The 220-mile route would connect the two cities and could potentially boost the economies of communities along the stretch.
"Connecting Pittsburgh to Cleveland by trail could be very good for both metro areas and people who live in them as well as elsewhere around the region and beyond. And not just for their legs and lungs and moods, but also for the health of local economies and communities," writes Bob Batz Jr.
The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy recently released a feasibility study for this corridor, part of a 1,500-mile route through New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. The stretch between Pittsburgh and Cleveland would also connect to other trail systems in the region.
Proponents say that the project would drive community and economic development, including tourism and residential developments near the trail.
The trail would be a major undertaking, and various gaps still exist along the route. "The study gives specific recommendations on how local groups can complete the missing pieces and estimates the millions of dollars that [it] will cost to do and to maintain," says Batz.
FULL STORY: Cleveland-to-Pittsburgh would be a big link in cross-country rail trail
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UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
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Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
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