The existing River Avenue Segment of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail (TRHT) along the Allegheny River is 1.8 miles long and bounded by the Bracken House apartments to the west and 31st St Bridge to the east. A complex of invasive trees, shrubs, vines, and herbaceous plants is present along the segment and riverside of the trail. This vegetation conflicts with trail use by encroaching on the trail itself, narrowing lines of sight, and obscuring views of and access to the river. Unchecked invasive vegetation results in decreased biodiversity in both plant and animal communities, degraded water quality, and damage to human infrastructure like trail surfaces and drainage head walls.

The River Avenue Riparian Restoration project focuses on invasive vegetation suppression, tree pruning and selective removal, and restoration of the tree canopy and native understory along the riverside of the River Avenue Segment from the 16th Street Bridge to the Heinz Street Parking Area. Native riparian restoration along riverbanks helps stabilize eroding banks and adjacent trail conditions, slows surface water flow, filters pollutants before they enter waterways, provides habitat and nutrients that support local ecosystems and wildlife, and enhances the viewshed for trail users. In 2025, the project expanded to include the roadside of the River Avenue Segment between the 16th Street Bridge and Heinz Street, and the riverside project boundary extended east to the start of the retaining wall in coordination with the River Avenue Invasive Management Plan commissioned by RiverLife.

This project will:
• Regain control of approximately 600 feet of riverbank along the 16th Street Bridge to Canal Wall section of the River Avenue West corridor, allowing for intentional riverbank restoration
• Reduce damage to infrastructure and lower maintenance costs for the City of Pittsburgh
• Restore native understory and tree canopy, advancing the goals of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest Master Plan
• Promote a balanced, native biodiversity of plants and wildlife
• Improve viewsheds of the Allegheny River
• Promote environmental stewardship, engagement, and advocacy

Friends has cleared understory overgrowth, invasive plants, litter and debris, applied basal bark herbicide treatment, and planted native restoration trees in Zones 1 and 3 of the site.

In 2024 The River Avenue Invasive Management Plan, which addresses 9.52 acres between the 31st Street Bridge to the east and PNC Park to the west, was commissioned by partner organization Riverlife. Oikos Ecology and Fourth River Workers Guild were contracted to assess the entire site by estimating percent cover of invasive herbaceous vegetation, shrubs, vines, and trees, and estimating overall tree canopy cover. The plan provides recommended invasive species management approaches and divides the 9.52 acre footprint into 100-foot sections on each side of the trail for management purposes.

In 2025 Landforce began invasive management as part of the plan from Friends retaining wall boundary working east toward the 31st Street Bridge. Friends will continue work at it’s original site while expanding stewardship west of the 16th Bridge towards Bracken House apartments in 2026, in alignment with the overall management plan.

Investment
To date, Friends of the Riverfront has engaged 317 volunteers who have contributed 848 hours toward planting 51 trees, removing invasive vegetation, performing tree maintenance, and managing the site.

Timeline
May 2023: Public trail care with volunteers remove 300 ft of invasive honeysuckle
May 2023: Employer Trail Care with Simpson McCrady volunteers remove 325 ft of invasive honeysuckle
October 2023: Wesco volunteers plant 26 trees at project site
March 2024: Application of year one herbicide treatment at trail grade
April 2024: Employer Trail Care with Microsoft to tend trees
April 2024: Arbor Day tree planting of 25 trees
July 2024: Employer Trail Care with Alcoa remove honeysuckle and tend to trees
October 2024: Employer Trail Care with Lochner clear honeysuckle
October 2024: Site visit with RiverLife for plan development
January 2025: Vegetation Management Training with Fourth River Workers Guild
March 2025: River Avenue Invasive Management Plan site visit
April 2025: Earth Day Employer Trail Care with Pens Sustainability Pledge partners, transplanting trees and removing honeysuckle
May 2025: Employer Trail Care with Eckert Seamans remove honeysuckle
June 2025: Employer Trail Care with Alcoa removing honeysuckle
July 2025: Employer Trail Care with Morella & Associates continue removal of honeysuckle
September 2025: Employer Trail Care with Microsoft remove large honeysuckle stumps and water trees
October 2025: UpKeep trail care overgrowth management and tree care

Funding
Primary funding comes from Friends of the Riverfront annual Stewardship budget. Friends intends to utilize qualifying Inflation Reduction Act funding to advance the project between the 16th Street Bridge and Bracken House Apartments in 2026.

The River Avenue Invasive Management Plan is coordinated and funded by Riverlife.

Common Questions
Click here to read FAQs about herbicide use and suppression of knotweed at restoration sites through our FAQ document.

If you have additional questions, contact Alex Toner, Director of Trail Stewardship at alex@friendsoftheriverfront.org.