Tarentum festival-goers can vote on design of borough trail

Thousands of people expected to attend the Summit Hose Fall Festival in Tarentum will have a chance to vote on plans for the borough’s riverfront trail.

Friends of the Riverfront will be on hand to solicit input on the proposed path.

The festival runs tonight, Sept. 8, through Saturday at Riverview Memorial Park, through which part of the trail will be built.

“We hope that people stop by and let us know what they want to see,” said Courtney Mahronich Vita, Friends’ director of trail development.

Do people want a natural scenic view or would they like outdoor art along the trail?

Are restrooms and water fountains a priority, or maybe a bike fix-it station?

These are among the comments the nonprofit group is looking to collect through a survey available at the carnival.

Council President Scott Dadowski said the borough is open to any ideas on how to best use the area to benefit everyone.

“Tarentum views our riverfront area as one of our greatest gems,” he said. “We are always looking and exploring new ideas for that area, making sure we maintain the natural beauty.”

The Tarentum portion of the larger, 33-mile Three Rivers Heritage Trail will be constructed along with a segment in neighboring East Deer.

Construction is not expected for at least two years, if not longer.

The Tarentum-East Deer trail is expected to stretch about 5 miles, from Dreshar Stadium in Tarentum to the New Kensington Bridge, known to some as the Ninth Street Bridge, in East Deer.

Organizers have designated five points of interest along the Tarentum segment, including Dreshar Stadium along First Avenue.

The fields are used infrequently, which might offer a chance for an off-road path there, according to the Friends of the Riverfront website.

The Tarentum pump house, which operates nearby, is another feature along the way. This section of the trail would have to be narrowed between the pump house and First Avenue.

Other spots of interest would include Riverview Memorial Park and the fishing platform and Allegheny River boat launch beneath the Tarentum Bridge. There, the trail would follow an access road through the parking lot to connect to West Fourth Avenue and keep walkers off the road.

Between West Sixth Avenue and East Deer, the trail alignment is evolving while off-road possibilities are explored, Mahronich Vita said.

From West Tarentum, the route would flow into East Deer, past the newly constructed Pittsburgh Brewing Co. brewery.

Plans are not finalized and could change. Designs are a reflection of results from a 2011 study conducted by Friends of the Riverfront, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Allegheny County.

Coming soon: Brackenridge section

Last week, it was announced that construction is nearing for the Brackenridge phase of the trail. The half-mile path through the borough will be built in the park and along First Avenue, adjacent to the river.

In Natrona, a short concrete trail opened in late-August to connect the community park with the river shoreline.

Across the region, the Three Rivers Heritage Trail was used 2 million times last year, Mahronich Vita said.