How to Improve North Park? Several Goals Identified, What Do You Think?

A new master plan for improving North Park includes a $2.9 million upgrade to the Ingomar Road portion of the trail around North Park Lake, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports.  

It would create a wider shoulder with room for a 6- to 8-foot bike lane and a separate 8- to 10-foot pedestrian path between Babcock Boulevard and Kummer Road.

Landscape architect Ron Schipani, capital projects and program manager for the Allegheny County Parks Foundation, told an audience of about 50 people at a Jan. 23 public meeting in the Rose Barn that those safety improvements could be made as early as next year.

The PG reported that Schipani, who worked on the park's trail feasibility study in 1990, outlined several goals for the park:

• Improvements to lake trail safety
• Transformation of roads into parkways
• Landscape preservation
• An improved entrance
• Enhancements to the boathouse area 
• Creation of a central park.

One big change to the boathouse is coming this spring with the opening of the Over the Bar Bicycle Cafe . 

Allegheny County council is also considering a proposal to  and the tennis courts. 

Suzanne Broughton, 76, of Franklin Park, a longtime parks advocate, said county officials face a challenge in keeping all park users happy.

"This was a very interesting meeting," she told the Post Gazette , acknowledging that park users come from different walks of life. "There are the nature lovers who prefer to walk the deer trails up on the hill, while the lake walkers seem to be more interested in fitness. The people who show up at these meetings are really interested in making the park a better place."

TELL US: How can North Park be improved? What improvements would you like to see. Share your thoughts in the comments box below.

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