OVERVIEW
The Allegheny County Parks Foundation envisions a future in which all nine county parks are connected by world-class trails. This vision has been built by many and can be traced back to both the 2002 Allegheny County Parks Comprehensive Plan and the Allegheny Green Web. Regional trail systems and partial connections such as the Montour Trail, Panhandle Trail, Steel Valley Trail, and the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) continue to expand near our southern parks. Building off an existing trail connectivity assessment prepared by Pennsylvania Environmental Council in 2021, we began working with Environmental Planning and Design (EPD) to conduct the feasibility for a connection between South Park and White Oak Park, two of the four southern parks.
In partnership with Allegheny County, the communities of South Park, Jefferson Hills, Clairton, Glassport, McKeesport, and White Oak, along with the Montour Trail Council and Steel Valley Trail Council, a steering committee was established with working group sessions in 2022 and 2023. Input from local municipalities, trail groups and individuals was provided throughout the process during public meetings and a public survey that took place in spring 2023 and winter 2024 to ensure the proposed system met all of the unique community needs. The efforts resulted in a study that lays out approximately 23 miles of on-road and off-road trail through 6 communities linking these two southern parks. The communities and trail groups can now use the information to support fundraising efforts for future trail construction. We look forward to a future in which our parks are connected and accessible for all. As more is learned and developed, we will continue to share on this connection from South Park to White Oak Park.
PARTNERS
- Allegheny County
- Environmental Planning & Design
- Montour Trail Council
- City of Clairton
- Glassport Borough
- Borough of Jefferson Hills
- City of McKeesport
- Township of South Park
- White Oak Borough
- Steel Valley Trail Council
FUNDING
The Allegheny County Parks Foundation raised the funds for this project. Funding was provided by:
- Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
- FedEx
PRESS
Check out this Post-Gazette article, “What do you want from a trail? Survey seeks input on a trail link connecting Allegheny County Parks.”