Dear Colleagues,
I attended an introductory meeting last evening with a group of people who have
an interest in making roadways in the South Hills more friendly to bicyclists.
The meeting was organized by Economic Development South, located on Brownsville
Road, in Brentwood. Highlights of the meeting were:
1. A discussion of the attractions that drew people to live in the suburbs
originally and the fact that when those amenities faded, some of these areas
began to decline.
2. The development of an inter-modal transportation hub at the intersection of
Routes 51/88 and making appropriate and safe access (which does not currently
exist) to the various bus and trolley stops for bicyclists and pedestrians.
3. Road connection to the riverfront trails via the Streets Run Road corridor.
4. Road connection to the Montour Trail, via Brownsville Road and Brownsville
Road Extension, as one example that was suggested.
5. Promoting bicycling and awareness of bicyclists/pedestrians on the roadways
by motorists in the South Hills.
6. Use of the League of American Bicyclist organization's Bicycle Friendly
Community and Business program.
7. Strategies for developing interest in this organization to enable
achievement of its goals.
EDS was involved in the development of the Giant Eagle complex off of
Brownsville Road in Brentwood and some of the related business development in
the area. It also has the goal of promoting better quality of life/recreation
and the economic benefits that derive from these amenities. Communities
currently affiliated with EDS are: Baldwin, Whitehall, Brentwood, Overbrook, and
Castle Shannon. Several of the meeting attendees were from Bethel Park.
It was a good first meeting for a project that, in my opinion (after riding
bikes on the roads around here for 32 years), has been a long time in coming. I
will continue to provide you with information as to what is going on with this
project.
2013-03-23 09:02:39