The committee in charge of a 13-mile, $20 million trail from Verona through Oakmont, Penn Hills and Plum wants to hear from residents.
There is some disagreement about the path the VOPP Trail should take as it follows Allegheny River Boulevard and the viaduct connecting Oakmont to Verona, according to Verona Council Vice President Trish Hredzak.
The viaduct was designed in the 1930s. It changes from two lanes to five lanes and then back to two lanes in less than a mile, Hredzak said. She said the lane shifts commonly lead to motorists speeding.
Verona officials visited the site in September to look at measures that could help slow traffic to make the area safer for pedestrians, bicyclists and trail users.
Chris Blackwell, planning director for Penn Hills, asked residents not to bring their pitchforks to the fourth public meeting in the Oakmont Carnegie Library about VOPP’s progress Thursday night.
“We want to accommodate requests,” Blackwell said. “If there’s a battle, it’s not with (the VOPP committee).
“We’re here to tell you what we’ve found and to hear from you.”
The meeting was the third hosted by members of the VOPP committee. The previous two were in Penn Hills and Plum.
Blackwell said the trail’s design for all four phases of the project is almost 70% done.
They’re still taking suggestions about alternate routes to avoid more dangerous sets of roads.
Work on the trail is expected to extend over the next 15 years.
“We have some ideas for alternate routes, but they’re just that — ideas,” said Tony Lascola, chairman of Oakmont’s recreation board. “They’re good ideas, and they’re worth pursuing.”
Brian Krul, a design engineer with TranSystems, said there is a 14-foot-wide bike lane planned for the viaduct. It would replace the right turning lane next to the GetGo in Verona. Blackwell said bicycle riders would be using the southern side of the road because past traffic studies deemed it the safest side for them.
“Typical bike lanes are 10 feet wide with a 2-foot clearance on each side to give the bikers space from motorists,” Krul said.
Oakmont Manager Scot Fodi said the borough’s engineer is working to find three or four places on Allegheny River Boulevard to make space for bike parking.
Krul called the bike lane a step in the “road diet,” a process to help traffic calming on busier roads. Depending on how the project is completed, there might be multiple routes built over time for cyclists and pedestrians to choose from, Lascola said.
“We could end up with an easier route soon and the harder route in 10 years, and they’ll coexist,” he said. “One isn’t mutually exclusive from the other.”
While explaining the potential benefits of a trail, Courtney Mahronich Vita, director of trail development and government relations for Friends of the Riverfront, used the Three Rivers Heritage Trail as an example. Findings show it had 1.3 million visits in 2023 with a total economic impact of $26.5 million. That number includes $16 million in earnings for local workers and $5.7 million in tax revenue generated.
The VOPP Trail would connect parks in the four communities and give access to almost 70,000 people, Blackwell said. He called the VOPP an asset, with trails being the No. 1 asset that can be built in Pennsylvania communities.
There will be a fourth meeting held in Verona in the spring with a completed plan for the trail.
Blackwell said grants are being applied for throughout the phases of the project. Sections of the trail will be completed in the order of which grants are approved first.
“This is pretty big,” Blackwell said in regard to the effect the planned trail will have. “This is pretty huge.”
