Riverfront Trail Plans Under Way in Allegheny Valley
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
28 November 2011
By Len Barcousky
Allegheny Valley residents are not asking if a riverfront trail
should be built through their communities, Thomas E. Baxter IV
said.
"They want to know when it will happen," said Mr. Baxter,
executive director of Friends of the Riverfront. "And it is
happening as we speak."
Volunteers, for example, have been busy planting spring bulbs and
helping with cleanup at the Aspinwall Marina, which was recently
acquired by the nonprofit Friends organization.
The marina will continue to provide services for boat operators,
but a portion of the property will become part of a planned
10-acre park. The site also will be home to one section of a
26-mile multiuse trail planned along the Allegheny River.
The trail project will be the subject of a public meeting at 6
p.m. Wednesday in the Harmar Township Municipal Building, 701
Freeport Road. Allegheny County, the Pennsylvania Environmental
Council and Friends of the Riverfront are hosting the event.
One purpose of the session will be to release the results of a
trail development plan. Organizers also hope to gather additional
community ideas and build support for the undertaking. The
transfer of information should be a two-way street, according to
Darla Cravotta, special projects coordinator for Allegheny County.
"It's not just a meeting, but a discussion," she said. "We want to
hear public comments."
"We're also looking for ideas on implementation," Mr. Baxter said.
When completed, the trail along the north bank of the Allegheny
River will extend from Millvale to Harrison in the northeast
corner of Allegheny County. Walkers, hikers, runners and cyclists
will be able to transfer in Harrison to the Freeport-Butler trail
and, at some point in the future, to the planned
Pittsburgh-Harrisburg Mainline Canal Greenway and the
Pittsburgh-Erie Greenway. At its Millvale end, the Allegheny
Valley trail will link to 22 miles of already completed similar
paths in Pittsburgh.
The route of the new trail will pass through 17 communities.
Hundreds of people already have taken part in about two dozen
meetings dealing with the project. They have included public
events similar to the one planned for Wednesday as well as
sessions between municipal leaders and project consultants. "Local
officials love showing off and sharing their slice of the
riverfront," Mr. Baxter said.
Many questions remain to be answered. They include its exact route
and how much of it will be shared with cars and trucks. The ideal
route would adjoin the river and be set aside for use by
pedestrians and nonmotorized vehicles. That likely will not be
possible along the entire route, Ms. Cravotta said, because
railroad lines, many businesses and homes are close to the
Allegheny. Planners will respect the rights of existing occupants
of the riverbanks, she said.
Local municipal officials in participating communities will decide
where the trail will go, she said.
The community trails initiative is part of the county's
comprehensive development plan, which is called "Allegheny
Places." The goals of the initiative include providing additional
transportation options, linking communities and providing more
access to recreational activities along the riverfront.
The effort has received financial support from the state
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Pennsylvania
Environmental Council, Friends of the Riverfront, the Allegheny
River Towns Enterprise Zone, Allegheny County, the Fox Chapel
District Association and all municipalities along the route.
Free CDs containing the 26-page feasibility study and its eight
appendices will be distributed at the Wednesday meeting. Printed
copies of the report are available for review in municipal
libraries in sponsoring communities. The information also is
available on line at http://www.friendsoftheriverfront.org.
Click on the "Trails" tab at the top of the page and select "trail
status." Choose "community initiatives -- Extending the trail up
the Allegheny" to see a copy of the report.
Len Barcousky: lbarcousky@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1159.