Butler-Freeport Community Trail to extend 0.6 miles to south
BUFFALO TWP — The popular Butler-Freeport Community Trail will soon get just a little bit longer.
A lease agreement between Buffalo Township and Norfolk Southern railroad will allow for a 0.6-mile extension of the trail at its southern end, along with further development. The trail will soon extend to Butler Junction, a point near the borders of Butler, Armstrong, Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.
The lease was formally approved by the Buffalo Township supervisors at their meeting on Wednesday night, Oct. 11. What Norfolk Southern is leasing is a section of railroad which is currently not in service.
“We greatly appreciate Norfolk Southern for not only blocking the way but opening it up,” said Freeport Mayor Zach Gent in a news release issued by the trail’s board. “I don’t think people realize how much the trail helps support local small businesses and residents.”
The extension will allow for a new, larger parking area, which will alleviate congestion issues near the Laneville neighborhood in Freeport. The trail’s board says this will benefit both trail users and residents of the neighborhood. According to statistics provided by trail representatives, usage of the trail increased by 450% between 2019 and 2020.
“We like to solve problems, and parking in Laneville was a big problem with only one way to solve it, and that involved Norfolk Southern,” said trail board president Chris Ziegler. “A few phone conversations and an agreement was in place. We are extremely happy to check this off the list.”
Plans for the extension also include a new kayak-only launch for Buffalo Creek, as well as safer access to the west side of the Donald R. Lobaugh Bridge. Trail representatives believe this will encourage trail users to stop by the nearby small businesses, including the 1833 Coffee and Tea Company.
“We’re just looking to capitalize on the $14 billion recreation industry” in Pennsylvania, Ziegler said. “Six tenths of a mile doesn’t seem like very much, but it will have such a great impact.”
The Butler-Freeport Community Trail is a 21-mile “rail trail.” Its northernmost point is at Kaufman Drive in Butler, and according to Trailforks.com, its elevation varies from 765 feet to 1,307 feet.
