Penn Hills council selects Pittsburgh firm to design VOPP bike/walking trail

A Pittsburgh branch of an engineering and design firm has been tasked with crafting a near 14-mile bike and walking trail.

Penn Hills council unanimously voted Jan. 23 to select TranSystems to develop the VOPP Trail – Verona, Oakmont, Penn Hills and Plum.

Municipal planning director Chris Blackwell said Penn Hills sent requests for proposals to nine engineering companies and four responded. Proposals were reviewed by the trail’s steering committee and TranSystems came out on top.

Blackwell said TranSystems was selected based its experience, knowledge and good track record on projects.

“We’re very pleased,” he said about the selection. “There’s a lot of enthusiasm about the project. We’re happy to see it moving forward.”

TranSystems, which is headquartered in Kansas City, had already done some work on phase one of the trail, the Verona section. Council’s vote Jan. 23 was for the whole project.

“We’re really looking forward to starting this project,” said TranSystems vice president Brian Krul, a 1993 Penn Hills High School grad. “We’d love to have several public meetings to keep the public engaged and keep them informed of the project. I’m here any time you guys need me.”

Engineering and design is expected to take at least two years and cost about $1.173 million, all of which will be covered by grant funds through the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County’s Trail Development Fund.

Penn Hills’ grant is part of about $21.8 million in RAAC funds awarded last year.

Krul, an Ohio Township resident, said he is thrilled to be working on a project in his old hometown.

“I love it,” he said. “We do various engineering projects. We do roads and bridges, traffic (and) trails. Trails are some of my favorite things because municipalities love them. They help communities. Everybody loves to go on a trail. I’ve got four kids myself. We go biking and walking. … I’m ready to hit the ground running with this project.”

Trail idea development

The trail planning process began nearly a decade ago with significant progress being made the past few years.

Top recommendations from a survey in 2019 used to gather feedback on a proposed trail linking the four communities included using historic sites as trail heads, having plenty of restrooms and drinking fountains and remaining as off-road as possible.

The proposed route that received the most support starts at Steel City Rowing along Arch Street in Verona. It goes onto Penn Street, then East Railroad Avenue past the borough building, to Center Avenue and left onto Allegheny River Boulevard toward Oakmont.

A cyclotrack, or bike lane, was proposed to help navigate the boulevard section due to on-road traffic concerns. The Oakmont section goes onto Plum Street and past Creekside Park. It follows an old railroad bed along Plum Creek and behind Creekview Gardens to Milltown Community Park. The trail ends at Boyce Park in Plum.

“I think it’s going to be really impactful,” Penn Hills Mayor Pauline Calabrese said. “We think it’s going to bring younger people to the region.”

Blackwell said they have not spoken with all the property owners along the proposed trail yet. There is no timetable for those discussions or construction.

Estimated total project cost is around $5 million.

People can view the proposed trail at vopptrailwebmap.gototrails.com.