Buckingham Township announced Thursday, Sept. 10, that it sits along the September 11th National Memorial Trail, one of 129 Pennsylvania municipalities on the 1,500-mile route connecting the three sites of the 2001 attacks.

The township's announcement came one day before the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11. The trail links the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City, the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, and the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The township called the trail a meaningful tribute and said it ensures future generations will understand the lives lost and the bravery shown on that day.

Pennsylvania hosts the trail's longest segment at more than 900 miles across 25 counties. In Bucks County, the trail's Eastern Leg passes through the Delaware Canal State Park Trail, a 60-mile stretch, and the four-mile US 202 Parkway Trail. It also passes the Garden of Reflection in Lower Makefield Township, the official Pennsylvania September 11 memorial. That site is connected to 18 victims of the attacks.

Gov. Josh Shapiro directed the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to work with local governments on designating trail segments. The September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance has worked with PennDOT to identify locations for nearly 750 signs along the Pennsylvania route, according to WeConservePA. DCNR has contributed nearly $1 million in grants through the Community Conservation Partnerships Program to complete and improve trail sections statewide.

The first wayfinding sign in Pennsylvania went up in Allentown in June. When complete, nearly 1,000 signs will mark the route across the state, GoErie reported.

Signs are hard to miss. They range from 18-by-12 to 24-by-18 inches and feature the National Memorial Trail logo, a bicycle symbol and the designation "9-11 NMT."

Debby Borza, a board member of the trail alliance whose daughter Deora Frances Bodley was the youngest passenger killed on Flight 93, told GoErie on Sept. 3: "I hope (people are) reflecting on what it takes to keep the memory of almost 3,000 people alive."

Roughly a third of the U.S. population has been born since the attacks, according to GoErie. Trail supporters hope communities along the route can introduce younger generations to the history of that day.

Congress officially designated the trail when President Joe Biden signed H.R. 2278 on Oct. 14, 2021. DCNR designated the Pennsylvania portion as a Statewide Major Greenway in March 2022. The trail draws more than 7 million annual users nationwide, according to the 9/11 National Memorial Trail Alliance.

The specific route through Buckingham Township has not been detailed. Residents can explore the full Pennsylvania trail map at the alliance's website.