A Message from Montour Trail Council
We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Mr. Benjamin Brallier while he was on the Montour Trail Monday. We send our deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.
We are in full cooperation with the authorities in their investigation and thankful that they have made an arrest.
While we recognize the seriousness of what has occurred, we want to assure our trail-users and the public that we believe the Montour Trail is a safe and welcoming community space. The safety and well-being of our trail-users has always been of paramount concern for the Montour Trail Council.
We will continue to work with our members, local officials and our community partners to improve and enhance what we are already doing so the trail continues to be the vital recreational asset it is known to be.
You can read the news story here.
South Hills Ribbon Cutting
MTC welcomed a number of partners, speakers and guests to the Wood-Stewart trail section ribbon cutting ceremony in mid-October. The opening was a notable milestone for the Montour Trail: It not only closed the last trail gap between Library and the western part of Jefferson Hills Borough, but it eliminated the last on-road section of trail between MM 0.0 in Moon Township and Green Man tunnel. Trail users now can enjoy 40 miles of continuous off-road trail.
The project to complete the total four-mile South Hills section had been underway for more than 15 years. It required construction of four bridges, a multi-million dollar rehabilitation of the Library viaduct, and numerous other minor construction projects. The total cost was nearly $5 million.
Honor Your Loved Ones
There’s a new way to support the Trail: Honor Bricks are a wonderful expression of respect and appreciation for an important person, pet or event in your life. We call them Honor Bricks because they memorialize those living and gone from our lives. Click to learn more about this tangible tribute, available for Cecil, Peters Township and South Hills locations.
Tour the Montour Success
Sponsors and participants contributed about $70,000 to the Montour Trail Council’s coffers — funding that will be used to keep the trail in pristine condition! Congrats to all the bikers who participated, and thanks to our generous sponsors and indispensable volunteers.
MTC Annual Meeting & Election
It’s time for MTC’s Annual Meeting & Dinner! The event, November 3 starting at 5 pm, features keynote speakers Roy Weil and Mary Shaw, who are decades-long rail-trail advocates. The agenda includes dinner, program, and the 2024 ballot count. Be sure to turn in your reservation and ballot by October 26.
Click here for more information, as well as to register for the dinner meeting and vote in the annual election.
We’re a bit short of our $350,000 goal.
This Outstanding Rail-Trail is in Your Back Yard!
The Montour Trail is a multi-use, non-motorized recreational pathway around Pittsburgh, the country’s longest suburban rail-trail. It is privately owned and operated. The main line extends ~47 miles; branch routes increase length to 60+ miles. The relatively flat half-loop stretches from Coraopolis (along the Ohio River) to Clairton (on the Monongahela River). A northwest branch connects directly to Pittsburgh International Airport.
The Montour connects to other rails-to-trails in western Pennsylvania and beyond: the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) and the C&O Canal Towpath, a completed trail system that stretches 300+ miles from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC.; the Panhandle Trail — a converted railroad line that stretches from Weirton, West Virginia, to Carnegie. And this local resource is part of U.S. Bicycle Route 50, which runs east-west and, when completed, will span the country.
Currently, 46 miles of the Montour Trail are continuous with several short gaps in the southeast section.
The Trail is easy to get to by car, as there are access areas and trailheads every few miles along the route. Pittsburgh’s rapid transit system runs near some of these, and it is bike friendly. The Trail is ADA accessible as well.
