The Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition’s Bike and Pedestrian Committee wants you to join them and see how friendly Squirrel Hill is for bicyclists.

Squirrel Hill is a bicycle friendly neighborhood with some of the oldest bike lanes in the City. It also has many points of interest, parks, and businesses districts. To celebrate all that Squirrel Hill has, The Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition’s bike and pedestrian committee (SHUC), with the help of BikePgh, and Healthy Ride, is bringing you a fall family 3 mile “Slow Roll” through Squirrel Hill.

The ride combines bike lanes, sharrowed streets, and minimal distance on quiet, unpainted streets.  It will pass by the Forbes/Murray shopping district, Frick Park Environmental Center, “Blue Slide Park,” 3 schools, and the lovely residential areas of Beechwood Boulevard and Wightman Avenue.

The ride welcomes bicyclists of all types and abilities and looks forward to seeing you!

Ride Details:

Date: Sunday, October 6, 2019
Time: 8:30am (Ride takes off at 9am)
Start/End Location:  Squirrel Hill Jewish Community Center – Darlington Avenue Entrance
Bike-Share: Healthy Ride shared bike stations are at corner of Forbes & Murray Avenues (near 6^th Presbyterian Church) and on Murray Avenue near Beacon, for those wishing to use a Healthy Ride bike.
Link for Map/Turning Directions:  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31047282
Rain or Shine:  But check https://facebook.com/squirrelhillmagazine on morning of October 6 to see if there has been a severe weather cancellation
Special Tips:

• End of ride is one block from Squirrel Hill Sunday Farmers Market – 9:00 AM-1:00 PM. Enter on Bartlett Street – and enjoy!
• Participate in Squirrel Hill Community Day, 5801 Forbes Avenue, 1:00-4:00 PM, presented by the Uncover Squirrel Hill merchants’ association and Solevo Wellness

Join the SHUC Bicycle/Pedestrian Committee

A Note about the SHUC Bicycle-Pedestrian Committee:Even though “bicycle” and “pedestrian” are in our name, our full purpose is to ensure that Squirrel Hill’s streets, sidewalks, and paths are safe, accessible, mutually respectful, and highly visible to all users – bicyclists, pedestrians – including those with mobility limitations – and motorists.  We also work to ensure that the concerns of Squirrel Hill are an integral part of all transportation planning and policy considerations undertaken by City, County, State, and Regional public authorities.

Some specific examples of our activity include the following:

• Support of Council Members Strassburger and O’Connor’s initiative, “Shady Avenue Traffic Study” to enhance safety and accessibility of that corridor.  Public meetings , September 25, at Children’s Institute, and October 10, at Allderdice High School Auditorium.
• Advocacy and consultation with pertinent City departments to bring a protected bike-ped pathway on both sides of Forward Avenue between the Parkway (I-376) and the 5-points Forward/Murray/Pocusset intersection.  This also includes an improved traffic light, crosswalk, and traffic flow at the intersection itself.

The Committee meets bi-monthly, the second Thursday, 6:30-8:00 PM, at the Squirrel Hill Jewish Community Center (5738 Forbes Avenue, near Murray).  Meeting notices and agenda are sent a week in advance of each meeting.

For questions or additional information, email Marshall Hershberg, Coordinator of SHUC Bicycle-Pedestrian Committee, at hershberg13@gmail.com.

BECOME AN ADVOCATE

JOIN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD’S BIKE/PED COMMITTEE

Don’t live in Squirrel Hill but want to get more involved with making Pittsburgh better for biking and walking? Become a bike/ped advocate. There are over 20 neighborhood bike/ped committees across the City and surrounding municipalities.

You can find a complete list of them here. You can always start your own committee too! Email anna@bikepgh.org for more information.