New plans would more than double the size of Three Rivers Heritage Trail

PITTSBURGH — The Three Rivers Heritage Trail is 34 miles long, but there are plans to more than double that and expand the trail to Freeport, Plum, Trafford and Lawrenceville.

Bicyclists told Channel 11 they are all for it.

“This trail is beautiful, the scenery, the river,” said Mike Webster.

The nonprofit Friends of the Riverfront manages the trail and just released an economic impact report, revealing the number of trail users has nearly doubled since the last study in 2014.

Nearly half of users are on the trail for health or exercise.

“There’s a lot more people riding now, that’s for sure,” Dave Hoover said. “We’d love it, the more the better.”

The trail also showed a robust economic impact:

• $16 million in local earnings for local workers
• $5.7 million in tax revenue
• $1 million for schools
• $619,000 to municipal governments

“When we did it back in 2014 it was a little over $8 million an impact now we’re 26 so we’ve tripled the impact over 10 years,” said Courtney Mahronic, director of trail development at Friends of the Riverfront.

“We actually have 35 more miles in development. So this economic impact study really gives us the justification and the data we need to really invest in new trails and maintaining the trails we have and promoting those trails,” Friends of the Riverfront Executive Director Kelsey Ripper said.

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