Under construction since 1985, trail primarily funded with tax dollars
Closing a one-mile gap in a bike trail which runs from Maryland to Pittsburgh will require a $750,000 taxpayer-funded grant through the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Projects (RACP) program.
Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa announced the grant, which will fund construction of the missing segment of the Great Allegheny Passage, a 135-mile trail running from Cumberland, Md., to the Pittsburgh suburb of Duquesne. The gap in the trail exists on the property of Sandcastle Water Park in West Homestead, another Pittsburgh suburb.
The trail construction was included on the list of RACP projects authorized by Gov. Ed Rendell in the final days of 2010. RACP projects are funded through the state capital budget and paid for with bonded debt. The projects are intended to be of economic benefit to the state.
Because the debt is repaid over a 20 year period, the actual cost of the project will be over $900,000 with interest.
According to the Allegheny Trail Alliance, the non-profit organization which manages the construction and maintenance of the Great Allegheny Passage, the funds will be used to widen an access road near Sandcastle and complete other construction work such as removing fencing and light poles from the area.
Since construction of the trail began in 1985, 84 percent of the $74 million spent on the project has come from the taxpayers at the county, state or federal level, according to Linda McKenna Boxx, president of the Allegheny Trail Alliance.
The trail has been funded with $21 million in state funds – $19 million from Pennsylvania and $2 million from Maryland – and with more than $37 million in federal taxpayer funds.
The state-level spending in Pennsylvania has been mostly doled out through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), said Ms. Boxx. Most of the federal money has been awarded through PennDOT and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, she said.
The eight Pennsylvania counties which the trail runs through have also contributed $3.7 million to its construction.
Private funding from individuals, corporations and foundations has accounted for $11 million of the funds used by the trail, said Ms. Boxx.
The newest RACP grant for the completion of the final segment of the trail will be matched with $500,000 from local governments and $1 million in private investments.
Mr. Costa (D-Allegheny), who requested the RACP grant, said the completion of the trail would help revitalize the region.
“Not only is this trail a valuable resource for those who will be able to spend quality time outdoors, but the economic impact this trail has had on the area cannot be understated,” said Mr. Costa. He said it would help revitalize the region.
Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato said the completion of the trail was a combined effort.
“We wouldn’t be in the home stretch without the state’s support,” said Mr. Onorato.
The Allegheny Trail Alliance has been struggling for years to complete the final portion of the trail. In October, an agreement was reached with Sandcastle to allow the mile-long segment to be built along an access road to the amusement park.
The trail is expected to be completed by the end of 2011.
