BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I sent this email to the mayor's office. Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad design? "Hello Mr. Roberts, I have been riding my bike to work from Wilkinsburg to Oakland for the past fifteen years, year round. I was thrilled when bike lanes were added to Forbes Ave between Braddock and Dallas, and even more so when street cleaners kept them clean. The bike lanes on Wightman were also welcomed: a strip outside the parking lane that discouraged motorist from turning the street into a two lane road. However, I and others (read the Bike Pgh posts) feel that the lane being constructed on Schenley Ave. from the main Carnegie Library to Phipps is ill-conceived at best and a nightmare at worst. 1. It is impractical to ride inbound from Squirrel Hill because there is no convenient or safe way to get to the lane from the CMU side. 2. It is impractical to ride outbound to Squirrel Hill because cyclist are blocked in by the row of parked cars–and I saw barriers being installed on my ride in this morning–and the stop sign by Phipps and the park welcome center. Cyclist like myself riding in that direction will just not take the bike lane, opting instead to ride with the traffic, now on a narrower road and thus unable to move over for cars to pass because there is no extra room. 3. It is impractical for two lanes of bike traffic: the lane is the size of a normal bike lane, but must be shared with two-way traffic and cyclist need to negotiate getting in and out of the lane without an adequate route. 4. It greatly slows motor traffic in all directions by adding a four-way stop intersection at Phipps and the Schenley Park welcome center. While well intended, a simple “yield to pedestrians” sign, like in front of the Pitt Student Union, would be sufficient in securing pedestrian and bike safety crossing at that intersection. 5. It endangers both pedestrians and cyclist in front of Phipps by making pedestrians cross in front of bikes as they come and go from their cars. 6. It removes much needed parking by eliminating all the spots in front of the Frick Fine Arts Building. 7. It will make special events at the Phipps a disaster waiting to happen. During special events at Phipps, valet parking is often provided to accommodate the crowd. In the past, valets would park cars around the corner and/or on the lawn in front of Phipps. Under the current configuration, this will be impossible without major inconveniences and accidents. There will be no way to safely carry out this operation. 8. The bike lanes will be difficult to keep clean of debris and snow, especially if barriers go up. This will force cyclist back on to the now much narrower road. 9. It will absolve cyclist from their primary task of being defensive riders. Making it easier to ride without consequence will have the opposite effect: it will encourage less attentiveness on the part of cyclists leading to more mishaps. (See #5 above, e.g.) 10. It will create greater animosity between motorists and cyclists. Most cyclists are motorists as well. We understand both sides. Most want safe conditions, not special treatment. The changes on Schenley Drive do not create safe conditions, and are harmful to both cyclist and motorist. Bike lanes like this work well where there is a long stretch of road with high speed traffic and few intersections. It does not work on Schenley Drive. Regardless of the money provided for this initiative, everyone will be better served by a simple bike lane similar to that provided on Wightman: a three foot path between the parking lane and the traffic, that still requires bikes and cars to ride and drive responsibly and doesn’t impede either’s progress or enjoyment. As one who rides this route twice a day, 200+ days a year, I’ll probably end up riding with the cars, for my own safety."