Pittsburgh to increase presence of police and social workers along Allegheny River Trail
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Pittsburgh's Allegheny River Trail was a beautiful recreational trail but garbage, open-air drug use and encounters with runners and cyclists have people afraid to use it. One city councilman says he's seen enough and is calling for decisive action.
For the fifth year in a row, tents have lined the Allegheny River Trail, but runners and cyclists who use it say rather than getting better, the situation is getting worse — more tents, more open drug use and more confrontational encounters.
A woman recently posted on Facebook that a man holding a boxcutter chased after her while she was running on the trail, and 78-year-old Vietnam-era veteran Ron Hershberger says a man intentionally knocked him off his bike last week.
"Full speed ... running at me. I had three seconds and I was caught off guard," Hershberger said.
"Knocked me down and back. It was the worst hit I've ever had since I was a kid playing football," he added.
Hershberger hit the pavement hard, sending him to the VA hospital with multiple injuries.
"There's no skin. It's clear down to the meat," he said.
Police are investigating but Councilman Bobby Wilson says he's seen and heard enough.
"The public's very upset and rightly so," he said.
As in past years, the city has marshaled its ROOTS outreach team to speak with those who are homeless about things like sanitation and behavior. But Wilson says the city and county need to offer them housing and remove the tents from the trail, enforcing city guidelines for tents on public right-of-ways.
"The encampments on the trail have been an issue for city residents for a very long time. We have to make sure we get somewhere on this. We can't go through this again," Wilson said.
Responding to these concerns Mayor Ed Gainey and Pittsburgh Public Safety officials recently walked the trail, becoming alarmed at the garbage and open-air drug use. In response, Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt says the city will increase the social worker and police presence and is training two bike officers to patrol the trail. But Schmidt says the city has no plans for the wholesale removal of tents.
"These are people, they deserve some dignity and respect and compassion for the space that they're in. We want to continue to work with get them into help and long-term housing so they don't continue to live on the streets," Schmidt said.
But Ron Hershberger says he's heard this before.
"I'd like to hear more than lip service from our mayor, is what I'd like to hear. Make it happen Ed Gainey," Hershberger said.
But despite the public's frustration, the city's plan is to better manage and better control a bad situation and any removal of tents will be piecemeal.