BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

+1

Don't look at it as falling short. You always have to aim higher than the thing you want to hit.

I HIGHLY doubt the new stretch to Freeport will be done in '12. Everything I've read says that there is still a lot of money to be raised. While I am excited about how nice it would be to ride all along the river its still a ways out. It seems like we've got little sections that need to be completed in order to really make it awesome, ie. Sandcastle strip, that section that runs by Herrs island and 3RRA where its all decent sized gravel.

Yes, both those longer extensions are only at the planning stage. Then there's funding, design, and construction (likely one small piece at a time). It will take many years until these are built, if they ever are.

I think we'll be lucky if, along with the Sandcastle section, both the remaining downtown sections of the GAP (the ramp down from Smithfield to the Mon wharf trail, and the connection from there into Point State Park) open in 2012.

Still, the fact that they're starting to plan for these new trails is great news.

i hope they finish the trail from the point to the 2nd avenue trail that way i can ride from work clear to sandcastle

I can't wait for the Sandcastle connection to be finished either. 4 miles from my house to The Waterfront and then it's almost all off street to work.

On a side note, if you are interested in seeing the process, the proposed pittsburgh area portion of the Erie to Pittsburgh trail (which would include the stretch to Freeport)is moving into the next stage and there should be a binder available at local libraries that has tons of information in it about the surveys, etc. There is also a new round of meetings that are beginning soon to plan the next steps, check out Friends of the Riverfront for more info.

The delay on the Sandcastle stretch is a head scratcher for me. For the most part, the GAP is a recreational trail, the two-wheeled equivalent of a golf course or something.

I mean, I use it. I like it. But my use of it is totally recreational - and so it is for an overwhelming proportion of the riders.

But near the city? It transportation there. It's a way to get where I need to go.

It is wonderful that they are finally actually "planning" these things rather than "proposing". It'll be even better when they are "funding", better-er when they're "constructing", absolutely the best when they're "unveiling".

You totally had me going on the trail-to-freeport-in-2012 for a minute.

I already knew that 27 miles of trail from Millvale to Freeport would not be completed by 2012,but hoping that they have it all planned, and some more trail miles completed in 2012.I'm also optimistic the 5 mile trail extension from Station Square towards Coraopolis will be done within a couple years.Cyclists will not only use these trails for recreation but also for transportation.I keep hearing of government trying to persuade us to go green and not use our cars so often because it's bad for the environment!! If they make it easier by making bike trails, people won't have to rely on their cars so muxh for transportation.

I'd be shocked if 1 mile of Millvale-Freeport is built in 2012. As far as I know they have not even settled on the final alignment, nor the necessary property acquisition.

Connecting everything to the point would be awesome although riding to Freeport leaves a pile of options too.

Speaking of trail progress, today was my first use of the bike lanes around the Marcegaglia property at the Waterfront.

These are probably the best signed/ marked/ segregated bike lanes in the region.

I was over there Saturday too and I agree. It's amazing how they were able to turn what was a sometimes scary road to ride on into a nice calm trail.

That is outstanding.

That is what needs to be installed at many locations around town. Right off the top of my head, Forbes through CMU, and Fifth through Oakland.

I would love to see this on liberty, but of course the separated bike lane would have to be next to the curb so that parking could exist still.

Kinda off topic, does anyone know if the signage will change going outbound at the liberty/main street/Bloomfield bridge intersection? The right hand lane is marked for bicycles but the overhead sign is still the same. I get frustrated seeing cars ride the bike lane between 40th and the bridge, but I guess there is little to do about that (other than separated bike lanes).

Anyway, getting back to the topic, I would love to be able to ride from the north side to burgatory after work without having to ride the huge stones past Millvale. Biggest annoyance is that the vibrations hurt my hands and wrists. Even if they extended the bumpy surface that is the trail between the 31st and 40th st bridges to Freeport, I would be happy.

Nonprofit, officials to detail plan for Pittsburgh-to-Freeport trail

@stefb I've had to hop on the sidewalk to pass on two occasions between 40th and the bridge when the bike lane was blocked. Seems to have gotten worse since the lane was put in.

also, I have yet to figure out the new light sequence at the bridge.

They may be testing a new pattern. I was fooled the other day at that intersection.

I too was fooled by the new light pattern but it seems to make sense in that each part of the 4 part intersection gets a "turn" at a green instead of the old way.

As far as pavement markings or signage....good luck. I 311'd the intersection at Black and Negley about the discrepancy between what is shown on the street and what is shown on signage. The response...another traffic study would have to be performed to add the lane markings. This despite the fact that it there are already signs up. So another study would have to performed to just reenforce what is already shown on the signs. Ah, red tape...just another way to waste $$$$$.

the old light sequence made more sense, IMO.

I've kinda figured it out though.

I've never seen a delayed left arrow where the left turn didn't have the option to yield and turn on solid green.

This may be covered somewhere else, but...

Why isn't the Southside trail behind A&E and the Hofbrauhaus House open yet? It looks like it's been ready since spring! Jeez!

It's insane. I remember sitting outside at Hofbrauhaus in the spring and thinking about how great it would be to have that done. I think it's going to be a terrible section of trail to ride though however. You're going to get stuck behind a lot of tourists and weavers.

Not that I've ever been down there...

but a bike that looks like mine has.

On Saturday it looked like two fence panels were still missing, and a few light fixtures.

The cynic in me thinks they're slow-mo-ing any trail openings (airport, HofBrauHaus, SandCastle were all due in Nov.) to avoid drawing attention to the trails in a tense political situation in which no politician wants to have their picture taken cutting the ribbon on a $7.1M trail project. (false dichotomy of austerity vs bike trails)

Arrggghhhh.

It's aggravating that they can't just open the trail quietly. It's been in the same state since early summer.

Open a trail quietly for the win.

The saying isn't "If you build it, and hold a press conference and a huge gala opening and get interviewed for several articles and sound bites, they will come."

Maybe they just forgot to open it and maybe if someone helped and did it for them it wouldn't be so bad.

Kinda off topic, does anyone know if the signage will change going outbound at the liberty/main street/Bloomfield bridge intersection? The right hand lane is marked for bicycles but the overhead sign is still the same. I get frustrated seeing cars ride the bike lane between 40th and the bridge, but I guess there is little to do about that (other than separated bike lanes).

This is frustrating to no end. We have it designed to turn the right most lane (uphill) into "Right turn only (Except buses and Bikes)" to eliminate the aggressive drivers who use that to get ahead of the pack as well as the confusion. Like everything, things get half done, then get stalled for *insert reason here*. i have no answer for when it will be properly done.

They did paint a single sharrow inbound after the bike lane ends.

Lou - about black and negley: last time I rode home that way, I didn't recall any arrows remaining on the road. When I drove home that way tonight, it was rainy and dark, and it appeared as though those arrows were gone. I noticed that TWO signs were put up in the past month or so clarifying that the lefthand lane was left turn only. However, people still ignore those signs and both lanes of traffic continue straight. It is frustrating and dangerous. I would have to say that even if the arrows on the road are kinda visible still in daylight that the two signs would be what people should follow, but I think everyone is in such a hurry that they don't care.

And I know it is probably a lot more expensive than I would imagine, but how much DOES it cost to paint an arrow on the road or to change an overhead sign at an intersection?