Your input needed on November 14/15

The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy is close to beginning construction on parts of their Four Mile Run green infrastructure plan. The project intends to deal with the water runoff and flooding issues endemic to the area, and will impact the popular Junction Hollow Trail. The trail will stay, but will most likely be moved to the other side of the valley to make room for features that will help manage water as well as other park amenities.

A second project, spearheaded by the City of Pittsburgh and the Urban Redevelopment Authority, may also impact the corridor, and potentially the functionality of the Junction Hollow Trail itself.

For the past few years, the City and URA have been exploring the possibility of a new transit service that would connect Hazelwood Green (formerly ALMONO) to CMU/Oakland using the Junction Hollow and Neville St corridor. While the proposals have been light on details, there has been talk of running small scale shuttles, possibly electric, possibly autonomous, between the two locations. It’s not yet clear how frequently they would run, nor how many people they would service, since the Hazelwood Green development hasn’t been finalized. It also has not been established whether a private or public entity would run this service through the park. According to the City’s flyer (click to enlarge), they are looking to go into final design by the end of 2018, with a 2019 implementation.

Opportunities and Concerns

A project of this scale has both opportunities and concerns that would impact bicyclists, so the City’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure will be hosting a series of public meetings to gather feedback.

For instance, can this project help light this notoriously dark section of trail? Or will it facilitate the long awaited bridge that could take park users over the train tracks, connecting the Junction Hollow Trail to Panther Hollow Lake and Schenley Park? Maybe the project can help extend the Junction Hollow Trial all the way to CMU? Can there be a new trail link across Second Ave to the Hazelwood Green site?

Despite some wish list items on how to improve the trail and connections, the addition of a new transit service also brings up lots of questions and concerns. Will it be set up with bicyclists and other trail users sharing the trail with autonomous shuttle buses? Will this project close the trail during construction, cutting off a major commuter and recreation link? How will the introduction of shuttle buses affect a park user’s experience?

This is your chance to express your opinion, and share your experiences.

Give Feedback

From the City of Pittsburgh’s Office of Community Affairs:

Over the next six months, the City of Pittsburgh and Urban Redevelopment Authority will examine mobility needs and opportunities in conjunction with improvements in Four Mile Run. Join the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure for public meetings to help provide community feedback!

When: Tuesday, November 14th, 8 am – 10 am
Wednesday, November 15th, 6 pm – 8 pm
Where: JCC Pittsburgh / 5738 Forbes Ave / Pittsburgh, PA 15217

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