The ‘Northside Network’ is a series of collaborative projects in the works to provide better access to areas in the Northside through bike lanes and walking routes. The first phase of projects focuses on Manchester and Allegheny City Central and the second phase on access to Riverview Park and the Riverfront Trail System. 

By Jason Phox

Photo: Charlotte May for Pexels

The City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) plans to hold a meeting for the first phase of the Northside Network, which focuses on projects in Manchester, Chateau, and Allegheny City Central, on Wednesday, March 17 at 6 p.m. 

DOMI’s Northside Network aims to create a better bicycle network linking areas such as Chateau and Manchester neighborhoods, the Chateau Trail, corridors for accessing Downtown Pittsburgh and North Shore amenities, Ohio River neighborhoods, Allegheny City Central and the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), Riverview Park, and Brighton Heights. 

DOMI is collaborating with MoveForwardPGH, Bike Pittsburgh, and Healthy Ride as part of the Network to help rapidly implement the new Bike(+) Plan: a citywide plan that works by creating integrated routes for bicycles plus “pedal-assist electric bicycles, motorized scooter and skateboards, and other individual mobility modes.”

According to the MoveForwardPGH website, “The Northside Network of projects involve a series of streets that could see a number of improvements that will create less stressful biking and walking connectivity within and through the neighborhoods, mostly in and around Manchester and Chateau.”

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created a related program called the Manchester Chateau Neighborhood Plan, adopted in the fall of 2019, to provide safe connections between Manchester, Chateau, and the riverfront. The Manchester Chateau Neighborhood Plan focuses on improved public infrastructure and housing affordability. It incorporates a set of goals, as expressed by residents during the creation of the Plan, to address current needs and future objectives for the area. These include improving the non-motorized connection under the PA-65 underpass and working to provide assistance with green corridors in the Manchester and Chateau areas. 

A meeting for the second phase of the Northside Network will be held on April 5. The second phase focuses on improving access to Riverview Park and the Riverfront Trail System, including the connectivity of the bicycle network on Marshall Avenue, Riverview Park, and Brighton Road. DOMI released a survey to gather feedback on the Northside Network projects for Phase 2.

You can register to attend the Phase 1 meeting now. Visit moveforwardpgh.org or contact [email protected] for more information.