This is my first winter commuting and so far I have not figured out what my solution for getting across the 40th Street Bridge is. I live in Shaler and work in North Oakland. If I cross on the sidewalk (Which I like to do) it is really icy and seems rather dangerous. Crossing on the road is dangerous because the bridge is used as a mega highway for drivers. Not to mention the rise and fall of the bridge would leave me invisible to drivers until they were right up on me.
Does the city remove any snow and ice from the sidewalks?
What do you prefer this time of year?
faunaviolet
2013-11-29 08:39:20
On a somewhat related note... The newly finished bridge on Highland has become a sheet of ice on the sidewalks. Similarly, the pedestrian path below is also icy and I'm imagining both sources of ice are from cars driving through slush, which then freezes on the sidewalk
Too bad they couldn't figure out a solution to that, like maybe putting on barriers
sgtjonson
2013-11-30 16:34:59
FaunaViolet wrote:Does the city remove any snow and ice from the sidewalks?
No they don't care about sidewalks at all. They will plow right onto the sidewalk. Pittsburgh doesn't get much snow, but when we do I suggest walking your bike across the bridge on the sidewalk. I always feel that a little more time is better than being on a dangerous street. I had to walk my bike a bit on the Highland Park Bridge the other night because it was frozen over and really rough. So it took me a few extra minutes. No big deal. Our city will never care about sidewalks much. At least that is my feeling. It is all about motor vehicles in our region. Not much anyone can do.
gg
2013-12-01 23:25:04
Ride down to the 31st st bridge?
rice-rocket
2013-12-02 03:44:06
rice rocket wrote:Ride down to the 31st st bridge?
its a short, pleasant detour on the trail down and through the strip back that wouldn't eat much time.
the other alternatives aren't much better than 40th st. 62nd st is much lower traffic (but who knows how much that will pick up with the nightmare the highland park bridge is going to become with the butler st closing) but the design SUCKSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. you come from the surface in the center lane while the expressway exit dumps people to your right in a nearly blind merge. if i was going to go this way id just ride through sharpsburg to the hpb. but be very careful at the one wild place/butler st intersection as about half the people driving have been pretty much ignoring the new lanes, stop signs and traffic patterns around the butler st closure/detour.
cburch
2013-12-02 10:35:23
I can't say i've seen a bridge sidewalk get maintained by the City. Even the Hot Metal Bridge has been maintained by volunteers, originally organized from this messageboard.
erok
2013-12-02 10:40:07
