A big gap in Allentown’s Martin Luther King Jr. Trail system could soon be built thanks to a financial boost from the state.
State Rep. Mike Schlossberg and Sen. Nick Miller announced Tuesday that the state has awarded $545,750 to connect Trexler Park and Cedar Creek Park at Cedar Crest Boulevard in the city’s West End.
“Allentown has some incredible parks and trail networks,” said Schlossberg, D-Lehigh. “Unfortunately, it is hard to take advantage of the proximity of these parks and trails to move from one side of the city to the other side. I am thrilled Pennsylvania will be investing in the city’s efforts to connect neighborhoods across Allentown and make our roadways safer for everybody.”
Gov. Josh Shapiro announced 50 transportation projects in 27 counties that will receive a combined $54 million in funding through the Multimodal Transportation Fund.
In 2025, Allentown approved the final version of its Citywide Bike Plan which detailed infrastructure improvements city leaders would take to make Allentown safe for bike users. The network will ultimately connect several city parks across the city via an 8-mile trail for the first time. Another future project will connect that trail to the Delaware and Lehigh Heritage Trail along the Lehigh River, which stretches from Philadelphia to Scranton.
Building a connector between Cedar Beach and Trexler Park was a short-term priority to connect well-established off-road bike paths that would make traveling throughout Allentown safer.
“Connecting Trexler Park and the Rose Garden/Cedar Beach area closes a critical gap in the MLK Trail network and moves us closer to creating a continuous, connected trail system across Allentown,” said Miller, D-Lehigh. “I am proud to secure this investment because it will give residents a safer, more accessible way to walk, bike and travel between our neighborhoods, parks and green spaces.”