BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

We'll those would be my two main suggestions.  I live in Baldwin and am on Brownsville quite often.  The road mostly sucks, but I dare say that you eventually get used to it.  I've had too many bad interactions to list, but then I've had many more uneventful days so it sorts itself out.  Also, the really bad pavement sections were paved the last two years, so you can concentrate on traffic rather than looking out for moon craters. Another potential option is to work your way over to Greentree Road -but then you have to deal with the WestEndCircle which is no better than the 19/51 intersection your trying to avoid. Sorry I can't be of much better help, but there is no magical route from the South.  

There are streets roughly parallel to Brownsville that you could take for some of the distance: Amanda Ave & Hays Ave. I don't think I've ever biked them. They appear hillier and slower than Brownsville, but fewer cars, less stressful, and probably safer.

My $.02 - I think you should get a Prius and park at the bottom of the hill.

I live north, so don't have a horse in this race. But I do have to head out to Dormont once a month, so I have some experience with West Liberty. Like McKnight Road, taking the right lane, without apology and with no intention of getting farther to the right than the left tire track, works very well, both directions. Bright-as-hell taillights and dressed like a traffic cone, so there's no question of being seen. Uphill, you're going about 6; downhill, about 30. Getting a horn blared at you is a good thing -- that means they can see you (and also they're an asshole, and you aren't, despite any one-fingered salutes you get). That's the legal part. The less than legal part is the Wabash Tunnel. Port Authority has a bug up its behind about cyclists in the tunnel. If you're fairly new here, I suggest reading the entire thread about the tunnel here. We started writing this saga seven years ago, and it's still active. Anyway, my tunnel-trip count is six. Four of those six, I didn't even see a car. But there is the ever present possibility of dealing with Port Authority police.

acavre, I think your proposed route of Pioneer to Brookline Blvd to Nobles Lane to Brownsville and down S 18th. Not sure about Nobles or Brownsville Road is not too bad, ultimately. Depends on where in Dormont you're starting from. Look into taking Edgebrook Ave/Herber Way/Ballinger St. That's a great find West Liberty Cycles turned me onto. It's a country road in the middle of the city. So good! Bausman is not a bad street to use either. I know you don't like the intersection around the tubes but I wonder how blocked up Nobles Ln will be. There's almost no passing on that street. I think about riding it as lot as I drive it a lot around 5p. Usually fairly low traffic but that's hard to gauge in a car, ya know? You couldn't pay me to ride up West Liberty but I know people do.

West Liberty should be 25 mph. So should Liberty through Bloomfield and the Strip (now posted 35), for that matter. Right now, it is (both are) goddamned expressways, with ambient traffic speeds 45+ when unchecked by traffic volume. All of these unbikeable streets become a lot more accessible when ambient traffic speeds are lowered to something reasonable. I realize that does not help you much with your current situation, but getting that idea spread will make life a lot easier for everyone. Motorists merely grumble when a stopped car is in front of them, but freak out when it's a bicycle that's going 75% of the posted speed limit. Figure out how to change that.

I usually wouldn't comment without firsthand experience on a bike, but having driven these roads for 20+ years, I would deal with the intersection at the Liberty Tunnels, and ride up Warrington to Allentown, before I took my chances going up Nobles Lane. There are too many blind corners for me to feel comfortable. I can see some danger in that mess of an intersection at 51 and West Liberty, but not as much as the danger of getting hit in a blind corner on Nobles Lane.

@acavre, What I would do is as follows:

• Using the Potomac T station as a reference. Take Potomac Ave. to W. Liberty Ave.
• Turn left onto W. Liberty Ave and. Proceed to next traffic light.
• Turn right onto Pioneer Ave. for 2.1 Miles, Across Brookline Blvd. back to W. Liberty Ave.
• Turn right onto W. Liberty Ave. As you turn, get into the left lane.
• At the traffic light before the tunnel, merge into left turning lane and turn left ontothe Rt. 51 North ramp.
• Proceed 1/10 Mile to Warrington Ave. At the traffic light, turn right into left lane.
• Immediately turn left onto Boggs Ave. At the stop sign, keep right to stay on Boggs Ave. (Do not stop)
• After 9/10 Mile, Bear left onto William St. Continue about 1/2 mile.
• Take a sharp left onto Arlington Ave. WATCH OUT FOR TROLLEY TRACKS AND POTHOLES!!!
• Continue through the traffic light at P.J McArdle Roadway.
• At bottom of hill, turn left onto E. Carson St.
• Get onto the eastern sidewalk of the Smithfield St. Bridge and cross the bridge.
• Follow the sidewalk to Grant Street. Use the pedestrian signal to turn right onto Grant St.
• Navigate the downtown streets to your destination.