A ride to pay tribute to the three slain Zone 5 police officers and raise money for their families will be held today by the Pittsburgh Major Taylor Cycling Club and the Western Pennsylvania Wheelmen.

It will begin at 10 a.m. at the fountain in Highland Park -- where Highland Avenue enters the park -- and proceed to the Zone 5 station on Washington Boulevard where a brief memorial service will be held. Non-members are welcome. Participants are asked to be ready to pedal by 9:45 a.m.

Glenn Pawlak, owner of Big Bang Bicycle in West Mifflin, will be on hand to help any riders who might have a minor mechanical problem when they arrive.

Riders are encouraged to place a black ribbon on their arms or bikes to honor Eric Kelly, Stephen J. Mayhle and Paul J. Sciullo II, each of whom worked at the Zone 5 station. They were ambushed last Saturday while responding to a domestic dispute in Stanton Heights.

Shelia Woods of the Pittsburgh Major Taylor Cycling Club, an African-American organization open to all races, said the riders will be escorted to and from Zone 5 by state police trooper Brian Davies, Allegheny County sheriff deputies Marvin Vatty and Enrico Wilder and police officer Carl Funtal of Shaler.

"They're all donating their time and we're very grateful for their help," Ms. Woods said.

Participants will pedal down Highland Avenue, turn left on East Liberty Boulevard, continue to Negley Run Road and ride down to Washington Boulevard. It is, appropriately, a 5-mile round-trip.

Fred Klehm, president of the Western Pennsylvania Wheelmen, said he hopes to have more than 100 riders participate, especially if the weather cooperates. He said the money donated at the station will be deposited at the nearby Dollar Bank on Shakespeare Street. For more information on the Western Pennsylvania Wheelmen, go to www.wpwbikeclub.org. For more information on the Pittsburgh Major Taylor Cycling Club, which is associated with the Center for Minority Health at the University of Pittsburgh, go to www.cmh.pitt.edu\cyclingasp.

If you're unable to join the ride but would like to make a donation, contact either club.

Bill Baird, owner of the West Newton Bicycle Shop, will operate the Cedar Creek Park food and bicycle rental concession building this season.

The concession, which serves park visitors as well as those biking, running or walking on the multipurpose Great Allegheny Passage, has been managed since 1993 by Westmoreland County.

In addition to food, drink and bike rentals, Baird will provide bike repairs and a pick up service for bicyclists who rent bikes in West Newton and want to drop them off in Cedar Creek. The trailheads are 3.5 miles apart. Cedar Creek Park is in Rostraver Township. It is just off Route 51, a quarter mile north of Interstate 70.

For more information, go to www.co.westmoreland.pa.us/parks or call 724-830-3950.

As usual, the Montour Trail Council has a full schedule of plans for this year.

They include:

• Completing, by early summer, deck work on the bridge and the temporary stairway at Milepost 22, a project that includes the Routes 50/980 crosswalk and the southeast ramp of the trail crossing at Venice.

• Placement of the Piney Fork Bridge on its abutments and construction of a walkway on it.

• Final touches on the West Peters Trail project -- finishing the Linwood parking area, fencing, gates and signage.

For more information on the Montour Trail, which when completed will run from Coraopolis to Clairton along the right-of-way of the old Montour Railroad, go to www.montourtrail.org or call 412-257-3011.