Safe Access

In late 2014 Aspinwall Riverfront Park applied for and received state funding to create a safe access to both the park itself, the marina, and Aspinwall Borough’s municipal works facilities.  (The Borough did not qualify for to apply for the funding because it did not have the financial match required for the application.)  Given that the Park did not own the property where the construction would take place, and with the State’s permission, the Park transferred the funding to Aspinwall Borough in early 2015.  The Borough has had full responsibility for managing the project since that time.

The current entrance to the park property is less than ideal because it is:

(1) Not aligned with an intersection.
(2) Located across an active, at-grade Norfolk Southern railroad line. While there are warning lights at this crossing, there is no railroad arm.

To make the entry to the park safer and more easily accessible to vehicles, pedestrians and bikers the funding would:

  • Realign the entry of the park to Brilliant Avenue
  • Install a crossing arm
  • A side benefit of moving entry to the park to Brilliant would be increased traffic between Aspinwall’s business district and the park property. Improving pedestrian access would reduce the amount of parking needed for visitors to the park.

The goal is to make this:

 

 

…Into This

The crossing project, being led by the Borough of Aspinwall, is complex and involves many entities – including the PennDOT, The City of Pittsburgh, and Norfolk Southern and Allegheny Valley Railroads.  The Park has not been part of this project since the funding was transferred to the Borough 2015.  Extensive coordination and permitting is involved.  This project’s completion date is uncertain and in August 2019 the Borough announced that the project was “on hold”.