Edgar Felix Bikeway
| Edgar Felix Bikeway | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Length | 5.4 mi (8.7 km) |
| Location | Monmouth County, New Jersey |
| Trailheads |
Manasquan Allaire State Park Capital to Coast Trail |
| Use | Hiking, Cycling |
| Hiking details | |
| Trail difficulty | Easy |
| Season | Year round |
| Sights |
Allaire Pine Creek Railroad Allenwood General Store Atlantic Ocean |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Right of way |
Farmingdale & Squan Village Railroad Freehold & Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad |
The Edgar Felix Bikeway is a 5.4 miles (8.7 km) rail trail in New Jersey between Manasquan and Allaire State Park. The trail was constructed on a former roadbed of the Farmingdale & Squan Village and Freehold & Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad railroads.
The original trail opened in 1971, and has been expanded several times. The Edgar Felix was the first cycling trail created in the state of New Jersey.
Freehold & Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad operated under the auspices of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR). PRR abandoned the Manasquan-Farmingdale segment in 1966. Cycling enthusiast and retired radio researcher Edgar Felix lobbied the town of Manasquan to obtain the abandoned roadbed that same year. The following year the path was extended through the Allenwood section of Wall Township, terminating at Hospital Road in Wall Township. In 2005, the trail was extended west from Hospital Road across state park land to the public access area of Allaire State Park and north along the abandoned Route 18 right-of-way to the Wall Township Municipal Complex.
As of September 2011, Wall Township was seeking a $180,000 matching grant from Monmouth County to add a spur trail that would extend the Edgar Felix trail 8/10ths of a mile along Hospital road to meet with the Allaire mountain biking trails. This new spur would begin where the current trail crosses Hospital road on its way to the main entrance of Allaire State Park. There is also a proposal to continue this new spur to the Howell Township border at a future date.
The unimproved right-of-way for the Freehold & Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad continues west through Allaire State Park until it is severed by interstate 195.
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