Eliza Furnace Trail offers escape for pedestrians

If the words “traffic” and “trail” seem incongruent to you, take a walk or ride down the Eliza… If the words “traffic” and “trail” seem incongruent to you, take a walk or ride down the Eliza Furnace Trail.

Referred to affectionately as the “jail trail,” the Eliza Furnace Trail is Pittsburgh’s very own biking/walking/rollerblading trail, running approximately four miles between Downtown and Oakland. Constructed by the city in June 1998, the trail provides Pittsburghers with a safe and convenient place for recreation and exercise.

John Blumeraitis, a Brookline resident, makes it a point to come out to the trail almost every day when it’s warm.

“It’s safe and convenient,” he said. “I work at PNC, so I walk right around the building, and I’m on the trail.”

The trail’s distinctly urban setting makes it an anomaly among bike trails. While most trails run through wooded areas, the Eliza Furnace Trail traverses the Pittsburgh cityscape.

And that’s just what Jean Lynch, an employee at the City-County Building, loves about it.

“I guess I’m just a city girl,” she said. “I like the urban setting. I like the traffic. I like the boats on the river.”

Lynch, who was raised in the city, added that she also visits the trail almost every day.

“It’s a nice breeze and a nice view,” Lynch said, grinning. “There are things blooming down there. I don’t know what they’re called, but they smell so nice.”

In addition to providing a natural environment that attracts walkers, bikers and cyclists, the trail offers lessons in Pittsburgh history. Along the trail, signs tell the story of coal transportation along the city’s rivers, the background of Ormsby River Farms and the beginning of Lewis and Clark’s expedition, among other things.

Also adding to the Eliza Furnace Trail’s attractiveness is its role as just a small part of a big trail system. The trail is a part of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, which in turn is part of the Great Allegheny Passage.

While the Great Allegheny Passage is currently unfinished, a person can ride from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Md., on completely uninterrupted bike trails.

When the passage is complete, a person will be able to ride all the way from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. The total length of that trip would be 335 miles.

George Schmidt, an employee of Golden Triangle Bike Rentals, said that the trail is heavily traveled on nice days.

“A lot of people come through,” he said. “Around lunch time, a lot of people walk the trail for exercise.” He also noted that a lot of people come through during the evening, when the temperature cools down.

Schmidt said that one of the best features of the trail is that it brings together many different forms of transportation.

“Intermodal transportation is the buzzword that’s going around right now,” he said, adding that Pittsburgh was one of the first cities to create an intermodal transportation hub.

Talks to build a trail began under Mayor Sophie Masloff, Schmidt said, though the administration refused to build it without a parallel road, which would allow police to drive beside it.

“When Murphy came along he just pushed [the trail] through,” Schmidt said. “Bike police occasionally ride along the trail, but there’s enough traffic that safety is not an issue.”

“The biggest problem most people will run into is a flat tire,” Schmidt added with a laugh. “But there’s always enough advanced riders to help out anyone who needs it.”