North Huntingdon officials gave the green light to hire a consultant to conduct a feasibility study of a proposed walking and biking trail that would connect downtown Irwin to the North Huntingdon village of Larimer.
Township commissioners Wednesday approved advertising for proposals from consultants to conduct a study of the proposed Trolley Line Trail. It would follow the path of the former West Penn Railways that once connected Irwin with Trafford, with stops in Larimer and Cavittsville, from the late 1800s until the middle of the 20th century.
The trail also would be near the northern end of the township’s Hilltop Park off Woodall Road and surrounding neighborhoods. Most of the path would run through North Huntingdon’s Sixth Ward.
“It will help us see what we need to get it (Trolley Line Trail) done,” said Bob Morgan, one of the founders of the Friends of Norwin Trails.
This will give the Friends of Norwin Trails, which was founded in 2022, the opportunity to talk to residents about the trail, Morgan said.
Public work sessions are to be part of the consultant’s work, according to the proposal for seeking bids.
Even when the study is completed, Morgan said they will have a lot of work to develop the trail.
“It will take another five years” to complete the trail, Morgan said.
Based on the timeline listed for hiring the consultant, July 17 is the deadline for accepting applications, and a consultant would be hired July 31, with a notice to start work as of Aug. 20.
The study is to be funded through a $23,300 Community Conservation Partnerships Program grant the nonprofit Friends of Norwin Trails received through the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The trail group matched that amount with $23,300 it raised independently.
The organization applied for the grant in 2025.
North Huntingdon, Irwin and Friends of Norwin Trails will be involved in the study. The feasibility study is to include a detailed multi-year capital development plan.
The consultant that is hired to do the work also would be responsible for preparing a comprehensive implementation roadmap for future development, according to the proposal.
Alternative routes are to be identified in the study, including connecting to downtown Irwin. The study will look at the cost estimate of a pedestrian bridge that connects Quality Way in North Huntingdon and crosses Tinker’s Run and connects to the intersection of Fourth Street and Western Avenue, if feasible.
The study is to identify potential trailheads along the route and related facilities along the trail.