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Local News Stories and LTE 2018

New thread for a new year. Fill 'er up with bike-related local news stories and letters to the editor, etc.
edronline
2018-01-01 21:16:40
Interesting bit here:
In the third settlement, the city would pay $50,000 to Victoria Rainey of Manchester, who alleged the city was negligent in failing to maintain a sidewalk outside the Phipps Conservatory in Oakland.
nmr
2018-01-09 09:44:37
@nmr, this is the first time I've heard of pgh settling for slip and falls on sidewalks they're supposed to maintain.  meaning I'm wondering if people should lawyer up if they wreck in an unplowed bike lane...
edronline
2018-01-09 20:12:02
PG has a poll today asking if you think bike lanes should be plowed. So far, 49% said yes, 40% no, with remainder having no opinion.
chrishent
2018-01-17 08:12:36
Sometimes (always?) Those polls are clickbait for you to answer other survey questions that the PG makes $$ off of.
edronline
2018-01-17 08:47:18
@edronline, oh, I know. Today's follow-up questions concerned apps for ordering take-out. Don't people cook at home? Jeez.
chrishent
2018-01-17 08:57:27
http://www.wpxi.com/news/top-stories/veteran-was-victim-of-hit-and-run-caught-on-surveillance-video/689413829 MILLVALE, Pa. - Police in Millvale have released surveillance video of a hit-and-run that seriously hurt a veteran in hopes of finding the driver. Police released the video Thursday because they’ve been looking for the driver for months and can’t find her, hoping someone will recognize the car and turn her in. "Initially it was like, 'You gotta be kidding me. Did I just get hit by a car?'" said Thomas Bricker. He is the bicyclist in surveillance video who can be seen coming down Grant Street in Millvale when he gets run over by a car. Thomas has been in physical therapy for a dislocated shoulder ever since the incident that happened on Oct. 26. Police tried for months to find the female driver, but couldn't, and that's why they just released the surveillance video to Channel 11. Bricker, who was in the Marine Corps for five years, still can't understand how the driver could just hit him and leave. "Thank God I was wearing my helmet, I don't know what would've happened then," he said. There is a possible reward for information leading to a suspect and conviction. The driver will be charged with leaving the scene of an accident, reckless endangerment and aggravated assault.
rustyred
2018-01-25 19:38:00
Nst . Some pavement slippy wfreezing fog
edronline
2018-01-28 08:52:05
Friends of the Riverfront has their office in the Aero Tech Designs building. They just moved there last year. When Aero Tech moves out, FOTR might have to relocate, also. (I don't have inside information on this, just guessing.)
paulheckbert
2018-03-01 11:03:51
Bummer, I really appreciate local manufacturing. They just got their retail shop up and running recently, I was looking forward to browsing. Too bad their winter hours were also mostly the exact same hours I am at work (so I haven't made it there yet, and probably won't anytime soon)
benzo
2018-03-01 12:18:59
Summer road work: http://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2018/03/05/PennDOT-Pittsburgh-summer-schedule-Parkway-East-59-projects-paving-2018/stories/201803050105  Whenever I read that the parkway is going to be under construction I think - good thing there's an awesome bike trail right next to it! Unfortunate though that a bunch of work is being done to 837 and no pedestrian/cycling improvements are planned (outside of the south side). Due to it's proximity to the GAP  trail, it would be great to have that road be more friendly so that locals can safely get from their homes to the trail. Since there are many low-income neighborhoods throughout the corridor, they would greatly benefit from increased pedestrian and cycling safety which would allow people to get to work more safely. It would also likely help the neighborhoods improve long-term. In many areas 837 it is a high-speed corridor and really doesn't need to be.   Also, I love this picture from the PG a few days ago when Forward Ave was closed due to landslides: http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2018/03/01/Landslide-forces-closure-of-Forward-Avenue-in-Squirrel-Hill-Pittsburgh-walnut-towers/stories/201803010144 
bree33
2018-03-06 07:50:48
It does appear that as they get input from their community meetings, they are updating the map to reflect that feedback. I've seen a couple stations move around on the map.
benzo
2018-03-22 10:35:17
Where exactly is this railing being placed? I couldn't figure it out from the trib article and I'm trying not to use up my PG articles.
edronline
2018-03-23 15:34:37
It must be on the western (downtown) side of the bridge. It says the bike lane will be used for the detour. I think the sidewalk is unprotected, so there will be some kind of railing to keep people from accidentally stepping into the road.
jonawebb
2018-03-23 16:02:54
The parapets are getting modified with railing extensions to make then at least 42" high, I believe on all quadrants.
nmr
2018-03-23 16:54:26
Glad they went out of their way to remove the only bike lanes between Smithfield and 26th.
nmr
2018-03-29 07:40:05
Yeah, there is zero need for a pedestrian sidewalk on the South side of carson up against that wall.  What would you need to get to?
marko82
2018-03-29 09:49:12
@marko82, there are four bus stops on that side of the road and they do get used, particularly the one in front of Terminal St.; it's an unpleasant place to get off the bus, and the lack of a sidewalk definitely contributes to this. I can imagine anyone waiting for the bus there or waiting to cross the street after getting off the bus must feel like a sitting duck. Ideally, we would see both a sidewalk and a bikeway, or even an elevated bike/ped. path here.
chrishent
2018-03-29 10:03:31
People already cross the street to get to the bus stops and the addition of a sidewalk will result in even more pedestrian traffic and yet all they are putting there are a couple pedestrian crossing signs?  Not even a painted crosswalk or two?
greg-h
2018-03-29 11:38:10
@chrishent, thanks for correcting me, I hadn't thought of the bus stops.  I would still like to see the bike lane stay though - with proper pedestrian crossings where needed. I also think it is almost criminal that the major intersections don't have ped-only walk phases (Barnes dance).  Especially at 18th street which is one of the most dangerous in the city for car/ped crashes.
marko82
2018-03-29 12:23:40
If the future sidewalk is basically in the exact same place as the current bike lane, and just as wide, and is not really in much of a "business district" so will probably have few pedestrians, then is there really much of a difference?  It will basically be a raised up bike lane, and will be a big improvement for people who are scared to ride on the road in that stretch.
alleghenian
2018-03-29 13:16:53
Well, except some of us avoid riding on sidewalks so we don't inconvenience pedetrians, so there's a difference. Ideally there would be some sort of street design strategy that the city could sign on to which would make provision for pedestrians and cyclists as well as motorists.
jonawebb
2018-03-29 13:55:11
Hopefully, due to the redevelopment at that station square parking lots, through streets parallel to East Carson may be re-connected. Which would be helpful. Again, who knows when, the southside trail is a patchwork of detours and reroutes currently. I'm sure it will all be much better in a decade.
benzo
2018-03-29 16:44:08
I used to always go on KcKean/Bingham east (and west) bound. Once they bike-laned E. Carson, I switched to that. It's much smoother (and fewer cement trucks barreling out full speed). I don't have an issue with pedestrian accommodation, especially at bus stops. I'm not sure we need the entire Arlington-7th(?) stretch sidewalked, if any of it. But definitely islands for bus people (ideally with a pedestrian-actuated traffic light). And with the bike lane on the inside (possibly unintuitive). It would certainly contribute to traffic calming; that stretch could surely use it. On the subject of inside bike lanes, Edinburgh (SCO) has a great solution for bus shelters which both protects peds from cars and, by virtue of being right on the curb, would leave room for a bike lane: This is coincidental, but note that both the bus shelter advert and the truck have stuff to say about about bicycles. On reflection, what would you expect? (And if you care, there's this.)
ahlir
2018-03-29 20:42:20
All this verbiage, all these plans, to avoid addressing the real problem: Speeding cars. You can’t drive a car through there at 24 mph, either direction, without suddenly getting four close friends breathing down your neck.
stuinmccandless
2018-03-30 20:40:41
It sounds like a car drove off East Waterfront Drive, across the GAP / Steel Valley Trail, and into the Monongahela River on 4/6. The driver was rescued. If the location is what I suspect, this is in Munhall, east of the Waterfront and just east of the big blue Marcegaglia building, where the road & trail make a bend to the right. It's near the Marcegaglia and Brismet signs. The trail diverges from the road at this spot and the road bends right over the railroad tracks. Drive too fast and you could go into the river. We had a car do nearly the same thing in about the same spot on April 4, 2015. http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2018/04/06/munhall-accident-vehicle-monongahela-river/
paulheckbert
2018-04-07 02:29:09
children of the couple who were killed in Oakland reached a settlement with the city based off of the city admitting that their designed intersection sucked. “One of the reasons we agreed to settle was because, finally after this accident, the city accepted all of our expert opinions about how dangerous this intersection was, and they totally redid it. My clients feel that they accomplished something where nobody is ever going to get killed or injured again at that intersection.” http://triblive.com/local/allegheny/13520851-74/pittsburgh-to-settle-with-family-of-couple-killed-in-2015-bus-accident
erok
2018-04-11 15:29:53
@edronline:  This is the Terminal Way complex (which, as the article notes, is actually one building, which has a road through the middle), between the end of the South Side Trail and the gravel plant: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Terminal+Way,+Pittsburgh,+PA+15219/@40.4303355,-79.9987611,15z/ As I recall from when they were first talking about this--I may be wrong--McKnight are interested in extending the trail; it's the gravel plant next door (Frank Bryan Concrete) and the railroad that are the blockers.
epanastrophe
2018-04-20 08:55:37
This is right next to the Liberty Bridge.  If you google "Terminal Way, Pittsburgh", that is the road that goes in between the two sides of the building.  It is on the stretch where there is no riverfront trail, between Station Square and the Southside.  If you are coming from the Southside and cross the train tracks onto that cobblestone road detour, you are right next to it.
alleghenian
2018-04-20 08:58:49
Amusingly, Terminal Way is the location where I was gonna place a Tag-o-Rama tag last week, but aborted because certain features I wanted to utilize weren't available, plus they had a sign up about signing in with the guard, which made it feel "private property-ish", which is invalid for T-o-R. Nice view from the end of that pier/bridge/whatever tho.
ornoth
2018-04-20 12:44:25
Detour is 2nd to 4th, right? I've been there plenty of times but never knew the street names. So they're going to develop terminal way itself and have access to the river? So maybe it'll make the detour a tiny bit shorter.
edronline
2018-04-20 17:05:26
The new sidewalk and bike trail near the Carnegie Science Center is taking shape. https://flic.kr/p/26iEzNm
paulheckbert
2018-04-20 20:42:21
Is it the perspective, or is the new sidewalk a bit wider than the old with the hillside to the right a bit less steep?
edronline
2018-04-21 05:48:20
It does seem to look that way, but cameras can definitely play tricks. The old sidewalk was uncomfortably narrow when there was a lot of pedestrian traffic.
benzo
2018-04-27 09:48:17
Yay. It was closed earlier today along with the whole street.
edronline
2018-04-27 21:36:46
With the 2 DSA candidates winning their primaries here in the Pgh area and running unopposed in the fall, one can hope that this tilts Harrisburg ever so slightly more pro bike...
edronline
2018-05-16 07:23:27
I added a comment, and in the hour or so since, got two positive and zero negative replies. Unstated in all this bike lane discussion is that bikes already have a bike lane, everywhere. It’s called the driving lane. As a driver, if there’s a cyclist in front of you, you patiently follow said cyclist in that lane. You will have no expectation of even attaining the speed limit, so get over it. Every other thing slowing you down, you just accept - garbage trucks, geese, someone parallel parking, someone with a forklift unloading a truck, pedestrian crossing, whatever - and you accept that. But a bike appears, and people go bonkers. Stop it. On most city streets, and many residential streets outside the city, it’s 25 mph. Expect to go 25, tops, and the cyclist toodling along at 15 will be of no consequence. Besides, state law gives you explicit permission to cross the yellow line to pass a cyclist if visibly safe to, same as if you were driving around a downed tree branch. Just be nice while you’re doing that if you feel it necessary, and continue on your way. Is that really all that difficult to accept?
stuinmccandless
2018-05-22 14:14:18
A few days ago I tweeted to pgh311 that they should have no parking/no stopping/no loading signs on the Penn Ave cycle track. This thought occured to me last Saturday morning when a paragon food truck was well in the lane, completely encased with bollards, delivering to a restaurant at 630 am. The driver told me he had"15 min to unload.". Pgh311 tweeted back that they passed this idea onto the parking authority. Then yesterday pgh parking authority tweeted this: https://mobile.twitter.com/PGHParking/status/1001859180570071040 I tweeted back my sign idea and the PPA said they'd talk to the city about it. In any case, I hope this happens. I think it'll cut out maybe 25 percent of the random parking there. But also take away the "I didn't know" defense.
edronline
2018-05-31 06:52:39
32 yo record label manager who just moved to Troy Hill complaining about gentrification is like the SOV driver stuck in traffic complaining about congestion. You're not in traffic, you are traffic. Find a better perspective. The absolutely worst thing that can happen is like in 2015, when two challengers split the dissenting vote and Harris walked in with a plurality. Ugh.
nmr
2018-06-05 09:45:15
It's worth remembering at this point the genesis of crosstown boulevard, which severed the connection between the Hill District and Downtown, leading to the eventual destruction of a vital center of Aftrican-American culture. A while ago I looked up Robert Moses's 1939 "Arterial Plan for Pittsburgh" in the Pennsylvania section of the main Carnegie Library, and copied the pages at https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0SsCVLENRv4NXowTGlMTHFqZUk. The crosstown boulevard plan was described as follows: "A new thoroughfare free from crossings at grade should be built to connect Duquesne Way, Bigelow Boulevard and the Liberty Bridge, tapping the Boulevard of the Allies. Incidentally, this will wipe out a slum district which is no credit to Pittsburgh and which has a depressing effect on available surrounding property. The service roads should be separated from the central roadway by landscaped borders, which, while they will be necessarily comparatively narrow, will do much to improve the general appearance of the neighborhood." (page 17) This was well before the Civic Arena, which only confirmed the final destruction of the neighborhood. We are only now, 80 years later, undoing some of the damage caused by this destructive, racially motivated, road.
jonawebb
2018-07-02 13:36:57
Regarding the Etna thing. Is this trail going to connect to Millvale so that crossing the river twice, riding on railroad ballast, or climbing hills is no longer necessary for travel from Aspinwall, Sharpsburg, and Etna to the North Shore?
zzwergel
2018-07-24 14:34:57
Yes. That's the plan.
edronline
2018-07-24 18:22:51
Austin holds the record for CtC in at least one direction, and he was also a really wonderful person. Hug your friends today.
2018-07-30 21:39:02
Two updates: There was a nice piece on Austin in the local news this morning (7-31-2018).  I cannot recall if it was PG or Trib.  I'll try to edit to add a link or cut and paste here later this morning.   The driver in the Chippewa Twp hit and run incident earlier this month has been identified and charged with several traffic offenses.  The cyclist survived the crash.
swalfoort
2018-07-31 09:56:58
I didn't know Austin but his friends had nice things to say about him on the news. Very touching.
edronline
2018-07-31 12:34:18
Probably the most mainstream publicity CtC has ever gotten.
stuinmccandless
2018-07-31 18:21:08
boy on bike gets hit by train in dawson, fayette county. looks like an at-grade crossing in a small town without arms.
There are about five crossings like this. All are in about half mile range.  
mikhail
2018-08-17 15:32:07
PennDOT revises their 12-year plan; Smithfield Street, Highland Park, and Mckees Rocks bridges will all come under the proverbial knife, with Smithfield the first one up: http://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2018/08/19/PennDOT-adopts-12-year-plan-rehab-bridges-Smithfield-Street-Highland-Park-McKees-Rocks/stories/201808200029 It's probably fruitless, but any way that bike advocates can provide input for these projects? All three bridges could have a much better setup for cycling. Smithfield isn't that problematic, but the other two are.
chrishent
2018-08-20 09:18:43
I think that the Highland Park project doesn't actually touch the bridge itself but is rather that widening of 28 next to the bridge so that there are 2 lanes of traffic on 28 both north and southbound. Penndot presented plans for this maybe about 5 months ago at a meeting at fox chapel area high school.  THey've also been doing hillside surveying (they did this about 5 months ago also).  I guess they're still drawing up plans and waiting for money. they were very explicit that they wouldn't be touching non-28 on/off ramps, as they didn't want to get embroiled in the r47 development fight that was white hot last year in aspinwall. the anti-r47 crowd felt that this was a back door way to get access to the r47 development.
edronline
2018-08-20 09:59:06
@eric I think they are two different projects for the HP bridge area: one for the access ramps on the 28 side, which is the one you refer to, and one for the bridge itself several years down the line.
chrishent
2018-08-20 10:15:24
"Update on R47 and trail from Aspinwall to Etna." It is still useless unless it connects to the Millvale trail.
zzwergel
2018-08-21 21:36:14
As far as i know it'll never connect to the trail when it terminates in Etna at the riverfront park by the 62nd st bridge. Sharpsburg has said that after James Sharp landing it'll run on the street, a la blawnox, until it gets to Etna.
edronline
2018-08-22 06:46:59
Re: Highland Park Bridge project in 12 year plan - as previously corrected above, but just to underscore: NOT the same as the Freeport Road bridge currently underway between Sharpsburg and Aspinwall. NOR is it the Rt28 widening project (whose scope does encompass the ramp cluster at the north end of HPB). Dan Cessna mentioned at a meeting I attended 2+years ago that PADOT would look to address HPB after the two above mentioned projects (and by the way, my recollection is that PADOT considers HPB to include the south ramps and Butler Street towards Washington Blvd as all part of the same scope/complex). In my experience with PADOT engineers, they value and will consider local input/feedback on this type of project. They have admitted they don't experience these roadways and bridges they way locals do. As OP mentioned, the need of local individuals and advocacy groups to bring deficiencies and/or solutions to PADOTs attention is great. Take every opportunity to let them know the shortcomings and offer practical suggestions.
atleastmykidsloveme
2018-08-22 12:41:44
af·fect — əfekt – verb – have an effect on; make a difference to. ef·fect — əfekt – verb – cause (something) to happen; bring about. I would say that 'affect' is what you were looking for.
ahlir
2018-09-24 19:41:53
Those will be welcome additions to the bike lane network! Connecting the GAP and Penn Ave lanes to point state park is a big deal. As I understand it the Blvd of the Allies bike lane was nixed due to business owners wanting to retain curbside parking. The new route appears to rely on 3rd ave instead. Lane width is at a premium down there so i'm hopeful actual bike lanes are put in rather than just sharrows. If 3rd is going to get a counter-flow bike lane, that seems to suggest that it will lose some on street parking. The block by gateway center could accommodate a lane losing only parking on one side of the street.  The block to the east of that is narrower and only has parking on one side already. Hmmm. Streetview: https://goo.gl/maps/nN9UZb9BZwx
dfiler
2018-09-25 16:23:57
I assume where it says "contra flow bikelane" it means that third ave is one way there and the way going with traffic gets sharrows and the way against traffic gets a bike lane like oakland?   strange that they're presenting this as a done deal but then in other tweets mentioned that there will be public meetings about it...
edronline
2018-09-25 18:36:36
Pitt unveiled a 30 year master plan which has a lot of nods toward Peds/Bike safety and redesigning streetscapes.  Nothing is set in stone, obviously, but glad to hear that Pitt has made this a priority along with building more buildings.   https://campusplan.pitt.edu/draft-campus-plan
edronline
2018-09-29 15:01:49
Tereneh Idia: Biking Ain’t Easy “I was afraid to ride a bike. So, when someone would say ‘easy as riding a bike,’ I would think: Who are you kidding?” https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/tereneh-idia-biking-aint-easy/Content?oid=11061518 So, biking is the fastest way for a car-less and frugal me to get from Point A to Point B. And thanks to the increasing number of bike lanes … Yes, I said it. I mean it. About 80 percent of my commute is either by bike lane or bike trail. In fact, if it wasn’t for the increasing number of bike lanes, I would not be riding at all. 
marko82
2018-10-03 10:19:18
What's the "new 3rd Ave" facility they are talking about?
edronline
2018-10-08 18:36:43
@Eric - Here's the details of the 3rd ave facilities. "The new bike lanes will allow people on bikes to travel in both directions on 3rd Ave, between Smithfield St and Stanwix St. The 3rd Ave bike facility will include a westbound “shared lane” paired with an eastbound protected contraflow bike lane." To be implemented sometime in October 2018 I believe, for the first phase, which includes the 3rd ave contraflow lane. http://localhost/2018/09/26/city-allow-bikes-downtown-bus-lanes-add-contraflow-bike-lane-3rd-ave/
benzo
2018-10-10 11:49:42
The 3rd Ave lane is in and painted.  I am hoping that add a few bollards or something besides paint that helps drivers realize bikes are coming from the opposite direction.  Also a few spots might need a sign to look for bikes to the left when pulling out. I will try and get a picture up this evening
jstalnaker2112
2018-10-10 15:29:29
"A man is headed to jail after he allegedly threatened people on a South Side trail, sucker punched the responding officer, took his Taser, tossed it down a hillside, ran off and was eventually apprehended by a police dog Thursday afternoon. ... The incident began about 12:15 p.m. when an officer responded to the Three Rivers Heritage Trail near the Hot Metal Bridge for a report of a man harassing a woman and threatening other people on the trail." https://triblive.com/local/allegheny/14168479-74/police-suspect-sucker-punched-cop-threw-his-taser-in-the-mon
paulheckbert
2018-10-12 00:35:55
took longer than anticipated, but here is the 3rd Ave. lane with traffic and a cyclist coming up.  Shot is from Smithfield looking towards Stanwix.
jstalnaker2112
2018-10-12 08:35:11
Nice. I'm going to ride through this evening and check out the new lanes. Looking good!
benzo
2018-10-12 09:34:40
I like the use of yellow paint, but are there bike-only signs?  Otherwise it suggests that motorcycles (or really narrow cars) can use it.
marko82
2018-10-12 10:19:09
I also worry that without separators that peds will walk off the curb looking the other way for cars and into a bike. The separators at least give a visual clue that something is different and to look out.
edronline
2018-10-12 12:41:32
Why aren't there any sharrows painted on the bus/bike lanes north of 3rd Ave.? The signs still say "Buses only" Due to the lack of sharrows north of 3rd Ave., I went over to Smithfield St. to continue north. On the plus side, the 3rd Ave. bike lane is in the video. https://youtu.be/iYsO49hquAs?t=112
zzwergel
2018-10-15 19:46:54
If it ever gets done, I will be very surprised. Frankly I’m surprised it was agreed to at all. TBQH, it would be better if sharrows are not put down. This does not have the support of bus drivers, and to put down sharrows would not play well. This sort of thing truly gums up labor-management discussions when such things need not have any gum added.
stuinmccandless
2018-10-15 22:25:24
TBQH = Teen Bible Quiz Hour
paulheckbert
2018-10-15 22:38:07
Are labor- mgmt talks going to hinge on sharrows? Bikes will be there sharrows or not. I'm assuming most bus drivers care more about pay, work hours, and benefits than sharrows come contract time.
edronline
2018-10-16 07:12:23
TBQH=to be quite honest It may appear to be background noise, but please take unilateral decisions by Port Authority management seriously. I’m already seeing ruffled feathers from bus drivers I consider to be among the more level headed. This may appear to be good for us, but there is a downside to it, too, and it’s invisible. It’s not about sharrows, it’s about sharing space they did not used to have to (legally).
stuinmccandless
2018-10-17 12:13:25
Local police radar/laser bill is going to die. PA legislature term expires 11-30-18 and all bills die at that time. No votes scheduled between now and then. PA legislature has adjourned.  There may be a special sessions for a vote on a bill related to Catholic church abuse, but they certainly won't take up unrelated business at that vote. The main sponsor of the bill, who is my PA Senator, lost the primary, so he won't be back to submit the bill in the next session.
edronline
2018-10-19 07:42:00
a) randyland in the picture! b) Love how they talk about how the new 14th and Penn station located along the penn ave bikelane provides a "safe" way to get to points east.  Except that's what we've been bitching about for years...
edronline
2018-11-09 15:15:45
That R47 article says the designers, Balmori Associates, are seeking public input at info@balmori.com .
paulheckbert
2018-11-17 22:36:53
@Paul, What about Shaler? The stretch of land between Etna and Millvale is in Shaler. If the trail does not connect between Etna and Millvale, it is still useless.
zzwergel
2018-11-18 21:58:47
last update I could find about shaler was about 1.5 years ago. https://triblive.com/local/hamptonshaler/12509066-74/shaler-gets-200k-in-funding-toward-three-rivers-heritage-trail-extension   things move slowly in municipal governments, especially if it's a matter of figuring out land issues with railroads. (not sure if this is the case). My guess is that it'll be another 5-10 years before we have a fully done trail link from Aspinwall to downtown. Then I'm going to use the heck out of it.
edronline
2018-11-19 08:53:36
@Eric, Why would that be?
zzwergel
2018-11-19 12:10:11
  Woman claims BNY Mellon fired her for Antwon Rose-related Facebook post because she's white https://triblive.com/local/allegheny/14314918-74/woman-claims-bny-mellon-fired-her-for-facebook-post-because-shes-white
On June 30, Ellis used her personal Facebook account to comment on a news article about reckless driving charges filed against Bell Acres Councilman Gregory C. Wagner for driving his car through a group of social justice activists whose protest shut down streets in the North Shore. Ellis wrote, “Total BS. Too bad he didn’t have a bus to plow through.” ... Ellis’ comment was not racially motivated, and “we don’t think that a reasonable person would perceive that as inciting violence or meaning it literally,” Colianni said.
Yeah it wasn't racist, she just advocated running people over with a bus, because I guess a car wouldn't kill enough.  Lovely lady.
marko82
2018-11-20 10:24:38
The good and the bad of it is that PA is an at will work state so the bar for her to win is very, very high. My guess is that she's hoping to get a settlement to disappear...
edronline
2018-11-20 13:03:46
That’s where we put the speed cameras.
stuinmccandless
2018-11-22 01:13:34
this is from the Governors Highway Safety Administration-- Still no speed camera law in PA, but I *think* Wolf signed a bill in October meaning that work zones on highways will have speed cameras.  And although Pittsburgh can use red light cameras, I think the law is so narrowly written/there's such backlash that I think they're only used out in Philly.  I know when red light camera laws were more in vogue a lot of cities rolled them out and then over the years have decreased their usage due to citizen anger. I guess the 2 issues are -- money maker for the city and money maker for private companies. My wife got zapped by a speed camera in DC about 15 years ago. We got a postcard in the mail with a cool picture of the rear end of her car. Given that the camera wasn't completely horizontal the picture looks like it was taken by a 5 year old.  I paid the fine. No points on the license for her. I just looked up Ohio, where I'm going today. I remember there being red light cameras on the east side of the city, near Shaker. Like along Lee Road leading from 480 into Shaker. It seems that Ohio changed the law that they can only be used "when an officer is present." So they're all gone. Speed Cameras No state law or programs Red Light Cameras Violation/State Law Limited Permitted Locations/Criteria Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and municipalities with a population greater than 20,000 and a police department accredited by the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties; requires local ordinance Citation Issued To/Liability Registered owner/Owner Image Taken Photos Penalties (Traditional Penalties) $100 maximum; not on operating record ($25 maximum; 3 points)
edronline
2018-11-22 06:47:46
Man, I don't even know where to begin on that LTE. It's almost as if that was written by an automated letter generator; he did all the greatest hits!
chrishent
2018-11-23 07:32:31
Honestly with the Trib they love publishing these LTEs apropos of nothing because it is click bait for their rabid audience of 50+ year old men. It generates lots of comments underneath which then helps improve their audience #s as their main source of revenue now is ad revenue from their website. It's cheaper than having a reporter write an article (which they publish to the website without any copy editing...) I think ignoring is probably the best thing to do. Any defending of bike lanes in the comment section just leads to non-productive name calling like "libtard" and "snowflake" and drives up the click count for the Trib and reaffirms their decision to publish click bait. The irony is that I bet that the author rarely if ever attends events in Oakland or Downtown.
edronline
2018-11-23 09:29:33
I was going to post this response, but cannot get my iPad to talk to the Facebook plugin. Cars are great tools for transpoting people and things some distance, but once at that destination, become more liability than asset. Suburbanites have difficulty accepting this, as the comments here show. No, you cannot expect to park close for free in a busy area. Lose that idea, and accept instead that you have to drop grandma at the corner then pay to park in a garage three blocks away. Cyclists, meanwhile, are doing you a favor by freeing up a parking space somewhere for you. Yes we can carry groceries and packages on our bikes. And anyplace you don’t see a bike lane, you can expect to follow a bike at bike speed, without complaint.
stuinmccandless
2018-11-24 05:19:39
Route 837 East Carson Street Safety Improvement Project
lesliethomas
2018-11-30 09:03:40
Stu^ - excellent, kudos. As usual.
edmonds59
2018-11-30 09:11:49
@lesliethomas - I don't see a link here. Can you please repost? A search turned up articles from several months ago, nothing recent.
stuinmccandless
2018-12-02 12:50:15
Oi . This message system sucks .I cut and paste the link into my message (on the text tab) and in chrome I can see a preview of the link but can't click it .   How I miss the old version of the message board. :(
edronline
2018-12-02 20:35:40
PG letter to the editor anticipates crowds attending "Hamilton" in January, and recommends: "It would be a nice gesture on the part of the Pittsburgh Public Works Department to temporarily remove the bicycle lanes along Penn and Sixth avenues to allow theatergoers easier access when entering and exiting parking lots and garages." Hah! https://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/letters/2018/12/03/A-nice-gesture/stories/201812030027
paulheckbert
2018-12-03 00:58:39
If such large crowds are expected, then the streets should be closed to car traffic, except shuttles that carry the throngs from satellite parking areas...
yalecohen
2018-12-03 01:52:00
Amazingly I've been too many other sold out shows at the benedum in the last few years and I've never had to stand in the bike lane to get on . I also went to a show w their new security measures 2 weeks ago and it took 20 extra seconds to get in the door. Security is much faster than 75 year old volunteer ushers trying to scan your ticket with an Android device.
edronline
2018-12-03 05:53:28
Man, I thought the guy that wrote that LTE would have been from Murrysville or Cranberry, but instead he's from Squirrel Hill! Seriously, a 61ABCD, 67 or 69 probably go by close enough to where he lives, and drops him and whoever goes with him within a block or two of the theater. This is without mentioning that if he's over 65, he can ride the bus for free. My guess is that he's one of those people I see standing in line for 15-20 minutes to get on the elevator at the Sixth and Penn garage after a show (so they can then spend 15-20 minutes to drive out of the garage), which I always think it's both funny and sad.
chrishent
2018-12-03 10:29:19
What's even better is that while people are waiting in the lobby at Sixth and Penn other people walk upstairs to the 2nd floor and monopolize the elevators, keeping the lobby people waiting even longer. If you're going to drive downtown for a show, the solution is to park at the Grant Street garage and walk over. It's $5 after hours and only about 4 blocks to the action. plus 0 traffic getting there or home. And sometimes you can find free parking on Penn on the same block. we do it all the time.   P.s. I've been going to the Benedum before the penn avenue bike lane and it was just as crowded peds and auto traffic wise before the bike lane due to people demanding to be picked up and dropped off right in front of the theater.  I can see this being important for people with mobility issues, but I typically see people without mobility issues wanting curb service while the driver then searches for parking.
edronline
2018-12-03 12:41:15
There is no bike lane on Sixth Avenue. They must mean Sixth Street. If you want to go to a show at the Benedum and want/need to drive, park at the First Ave garage and ride the T down to Wood Street. Much less car traffic on either end of the trip, parking is only $6, the T ride is free, and you’re literally a half block from the Benedum omce you get to street level.
stuinmccandless
2018-12-04 02:46:50
Bike Pittsburgh is among the groups that gets funding from the Colcom Foundation, a foundation started by one of the Scaife offspring that's one of the main contributors to anti-immigration groups in the U.S., including 2 groups that have been listed as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center (i.e., started by white nationalists and used as a cover to spout hate). While the Colcom Foundation's main focus seems to be anti-immigration policies, they also donate to groups like Friends of the Riverfront, Frick Park, and Bike Pittsburgh. https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/anti-immigrant-group-colcom-foundations-sponsorship-of-holiday-market-draws-criticism/Content?oid=12412328
edronline
2018-12-12 20:01:01
Has BikePGH issued a statement on this?
nmr
2018-12-13 12:06:51
Don't think so. Story came out several weeks ago. I found it yesterday after I read an article about how the Colcom Foundation requested that their name be removed from the sponsorship of the Christmas Market downtown.  And I backtracked to the original article.
edronline
2018-12-13 14:59:33
Underwriting local civic do-good and entertainment orgs is straight out of the tobacco industry playbook from the 1980s. For them, then, it was ballet companies, orchestras, and the like. It got them invited to all the elbow rubbing parties and golf outings, which further translated to joining boards of directors. If you want to direct the flow of the stream, start at the most upstream source.
stuinmccandless
2018-12-14 06:52:58
I emailed Bike Pgh yesterday re: taking Colcom money, but my guess is that since the article came out in late November and Bike Pgh has been quiet they're trying to have the best of both worlds -- take the money and avoid publicity. As a Jew, I can't support an organization that takes money from people who also give to known white supremacists.  I made a decision that I'm not going to be involved with Bike Pgh anymore, including this message board. It's been fun, folks!
edronline
2018-12-14 11:59:43
I'd like to ask a question about the ColCom issue. As it happens, I've ridden twice in a group ride from Pgh to Cumberland with a member of the ColCom board. I didn't have much in common to make conversation about, so I asked him - Cold Comfort, who names a Farm after that? It seems rather inhospitable and bleak. He was a fan of the book and he explained to me that in the story - which I have not read - a woman gets a job at a farm called Cold Comfort Farm and she's a hard worker, the owner recognizes it, and eventually she's able to bring her extended family into the country to work at Cold Comfort Farm. Through her industry and work ethic, she is able to bring her whole family of a dozen people over and they thrive in America. I can't reconcile what this gentleman told me about the ColCom backstory and the reports of funding anti-immigrant groups. This cyclist came across as a person of integrity who was doing good in the world. When I try to research the accusation, it all seems to loop back to a single source, and it's not a well-known or recognized source. And so, when I see people embracing the "refuse ColCom money" movement, I have uncertainty about who is claiming what, and it doesn't match with my experience. Unless somebody can offer some real understanding and documentation of what the complaint is, I think this is a BS story. I can't see any reasons to cast aspersions on BikePgh or anybody else. I'm really open to being corrected.      
vannever
2018-12-16 03:12:01
A humble suggestion:  If this interesting discussion of Colcom and etc. is to continue, perhaps it deserves its own topic thread?
kolo-jezdec
2018-12-16 06:42:46
"...since the article came out in late November and Bike Pgh has been quiet they’re trying to have the best of both worlds — take the money and avoid publicity." That is preemptively harsh, to presume a nefarious intent on the part of this organization. To expect factual research behind the scenes in order to form an informed position on an issue like this when the "news" just came out a couple of weeks ago is unrealistic. I would indeed want to see a public statement on this at some point, but what Vannevar said^^, 100%.
edmonds59
2018-12-16 09:33:25
You should definitely read "Cold Comfort Farm." It is a hilarious book and not at all as described. It is a satire of life (and urban attitudes) in rural England. The movie (with Kate Beckingsale) is also good and in some ways better (the book is set in the future and some things jar).
jonawebb
2018-12-16 14:50:27
When I try to research the accusation, it all seems to loop back to a single source, and it’s not a well-known or recognized source.…when I see people embracing the “refuse ColCom money” movement, I have uncertainty about who is claiming what, and it doesn’t match with my experience. Unless somebody can offer some real understanding and documentation of what the complaint is, I think this is a BS story.
SPLC reported on Colcom's funding of---and ties to---anti-immigrant groups almost ten years ago, after a pre-G20 article in the Post-Gazette.  The apparent contradiction in their choice of groups to fund was noted then as well.  A 2013 piece in the LA Times notes, among many other things, the long history of ties between environmentalists, conservationists, and anti-immigrant groups.
I can’t see any reasons to cast aspersions on BikePgh or anybody else.
This is the part I don't get.  Why aren't people telling Colcom to, y'know, stop giving money to racist hate groups? A 2015 Post-Gazette article also noted the wide range of groups Colcom funds:
As the diversity of Colcom-funded groups shows, accepting its money doesn’t necessarily make an organization anti-immigrant. Or conservative. Pittsburgh United executive director Barney Oursler, a longtime labor activist, said receiving Scaife family money is “definitely weird.”  [Colcom founder Cordelia Scaife May]’s brother was Richard Mellon Scaife, a leading funder of conservative causes. Still, said Mr. Oursler, large foundations will “always [make] grants we wouldn’t agree with.”…Without Colcom, Mr. Grenter said, “the work done not just by us but many other organizations wouldn’t be possible.” As for Colcom’s immigration stance, he said, “It’s outside the work that we do, so it’s never come up.”
["Mr. Grenter" is Patrick Grenter, then director of the Center for Coalfield Justice, now with Sierra Club.] If Bike Pittsburgh and other organizations were to stop accepting money from Colcom, they, too, would likely not be able to do the work they do.  Perhaps instead of accepting the inevitability of the foundation being racist and anti-immigrant and forcing Bike Pittsburgh and the many others who depend on foundation money to survive to find other funding, people should try to get Colcom to make better choices….
epanastrophe
2018-12-16 16:10:26
As for Colcom’s immigration stance, he said, “It’s outside the work that we do, so it’s never come up.”
And here's the issue at hand. BikePGH has chosen to expand their mission beyond just bikes to become an organization that fosters inclusiveness and equity in all walks of life, and they've done so in an outspoken manner. For that, they should be commended. But it's an awfully bad look to all the sudden be completely mum when it's discovered that an organization antithetical to their own pays their salaries.   Perhaps they should be the ones leading this charge to get Colcom to "make better choices".
nmr
2018-12-17 09:18:50
A non-profit receiving funding like this really has no leverage over a funding source. "We're not taking your stinking money" is a noble stance but IRL is unlikely to sway the funder. I would like to see BP! look into this and make a statement. And if this allegation turns out to be true, and Colcom doesn't change their policy, possibly not receive money from them in the future. But direct public pressure toward Colcom would be much more effective than hoping protest by the receiving orgs will have any effect.
edmonds59
2018-12-17 10:07:02
An analogy... Personally, I'm fine with accepting US government services even though I disagree with some of the wars we've started. Deciding to not drive on federally funded roads wouldn't further my stance against some national policies. Similarly, pushing for refusal of colcom donations doesn't accomplish anything other than creating an argument about not accepting donations. Perhaps that's the sole purpose, to draw attention to the subject by lighting money on fire. But in itself, refusing the money doesn't hurt colcom or any of their other causes.
dfiler
2018-12-17 10:28:45
"But in itself, refusing the money doesn’t hurt colcom or any of their other causes." Hmm, possibly actually helping other, less admirable causes by making more funding available to THEM by refusal. Careful.
edmonds59
2018-12-17 16:00:12