BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

“When this area was built 25 years ago, it was built more with the idea that everyone would drive a car, but times have changed,” [Lynn Manion, executive director of ACTA] said. I want to frame that quotation and hang it on my wall.

I have it in writing in a handout at a Transit Council meeting in 1996 that RTC did not want buses on the property, either.

"Funding for the Robinson Town Centre project includes $775,000 through PennDOT and its Pennsylvania Community Transportation Initiative grant" While this sounds like a great project, I would prefer spending the money on creating better bus service rather than improving roadways located on what is essentially private property. Especially since I'm sure RTC received TIF or other money when the monstrosity was built.

I haven't seen the project details, but as someone who at various times had to either walk or bus or bike through that area daily, it needs all the help it can get. Many times I walked from FedEx to Ikea to get a bus, crossing the Montour Trail on the way. Not at all fun. Try doing it in a foot of snow, too.

I'm sure there are more cost effective ways to improve the cycling environment or public transit ridership than the investment here when you consider the number of riders. But this makes me so happy, especially from the biking angle because the visibilty of these changes at the stop and the bike lanes. I hope not just regular bikes but trailers and cargo bikes appear in force. They could reach people who wouldn't be reached and really change some minds about what is possible. Also, recognition, hallelujah, that trails are transportation infrastructure and not just recreational (more true on smoother surface but hey, it's a start). Could inspire more and better trail to useful stuff linkages elsewhere.

I attended the project kick off meeting for this, as an "interested resident" (The meeting was advertised to local businesses. I think some people were a bit surprised there was one interested resident). It is a limited project, but it is a step. The bus hub is an immense improvement over the existing condition. ACTA has been working on things like this for more than a decade, Lynn Manion does great work against neanderthalic forces. It includes sharrows up from the Montour Trail. A change from a decade ago, when then commissioner William Blumling said - direct quote - "One of the biggest problems with developing sidewalks is because we didn't want to tie the Montour Trail in with the mall because it will bring bicycles up there,". http://old.post-gazette.com/neigh_west/20030709wactazw1.asp Fortunately that old f**king dinosaur passed on to his next post in '09. Now that this has been publicized, if you like it and want more, send a note of support to the township manager, Jeffrey Silka jsilka@townshipofrobinson.com , Lynn Manion at ACTA , and any Township commissioners. http://www.townshipofrobinson.com/boards.html http://acta-pgh.org/contact.jsp Also, when out on the Montour Trail, head up the hill and get a Starbucks or a Swedish meatball or something.

it always bugs the hell out of me when i pass by that bus stall just before ikea when coming off the highway (mapping it, it looks like the corner of rtc boulevard and park manor boulevard). there is a worn dirt path on the side of the hill, a couple feet from what amounts to a highway. and there are always waiting or getting off at that stop. it's absurd that this was allowed to happen.

Just in case anyone wasn't sure, Robinson is inhabited largely by morons. The new multi-million dollar renovation of the High School didn't include any sidewalks on campus. There are PAT bus stops on the adjacent road that could be used. High School age kids LITERALLY get on a school bus at the entrance to the driveway and ride the bus to the front door. This is the idiot mentality we are working against.

But if they put in sidewalks then the students might get hit by a car!

Oh now that I've seen the map, that explains it. Why that's 1/5, maybe even 1/4 of a mile. What a nightmare, a 5 minute walk before even starting their day and then another at the end! How would they have any energy left for gym class, especially out at the baseball field? Or, hopefully maybe they have a bus for that. Can we investigate? Edmonds, do please think of the children here.