Ohio River Trail South Shore (ORSST) Feasibility Study
The Borough of Aliquippa in partnership with Monaca Borough, Center Township, Hopewell Township, South Heights Borough, Crescent Township, Moon Township, Coraopolis Borough, Beaver County Planning Commission and the Ohio River Trail Council is undertaking a feasibility study to create a bicycle and pedestrian trail along the southern side of the Ohio River. The proposed trail will connect Monaca with the Montour Trail in Coraopolis, Pa. The Ohio River South Shore Trail Project is funded through a Commun
ity Conservation Partnership Program planning grant provided by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and local community support.
The South Shore Feasibility Study which began on Jan 6, 2010 and was completed in March 2011.
The Ohio River South Shore Trail is approximately 15.6 miles from Monaca to the beginning of the Montour Trail. The municipality mileage is listed below:
Monaca - 2.4
Center Twp - 1.5
Aliquippa - 4.9
Hopewell - 0.3
South Heights - 0.8
Crescent Twp - 1.1
Moon Twp - 2.5
Coraopolis - 2.1
Steering Committee
Thomas Stoner, City of Aliquippa
Mario Leone, Monaca Borough
Michael Sisk, Center Township
Norm Kraus, Hopewell Township
Roberta Jones, South Height Borough
Patience Eckhardt, Crescent Township
Jeanne Creese, Moon Township
Thomas Cellante, Coraopolis Borough
Richard Dororthy, C.J. Betters Enterprises
Laura Rubino, Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development
Frank Mancini, Beaver County Planning
Doniele Andrus, Beaver County Greenways
Andrew Hartwell, Allegheny County Economic Development
Sara Walfoort, Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission
Vincent Troia, Ohio River Trail Council
Phyllis McChesney, Montour Trail Council
Tom Baxter, Friends of the Riverfront
Stromberg/Garrigan & Associates (SGA) was retained by the City of Aliquippa, PA on behalf of a consortium of communities and Beaver and Allegheny Counties to serve as the lead master planning consultants for a riverfront public access feasibility study. The goal of the project is to link eight separate urban south shore riverfront communities together, via a riverfront trail, and to develop a long term strategy to maximize public accessibility to the Ohio River’s edge through a network of public parks and open spaces. The approximate 12.5 miles of riverfront begins in Monaca Borough and terminates at the Montour Trailhead on the 75 acre former Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad (now CSX) engine service yard. This brownfields site is also being studied for conversion into a major Allegheny County-owned regional sport complex. The majority of the preliminary corridor aligns with current and future public rights of way through the Monaca Industrial Park in Monaca Borough and the former 5-mile long LTV Corp. Jones and Laughlin Aliquippa Steel Mill Complex site.
SGA is responsible for developing trail alignments, park and open space development guidelines and model zoning ordinances for multiple municipalities to ensure that new development can proceed in a manner that also allows for public access and circulation along the river’s edge. The project includes working with numerous stakeholders: including two county industrial development authorities; the regional riverfront coalition-Friends of the Riverfront; and the Ohio River Trail Council which is working on a large scale effort to create a contiguous trail network which parallels the Ohio River from Downtown Pittsburgh to the Ohio State Line, and beyond.
http://www.s-ga.com/projects/ohio-river-trail-south-shore-feasibility-study.aspx
Final reports available through 
Docs.
Ohio River Trail South Shore Feasibility Study Final Report: Completed March 2011 (Google Docs)
Ohio River Trail South Shore Feasibility Study Final Draft Report 2011_01_28 (Google Docs)
Google Documents are best downloaded using Google Chrome.
