​Hello Members and Friends of the Steel Valley Trail Council,
Here are some reminders of upcoming events occurring within the next few days along with other updates along the trail.
1. 3rd Annual Steel Valley Bicycle Tour on April 30
It is still not too late to join us for our annual fundraiser ride this Saturday, April 30th. The registration table opens at 8:30 AM in Waterfront Town Center (270 West Bridge Street, Homestead, PA 15120) with the ride starting at 9:00 AM. Funds raised will help us maintain our section of the Great Allegheny Passage. For more information, please visit our web site. There you will find the link to register online. There is also a printable form that you can fill out and bring on Saturday if you want to register on the day of the ride. We hope to see you on the trail!
www.steelvalleytrail.org
2. The Pittsburgh Foundation’s Day of Giving on May 3 from 8:00 AM to Midnight
The Day of Giving is back this year and the Steel Valley Trail Council will be participating.
For non-profits in Allegheny County, the format has changed from previous years. Instead of a prorated match from The Pittsburgh Foundation, we were given the chance to raise our own matching pool earlier this year. And during the month of March, our members (including those on the board) and friends rose to the challenge and helped raise a matching pool of $1300 which will be used for a $1-per-$1 match during the event until it is depleted. Per the Day of Giving guidelines, any remaining matching pool funds after the event will remain with the Steel Valley Trail Council (which will be used to maintain the trail).
However, we are not done yet. Please consider donating to us on the Day of Giving by visiting PittsburghGives.org. Also, if possible, please try to donate between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM as there is a bonus prize for the most unique donors during that time frame (plus, if the weather is good, it will give you more time on the trail later that day).
Stay tuned as we will be sending out another reminder either on Monday or Tuesday.
3. New Port-A-John at Haysglen Street
The Steel Valley Trail Council recently rented a new port-a-john that was installed by the trail gate at Haysglen Street (the road below the Glenwood Bridge). It is the closest toilet for bird watchers trying to see the Hays Bald Eagles.
While we have the funding to have it their for one month, we need donations to help offset the rental costs to keep it there for the remainder of the nesting season. If you want to donate towards this, please go to steelvalleytrail.org/member.htm and either become a member (if you haven’t already), renew your membership, or send us a donation through PayPal. Please add a note “for port-a-johns” to help us keep track of your support of this facility.
Alternately, you can send us a check with a note of your support for the port-a-johns to Steel Valley Trail Council, PO Box 318, Homestead, PA 15120.
Thank you for your support.
4. Improvements to the Pump House Trailhead (owned and operated by Rivers of Steel Heritage Corp.)
Many of you have seen the improvements to the newly paved parking lot at the Pump House. There is also a bioswale that will be planted as part of the project in addition to new signage and solar panels. The project’s total cost will be approximately $185,000 with funding provided by the Dept. of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR), the National Park Service and the Rivers of Steel Heritage Corp (property owner).
Rivers of Steel does not receive funding for the trailhead’s operations and maintenance, so they appreciate user donations. Note this is separate from the trail group.
Please note that in the future, they will be closing half (there is a way to section of the parking lot now) or all of the parking lot for the exclusive use of Pump House events. They regret any inconvenience this may place on regular users, but this is one of the few ways for them to raise funds for the upkeep of the site. When the lot is shut down, parking is available at the other trailhead between T.G.I. Fridays and Uno’s. There is also parking available between First Commonwealth Bank and Steak & Shake for trail users. US Steel does not have parking available during the week, but may be open for the weekend overflow.
Finally, they ask cyclists and pedestrians to please keep off the grass and out of the bioswale.
5. New Interepretive Sign for Battle of Homestead (located at the Pump House)
A new interpretive sign was recently dedicated by
Thank you and see you out on the trail!
Steel Valley Trail Council