York County Heritage Rail Trail Improvements, City of York, PA

BH provided design and engineering services for a 1.4-mile segment of the existing York County Heritage Rail Trail, from Richland Avenue to Philadelphia Street. The trail has been in place for 25 years and was in need of safety and aesthetic updates. The City of York obtained a substantial grant from PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to improve the existing trail by providing additional trail amenities and direct connections to York College, whose campus runs immediately adjacent to the trail.

The trail is unique since it is located immediately adjacent to an active rail line and a flood protection levee. Improvements to the trail required approval from both the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and the US Army Corps of Engineers.

BH assisted the City in generating a project program and goals. Using base map information, our trail planners and landscape architects prepared a plan including the configuration of the trail, drainage/Best Management Practices concepts, trail amenities such as signage and gates, necessary utility relocations, bike racks, benches, and landscaping within the existing easement/right-of-way.

We provided unit cost for site amenity items and assisted the City in preparing construction documents, including details for lighting, site amenities, landscape plan, way-finding/place making signage, ADA details for ramps at road crossing/crosswalk, and technical specifications for all improvements. The lighting design included field survey, fixture layout, photometric design, electrical service sizing, power distribution design, voltage drop calculations, design of control wiring and control panel, and the development of equipment specifications.