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Wednesday, September 18, 2002

By Michael A. Fuoco, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Pittsburgh's Riverlife Task Force yesterday unveiled an ambitious goal of linking the city's existing riverfront trails, thereby allowing walkers, runners, bikers and inline skaters to travel unimpeded on concentric loops encompassing the North Shore, West End, South Side and Downtown.

The long-term plan, as outlined by programming committee members Terry Wirginis and Will Voegele, would create an outdoor trail that would run from the North Shore over the Ohio River via the West End Bridge.

From there, it would extend east along the Ohio and then the Monongahela River -- between the rivers and Gateway View Plaza, the Amphitheatre at Station Square, the Sheraton Station Square Hotel Pittsburgh and Station Square itself -- to the 10th Street Bridge and over the Mon.

Once on the other side, the trail would stretch west back along the Monongahela and around the Point, crossing the Allegheny River back to the North Shore via the Roberto Clemente Bridge.

An inner circle would utilize the Smithfield Street Bridge instead of the 10th Street Bridge.

Along the route, amenities such as areas for admiring the view would be constructed, particularly on the West End Bridge, where overlooks similar to those on Mount Washington were suggested. Also, the plan calls for meshing the trail with restaurants and other businesses that either already exist or may be spurred to development by the completed trails.

The newly formed programming committee first met in May and identified the trail linkage as its top priority.

"We found that our fundamental need was to complete the trail," Wirginis said. He added that Mayor Tom Murphy has given his "enthusiastic approval" to such a plan.

Wirginis and Voegele said there is a good foundation already in place with the existing North Shore and Eliza Furnace trails and one nearing completion at Station Square. As for constructing the links, they acknowledged some obstacles -- securing rights of way and creating access to the West End Bridge from the much lower riverbank -- but said none was insurmountable.

"Our game plan is to find short-term and long-term solutions," Voegele said. "We're dreaming a big dream so we can go to Washington and Harrisburg and sell it and get the money to get it done."