As spring begins to emerge through occasional bouts of snow, local parks and trails will see a significant boost in activity.

In Murrysville, police plan to use a state grant to reinstate bicycle training to better serve the community in areas where a patrol car cannot go.

“We have an ATV that we do trail patrols with,” Murrysville police Chief Tom Kusinsky said. “But we have to stop, open the gate, go through, close and lock the gate and then we can proceed. About half my department said they’d definitely be into returning to bikes and using those on the trail.”

Kusinsky made it clear that the $7,500 grant would not be used to establish a dedicated bicycle patrol. Instead, it will train officers to transition quickly from a vehicle to a bicycle.

“That’s actually the larger expense — outfitting officers with the proper gear to ride,” he said. “They can’t just jump on a bike with the regular gear they’re wearing.”

The Westmoreland Heritage Trail is expected to be the focus of the bicycle training. Trail officials are working to complete the final section connecting Export with the existing trail just north of Delmont, where it continues northeast to Saltsburg.

“With that expansion where it’ll go underneath Route 66, that’s still Murrysville,” Kusinsky said. “Some of it is in Export and some is in Salem Township, but between those two sections, we’ll have about 10 miles to cover.”

The bicycles will also give officers better and quicker mobility at community events, such as the annual Concert in the Park at Murrysville Community Park, the chief said.

“It’ll be very good for the community, and it’ll put us out there a little bit more, which is in line with the public service aspect of our mission,” he said.

The state grant will cover the cost of bicycles, but not the gear, Kusinsky said.

“The timing depends on when the funding arrives and how much we get,” he said. “I’m hoping to have things up and running by late spring or early summer, which is when it starts to get really busy along the trails and in our parks.”

The funding comes from Pennsylvania’s Local Share Account grants, which are derived from gaming revenue.