Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick is pleased the Senate passed by unanimous consent H.R. 2278, legislation that authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to designate the “September 11th National Memorial Trail,” a trail route linking the National September 11th Memorial and Museum in New York City, the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
Introduced by Fitzpatrick and Reps. Gerald E. Connolly and Don Beyer, the bill previously passed the House of Representatives 423-0.
The September 11th National Memorial Trail is a 1,300-mile system of trails and roadways intended to be a symbol of resiliency and character that links the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C, and the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It serves as a tribute to the fallen men and women who perished on Sept. 11, 2001. The Trail is the result of a partnership among the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance, National Park Service, state and local governments and other nonprofit organizations.
“In the wake of Sept. 11, our nation came together as one to honor and recognize those we lost on that tragic day 20 years ago,” Fitzpatrick said. “The September 11th National Memorial Trail serves as a symbol of America’s resilience and ensures that we will forever remember the sacrifices made by the many heroes and innocent lives lost on 9/11. I applaud the Senate for passing our bipartisan legislation to designate the September 11th National Memorial Trail, and I look forward to the president signing this bill into law.”
The Trail’s design constitutes a triangular route that will start at the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. The Trail will extend northwest to the Flight 93 National Memorial. It will then continue east to New York City’s National September 11 Memorial and Museum. The Trail then heads south, following the East Coast Greenway connecting to the 9/11 Memorial Garden of Reflection. It then connects to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and ultimately returns to the Pentagon Memorial.
