Ohio River Trail
Encyclopedia
The Ohio River Trail is a proposed route that would interconnect existing trails in Maryland
, Pennsylvania
, Ohio
and West Virginia
. The proposal is spearheaded by the Ohio River Trail Council (ORTC), a volunteer-led, non-profit organization
. The ORTC is an Internal Revenue Service
registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization
which relies on corporate, foundation, government, and private grants and donations to achieve its stated mission of creating a multi-use trail along the Ohio River
and its tributaries. The Council is headquartered in Monaca
, Pennsylvania.
Planning Commission’s Shared Greenways & Environmental Planner
Doniele Andrus; the Borough of Monaca Manager Mario Leone Jr ; and Dr. Vincent Troia.
On May 26, 2009, the Ohio River Trail Council (ORTC) was incorporated by Vincent Troia and Mario Leone, for the purpose of establishing a multi-use trail
along the Ohio River to promote the growth in River & Trail towns of recreation
, health
, wellness
, transportation, cultural and historical amenities, education
, charity, the protection and conservation of natural resources
and to stimulate the local economies
.
The Trail and its proposed connections were conceived by Dr. Vincent Troia.
The Ohio River Trail Council began as a grass-roots effort to support a progressing state and national movement to develop greenways, especially since 1987 when President Reagan’s
Commission on “American Outdoors” recommended establishing a national greenways network. Pennsylvania's state-wide greenways program was established by Governor Tom Ridge
in 2001 to promote and support the greenway efforts occurring in all sixty-seven counties.
(mile marker zero) at the OH-PA-WV state line near the Little Beaver Creek Greenway Trail, a segment of the Great Ohio Lake-to-River Greenway, to the Beaver River Trail
, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Trail via the Montour Trail
in Moon Township, Pennsylvania
, the Three Rivers Heritage Trail
in Pittsburgh and the Great Allegheny Passage
. The proposed ORT is a critical and missing link to nationally-significant trail linkages in the tri-state area
and is intended to become an important segment in a "mega-trail" from the Great Lakes
region, through to Washington, D.C.
In addition to the Tri-state Greenway
, the ORTC also supports that the Ohio River Trail serve as part of the U.S. Bicycle Route System Route 50 and the Underground Railroad, Pittsburgh spur. The Ohio River Trail corridor is part of the National Park Service
Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area
.
The Ohio River Trail is intended to improve the quality of life of its users by providing fitness
and recreation
opportunities. In addition, the ORT can serve as an alternative transportation corridor
between communities, as well as reducing vehicle congestion
and pollution
. Plans also exist to enable the disabled to comfortably make use of the trail. The project includes the reallocation of abandoned rail corridors, bridges, interurban
or trolley lines, and canal towpath
s as public multi-use trails. An emphasis exists on showcasing and preserving historical and cultural sites along the trail, alongside the establishment of an Ohio River Trail Museum
and endorsement of the revitalization of the surrounding area.
The Trail is composed of twenty-seven (27) Western Pennsylvania
communities. There are twelve (12) North Shore communities: Glasgow
, Ohioville, Midland
, Industry
, Vanport Township
, Beaver, Bridgewater
, Fallston
, New Brighton
, Rochester
, and Rochester Township
. There are also ten (10) South Shore communities: Monaca
, Center Township
, Aliquippa
, Hopewell Township
, South Heights
, Crescent Township
, Moon Township
, Coraopolis
, and Montour Junction
. Neville Township is the tenth community with the extension over the Neville Island Bridge. In addition, the North Shore Extension Communities include the boroughs of Ambridge
, Leetsdale
, Edgeworth
and Sewickley
. The Bradys Run Extension adds Patterson Township and Brighton Township.
The Ohio River Trail Council has also proposed the development the Ohio River Water Trail. The Water Trail will have canoe,kayak and rowing access to the Ohio River and its tributaries. Presently the Little Beaver Creek has access at Lock 57 Park in Ohioville, the Ohio River has access at Monaca, and the Beaver River has access at Bridgewater & Rochester's Riverfront Park. The ORTC will support the design, construction and the installation of a kayak and canoe launch site in these areas with amenities including signage and a canoe/kayak storage rack.
The project is expected to bring economic boons to Western Pennsylvania
through the growth of the construction
and maintenance industries, in addition to tourism-related
opportunities such as rafting
tours, bicycle sales and rentals, restaurants, and lodging.
that will eventually link Lake Erie
with Washington, D.C.
via Beaver County
, has progressed to the point that the organizers, Vincent Troia and Mario Leone, are prepared to display their work. In an interview with Beaver County Times journalist
Michael Pound, regarding the status of the Ohio River
Trail Project, the pair stated they have successfully solicited resolutions
of support from the Beaver County
communities, through which the South Shore Trail would pass, and that they will soon have similar resolutions from the Allegheny County
communities.
The cost of the South Shore feasibility study
is estimated at $50,000. Leone and Troia stated that the not-for-profit organization has already put together sufficient money for the match required for a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
. The feasibility study has been awarded to Stromberg, Garrigan & Associates, and it is estimated to require six to ten months to complete.
On January 6, 2010, the Ohio River
Trail South Shore feasibility study
began with a project steering committee meeting. The feasibility study for the south shore is expected to be completed in the spring of 2011 at a projected cost of $40,000.
On June 12, 2010, the "Plant a Wish" project took place at the Point of Beginning
. The project was intended to raise awareness of the Ohio River Trail effort, with participants from Ohio
, Pennsylvania
and West Virginia
writing down their wishes on pieces of paper, which were then buried beneath the site of a newly planted tree. It is hoped that the Point of Beginning will also host the beginning of a bike trail that would run up the Ohio River and conclude at Montour Creek
.
On July 28, 2010, the Council was awarded a $10,000 grant by the Port of Pittsburgh Commission
on the understanding that it will be used to develop blueways and build bike and canoe racks at points in Rochester, Monaca, Bridgewater, and Ohioville.
The cost of the North Shore feasibility study is estimated at $56,000. On October 14, 2010 the Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources (DCNR) awarded the Ohio River Trail a $29,000 grant for the North Shore Feasibility Study. The North Shore Feasibility Study is began in January 2011.
On October 15, 2010 the Ohio River Trail Council (ORTC) and our partner the Borough of Monaca, PA along with three of its partner municipalities, Aliquippa, Coraopolis and Midland has received a grant for a $150,000 United States Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Program Grant and Assistance to advance our ongoing regional brownfields revitalization. These municipalities have joined to undertake a grass-roots effort to re-think the future of our communities as a way to overcome the loss of a major portion of our manufacturing base and the post-industrial brownfields legacy that remains from that loss.
On October 25, 2010, the National Park Service
(NPS) Rivers, Trails, and Conservation (RTCA) Program approved an application for a technical assistance grant for the Ohio River Trail Council. Over the next year, the NPS Rivers & Trails staff will assist the ORTC with the completion of a Feasibility Study and to expand public involvement in the project. Efforts are underway to communicate and collaborate with other trail groups, and to establish a Tri-State Trail Alliance in order to increase visibility and success of each smaller trail component of a greater linking trail system. The National Park Service is proud to support such a capable partner and eager to help contribute to the ORT Initiative. Through the RTCA Program, the NPS helps communities and neighborhoods improve their important local resources, protect river resources, develop new trails and greenways and create and manage open space.
"In September of 2010, a planning grant was awarded to the Friends of the Riverfront to begin an effort to connect the Three Rivers
Heritage Trail from the City of Pittsburgh to Coraopolis. This eight mile segment will traverse through the City of Pittsburgh, McKees
Rocks, Stowe Township, Moon Township, Neville Township and Coraopolis. This effort will compliment the work of the Ohio River Trail Council and Lawrence and Beaver Counties, which have completed trail feasibility work outside of Allegheny County. Once feasibility work from the City of Pittsburgh to Coraopolis is complete, we will have a good understanding of the opportunity for trail development along the Ohio River all the way to Ohio. In Ohio, groups are working to connect to our trail here in Pennsylvania. You will see a lot more activity along the Ohio River in 2011."
The South Shore Feasibility Study which began on Jan 6, 2010 was completed in March 2011. The resultant Ohio River Sourth Shore Trail is approximately 15.6 miles from Monaca to the beginning of the Montour Trail.
In 2011, the first year of assistance from the NPS, the RTCA assisted with the development of the Ohio River Water Trail and the Ohio River Land Trail feasibility studies. In addition, the RTCA supported the ORTC in a multi-state effort, which included eighteen counties in three states to link a system of trails in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. On March 29, 2011 a Tri-state Trail Alliance meeting of 80 trail advocates and on October 13, 2011 a regional trails meeting hosted by the Power of 32 occurred to support the vision of linking a system of trails in the tri-state area.
On October 25, 2010, the National Park Service (NPS) Rivers, Trails, and Conservation (RTCA) Program awarded a second year of technical assistance to the Ohio River Trail Council. In 2012, the NPS Rivers & Trails staff will focus on identifying an on-the-ground section of the Ohio River Land/Water Trail to develop and continue the oversight for the Tri-State Trail Initiative.
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. The proposal is spearheaded by the Ohio River Trail Council (ORTC), a volunteer-led, non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
. The ORTC is an Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization
Organization
An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...
which relies on corporate, foundation, government, and private grants and donations to achieve its stated mission of creating a multi-use trail along the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
and its tributaries. The Council is headquartered in Monaca
Monaca, Pennsylvania
Monaca is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States along the Ohio River, northwest of Pittsburgh. Monaca was first incorporated as Phillipsburg in 1840, and had been known by that name since the 1820s. In 1892, the name of the borough was changed to Monaca in honor of the Native...
, Pennsylvania.
History
The Ohio River Trail Project was conceptualized on January 2, 2009, in coordination with Beaver CountyBeaver County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 181,412 people, 72,576 households, and 50,512 families residing in the county. The population density was 418 people per square mile . There were 77,765 housing units at an average density of 179 per square mile...
Planning Commission’s Shared Greenways & Environmental Planner
Environmental planning
Environmental Planning is the process of facilitating decision making to carry out development with due consideration given to the natural environmental, social, political, economic and governance factors and provides a holistic frame work to achieve sustainable outcomes.-Elements of environmental...
Doniele Andrus; the Borough of Monaca Manager Mario Leone Jr ; and Dr. Vincent Troia.
On May 26, 2009, the Ohio River Trail Council (ORTC) was incorporated by Vincent Troia and Mario Leone, for the purpose of establishing a multi-use trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
along the Ohio River to promote the growth in River & Trail towns of recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
, health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
, wellness
Wellness (alternative medicine)
Wellness is generally used to mean a healthy balance of the mind, body and spirit that results in an overall feeling of well-being. It has been used in the context of alternative medicine since Halbert L. Dunn, M.D., began using the phrase high level wellness in the 1950s...
, transportation, cultural and historical amenities, education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, charity, the protection and conservation of natural resources
Natural Resources
Natural Resources is a soul album released by Motown girl group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas in 1970 on the Gordy label. The album is significant for the Vietnam War ballad "I Should Be Proud" and the slow jam, "Love Guess Who"...
and to stimulate the local economies
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
.
The Trail and its proposed connections were conceived by Dr. Vincent Troia.
The Ohio River Trail Council began as a grass-roots effort to support a progressing state and national movement to develop greenways, especially since 1987 when President Reagan’s
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
Commission on “American Outdoors” recommended establishing a national greenways network. Pennsylvania's state-wide greenways program was established by Governor Tom Ridge
Tom Ridge
Thomas Joseph "Tom" Ridge is an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives , the 43rd Governor of Pennsylvania , Assistant to the President for Homeland Security , and the first United States Secretary of Homeland Security...
in 2001 to promote and support the greenway efforts occurring in all sixty-seven counties.
Proposed trails
The trail is proposed to run from the Point of BeginningPoint of Beginning
The point of beginning is a surveyor's mark at the beginning location for the wide-scale surveying of land.An example is the Beginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey that led to the opening of the Northwest Territory, and is the starting point of the surveys of almost all other lands to the...
(mile marker zero) at the OH-PA-WV state line near the Little Beaver Creek Greenway Trail, a segment of the Great Ohio Lake-to-River Greenway, to the Beaver River Trail
Beaver River Trail
The Beaver River Trail is a rail trail located in the city of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, USA. As of 2011, the trail is about long.- History :...
, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal, and occasionally referred to as the "Grand Old Ditch," operated from 1831 until 1924 parallel to the Potomac River in Maryland from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington, D.C. The total length of the canal is about . The elevation change of...
Trail via the Montour Trail
Montour Trail
The Montour Trail is a multi-use recreational rail trail near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.It has a crushed limestone surface, appropriate for bicycling, walking, running, and cross-country skiing. Eventually, this trail segment will extend from Coraopolis, Pennsylvania to Clairton, Pennsylvania.The...
in Moon Township, Pennsylvania
Moon Township, Pennsylvania
Moon Township is a township along the Ohio River in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. Moon is a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area and is located northwest of Pittsburgh. The origin of its name is unknown for certain, although it has been suggested that it derives from a...
, the Three Rivers Heritage Trail
Three Rivers Heritage Trail
The Three Rivers Heritage Trail is an urban rail-trail paralleling the riverbanks in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for about , often on both sides of the rivers, and offering a spectacular view of the city. The trail is promoted and maintained in part by the Friends of the Riverfront...
in Pittsburgh and the Great Allegheny Passage
Great Allegheny Passage
The Great Allegheny Passage is a rail trail in Maryland and Pennsylvania. It is the central part of a several-hundred-mile long network of long-distance hiker-biker trails through the Allegheny region of the Appalachian Mountains, connecting Washington, D.C...
. The proposed ORT is a critical and missing link to nationally-significant trail linkages in the tri-state area
Tri-state area
There are a number of areas in the 48 contiguous United States known as tri-state areas where three states either meet at one point or are in proximity to each other. The best known of the latter type is the New York metropolitan area...
and is intended to become an important segment in a "mega-trail" from the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
region, through to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
In addition to the Tri-state Greenway
Greenway
-People:* Barney Greenway , British death metal vocalist* Brian Greenway , Canadian guitarist and vocalist* Chad Greenway , American football player* Francis Greenway , Australian architect...
, the ORTC also supports that the Ohio River Trail serve as part of the U.S. Bicycle Route System Route 50 and the Underground Railroad, Pittsburgh spur. The Ohio River Trail corridor is part of the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area
National heritage area
National heritage area is a region defined by a government as notable for cultural, historic, natural or recreation reasons. Compared to a national park, a national heritage area is not subject to the same level of zoning and regulations on land use. They are typically managed at a local...
.
The Ohio River Trail is intended to improve the quality of life of its users by providing fitness
Physical fitness
Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness , and specific fitness...
and recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
opportunities. In addition, the ORT can serve as an alternative transportation corridor
Transport corridor
A transportation corridor is a tract of land in which at least one main line for transport, be it road, rail or canal, has been built...
between communities, as well as reducing vehicle congestion
Traffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...
and pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
. Plans also exist to enable the disabled to comfortably make use of the trail. The project includes the reallocation of abandoned rail corridors, bridges, interurban
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
or trolley lines, and canal towpath
Towpath
A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge...
s as public multi-use trails. An emphasis exists on showcasing and preserving historical and cultural sites along the trail, alongside the establishment of an Ohio River Trail Museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
and endorsement of the revitalization of the surrounding area.
The Trail is composed of twenty-seven (27) Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...
communities. There are twelve (12) North Shore communities: Glasgow
Glasgow, Pennsylvania
Glasgow is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, U.S., along the Ohio River. The population was 63 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Glasgow is located at ....
, Ohioville, Midland
Midland, Pennsylvania
Midland is a borough located along the Ohio River in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 3,137.-Geography:Midland is located at ....
, Industry
Industry, Pennsylvania
Industry is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, along the Ohio River. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 1,921.- History :...
, Vanport Township
Vanport Township, Pennsylvania
Vanport Township is a township in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, along the Ohio River. The population was 1,451 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, Beaver, Bridgewater
Bridgewater, Pennsylvania
Bridgewater is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 739 at the 2000 census. It is best known as the home of the Bruster's Ice Cream chain. A few scenes in the 1986 movie Gung Ho were also shot in Bridgewater...
, Fallston
Fallston, Pennsylvania
Fallston is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 307 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Fallston is located at ....
, New Brighton
New Brighton, Pennsylvania
New Brighton is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, located along the Beaver River northwest of Pittsburgh. There are deposits of coal and clay in the vicinity. In the past, articles produced here included pottery, bricks, sewer pipe, glass, flour, twine, lead kegs,...
, Rochester
Rochester, Pennsylvania
Rochester is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located northwest of Pittsburgh, it is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 4,014 at the 2000 census....
, and Rochester Township
Rochester Township, Pennsylvania
Rochester Township is a township in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2000 census, it had a population of 3,129.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 3.9 square miles , of which, 3.8 square miles of it is land and 0.1 square...
. There are also ten (10) South Shore communities: Monaca
Monaca, Pennsylvania
Monaca is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States along the Ohio River, northwest of Pittsburgh. Monaca was first incorporated as Phillipsburg in 1840, and had been known by that name since the 1820s. In 1892, the name of the borough was changed to Monaca in honor of the Native...
, Center Township
Center Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania
Center Township is a township in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States.Center Township is a rapidly growing community located approximately northwest of Pittsburgh...
, Aliquippa
Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
Aliquippa is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 9,438 at the 2010 census. Formerly a borough, it was formally named a city in 1987 by the Aliquippa Council.-History:...
, Hopewell Township
Hopewell Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania
Hopewell Township is a township in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, and a suburb of Pittsburgh. The population was 13,254 at the 2000 census....
, South Heights
South Heights, Pennsylvania
South Heights is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, along the Ohio River. The population was 542 at the 2000 census. South Heights was first known as Ethel's Landing, a docking point on the Ohio River. The name of the town was changed to Shannopin when the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad...
, Crescent Township
Crescent Township, Pennsylvania
Crescent Township is a township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 2,640 at the 2010 census....
, Moon Township
Moon Township, Pennsylvania
Moon Township is a township along the Ohio River in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. Moon is a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area and is located northwest of Pittsburgh. The origin of its name is unknown for certain, although it has been suggested that it derives from a...
, Coraopolis
Coraopolis, Pennsylvania
Coraopolis is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 5,677 at the 2010 census. In 1940 the population peaked at 11,086. It is a small community located to the west of Pittsburgh, along the Ohio River and to the east of the Pittsburgh International Airport...
, and Montour Junction
Montour Railroad
Montour Railroad is a former short line railroad company operating passenger and freight service on standard gauge track in southwestern Pennsylvania...
. Neville Township is the tenth community with the extension over the Neville Island Bridge. In addition, the North Shore Extension Communities include the boroughs of Ambridge
Ambridge, Pennsylvania
Ambridge is a borough in Beaver County in Western Pennsylvania, incorporated in 1905 and named after the American Bridge Company. Ambridge is located 16 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, alongside the Ohio River. In 1910, 5,205 people lived in Ambridge; in 1920, 12,730 people lived there, and in...
, Leetsdale
Leetsdale, Pennsylvania
Leetsdale is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, along the Ohio River. It is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 1,218 at the 2010 census....
, Edgeworth
Edgeworth, Pennsylvania
Edgeworth is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, along the Ohio River. The population was 1,680 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Edgeworth is located at ....
and Sewickley
Sewickley, Pennsylvania
Sewickley is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, west northwest of Pittsburgh along the Ohio River. It is a residential suburb of Pittsburgh. The population was 3,827 at the 2010 census...
. The Bradys Run Extension adds Patterson Township and Brighton Township.
Brighton Township, Pennsylvania
Brighton Township is a township in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,024 at the 2000 census.-History:In late 2007, it was proposed that Beaver and Brighton Township combine. According to a report by the Governor's Center for Local Government Services, the two...
The Ohio River Trail Council has also proposed the development the Ohio River Water Trail. The Water Trail will have canoe,kayak and rowing access to the Ohio River and its tributaries. Presently the Little Beaver Creek has access at Lock 57 Park in Ohioville, the Ohio River has access at Monaca, and the Beaver River has access at Bridgewater & Rochester's Riverfront Park. The ORTC will support the design, construction and the installation of a kayak and canoe launch site in these areas with amenities including signage and a canoe/kayak storage rack.
The project is expected to bring economic boons to Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...
through the growth of the construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
and maintenance industries, in addition to tourism-related
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
opportunities such as rafting
Rafting
Rafting or white water rafting is a challenging recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on white water or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this...
tours, bicycle sales and rentals, restaurants, and lodging.
Current status
The campaign to build the rail trailRail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
that will eventually link Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
with Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
via Beaver County
Beaver County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 181,412 people, 72,576 households, and 50,512 families residing in the county. The population density was 418 people per square mile . There were 77,765 housing units at an average density of 179 per square mile...
, has progressed to the point that the organizers, Vincent Troia and Mario Leone, are prepared to display their work. In an interview with Beaver County Times journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
Michael Pound, regarding the status of the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
Trail Project, the pair stated they have successfully solicited resolutions
Resolution (law)
A resolution is a written motion adopted by a deliberative body. The substance of the resolution can be anything that can normally be proposed as a motion. For long or important motions, though, it is often better to have them written out so that discussion is easier or so that it can be...
of support from the Beaver County
Beaver County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 181,412 people, 72,576 households, and 50,512 families residing in the county. The population density was 418 people per square mile . There were 77,765 housing units at an average density of 179 per square mile...
communities, through which the South Shore Trail would pass, and that they will soon have similar resolutions from the Allegheny County
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,223,348; making it the second most populous county in Pennsylvania, following Philadelphia County. The county seat is Pittsburgh...
communities.
The cost of the South Shore feasibility study
Feasibility study
Feasibility studies aim to objectively and rationally uncover the strengths and weaknesses of the existing business or proposed venture, opportunities and threats as presented by the environment, the resources required to carry through, and ultimately the prospects for success. In its simplest...
is estimated at $50,000. Leone and Troia stated that the not-for-profit organization has already put together sufficient money for the match required for a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources , established on July 1, 1995, is the agency in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania responsible for maintaining and preserving the state's 117 state parks and 20 state forests; providing information on the state's natural resources; and...
. The feasibility study has been awarded to Stromberg, Garrigan & Associates, and it is estimated to require six to ten months to complete.
On January 6, 2010, the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
Trail South Shore feasibility study
Feasibility study
Feasibility studies aim to objectively and rationally uncover the strengths and weaknesses of the existing business or proposed venture, opportunities and threats as presented by the environment, the resources required to carry through, and ultimately the prospects for success. In its simplest...
began with a project steering committee meeting. The feasibility study for the south shore is expected to be completed in the spring of 2011 at a projected cost of $40,000.
On June 12, 2010, the "Plant a Wish" project took place at the Point of Beginning
Point of Beginning
The point of beginning is a surveyor's mark at the beginning location for the wide-scale surveying of land.An example is the Beginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey that led to the opening of the Northwest Territory, and is the starting point of the surveys of almost all other lands to the...
. The project was intended to raise awareness of the Ohio River Trail effort, with participants from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
writing down their wishes on pieces of paper, which were then buried beneath the site of a newly planted tree. It is hoped that the Point of Beginning will also host the beginning of a bike trail that would run up the Ohio River and conclude at Montour Creek
Montour Trail
The Montour Trail is a multi-use recreational rail trail near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.It has a crushed limestone surface, appropriate for bicycling, walking, running, and cross-country skiing. Eventually, this trail segment will extend from Coraopolis, Pennsylvania to Clairton, Pennsylvania.The...
.
On July 28, 2010, the Council was awarded a $10,000 grant by the Port of Pittsburgh Commission
Port of Pittsburgh Commission
The Port of Pittsburgh Commission is a government agency of the Commonweath of Pennsylvania that manages the port of Pittsburgh, which is the second-largest inland port in the United States.-M-70:...
on the understanding that it will be used to develop blueways and build bike and canoe racks at points in Rochester, Monaca, Bridgewater, and Ohioville.
The cost of the North Shore feasibility study is estimated at $56,000. On October 14, 2010 the Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources (DCNR) awarded the Ohio River Trail a $29,000 grant for the North Shore Feasibility Study. The North Shore Feasibility Study is began in January 2011.
On October 15, 2010 the Ohio River Trail Council (ORTC) and our partner the Borough of Monaca, PA along with three of its partner municipalities, Aliquippa, Coraopolis and Midland has received a grant for a $150,000 United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
(EPA) Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Program Grant and Assistance to advance our ongoing regional brownfields revitalization. These municipalities have joined to undertake a grass-roots effort to re-think the future of our communities as a way to overcome the loss of a major portion of our manufacturing base and the post-industrial brownfields legacy that remains from that loss.
On October 25, 2010, the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
(NPS) Rivers, Trails, and Conservation (RTCA) Program approved an application for a technical assistance grant for the Ohio River Trail Council. Over the next year, the NPS Rivers & Trails staff will assist the ORTC with the completion of a Feasibility Study and to expand public involvement in the project. Efforts are underway to communicate and collaborate with other trail groups, and to establish a Tri-State Trail Alliance in order to increase visibility and success of each smaller trail component of a greater linking trail system. The National Park Service is proud to support such a capable partner and eager to help contribute to the ORT Initiative. Through the RTCA Program, the NPS helps communities and neighborhoods improve their important local resources, protect river resources, develop new trails and greenways and create and manage open space.
"In September of 2010, a planning grant was awarded to the Friends of the Riverfront to begin an effort to connect the Three Rivers
Heritage Trail from the City of Pittsburgh to Coraopolis. This eight mile segment will traverse through the City of Pittsburgh, McKees
Rocks, Stowe Township, Moon Township, Neville Township and Coraopolis. This effort will compliment the work of the Ohio River Trail Council and Lawrence and Beaver Counties, which have completed trail feasibility work outside of Allegheny County. Once feasibility work from the City of Pittsburgh to Coraopolis is complete, we will have a good understanding of the opportunity for trail development along the Ohio River all the way to Ohio. In Ohio, groups are working to connect to our trail here in Pennsylvania. You will see a lot more activity along the Ohio River in 2011."
The South Shore Feasibility Study which began on Jan 6, 2010 was completed in March 2011. The resultant Ohio River Sourth Shore Trail is approximately 15.6 miles from Monaca to the beginning of the Montour Trail.
In 2011, the first year of assistance from the NPS, the RTCA assisted with the development of the Ohio River Water Trail and the Ohio River Land Trail feasibility studies. In addition, the RTCA supported the ORTC in a multi-state effort, which included eighteen counties in three states to link a system of trails in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. On March 29, 2011 a Tri-state Trail Alliance meeting of 80 trail advocates and on October 13, 2011 a regional trails meeting hosted by the Power of 32 occurred to support the vision of linking a system of trails in the tri-state area.
On October 25, 2010, the National Park Service (NPS) Rivers, Trails, and Conservation (RTCA) Program awarded a second year of technical assistance to the Ohio River Trail Council. In 2012, the NPS Rivers & Trails staff will focus on identifying an on-the-ground section of the Ohio River Land/Water Trail to develop and continue the oversight for the Tri-State Trail Initiative.
See also
- Abandoned Pennsylvania TurnpikeAbandoned Pennsylvania TurnpikeThe Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike is the common name of a 13 mile stretch of the Pennsylvania Turnpike that was bypassed in 1968 when a modern stretch opened to ease traffic congestion in the tunnels. In this case, the Sideling Hill Tunnel and Rays Hill Tunnel were bypassed, as was one of the...
- Beaver River TrailBeaver River TrailThe Beaver River Trail is a rail trail located in the city of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, USA. As of 2011, the trail is about long.- History :...
- East Coast GreenwayEast Coast GreenwayThe East Coast Greenway, or ECG, is a project to create a nearly urban path linking the major cities of the Atlantic coast of the United States, from Calais, Maine, to Key West, Florida, for non-motorized human transportation...
- DCNRPennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural ResourcesThe Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources , established on July 1, 1995, is the agency in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania responsible for maintaining and preserving the state's 117 state parks and 20 state forests; providing information on the state's natural resources; and...
- Great Allegheny PassageGreat Allegheny PassageThe Great Allegheny Passage is a rail trail in Maryland and Pennsylvania. It is the central part of a several-hundred-mile long network of long-distance hiker-biker trails through the Allegheny region of the Appalachian Mountains, connecting Washington, D.C...
- Lower Trail, Pennsylvania
- Montour TrailMontour TrailThe Montour Trail is a multi-use recreational rail trail near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.It has a crushed limestone surface, appropriate for bicycling, walking, running, and cross-country skiing. Eventually, this trail segment will extend from Coraopolis, Pennsylvania to Clairton, Pennsylvania.The...
- North Country TrailNorth Country TrailThe North Country National Scenic Trail , which stretches approximately from Crown Point in eastern New York to Lake Sakakawea in central North Dakota in the United States, is the longest of the eleven National Scenic Trails authorized by Congress...
- Ohio to Erie TrailOhio to Erie TrailThe Ohio to Erie Trail is a planned and in-use bike trail system in the U.S. state of Ohio, spanning from Cincinnati in the southwestern corner of the state to Cleveland in the northeast. The trail was founded in 1991 when Ed Honton came up with the idea of converting unused canal and railroad land...
- Panhandle TrailPanhandle TrailThe Panhandle Trail is a rail trail in southern Pennsylvania and the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia.It occupies an abandoned Conrail railroad corridor that had been known as the Panhandle Railroad which has been converted to a bicycle and walking trail...
- Rails-to-Trails ConservancyRails-to-Trails ConservancyRails-to-Trails Conservancy is an American nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. that works with communities to preserve unused rail corridors by transforming them into rail trails within the United States of America...
- Rails with trailsRails with trailsRails with trails are a small subset of rail trails in which a railway right-of-way remains in use by trains yet also has a parallel recreational trail. Hundreds of kilometers of RWTs exist in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Western Australia.- United States :In the United States the...
- Three Rivers Heritage TrailThree Rivers Heritage TrailThe Three Rivers Heritage Trail is an urban rail-trail paralleling the riverbanks in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for about , often on both sides of the rivers, and offering a spectacular view of the city. The trail is promoted and maintained in part by the Friends of the Riverfront...
- Youghiogheny River TrailYoughiogheny River TrailThe Yough River Trail is a non-motorized multi-use rail trail that stretches between McKeesport, PA and Confluence, PA. It is part of the Great Allegheny Passage that will one day allow cyclists to bike from Pittsburgh, PA to Washington, D.C...
External links
- Official Site
- Pilot Project Fact Sheet
- American Trails
- [ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/bikes/state_mapA.pdf BicyclePa - Route A]
- Little Beaver Creek Greenway Trail
- Great Ohio Lake-to-River Greenway
- Rail Serve
- Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
- Trails from Rails
- United States Rails To Trails
- Stavich Bike Trail
- North County Trail