Another developer proposes zip line across the Ohio near the Point

Only one major element stands between Jeremy Goldman and Pittsburgh Zip Line Co.’s goal of gliding thousands of riders a year from Pittsburgh’s Mount Washington or the West End Overlook to the North Shore: approval by Norfolk Southern railroad.

Mr. Goldman and his investors are the latest since the 1970s to propose installing a zip line across the Ohio River to give riders a brief, spectacular view of the Point, Downtown and the North Shore, and they probably have moved the farthest toward beginning their project. Mr. Goldman said last week he expects no problems with the Federal Aviation Administration, Coast Guard and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation after informal discussions with them and has developed full engineering designs and safety protocols to install five parallel cables across the river.

But this group has run into the same railroad impediment as previous efforts, and without that approval, the project won’t go forward. Mr. Goldman said he is making it his mission to build community support for the project and convince the railroad the zip line could operate safely and cause no problems for the tracks it passes over.

“Everybody wants this to go forward except Norfolk Southern,” said Mr. Goldman, a Squirrel Hill stay-athome dad with a background supervising outdoor recreation.

“They are literally the last hurdle. We’re waiting for them to get on board. Then all we have to do is push go. It will take six to eight months for construction.”

Norfolk Southern, which controls the air space immediately above the tracks, said its position is clear.

“Obviously, our main concerns revolve around safety,” said spokesman Jeff DeGraff. “We just see this as inherently unsafe. We won’t be approving that.”

The proposal

Mr. Goldman has spent the past three years at home after working for more than 20 years in outdoor recreation, most recently as the outdoor supervisor at the Jewish Community Center’s Emma Kaufmann Camp near Morgantown, W.Va. He has used that time to pursue his dream of operating a zip line near the confluence of Pittsburgh’s three rivers.

Working with three partners, Mr. Goldman co-founded Pittsburgh Zipline Co. and has developed detailed plans for the operation. Here’s how it would work:

Crews would install three 60,000ton towers either on Mount Washington or near the West End Overlook, depending on which site meets

stability requirements and has property available. Acquiring a landing area on the North Shore also is a factor, with the Mount Washington site landing near the Carnegie Science Center and the West End site landing at the proposed Esplanade development project near the West End Bridge.

Two of the towers each will have two kernmantle cables just under an inch thick to carry passengers in harnesses hung from devices called trolleys, which are attached to the cable. Kernmantle cable is twisted steel covered with a sheath for extra strength.

Riders would control their speed, within limits, by adjusting the trolley’s brakes. Supervisors on the ground also can activate two additional brakes near the bottom to avoid a jarring arrival if riders fail to activate the brakes.

The third tower would have an electric cable with orange balls and red blinking lights to meet FAA requirements for visibility and a camera system to photograph riders with the Golden Triangle in the background. The cables from Mount Washington would be 2,900 to 3,000 feet long, and the West End Overlook cables would be 2,500 to 2,600 feet long.

The engineers who Pittsburgh Zipline is working with recently designed a similar system as an emergency escape for SpaceX staff working on the rocket launch tower at Florida’s Cape Canaveral, Mr. Goldman said. Construction of the system would cost about $5 million, plus land and insurance, which Mr. Goldman said would be “easy” to get because of “the inherent safety of the zip line.”

The company’s safety protocol is nearly identical to the system used for visitors who climb to the top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge in Australia, where there is the same concern about items falling on 12 lanes of traffic below them. In the more than 20 years that system has operated, it has a perfect safety record, Mr. Goldman said.

The company’s business model would charge riders $50 each for their ride and a souvenir photo. Riders report to the North Shore station, where they would take a Breathalyzer test; go on a scale to make sure they are within minimum and maximum weight for the ride; remove all their loose belongings so nothing can fall off; go through a metal detector to make sure they didn’t miss anything; and go through a training session on how to use the brakes.

Then they would board 16-passenger electric buses to ride to the top towers for a 20- to 40-second thrill ride.

Building support

Mr. Goldman said his company has hired a consultant to help it ease the concerns of Norfolk Southern and for now is concentrating on building community support for the project. The company will conduct a virtual community forum at 6 p.m. Wednesday with the Mount Washington Community Development Corp., part of a series of meetings with community groups, elected officials and foundations.

Executive director Gordon Davidson said anyone can participate in the Mount Washington meeting by contacting CDC at info@mwcdc.org. The agency usually provides a forum but doesn’t take a position on a project unless asked by a developer, Mr. Davidson said.

“Their presentation materials are reasonably complete,” he said. “It’s too early to say whether this would be a good thing or a fun thing.”

Millcraft Industries, developer of the Esplanade, couldn’t be reached for comment, but Carnegie Science Center would be interested in the project.

“The Science Center is always interested in new opportunities for collaboration and partnership,” director Jason Brown said in a statement. “As with all of these opportunities, we would want to evaluate how it would fit into our operations and strategic planning for the future.”

Riverlife, which advocates for riverfront improvements, said it is interested in learning more about the project.

“Pittsburgh’s riverfronts are established locations for outdoor recreation of all types,” spokesman Stephan Bontrager said in a statement. “While Riverlife hasn’t had the opportunity to review this particular project, we’re always intrigued by innovative ideas and attractions that bring people to the riverfront and add to its vibrancy.”

The company also has met with a foundation that Mr. Goldman said is willing to provide free rides for children in the neighborhoods hosting the towers and landing areas, as well as those with special needs throughout the area.

Tim McNulty, spokesman for Mayor Bill Peduto, said the mayor wants to see community support before he takes a position on the project and likely would defer to City Council President Theresa Kail-Smith, whose district includes Mount Washington and the West End.

“I think it would be wonderful if this could go in,” Ms. Kail-Smith said. “I think if the community supports it, I’d be willing to advocate for them. The hurdle everyone has is the railroad.”

Mr. Goldman said he isn’t ready to give up yet. The company has had two meetings with Norfolk Southern and wants to have more.

“We feel like if we keep moving forward, we can build community support and prove we can do this project safely. If it turns out they absolutely prohibit us, we’ll know we’ve done everything we can.”