What if there was a way to prevent wrong-way crashes?

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission says there were 15 wrong-way crashes just along Route 28 in the last five years.

New technology could detect drivers going the wrong way, and alert the other drivers on the road.

German technology company bosch has developed a cloud-based, wrong-way warning system, using GPS to spot and alert wrong-way drivers.

It can also warn other cars and cell phones nearby that have the bosch apps.

In Europe, bosch says it issued more than 600 alerts in one year.

The company is now trying to make the system more widely available.

Channel 11′s Jennifer Tomazic has taken an interest in wrong-way crashes and has looked into what technology we have in the Pittsburgh area to deter them.

We were the first to tell you that PennDOT is installing wrong-way detectors along almost two dozen ramps along Route 28.

It’s an intelligent transportation system, meaning sensors, detectors, and cameras will detect wrong-way drivers.

Automated alert signs will go off, to let the driver know they’re going the wrong way.

The traffic management center will get a notification, and they can put a “wrong-way driver” message on electronic highway signs to alert other drivers on the road.

The detectors will be installed between Pittsburgh and Harmar.

The project is supposed to start this summer and wrap up next year.

View the full story at wpxi.com.

Allegheny County Manager Jen Liptak is headed to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, departing county government after over a quarter-century of service and reuniting with former County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.

Liptak’s last day will be June 7, according to a press release from County Executive Sara Innamorato.

Many politicos view the county manager as an important position because that person essentially runs the day-to-day operations of county government.

Ms. Innamorato said: “It is bittersweet to accept County Manager Liptak’s resignation. She has been a phenomenal public servant for more than 20 years and her dedication and passion for Allegheny County is evident every day. I want to personally thank her for shepherding my administration with an exceptionally professional and smooth transition for the last six months. We have learned so much from her and enjoyed working with her immensely, but after 12 demanding years as a Chief of Staff to the County Executive and County Manager we respect her decision to start a new chapter in her professional journey.”

Ms. Liptak will serve as deputy executive director/chief operating officer for the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.

According to the press release, Deputy County Manager Steve Pilarski will serve as Acting County Manager until a new County Manager is selected and confirmed by County Council. He currently oversees “the operations of the County Jail, County Police, Medical Examiner, Public Defender, Public Works, Facilities Management, Administrative Services, Human Resources, and Information Technology,” according to his county biographical page.

In the release, Ms. Liptak said: “I’ve been an Allegheny County employee for 26 years and it has been an incredibly rewarding and meaningful privilege to work alongside such dedicated public servants. But I’ve decided it was time for me to try a new professional challenge. It has been an absolute honor to work with County Executive Innamorato and her staff. I have total confidence in her team and County leadership to continue to serve the people of Allegheny County with the highest standard of excellence.”

Mr. Fitzgerald joined the SPC at the beginning of 2024, after serving three terms as county executive. He serves as the commission’s executive director, overseeing a staff of about 50 people that focuses on infrastructure and transportation projects and funding throughout a 10-county region in southwestern Pennsylvania, including Allegheny.

The partnership between Ms. Liptak and Mr. Fitzgerald goes back years. In February 2023, Ms. Liptak began as county manager in his administration, and before that, she served as chief of staff under him from 2012.

Before that, she served as the County Council’s budget director from 2004 to 2012, and in the District Attorney’s office from 1998 to 2004, where she worked up to the position of finance manager.

Many political observers and elected officials have praised Ms. Liptak for her breadth of knowledge about county government. And some county sources said before Friday’s announcement that it was no surprise that Mr. Fitzgerald wanted her to join the SPC, given her managerial experience and expertise in regional issues.

“He has shown a great degree of loyalty to his staff,” one county source said about Mr. Fitzgerald.

Ms. Liptak’s departure also marks another important moment for County Executive Sara Innamorato and her administration. Since Ms. Innamorato’s inauguration in January, she has worked with Ms. Liptak, and political observers note that the experience of the outgoing county manager has been instrumental to helping Ms. Innamorato transition into her role as executive.

Ms. Innamorato is continuing her search for a permanent county manager, and one county source said that the administration is interviewing candidates for that role on Friday.

She and her administration have multiple senior-level openings to fill in the coming months. A longer-term decision, Ms. Innamorato has said, is finding a new jail warden. Shane Dady is currently serving as interim warden, while also serving as a deputy superintendent with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. He’s held that position since late September, after Orlando Harper retired as warden on Sept. 29 of last year.

View the full article at post-gazette.com.

Allegheny County Manager Jennifer Liptak will leave the county after more than 25 years of service to become deputy executive director and chief operating officer of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.

Liptak had been chief of staff for former Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald during his 12 years in office and had been county manager in the first months of County Executive Sara Innamorato’s tenure. She joined the Allegheny County government in 1998 and has been finance director in the Office of District Attorney and budget director of the Office of County Council.

She will report to Fitzgerald, who is executive director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, and be in charge of a staff of 50.

“Over the last decade, a lot of the economic success and transformation that Allegheny County has experienced can be largely attributed directly to Jennifer’s strategic leadership, collaborative management style, and her ability to get things accomplished,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald cited the Pittsburgh International Airport revival, bridge rehabilitation and government efficiency.

“Now Jennifer will be able to use her outstanding qualities and experiences to support the 10-county region with its transportation, infrastructure, economic, workforce and quality of life priorities,” he said.

She has a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and a master of public administration degree from the University of Pittsburgh.”

View the full article at bizjournals.com.

Allegheny County will hold a virtual public hearing Thursday evening to get public input on the upcoming rehabilitation of the Patton Street Bridge in Wilmerding.

The project, which will result in the bridge across Turtle Creek being closed for about a year, likely is still two years away. The county’s Department of Public Works will hold a virtual meeting from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday to discuss the project, and registration is required.

The department didn’t want to talk much about the project before the hearing, but in a news release it said it wants to present the preliminary construction and traffic control plans and get input on the final design. The department and its engineering consultant, Mackin Engineering, will conduct the meeting and answer questions.

Details the county submitted to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission for its long-range Transportation Improvement Project estimate the project at $15.45 million. The project could begin construction in the second quarter of 2026.

At its last inspection in April 2022, the bridge’s deck and substructure received ratings of five, just above poor.

The 426-foot steel girder bridge, built in 1971 and rehabilitated in 1999, joins the northern and southern parts of Wilmerding and provides a key link to Wall and North Versailles. It carries about 8,720 vehicles each day.

View the full article at unionprogress.com.

Two years after it was passed into law, the federal Inflation Reduction Act and companion legislation continue to generate plenty of discussion over their potential as well as questioning as to how best to make use of them.

At a PNC Brunch & Learn and Networking Event by the Green Voice held at the Tower at PNC, a collection of executives and public officials explored the prospects for the region to come from the federal funding jolt of the $891 billion IRA, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, totaling $1.2 trillion nationally over 10 years and the $53 billion CHIPS and Science Act.

In a wide-ranging discussion moderated by Grant Ervin, director of environmental, social, governance and innovation at S&B USA Construction, the panelists expect great opportunity to come for the region as well as organizational challenges in how best to pursue it.

Mike Evans, now a partner for K&L Gates, working in its Washington, D.C. office, previously served as deputy staff director for the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, when the IRA was passed, pointed out the basic distinctions of the bill over past thinking, which sought to emphasize taxes and other “sticks” to better lead more sustainable societal changes.

“The big shift in thinking was let’s try carrots. That was a fundamental change,” said Evans, emphasizing the public investment available through the program. “It’s real. The money is on the table.”

He acknowledged there’s been some reluctance or skittishness by some to pursue funding through the act and he sees a need “for there to be some first movers so people gain some confidence.”

Costa Samaras, the director of the Scott Institute for Energy Innovation and a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, also spoke of the legislation with some level of direct experience after serving in the administration of President Joe Biden in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

He expects western Pennsylvania is well positioned to benefit from such legislation and noted the many historic firsts of the region in terms of energy.

“Pittsburgh has got a huge history of energy innovation,” he said.

That includes the first oil well in Titusville, to the north, the first natural gas well in Murrysville, the first oil refinery downtown along with innovative firsts in coal and solar.

He expects the public investments from the IRA and other federal legislation to have the potential to “supercharge a clean energy economy here in the region and around the country.”

How that potential is realized in the Pittsburgh area is still being worked out, whether by local government or private companies.

Brittany Prischak, director of department of sustainability for Allegheny County, detailed how Allegheny County is pursuing a Climate Action Plan as well as working with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission to pursue joint funding for projects.

Allegheny County is also considering a guaranteed energy savings agreement, through which an energy audit would demonstrate areas for county government to cut energy use and cost and then help to finance various improvements over what’s typically a 20-year plan.

Samaras noted how much Pittsburgh has changed in terms of pursuing green improvements.

“Twenty years ago, green buildings were exotic,” he said. “Now, they’re just commonplace.”

He added that “no place in the country is better poised than the 10-county region” to benefit for what he hoped would some day be a green new deal to follow through on a green and clean energy transportation.

Laura Ainsman Sohinki, a senior director for government affairs for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, added the region is drawing such interest now.

She noted one program she’s working on for a company looking to add in the range of 1,200 jobs, a labor demand to come with challenges of its own.

“We have a historic infrastructure that these large companies come in and get super excited about,” she said.

S. Kumar Nandan, vice president, Global Tax at PPG Industries, said his company is already capitalizing on the IRA in buying up tax credits through the program.

“The IRA was a game changer in terms of tax credits,” he said. “We’re able to find sustainable projects and reduce our tax liability at the same time.”

View the full article at bizjournals.com.

Penn Township commissioners approved the preliminary development plan for a new Pennsylvania Turnpike maintenance complex featuring nearly 8 acres of solar panels.
 
The complex — which will contain an office space, truck and maintenance garages and a salt storage building — will be located on a nearly 42-acre property with an entrance along Route 130.
 
Pending stormwater, sewage and driveway permit requirements, the complex is scheduled to be built by fall 2026, according to the turnpike’s website.

 
The property is almost directly across the road from the current maintenance area, which has an entrance off Sandy Hill Road, said Bill Roberts, township community development director.
 
Before they approved the plan, resident Cliff Nabuda, who lives near the site, requested more details.
 
“I would also like to voice my disappointment that no one has come and spoken to anybody along Four Seasons Lane about this proposed development,” he said. “We’re the ones who are going to be the most severely impacted by it.”
 
The vote on the new complex comes about 10 months after the turnpike specified the location of an interchange officially announced in October 2021. The interchange will be installed near the intersection of Sandy Hill Road, Nike Site Road and Route 130 between spring of 2032 and fall of 2034, according to the turnpike website.
 
The turnpike organized an advisory group featuring officials from Penn Township, Westmoreland County and state government to navigate the design process with community input, said turnpike spokesperson Crispin Havener. The first meeting was in March.
 
“We are currently in the final stages of preliminary engineering and some aspects of the plans that we shared with the advisory group in March may still change,” Havener said. “Once that is completed, we will host a public meeting to show the potential plans to the community as a whole and get their feedback. This should take place in the near future.”
 
The advisory group’s meetings are not open to the public, but meeting summaries will be posted on its website.
 
Traffic on surrounding roadways, traffic disruption during the construction period and consistent communication between the turnpike, the state Department of Transportation and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission were discussed at the March meeting, according to the advisory group website.
 
With little information available about the interchange, Nabuda said, residents are left to wait and see.
 
“We know the train is coming,” he said, referring to the interchange. “We don’t know which track it’s coming on.”
 
Turnpike officials have told the township that moving the maintenance facility is part of the turnpike’s $300 million project to widen the toll highway between the Monroeville and Irwin interchanges.
 
The widening project includes expanding the highway from four to six lanes in the 10-mile stretch and reconstructing the Irwin interchange. A bridge carrying Harvison Road over the turnpike in the township is set for removal this summer as part of the project, turnpike officials confirmed in February.

View the full story at triblive.com.

Indiana County’s board of commissioners voted Wednesday to approve a grant agreement and resolution dealing with the future of the Indiana County-Jimmy Stewart Airport in White Township.

The resolution will start the process of turning up to 50 vacant acres into an “Airport Land Development Zone,” while the grant agreement opens up state funding for what Airport Authority Manager Rick Fuellner described as “a big hangar out there (that is) going to attract a lot of business.”

Indiana County Office of Planning & Development Executive Director Byron G. Stauffer Jr. said the grant is for $1.5 million from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s Aviation Development Program.

The grant requires a 25% local match commitment, or $500,000, but Stauffer said the funding will leverage an additional $4.95 million in federal and state funding.

Board Chairman R. Michael Keith concurred, saying “there is opportunity, there is growth happening,” and the 12,000-square-foot corporate hangar facility and related infrastructure approved Wednesday are expected to bring in larger aircraft — such as one Keith saw three weeks ago on the tarmac of the airport also known as Stewart Field.

“There are companies that are actually wanting to use them,” Keith said.

Meanwhile, ICOPD, in collaboration with the airport authority, is planning an application to the state Department of Community & Economic Development, requesting designation of up to 50 acres for a zone meant “to encourage and promote the creation of new jobs on land and buildings at and around airports within this Commonwealth, while accelerating economic activity at and around airports on undeveloped land or vacant buildings owned by airports, that can provide new revenue sources for airports.”

And, Keith hopes, new revenue sources that can further relieve the burden on property owners of paying real estate taxes.

As Stouffer put it, “the ALDZ program is an incentive-based tax credit program to foster development on this vacant land.”

County Commissioner Robin A. Gorman said an airport is an economic asset in any community, and said the local airport was lauded by Gov. Josh Shapiro and three members of his cabinet.

Gorman had a chance to talk about Indiana County’s assets earlier in the day, joining Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission Executive Director Rich Fitzgerald as part of his weekly hour on the KDKA-1020 “Big K Morning Show.”

A commissioner from Lawrence County also was featured. SPC covers Indiana as well as nine other counties around Pittsburgh in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and Gorman is Indiana County’s representative on SPC’s executive committee, while the other commissioners, Stouffer and Indiana County Chamber of Commerce President Mark Hilliard represent the county on the SPC board of directors.

It also wasn’t the first time recently that Indiana County was noticed in Fitzgerald’s weekly appearances on KDKA. On June 24, he was joined by Westmoreland County-based syndicated columnist Salena Zito, to recap a recent series of Interagency Working Group on Coal & Power Plant Communities & Economic Revitalization hearings, one of which was held recently at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex.

Elsewhere in White Township, with the encouragement of ICOPD and Indiana County Community Action Program Inc., the commissioners entered into an Option to Purchase Agreement with Mystic Brooke Development LP of Indiana to secure a parcel of vacant ground for a HOME-ARP (American Rescue Plan) Non-Congregate Shelter that would temporarily house homeless individuals and/or families while working with them to secure permanent housing solutions.

“The facility will include administrative offices for the case management staff of ICCAP,” ICOPD Assistant Director LuAnn Zak told the commissioners. “The proposed project … is in the development and application phase. The requested option is for a nine-month time frame and will cost $1 (one dollar).”

The application is being aired today at a public hearing scheduled for 10 a.m. in the commissioners’ meeting room on the second floor of the courthouse.

Also Wednesday, the commissioners agreed with ICOPD, the YMCA of Indiana County and Thomas R. Harley Architects LLC to enter into a $123,400 contract agreement with Davis Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning of Indiana to install five new boilers and two new hot water heaters as part of a replacement project at the YMCA, along West Pike and Ben Franklin Road North in White Township.

“A total of four proposals were submitted ranging from (the) low bid by Davis Brothers … to a high bid of $265,000,” ICOPD Deputy Director for Community Development & Housing David Morrow told the commissioners. “This project is being funded with (state) Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program and YMCA funds.”

View the full article at indianagazette.com.

Lower Burrell officials have outlined a plan to make Leechburg Road safer for students, pedestrians, bicyclists and people with disabilities.

The city soon will start projects geared toward pedestrian safety and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance along the city’s main business artery, Mayor Chris Fabry said.

Projects include flashing beacons at different points along Leechburg Road, updated school zones near Bon Air and Stewart elementary schools, and sidewalk and ADA ramp upgrades, Fabry said.

Funding comes from the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission’s Smart Transportation for Livable Communities program. Lower Burrell was awarded $312,500.

Fabry said improvements at school intersections previously had been discussed among city officials, as both of Burrell School District’s elementary schools are located on Leechburg Road.

“Basically, we identified a need (and) problem, found a potential financial solution and explored it,” Fabry said. “I’m pleased to say that we were chosen.”

School zones in Lower Burrell have old lighting that is hard to see, Fabry said.

“It is so important for people to slow down, but the message isn’t clear,” he said. “Now, the message will shine bright with LED lighting.”

Crash numbers in and near the school zones were not available, but Fabry said the upgrades “will certainly make things safer.”

Flashing beacons will be placed near McDonald’s, Glen’s Custard, Stewart Elementary, St. Margaret Mary Church and Bon Air Elementary.

“As far as the flashing beacons, we’ve all experienced kids or adults, running across Leechburg Road,” Fabry said. “I, myself, have had a group of kids run out with one or two staying on the other side of the road because they didn’t feel as comfortable trying to cross. It creates a dangerous situation. The flashing beacons will help ensure everyone’s safety.”

Project construction isn’t anticipated to begin until next year. The program’s funding starts Oct. 1.

View the full article at triblive.com.

The city of Fort Wayne, in partnership with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), has retained HNTB Corporation to assist with the implementation of the Midwest Connect Corridor ID Grant.

“This is a long process,” City Councilman and Northern Indiana Passenger Rail Association (NIPRA) board member Geoff Paddock said. “It’s kind of a complicated process and many steps along the way.

As part of the effort to do, to conduct the service development plan, you’re looking at really five states, because you’ve got to include Chicago (Illinois), right, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania.”

The selected engineering consultant, HNTB, has worked on over 40 passenger rail corridors nationwide. With over 110 years in transportation planning and design, HNTB is no stranger to the Midwest Connect corridor, having analyzed sections of the route over the past decade.

They provide fully integrated services for all project phases, including feasibility studies, planning, environmental review, conceptual design, final design, and construction management.

Money to pay HNTB will come from the $500,000 Corridor ID grant from the Federal Railroad Administration that the the city of Fort Wayne received in December.

The federal grant funds Step 1 to develop a scope, schedule, and budget for performing corridor planning and preparing a Service Development Plan to implement passenger rail service from Pittsburgh to Chicago via Fort Wayne and Columbus, Ohio, which will run through Whitley and Kosciusko counties in Northeast Indiana.

“It’s encouraging to see this progress as Fort Wayne continues to lead an effort that will have a lasting and meaningful impact,” said Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker in the announcement. “As work continues with our partners, it’s our belief that this latest effort gives us the best chance to restore passenger rail services to Fort Wayne.”

Having HNTB will be having the “boots on the ground in several areas” to determine what will be needed to bring passenger rail service back: the addition of rail overpasses, track, trains, signals and more, Paddock said.

As HNTB does it work, Paddock said, it probably can fine-tune figures that have been put forward in the past, such as the estimated cost of $3 million to $5 million per mile for bring rail service to Fort Wayne.

View the full story at fwbusiness.com.

On Friday, three regional organizations and two state agencies — Friends of the Riverfront (Friends), the Port of Pittsburgh Commission (Port of Pitt) and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), along with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PA Fish and Boat) — jointly hosted an on-river outing for regional elected officials aimed at raising awareness around the Allegheny River’s economic and recreational impact on the region.

The on-river event, which consisted of invited attendees kayaking or riding on powered boats from Springdale borough to Harmar Township, while passing through the C.W Bill Young Lock (Lock 3), was an effort to demonstrate the potential for economic and recreational development on the river.

As the Allegheny River has had less commercial river traffic over the last few decades, the funding for needed infrastructure repairs and maintenance has also declined.

Most of the region’s locks, including the eight locks on the Allegheny, are well past their 50-year life span and some are approaching 100 years of service.

The locks on the Allegheny River see an average of about four million tons of activity per year, far lower than those on the Ohio and Monongahela.

As a result, locks on the Allegheny River are now considered “low use” or “low volume” facilities.

This status means that reductions in the hours of lock operation could occur.

A reduction in lock operation could mean watercraft might have to wait a significant amount of time to move between pools on the Allegheny River.

To address this, the Save The Allegheny River initiative, or STAR, was formed. The initiative counts SPC, Port of Pitt, Friends, the Allegheny Regional Development Corporation and many other community based organizations as members.

They have been working with federal legislators who are diligently working to support initiatives that benefit the region’s rivers.

The event featured several speakers, including Sen. Lindsey Williams, (38th district), Rep. Mandy Steele (33rd district), SPC Executive Director Rich Fitzgerald, Port of Pitt’s Public Relations Manager Matt Pavlosky and Friends’ Executive Director Kelsey Ripper.

Aside from the above, attendees included representatives from the office of Senator Bob Casey, State Representative Lindsay Powell (21st district) as well as from the office of Congresswoman Summer Lee (12th district), the office of Congressman Chris Deluzio (17th district), as well as many of boroughs and townships from across Allegheny County.

The Springdale to Harmar route highlighted an area that Friends of the Riverfront is currently developing as a new segment of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail and Water Trail.

Running more than 35 miles, mostly along Allegheny County’s riverfronts, the Three Rivers Heritage Trail is estimated to have had an economic impact of $26.5 million in 2023.

Senator Lindsey Williams said, “a decrease in staffing of the locks along the Allegheny River would be absolutely devastating to our river communities and to every Pittsburgher who boats, kayaks, takes walks with their families, or recreates in any way along Pennsylvania’s River of the Year.” The senator added, “at a time when the economic impact of outdoor recreation is only rising, we must at minimum maintain current staffing levels. I’m happy to be a part of the Save the Allegheny River coalition and enjoyed spending time with my colleagues on the water this morning.”

“Protecting the Allegheny River is one of the most important pursuits today. This river is the key to economic opportunity for our river towns in the Valley, and today was a valuable opportunity to see what is at stake, and why we must all work together to ensure that the Save the Allegheny Initiative is successful,” said Representative Mandy Steele. “As Representative of the Allegheny Valley, these organizations have my full support.”

“This kayak paddle event is a perfect example of our region coming together to better understand the issues that impact our rivers,” said Executive Director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission Rich Fitzgerald.

“We had state agencies, elected officials, lawmakers’ staff members, and community organizations all represented here today to not only experience kayaking firsthand through one of the locks, but to talk about the ways we can continue to work together to support initiatives that will preserve and enhance the vitality of our rivers,” he added.

Executive Director of the Port of Pittsburgh Mary Ann Bucci pointed out that anything that impacts the Allegheny will reduce the benefits our region derives from the entire river system.

“The Allegheny River is an integral part of the whole river system. Everyone needs to understand the system’s full benefits, which include drinking water, hydropower, and recreational boating. They’re all important to our region’s economic growth,” she said.

Bucci added, “the rivers are a transit system. Take the Allegheny away, it’s like breaking a highway apart — it isn’t going to work.”

Kelsey Ripper, executive director for Friends of the Riverfront, emphasized that access to the Allegheny River is crucial to Friends’ vision — and the region’s economic future.

“We were founded to reconnect people to the rivers after decades of being separated from them by heavy industry. We have seen communities rebuild their relationships to the rivers and as a result, enjoy greatly expanded recreational opportunities that have themselves become a crucial part of southwestern Pennsylvania’s economic story.”

She added, “we’ve made so much progress, and any impact on the Allegheny’s infrastructure risks diminishing that.”

The Allegheny River drains more than 12,000 square miles, and runs for 325 miles.

In 2024, The Allegheny River was voted Pennsylvania’s River of the Year.

Friends of the Riverfront is a 501©3 dedicated to building and maintaining the Three Rivers Heritage Trail and Water Trail; the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission is a regional transportation and economic development organization; and the Port of Pittsburgh Commission was created to promote the commercial use and development of the inland waterway system.

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) is a state department tasked with maintaining and protecting state parks, managing state forest land, providing information on the state’s ecological and geologic resources, and establishing community conservation partnerships to benefit rivers, trails, greenways, local parks and recreation, regional heritage parks, open space, and natural areas.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is an independent commission that protects, conserves, and enhances the Commonwealth’s aquatic resources and provides fishing and boating opportunities.

View the full article at leadertimes.com.