BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

the completion from homestead to mckeesport seems to change with the wind.

here's a link to a recent article about it:

http://bike-pgh.org/2008/10/25/post-gazette-sandcastle-county-near-accord-on-path-for-bike-trail/

if you search the bikepgh site with "sandcastle" you can find some more links to those developments

there have also been some recent developments on extending the north shore trail eastward from milvale

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09064/953416-100.stm

As a person who lives a few blocks away from where a North Shore Trail extension would likely go and one whose commute would benefit from a trail, I am wondering if I will see a trail before i retire?

Boiled down, my question is what is the typical timeline for something like this?

that's a tough question as they've only been building the citywide trail network for like 10 years or so. which in reality, they've gotten a lot done in that short period of time. also, consider that they're trying to figure it out as they go along, and using as many creative devices as possible, the outlook is good. when a lot of the trail stuff started, you can imagine that many municipalities/businesses were against it, but at this point, it's been pretty much proven across the board that trails are a good thing and add to quality of life/health. this project has many of the municipalities on board already, so that's a good thing.

once this study is completed, they'll have a better assessment of it

From PopCity on March 11th:

Development News

March 11, 2009

Mapping of 32-mile Allegheny Valley Trail begins

Allegheny County is set to begin the mapping phase of the proposed Allegheny Valley Trail, with the selection of McTish, Kunkel and Associates (MKA) to complete the development plan for the project.

When completed, the Allegheny Valley Trail will run for 32 miles along the Allegheny River, connecting 17 municipalities, from Millvale to Harrison Township, to the City of Pittsburgh. The completed trail will also link the Erie-to-Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh-to-Harrisburg greenways.

“The goal is to connect communities to the rivers via these trails,” says Megan Dardanell of the Allegheny County Executive Office. “Eventually, our dream is to connect to all of the County's parks.”

The stretch of trail from downtown Pittsburgh to Millvale is already in place, and some municipalities, like Tarentum where there is a public park along the river, have already begun planning the trail route. The mapping project will help determine the best route for linking these segments, as well as determine who owns property along the proposed path, giving a better estimate of the final cost of the trail.

O'Hara Township, which is acting as the fiscal agent for the trail, and Friends of the Riverfront, who is the program's administrator, were responsible for selecting MKA. Prior to this project, the firm planned and mapped a large section of the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage trail on the eastern side of the state.

MKA's mapping and development plan is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

Writer: Rob Cullen

Source: Megan Dardanell, Allegheny County

I'd suggest contacting Friends of the Riverfront on how you might become involved in the mapping/local development process.

You would think that Sandcastle could actually take ADVANTAGE of a bike trail going right past their facility, as they could sell overpriced food and potato patch fries, lay out some tables, and draw more people to the Sand Bar...

Just another reason I hate Kennywood parks and the people who run them. I swear they are the worst amusement parks I have ever been to.

I have been to many, many smaller and larger amusement parks and I am not a big fan of those things in general, but I really hate Kennywood owned parks.

here's a bit more info and some more details and timeline on the Allegheny Riverfront trial from your friends at popcity:

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/allrvr0318.aspx