The idea of establishing a trail across the Allegheny River to join Aspinwall with the Lincoln-Lemington area in Pittsburgh is no longer a pipe dream.
The Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County announced Friday that it has completed the $4.7 million purchase of the former Brilliant Branch railroad line from Allegheny Valley Railroad. The county expects to hire a consultant later this year to begin designing a 3.6-mile trail at the site that crosses on the city end near the intersection at Allegheny River Boulevard and Washington Boulevard.
Advocates who have been working on the trail idea for more than 10 years say it would offer spectacular vistas that aren’t available by motor vehicle because it would feature views from five bridges, including the bridge over the Allegheny. The trail, which has been pushed as part of the Allegheny RiverTrail Park, could end up as part of a trail system that would stretch to Erie, join the Three Rivers Heritage Trail to Downtown Pittsburgh and become part of the Allegheny Shores development in Sharpsburg.
The federal Surface Transportation Board, a little-known five-member board that approves the abandonment and sale of rail lines, approved the county’s purchase after determining that closing it would not jeopardize the operation of any other railroad. Establishing the new trail is expected to take at least five years.
“I’m thrilled that this final 3.6-mile portion of the Brilliant line has been acquired. I want to thank RAAC and [the county Department of Economic Development] for the years of work to bring us to this moment,” Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said in a news release.
“The next stage of conversion into a multi-use trail will include robust public engagement opportunities … hearing from neighbors and community members about their hopes for transforming this former railroad corridor into an improved pedestrian and bike experience for residents and visitors alike.”
In the news release, the county said that input from residents and local businesses will “play a crucial role in ensuring the future trail meets the needs of the community today and reflects the shared goals and visions for the future.”
Allegheny RiverTrail Park initially reached agreement with the railroad to acquire the site in 2021. In 2023, the agreement was assigned to the redevelopment authority to complete the purchase.
Lauren Connelly, the county’s director of economic development, said in a news release the purchase shows the county’s commitment to improving the quality of life for residents.
“This acquisition represents more than just a purchase,” she said. “It’s about creating vibrant spaces that promote health, wellness and connectivity and can serve as a catalyst for inclusive investment and growth.”
A local transit company, Railroad Development Corp., tried unsuccessfully to persuade the Surface Transportation Board to allow the company to maintain one of the two sets of tracks. RDC principal Henry Posner III wants to develop a two-car battery-operated electric train to carry passengers from the Allegheny Valley to the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway, using old London Underground subway cars.
RDC’s concept would allow the trail to operate where the second set of railroad tracks lie today, but former county Executive Rich Fitzgerald rejected that idea.
Max Nitke, a project analyst at RDC, said the company continues to talk with Innamorato’s administration about the commuter train. The company has said it could set up the system in about eight months at about 40% of the cost of a regular railroad using trains that carry up to 200 passengers each trip.
“We are still in communication with the county, so we aren’t out of the project yet,” Nitke said. “We’re not dead yet.”
However, a Jan. 31 letter from the county redevelopment authority’s legal consultant, Stephen M. Papernick, said the purchase agreement with Allegheny Valley Railroad restricts the county from using the spur for any transit use.
In a statement Friday, the county’s Department of Economic Development said, “We appreciate the innovation and creativity that [Posner] and his partners have demonstrated, but we have shared with them that existing agreements do limit our ability to pursue some of the uses that they’ve proposed on this line. We remain open to exploring other opportunities for commuter rail on former or existing rail lines.”
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.