BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/dailycourier/s_735367.html

City businesses can benefit from Great Allegheny Passage

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/dailycourier/s_735367.html

Connellsville businesses could benefit greatly from Great Allegheny Passage users who have money and want to spend it in town.

At Tuesday's annual meeting of the Yough River Trail Council, which maintains more than 20 miles of the Great Allegheny Passage through Fayette County, including the trail through Connellsville, President Ted Kovall asked YRTC members to "go out and spread the word, all ye ambassadors of the trail."

In addition to spreading the word about the trail, YRTC members have been working to make the trail more visible to city businesses and residents and to making the trail more user-friendly.

The Sixth Street and Memorial Boulevard bridges soon will be totally accessible to bikers, opening up the businesses on the North End to trail users. The northbound safety fence is complete, and the southbound fence will be installed beginning in a few weeks. Kovall said Boy Scouts working on their Eagle Scout projects are responsible for the fences.

Emma Strong, with the Trail Town Outreach Corps, said members had placed signs identifying a downtown bike or walking loop. "It begins at Third and Meason. Follow the green and white signs." She said the loop will create comfort in entering and leaving the trail and the city.

The corps has been involved with Amtrak to encourage it to allow passengers to roll on and roll off their bicycles. The service may be available this summer.

Erin Hammerstedt, with Preservation Pennsylvania, said her organization is working to implement the action plan, Progress through Preservation.

"Historic resources are important community assets," she said. "They are essential to community sustainability and livability issues, economic growth and resource conservation."

Hammerstedt said livability had to be balanced with attractiveness to visitors. When she asked for suggestions on what Connellsville needs, in addition to lodging, Kovall said, "A coffee shop, a cyber cafe." He added that Yough River Park has WiFi access.

In addition to opening up the city to trail users, the YRTC has completed a number of capital projects in the past year, including purchasing the lumber for carpentry students at the Connellsville Area Career and Technical Center to build two Adirondack shelters at the northern entrance to town near Martin's Food Stores.

The students also built several covered picnic tables near the shelters and on the trail toward Pittsburgh. Welding students built grills. At least two more Adirondack shelters will be built at other locations along the trail.

With two $10,000 Fayette County Tourism grants, the YRTC purchased limestone dust to resurface the trail toward Ohiopyle. Ohiopyle workers installed the dust. The trail alongside West Penn Power has been surfaced with asphalt and drainage added. Council volunteers expanded the maintenance building.

The council needs a new tractor that will cost about $40,000, including a bucket for the front.

Kovall said the spring race netted $5,000; the Kiefer Foundation has provided $5,000; and the Fall Foliage Ride will bring in about $1,300. The ride funds provide operating money for such expenses as tools and gasoline.

The first-ever cash banquet will take place on Friday. The council sold all 150 tickets at $100 each. Kovall said the event will bring in $3,000 to $5,000.

"It's not easy to raise the kind of money we need with 150 members," Kovall said. The council relies on grants as well as local support. "We really appreciate the community support. We can't do it without you guys."