Friends of the Riverfront builds and helps to maintain the 33+ miles of our land trail in Allegheny County – we also build and maintain the Three Rivers Water Trail, with more than 30 non-motorized boat launches. We do not own the land on which the trails sit – much of that land is owned by the City of Pittsburgh and surrounding municipalities.

If you see incidents or conditions on the trail that concern you, we ask that you take the following actions:

• If it involves an immediate threat to someone’s safety, please call 911.
• If it involves conditions on or near the trail, please call 311. You can also contact Friends with any issue related to trail conditions.

What is Friends doing about the unhoused encampments?

Friends is very aware of the unhoused encampments along our trail. Here are just some of the actions we take “behind the scenes” to manage the condition of the unhoused encampments in Allegheny County, and information about how Friends works to keep our trails clean and accessible while doing what we can to help in other organizations’ and agencies’ efforts.

• Our Executive Director and staff have regular meetings with all stakeholders pertaining to the unhoused encampments and unhoused people in our community. Our staff and volunteers, such as our Trail Stewards and Trail Ambassadors, monitor the trail constantly, and Friends works closely with the City and with other nonprofits, such as the Light of Life Mission, Allegheny Cleanways (with whom we share an office), Operation Safey Net, and city and county agencies such as the Reaching Out on the Streets (ROOTS) Program, the Bridge program for unhoused families and children, and Allegheny Link. We are all working to improve this situation and manage the aspects of it that we can. Our on-trail staff also makes it a point to provide information about available services and shelters to the people in encampments, and we carry Narcan in our trail truck.
• Friends staff and volunteers work to keep the trail clean year-round. We do clean up abandoned tents and other trash regularly, as do other non-profit organizations such as Allegheny Cleanways. In addition, the City of Pittsburgh provides regular trash collection to known encampments. We also work with the City to address encampments that encroach on the trail itself.
• Friends works with our volunteers, municipalities and neighborhoods along the trail to monitor unlawful activity and stay aware of any incidents along the trail that pertain to safety. Last year, we inaugurated the Trail Ambassador program, in which volunteers wear vests identifying them as working with Friends, and part of the aim of this program is to give us extra ability to monitor trail conditions and create a feeling of safety for trail users. It is important to note that the Three Rivers Heritage Trail continues to provide a safe recreational and transportation option for our residents and visitors, and incidents on our trails remain rare.
  
  

Where does Friends of the Riverfront stand on the issue of unhoused encampments?

Concerns about the conditions of our trails are central to our mission. We do not regard those concerns lightly, and we dedicate a huge amount of time and resources to all the work that goes into monitoring and managing this issue. That said, the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County are not alone in experiencing the issue of encampments of unhoused people on public land – it is a national problem with extremely complex roots and no easy or quick solutions. Even with all of these agencies and organizations working on this issue, it is expected to take years to see the results, and that can be frustrating when the consequences impact our everyday lives now.

We urge all those concerned about this issue to stay connected to Friends and other organizations working to improve the situation of unhoused encampments and those living in them, and to support their work when you can. We rely on people voicing their concerns to continue to motivate those engaged in tackling this complex issue, and upon the people who support our work to help keep the trail welcoming and accessible to all users.

We thank everyone who takes the time to contact us about your concerns about the Three Rivers Heritage Trail and Water