purpose of the ride is honoring the nearly 3,000 people who died in the attacks 25 years ago, it also aims to raise awareness about the trail itself.
“I would bet more than 90% of Americans don’t know (the trail) exists,” White said. “It’s a living memorial to the victims of 9/11 that will be there for generations to come.”
The idea for the trail came about just five days after the attacks in 2001. The following year, the September 11th National Patriot Trail Alliance (later renamed the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance) was launched with a goal of making the 1,500-mile trail a reality.
Now, 25 years later, efforts continue in the Lehigh Valley and beyond to expand the trail and make sure the walkers, runners, hikers and bikers who want to find it, can.
Late last month, the first wayfinding signs for the trail in Pennsylvania were installed in Lehigh Canal Park in Allentown. It’s part of a larger effort to install nearly 2,300 signs on highways and local roads, creating approximately 900 miles of signed 9/11 National Memorial Trail through 23 counties.
Sign installation in Allentown
9/11 National Memorial Trail Alliance
Also, Schuylkill County’s Board of Commissioners issued a proclamation on June 24, affirming its support for the Anthracite Connector Trail, a planned 30-mile trail connection between the Schuylkill River Trail in Pottsville and the D&L Trail in Jim Thorpe, which will become a segment of the 9/11 memorial trail.
In western Pennsylvania, construction and design engineering are underway on a new trail segment in Somerset County, advancing the route toward the Flight 93 National Memorial.
Bruce White told 69 News the alliance also wants to install mile-marking signage on the trail so those using it will know how far they’ve traveled.
White has led dozens of multi-day bike tours. But, in his mind, none can compare to the 9/11 memorial tour, which he’s completed four times.
“It’s not just a bike tour, it’s a history lesson, it’s a remembrance,” White said. “You have a lot of emotional moments talking to people, hearing their stories. It’s just very special.”
For more information about the tour or the 9/11 National Memorial Trail Alliance, click here.