A Norwin area group that is promoting the creation of a network of hiking and biking trails in that area wants to form a regional transportation committee to work toward that goal.
The nonprofit Friends of Norwin Trails has asked officials in Irwin, North Irwin and North Huntingdon to appoint representatives from their municipalities to a Norwin Area Active Transportation Committee to steer that initiative, said Daniel Korhnak, president of the group. That committee could have eight or nine members, including others from community organizations and a representative from Norwin School District, Korhnak said.
Korhnak told the North Huntingdon commissioners he hopes the multi-municipal committee could be formed in the next 30 to 60 days.
That active transportation plan would identify the location of barriers to active transportation that would have to be addressed and make specific recommendations for trails. The plan, created with public input, would identify funding opportunities on the state and federal levels, Korhnak said. It could be used to seek grants from foundations and the U.S. Transportation Department’s Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment program, which gives grants for planning and designing trails.
The cost of developing an active transportation plan could be covered with a state grant from WalkWorks, Korhnak said. WalkWorks is an initiative between the state Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Downtown Center that supports developing and adopting active transportation plans.
The organization has raised about $5,000, Korhnak said.
In the short term, the organization wants to start with a trail of about six miles, Korhnak said. Ultimately, the organization would like to extend a trail from Irwin to Trafford and from Irwin to West Newton along the Youghiogheny River. The Great Allegheny Passage, which connects Pittsburgh with Cumberland, Md., runs through West Newton.
The group has not determined which trail it wants to develop first, said Bob Morgan, vice president of Friends of Norwin Trails. Organizers have mentioned creating a trail from Irwin to Ardara in North Huntingdon and one from Irwin Park, across Route 30 and alongside businesses in the Route 30 corridor.
The need for recreational trails in North Huntingdon is noted in the township’s 2023 comprehensive plan, which includes mobility, trails and working with nonprofits, Korhnak said.
Commissioner Ron Zona said he bikes and runs on the Westmoreland Heritage Trail, which runs from Trafford to Export. Having a trail in North Huntingdon could help businesses that are along the route, he said.
The county has some regional trails, though none in the Norwin area. The Five Star Trail runs from Lynch Field in Greensburg to Southwest Greensburg, South Greensburg, Hempfield and Youngwood and to Armbrust in Hempfield. The Coal & Coke Trail goes from Mt. Pleasant to Scottdale, and the Westmoreland Heritage Trail stretches from Trafford to Penn Township, Murrysville and Export, with another section from Delmont to Saltsburg in Indiana County.
The Regional Trail Corp. in West Newton manages the Five Star Trail, the Coal & Coke Trail in Mt. Pleasant and Scottdale, and the Westmoreland Heritage Trail.
Tom Petrus, executive director of the Regional Trail Corp. could not be reached for comment.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering Irwin, North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked at the Trib since the early 1980s. He can be reached at jnapsha@triblive.com.