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Local news stories & LTE 2015

marko82
2015-03-24 08:58:52
From the article: “We gotta stop driving like jagoffs,”
benzo
2015-03-27 08:28:30
More of a perversion actually.
benzo
2015-03-31 11:39:04
^Huh? I guess the Trib is ok with the 6th street bridge being closed completely for all Pirate home games though; 'cause ya know, it doesn't involve bikes - only the millions of dollars in subsidies paid to an owner/millionaire to build a stadium that the voters disagreed with.
marko82
2015-03-31 11:49:19
If a road that's deemed fit to be entirely closed 82+ times a year is not fit for bike lanes, then what is? Nothing according to the Trib's editorial board. I do wonder how this will work during Pirates games. Are we bikers going to act like pedestrians should not be in the bike lane when the bridge is closed to vehicular traffic? Will there be signage telling us to dismount and walk across during games?
mjacobpgh
2015-03-31 12:01:26
@Marko82, I was just gonna say tha. Pretty sure that closing the bridge 80+ times a year for Pirates games (plus, I think, for Steelers/Pitt games + other events) causes more traffic disruption than reducing the number of lanes. I always like to go in and out of downtown on this bridge precisely because of the low traffic.
chrishent
2015-03-31 12:08:08
@mjacobpgh, the polite thing would be to dismount and walk, but that would depend on how many people are on the bridge. I think the pedicabs operate on the bridge during game days.
chrishent
2015-03-31 12:11:11
Yea, I've biked across very slowly on game days(to get to the game myself). I don't think trying to take ownership of the bike lanes on a game day would be a good idea. Probably best to avoid the bridge altogether if you're biking.
mjacobpgh
2015-03-31 12:15:19
I guess, local news... :( Today, while riding EFT outbound just past Birmingham Bridge...
mikhail
2015-03-31 21:12:39
FYI, something has been eating that turkey. I wonder if it was taken by a raptor?
ka_jun
2015-04-02 08:40:12
^ it's spring and gobblers are crazy for hens. More likely the turkey was attacked by one of his buddies with one of these
marko82
2015-04-02 08:55:52
Two cents added.
stuinmccandless
2015-04-03 07:51:09
@RustyRed I guess he gets to work by 9:30, gets a coffee and bullshits for a bit before actually getting on with work. I do wonder if he counted how many cars went by in the same period because he is right about one thing: Penn Ave is Desolation Drive during non rush hours.
chrishent
2015-04-03 07:56:00
Must be nice to saunter into work at 11AM. Even during rush hour, Penn Ave isn't clogged with bumper to bumper cars, so why the whining? The only time I see Penn Ave clogged is when there's an event like a play/musical/concert letting out, a sporting event or a parade that's shut down Liberty. Maybe we should outlaw *those* things!
rustyred
2015-04-03 09:13:51
I guess the Trib hired someone from their comment section to write for them?
mjacobpgh
2015-04-03 19:31:39
http://www.rainbowkitchen.org/httpwww-rainbowkitchen-orgwalk-and-ride-against-hunger-2011/ On Saturday, June 6, 2015, Rainbow Kitchen Community Services & UPMC Health Plan will host the 11th annual W.A.R. (Walk And Ride) Against Hunger. The W.A.R. Against Hunger, which is Rainbow Kitchen’s major annual fundraising event, is a walk/bicycle ride along the Great Allegheny Passage Trail beginning at the Waterfront in Homestead. A Health & Wellness Expo held during the event will offer free health screenings and information about healthy lifestyle choices and practices. Please support Rainbow Kitchen’s efforts to help our neighbors in need … and join us in the W.A.R. Against Hunger! HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE W.A.R. AGAINST HUNGER: ?Register to participate in the event, and collect pledge contributions (see below for registration and pledge contribution information) ?Make a donation or pledge contribution: Click on the DONATE tab above to make a secure donation via PayPal (please note W.A.R. Against Hunger in the “purpose” field to designate your contribution) or for other donation options. ?Purchase an ad or line of greeting in our event program book W.A.R. Against Hunger Event Book Order Form ?Sponsorship opportunities are also available, starting as low as $500 for a Mile Marker Sponsorship. Please call Donna Little at 412-464-1892 for information on sponsorship levels and benefits. REGISTRATION An Early-Bird Registration fee of $10 for adults and $5 for youth & students is available through May 16, 2015. After May 16, the registration fee is $15 for adults and $10 for youth (age 18 and under) and students. Children under age 12 must be accompanied by an adult. ?Online registration W.A.R. Against Hunger Online Registration ?Mail-in registration W.A.R. Against Hunger Registration Form ?You can also register in person on the day of the event EVENT SCHEDULERegistration/Health & Wellness Expo Begin 9:00 am Welcome/Yoga Stretch/Walk And Ride Begins 10:00 am Prize Drawing 12:30 pm LOGISTICS The event will commence in The Pump House parking lot located at the Waterfront in Homestead, and will utilize the Great Allegheny Passage trail, which can be taken to multiple destinations including Duquesne and McKeesport. A rest station with food and refreshments will be available along the trail. PLEDGES & PRIZES Participants are encouraged to raise pledge contributions in support of Rainbow Kitchen’s mission. All pledge contributions collected are due upon registration on the day of the event. All participants will receive a free W.A.R. Against Hunger t-shirt and one ticket for the prize drawing. Additional tickets will be awarded based on the total amount of pledge money turned in at, or in advance of, event registration (one additional prize drawing ticket for each $25 in pledge contributions received). Additional prize tickets may also be purchased at the event. Prizes typically include hotel getaways, Pittsburgh sports teams memorabilia, tickets to local entertainment and sports events, gift baskets, gift certificates for restaurants, goods, and services … and more! You will receive a form for recording your pledge contributions along with your registration acknowledgment. Or download the W.A.R. Against Hunger Pledge Contribution Form For more information about the W.A.R. Against Hunger, please call Rainbow Kitchen Community Services at 412-464-1892. We hope to see you on June 6th!
ka_jun
2015-04-06 09:41:39
@jonawebb, many good projects here that involve roads that are good for riding: East St, the Riverview park road, Swinburne St, 18th St in South Side Slopes, Forbes in Uptown, Stanton Ave, etc. Shame Liberty Ave and Stanwix downtown are not included. They're in bad shape.
chrishent
2015-04-08 11:56:54
Bummed that S. Millvale ave didn't make the list. It sucks.
benzo
2015-04-08 14:30:39
Agenda 21 commenter: Oh, him. Go on Twitter and look up at-sign burghseyeview (shows as "Hutch"). Runs a weekly podcast called Steel City Resistance. No further information should be necessary.
stuinmccandless
2015-04-10 13:07:29
Oh! Oh! The UN international bicycle conspriacy as perpetrated by the all- powerul bicycle lobbyist. They invaded Colorado, you know. Next thing you know, CO legalized weed. SMDH. What is this world coming to?
mick
2015-04-10 14:45:34
It's cool that when you register at the Butler Eage the email responder sends you the password you used in cleartext. Makes it easy to look up.
jonawebb
2015-04-16 15:40:25
If you use Penn Ave to get to the Strip coming in from Whitehall, then you're doing it wrong.
mjacobpgh
2015-04-17 11:01:00
Francis Kilinsky chimed in within the last hour. It's not worth my time to respond.
stuinmccandless
2015-04-17 11:36:03
FK chimed in on an article on Bill Shuster too. He must be lonely. What a giant douche pan.
edmonds59
2015-04-17 11:56:34
Fancis Kilinsky's avatar is an insult to the intelligence of dogs.
mick
2015-04-17 12:05:26
The article mentions that bike accidents are up which is true but probably not because biking has become more dangerous just because more people are doing it. I think that's worth mentioning.
mjacobpgh
2015-04-21 10:19:28
This would probably be a great set up for someone (not me) to really make a good study about helmet use vs non-helmet use. I am confident they will not do it.
mick
2015-04-21 10:21:13
Popsburgh bicycle-pulled cart http://www.post-gazette.com/life/food/2015/04/22/Popsburgh/stories/201504220007 CMU plans hotel, office, retail development as part of 'innovation corridor' "The 425,000-square-foot development would be built on a two-acre parcel on university-owned land between Carnegie Museums and Junction Hollow." http://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2015/04/22/CMU-carnegie-mellon-university-plans-hotel-retail-development-as-part-of-innovation-corridor-pittsburgh/stories/201504220154
ka_jun
2015-04-22 13:28:42
Flowers Ave Shooting... I bike along there several times a week. Seems like the row houses on the right, where I often see a few families hanging out. Ugh.
neilmd
2015-04-27 14:20:06
The name of the organization opposing bike share, the Bloomfield Citizen's Council, echoes the name of the White Citizen's Councils set up through the south to oppose integration. I wonder if there is a relationship. (No, I don't really wonder.)
jonawebb
2015-04-30 07:20:10
They're on to us: http://triblive.com/opinion/letters/8216695-74/census-count-pittsburgh: "If I were a lobbyist for the bicyclists, I'd have a Tour de France group whiz by to show that our city has an international flair. Casual riders would follow them to show that we bikers can also be just plain folk. Then a parade of cherubic-lookin' kids with their wobbly training wheels, all Fourth of July decorated, to soften the most agitated of motorist hearts. And finally, clowns from the circus on tricycles, honking their little horns, for some frivolity."
jonawebb
2015-04-30 07:47:06
Gee, think cycling enthusiasts somehow will learn of the “pre-selected” intersections and, as one correspondent put it, “stuff the ballot box”? As always, I'm out of the loop... sigh
ahlir
2015-05-05 08:01:47
"fudge the numbers of this week’s bike and pedestrian count because, you know, we all know each other" Also, we all have time to do this, because all we're doing is riding our bikes around, right? Get a job!
jonawebb
2015-05-05 09:09:56
Things do change. Last century, when I saw another utility biker, sometimes I would chase them down and introduce myself. I might not have known them all, but I could give a description of most of them.
mick
2015-05-05 11:24:32
“fudge the numbers of this week’s bike and pedestrian count because, you know, we all know each other” My comments on that article: Wouldn't that be counterproductive since they are using this as a basis for comparison year after year? Next year they will probably do the same counts at the same points and see how much traffic has increased or decreased. So it would just make next years numbers look like less of an increase if they did try and game the system. However, the difference added by a few cyclists making a few extra trips by counters might be negligible in the face of the increases in bike traffic that may happen after the launch of the Pittsburgh bike share, the reopening of the strip district trail, addition of more connections to the Penn ave lanes (like the clemente bridge lanes) and the increase in new bike commuters.
benzo
2015-05-05 11:51:02
My two cents on the Trib piece: If a counter counts me twice, it will not be from me gaming the system but rather using the system. The use of a bike to run a short errand, necessitating passing the same spot going and in a few minutes returning, is what the bike lanes are _for_. Try walking from Penn & 7th St to Penn & 22nd St and back on a lunch hour! But it's only a few minutes each way by bike. You _want_ that. It benefits commerce. Spending money, putting sales tax dollars into public coffers, keeping people employed.
stuinmccandless
2015-05-05 12:47:24
My view on the Trib piece is similar to Stu's. I "artificially" inflate the counters by crossing them on my way to work Downtown, then on my way to my gym in the Strip on my lunch break, then back across them on my way back to work, then again on my way back home. And that doesn't even count the days I go to the dentist in Southside after work!
lizzimac
2015-05-06 08:51:12
Maybe this year is the next year; the article seems old. E.g., it says re New York: On Memorial Day 2013, the city is unveiling the country’s largest bike share program
ahlir
2015-05-06 13:02:03
That list is iffy. How is San Francisco not on it? Because of the weather and hills? I was there this past weekend and got around by bike to just about anywhere on the northern half of the city. There were bikes everywhere, at all times. We have a long way to go before we reach that kind of bike use here in PGH.
chrishent
2015-05-06 13:21:32
Wow, I'm also surprised San Fran (and Chicago) aren't on the list.
rustyred
2015-05-06 13:32:33
"Man claims Port Authority driver intentionally hit him with bus http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/man-claims-port-authority-driver-intentionally-hit/nk8jL/ Dude." Seems they have video that shows the man wasn't hit at all. Of course WPXI got the headlines they wanted to make the most money via advertising dollars. You can claim anything and get it on the news regardless if it is true or made up. WPXI doesn't care, they want the juicy headline. News for profit is what it is all about, not a public service/truth. It is what it is.
gg
2015-05-06 19:33:27
The list is from The Travel Channel. I couldn't find any criteria they used; their descriptions are all over the board...we have groovy bridges...and arguably the largest bicycle museum...and ... microbreweries...3 Rivers...picturesque...but Pgh is not there... And "Portland has long been the king of cycling in the US" and " no other city in the United States has more cyclists per capita", so it seems it has been dethroned by Bolder because it's a "picturesque mountain town" and "300 days of sunshine a year"...and most importantly, even though the altitude can be problematic, one can :easily remedy that by grabbing a post-ride beer at one of Boulder’s many microbreweries." And then there is the comment about NYC: "On Memorial Day 2013, the city is unveiling the country’s largest bike share program, with over 6,000 bikes and 330 stations." Are they using old data; old copy; some kind of typo...???..probable paid off by the Boulder Big Biking Business Bureau. Hey, and we got the four foot rule and 160 days of sunshine--that's gotta rate us with Boulder and its " 300 days of sunshine a year"...the 300 is bogus; it's more like 245: http://blogs.denverpost.com/weather/2012/01/03/colorado-sunshine-not-all-its-hyped-up-to-be/110/ See http://www.bestplaces.net/climate/city/pennsylvania/pittsburgh and http://www.bestplaces.net/climate/city/colorado/boulder for sunny days. Pgh = 4 ft * 160 sunny-day * 4 ft * .306M people = 196 ft-days-people Boulder = 3 ft * 245 sunny-day * .103M people= 78 ft-day-people Pgh wins...and we didn't even have to bring in our sports teams. Boulder is just a stoned stone. Bicycling Magazine has a well-defined and (imho) reasonable rating: http://guide.bicycling.com/ride-maps/featured-rides/2014-americas-best-bike-cities
yalecohen
2015-05-07 00:43:27
on the bus-driver-hits-cyclist story: Seems they have video that shows the man wasn’t hit at all. If I may, I would suggest: PAT says that PAT's video agrees with PAT's story I had a PAT bus event about 2 years ago. They played the videos for me (in fact, they gave me copies) and what I learned was: there isn't full coverage of every surface. The video may not show contact, but that doesn't mean there isn't contact. Second, if the video is PAT-positive, they should release it for public viewing. Saying, we have a video that's good for us and you're gonna have to trust us on this doesn't pass the sniff-test. In fact, if the video does support PAT they'd make money by releasing it. And yet, they're not releasing it. They should release the video. They can redact the audio if they want.
vannever
2015-05-07 06:49:27
Purported video.
ka_jun
2015-05-07 06:58:19
Regarding Pgh status in bike world I'm in Boulder for a few days and when I was renting a bike the store manager said "Pittsburgh - that has a really up and coming cycling community doesn't it?"
neilmd
2015-05-07 13:21:00
I consider the stretch for Junction Hollow to Neville to be one of the most dangerous roads for biking. I've been nearly hit quite a few times...yeterday I was harassed..."why don't you move over" from a driver passing me within a foot...too bad my video camera was off at the time....and there are Share The Road signs...its used as a short cut and cars speed through the windy road...the speed limit should be 15mph and ENFORCED...putting a bunch of sparrows would be good as well...
yalecohen
2015-05-12 10:07:34
I wish the city would at least put sharrows on this street unless there is a better alternative. Really wish that drivers wouldn't be using this as a shortcut to escape Oakland to reach 5th ave during rush hour.
benzo
2015-05-12 10:13:12
@ig: "putting a bunch of sparrows would be good as well" I like this idea. Sparrows would be a great way to get cars to move over. And then when a bicyclist came by they could chirp and make way.
jonawebb
2015-05-12 10:28:16
I can think of a better use for sparrows. The Wrong Place to Park
rustyred
2015-05-12 10:51:52
That would slow traffic...maybe even deter use of that coridor. The Society of Ornithilogical Research in Engineering in conjunction with NACTO has been proposing creative uses of our avian friends... RR you must have seen their Scatalogical Deterents in Traffic Queing Theory: Avian Dive Bombers. We've seen how the Eagle Watch Area on our trail has cautioned bikers to slow down. ...SPARROWS is another SORE project... SPARE the ROAD; the goal is to calm traffic and limit loading on the surface...by creating SPARE ROWS© ..rows of differing qualities...density..color... texture... in order to calm traffic. And spare the road from harm....this is being done on some roads that have been plagued with a water trucks, etc. where hydraulic fracturing is occuring....I think this would a great place showcase these project...given PGH is home to the National Aviary.....sorry for the confusion...I thought everyone knew about this...It was in The Iguana Times.
yalecohen
2015-05-12 15:46:45
Could be pigeons scared s#%}less during nesting season at the Cathedral of Learning. I agree that cars on Neville can be problematic. It is definitely a take the whole lane and nothing but the lane street. A few speed humps with flats for cycles like Gold Way might help.
neilmd
2015-05-13 05:50:49
Like many here, I've had my fair share of close/downright retarded passes on Neville. I used to be too nice about it when I was going uphill on this road, and moved over to the right if I was taking the lane and thought the driver behind me had a safe opportunity to pass. It didn't take long for me to realize that, while the first driver would usually pass safely, the driver behind would simply follow the other car without assessing if it was safe to pass. Nowadays, I take the lane and stay there. I could care less if the drivers behind me are, as my dad says, "late for their mom's wedding". Though, like Neil says, some speed humps on this road would be nice to calm traffic down.
chrishent
2015-05-13 08:33:05
If only those Party Pedalers would follow the rules of the road!
shooflypie
2015-05-13 19:54:46
I rode by a Party Pedaler starting point this past week-end, somewhere in the Strip, I think... The client were pumped. I read the article and now I'm curious: I understood that a container from Asia to the USA (Long Beach / Tacoma) would cost ~$200. Even accounting for not getting bulk discounts, and maybe with special handling, why would it cost $11k to ship something from, say, Rotterdam to Newark? Air freight to Pittsburgh would seem more like it. Inquiring minds...
ahlir
2015-05-13 20:34:01
On Tuesday, May 12, in Market Square there were these green pod looking wheeled conveyances that apparently were being tested. I only saw them in passing, anyone take a closer look? Originally, my first thought was that they were pedal driven, but they may have been electric micro cars.
ka_jun
2015-05-14 13:58:40
Saw one yesterday PM coming up Liberty towards the Bloomfield bridge intersection. The guy was in the bike lane passing stopped card. I was riding in the opposite direction and didn't pay close attention to how it was powered.
rainbow-dog
2015-05-14 15:06:31
JZ / RainbowDog: I wonder if they were ELF's?
vannever
2015-05-14 18:41:17
My 2 cents added to both of the above linked articles.
stuinmccandless
2015-05-15 10:43:24
@JZ, could it be more like these? "Autopod" is a CMU startup drawing on Sayle Service to get their first mini-fleet up to speed.
vannever
2015-05-16 19:14:49
Are there any regulations in Pittsburgh in terms of what is and is not allowed on sidewalks/bike lanes? I know in some places, for example, they don't allow hybrid/electric bicycles in bike lanes (hopefully this isn't the case in pittsburgh since that is a nice option for hills). I wonder how something like those autopods would be classified. Some of the pictures they have online show them going on sidewalks, but it takes up the entire sidewalk.
romo
2015-05-16 19:56:41
Pittsburgh regulations seem to just defer to state regulations, except for some rules for bike messengers. For the state's rules, the first step is to determine which category the vehicle falls into. Perhaps it's a "pedalcycle with electric assist." That's a "vehicle weighing not more than 100 pounds with two or three wheels more than 11 inches in diameter, manufactured or assembled with an electric motor system rated at not more than 750 watts and equipped with operable pedals and capable of a speed not more than 20 miles per hour on a level surface when powered by the motor source only. The term does not include a device specifically designed for use by persons with disabilities." It's treated as a type of bicycle, so it would be allowed anywhere a bike is allowed, I think. (The general rule for bicycles in PA is they're allowed on sidewalks except in business districts, unless a sign says differently.) Or maybe it's a "motorized pedalcycle". That's a "motor-driven cycle equipped with operable pedals, a motor rated no more than 1.5 brake horsepower, a cylinder capacity not exceeding 50 cubic centimeters, an automatic transmission, and a maximum design speed of no more than 25 miles per hour or an electric motor-driven cycle equipped with operable pedals and an automatic transmission powered by an electric battery or battery pack-powered electric motor with a maximum design speed of no more than 25 miles per hour." These are treated as a type of motorcycle, so they would only be allowed where motorcycles are allowed.
steven
2015-05-17 00:04:21
@Vannevar The color looked similar, but I don't think they were "Autopods", though I could be mistaken. Closer to ELFs. Apparently, that green "colorway" is the de rigueur uniform for pod-like wheeled carriages. I wish I would have made time to take a closer look, it looked like people were taking them out for test spins around Downtown.
ka_jun
2015-05-18 07:29:13
Rode past what looked like an Autopod (or maybe a reasonable facsimile thereof) on Murray yesterday. The first thing that struck me was visibility: those suckers look big. And with the rights colors they're likely to be more visible to motorists than your regular biker. Also, you automatically get to take the lane. What's not to like?
ahlir
2015-05-18 08:37:41
"What's not to like?" Paying for parking?
chrishent
2015-05-18 09:26:09
Is this what you saw: It appears to be a CMU student taxi startup.
jonawebb
2015-05-18 09:29:51
@jonawebb nope. the ones I saw were green and more like the ELF's that were posted.
ka_jun
2015-05-18 09:37:15
@chrishent: touché. On the other hand, like Smart cars, these things can probably park perpendicular to the curb. Maybe for free, in designated areas.
ahlir
2015-05-18 20:40:26
I think it's great. Put a few dozen of these on Pgh roads, and pretty soon my bike will seem mainstream.
vannever
2015-05-18 21:10:36
God, another "Cyclists don't pay taxes for our roads" argument. I am so fn sick of these idiotic comments. It is another one that drives me crazy just like taking the lane causes grid lock and not all the other cars sitting behind each other. Muricans are fn stupid. I want to move to Europe.
shooflypie
2015-05-24 08:02:53
I'm running out of two-cents to add to these stories.
stuinmccandless
2015-05-24 09:50:53
Boy, those comments are gettgin worse and worse. I'm guessing that if bicyclists continue to increas the way they ahve the last 15 years, there will be a helluva backlash. "Extinction behavior" I think they call it.
mick
2015-05-25 21:02:34
I'm starting to believe that one of the frequent commenters on these articles "lost" the person of their dreams to a cyclist or something along those lines. It's rather sad, really.
chrishent
2015-05-25 22:07:36
Also mentioned in the bike-share-is-coming thread, there was this article. Some of the usual suspects in the comments. I'm including it here so I can find it later more easily.
stuinmccandless
2015-05-31 03:15:51
"It appears to be a CMU student taxi startup." Found one. If I had more time, I would have asked to climb inside. IMG_20150602_121236 - Copy
rustyred
2015-06-02 13:12:32
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the poster child of OpenStreetsPGH: Stuart Strickland! I particularly like how his cycle, ankle straps and T-shirt are color coordinated.
mick
2015-06-02 15:34:05
More coincidence than anything. The straps don't match, and the wheel I was on for the photo was one from Thick that I rode for less than two minutes.
stuinmccandless
2015-06-02 15:41:19
Bah! False modesty! You looked glorious!
mick
2015-06-02 16:03:53
Went past one of those startup taxi thingies yesterday on Ellsworth. I could swear I heard a motor. But who knows? I was headed in the opposite direction. (As a guilty pleasure, I enjoyed seeing the cars queued up behind it.) This might have been posted already (I'm too lazy to check) but do these people have an URL? An app?
ahlir
2015-06-02 20:49:25
chrishent
2015-06-03 07:03:46
Saw a poll about healthy ride on the PG site. "Are you happy to see the healthy ride bike kiosks around the city" Yes: 56% No: 18% I havn't seen them: 15% I'm not familiar: 11% At least as of about 9am.
benzo
2015-06-03 08:06:36
@chrishent The guy who believed it was bad for business made a point to say that his business was closed on Sunday morning. I wasn't there, but I have a hard time believing that food stands on the street didn't do a good business.
mick
2015-06-03 11:10:29
Wow. The ND stories in the out-of-town-news story. Also9 it makes sense to me that distrtacted driving in Ontario is a $1k fine. Next time I get in a car with this woman, I am going to insist that she makes any calls she needs to before we start moving.
mick
2015-06-03 11:15:10
@Mick, yeah I saw that, hence my mention of "anecdotal" evidence. But all in all, business revenue during OpenStreets is a fair point to consider. Since the event goes through two major business districts, I think it's fair to analyze the impact that it has on the businesses in these areas. Ultimately, if their owners oppose or withdraw their support for these events because of low revenue, then it becomes increasingly harder to hold them in the future. We like to champion the idea that bike and foot traffic increase revenue. Hopefully there's hard data from this past Sunday to back that up.
chrishent
2015-06-03 12:17:13
"The results from the counters installed on the Penn Ave cycle track are in:" ***24,000 trips in May*** Spit-take
rustyred
2015-06-04 10:40:12
But I'm sure it's really just a dozen or so riders with nothing better to do riding up and back, up and back...
edmonds59
2015-06-04 11:09:58
That's a nice number for starters. It'll be somewhat better, I think, with healthy ride in full swing. What does it work out to be as a mode-share, do we know?
byogman
2015-06-04 11:44:13
On its face, I would say it seems like a lot, but I don't have context to place it. I'm curious about the patterns for use during the week and what comparable usage is in other cities for similar infrastructure.
ka_jun
2015-06-04 11:55:24
^not to mention, the weather in May wasn't exactly splendid. Anybody wan't to start a pool on the June number??
edmonds59
2015-06-04 11:55:49
Agree with @JZ that the number, while seemingly impressive, needs to be put into context. However, the number helps to quiet down, somewhat, the whole argument that no one uses the bike lanes.
chrishent
2015-06-04 12:22:36
Someone actually said that taking 24,000 trips away from cars actually increased pollution because the bikelane causes more traffic. Also, people of course accuse the count of being inflated because that would totally be in the interest of the PDP. Oy vey.
mjacobpgh
2015-06-04 13:17:34
There is a weekly (as well as hourly) chart in the blog post - it correlates well with the weather, not so much with the day of the week (my rough estimate). There was a spike on May 31 (about 2.5 times the average) but even without it the numbers would've been impressive (approx. 22,200 if you remove the spike).
rainbow-dog
2015-06-04 16:51:01
***24,000 trips in May*** Well,, let's get real here. This is an outrageous eXagGerAtion. I know for a fact that a rider here deliberately went over the sensor TWICE. It's 23,999 at MOST. Not 24,000 as the mainstream liberal media has been trying to make us believe.
mick
2015-06-04 18:31:25
^I'm glad they are going to leave the bike counters up on Penn and it will be cool to see the data over a long period of time and weather conditions. It would also be nice to have Car counters installed at the same locations to see how their volume changes in relation to weather, theater events, etc.
marko82
2015-06-05 07:45:45
In addition to the above story, the radio show "the Allegheny Front" had a whole half hour of bike themed stories. http://www.alleghenyfront.org/
marko82
2015-06-06 07:16:15
Today on Major Force ride we saw someone riding Healthy Ride Bicycle on Hollow Junction Trail/Saline. I would guess end point was South Side.
mikhail
2015-06-06 18:45:56
Ugh. What a deceptive title. At the meeting, they specifically said that handicap access would not be affected and no handicap accessible parking spots were going to be removed.
romo
2015-06-07 09:57:06
That thread is still going hot and heavy at 11 a.m.
stuinmccandless
2015-06-07 10:04:31
From Peduto's Twitter feed: CGsD_G_UgAAy1bi "Honey, how do you spell 'jagging-off'?" "I don't know. Just like it sounds, I guess. You writing the mayor again?"
jonawebb
2015-06-08 07:34:28
Quote Jon: "From Peduto’s Twitter feed: [insert photo of crazy rant of loonball with serial killer handwriting]" Yeesh, I wonder what page 2 says!
rustyred
2015-06-08 07:41:23
Pfft. Obviously paid shills for the allpowerful bike lobby. :D
edmonds59
2015-06-09 13:41:05
Not quite sure where to post this but a cogent rebuttal to the "bikers should pay their fair share" trope in Velonews.
neilmd
2015-06-13 03:51:27
Following @neilmd's post, I separately ran across this story via Twitter yesterday. Topic: Even on Chicago's most heavily used streets, taxes don't pay for the roads. http://www.metroplanning.org/news/article/7146 From the article: And these estimates are conservative. They don’t include billions of dollars for the initial cost of construction or the $8,000 per mile to plow and salt in the winter or $113,000 per mile spent on police and safety. I would love to see someone do a similar calculation on Pittsburgh area roads. I would really like to see a good estimate of what a raise in either the motor fuels or a Vehicle Miles Traveled tax would need to be in order to make the roads "self-paying" -- not as an argument for imposing such taxes, but as ammunition for discussions such as these -- which makes this very much on topic for this thread.
stuinmccandless
2015-06-13 09:11:56
All of these things are kind of a worm hole when it comes to taxes/fees without talking to someone directly familiar to that system, but I really don't see how a $26 fee to register your vehicle or a small fee for your drivers license pays for the roads. If anything, such fees cover the administrative costs of maintaining such a system. To me it would seem that the only "user fees" that drivers would pay directly towards roads are fuel taxes(which that argument has been adequately broken down) and direct tolls. Does anyone have any reason to believe that license/inspection/registration fees really do help to pay for roads? Any sources?
mjacobpgh
2015-06-15 11:57:31
I suppose the income from registration gets mixed with income from other things, and the DMV gets funded from the general fund, so it's hard to track. But the liquid fuels tax in PA is 50 cents per gallon. So if a car owner drives 20K miles per year, which is about average, and gets 20 miles per gallon, the owner will end up paying for 1000 gallons of fuel, and $500 in liquid fuels tax. So any income from registration is dwarfed by the liquid fuels tax.
jonawebb
2015-06-15 12:18:29
I just wonder how much income could there really be from registering a vehicle or getting a license after you factor in the costs of the administration and the maintenance of a database? If there is any income at all, like you mentioned, I feel like it would be nominal compared to all other taxes that go towards paying roads. In addition, when it comes to Pittsburgh, people like to say bikers need to pay for the infrastructure if we want it. Well, even if that were the case, a lot of it was paid for with grants: grants made possible by donations from bikers.
mjacobpgh
2015-06-15 12:37:44
In any case the PA liquid fuels tax pays for something like a third of Pittsburgh's DPW maintenance budget. The city gets no income whatsoever from registration and licensing.
jonawebb
2015-06-15 12:55:53
Photo of the day in the PG: Man cycles to work down Penn Ave wearing a parachute ;-)
chrishent
2015-06-16 07:33:09
The Dunbar article only noted that the Sheepskin Trail is slated to connect to Point Marion. I would add that that will ten connect to the existing Morgantown trail system...to Fairmont and Shinnston...to the Decker's Creek trail... The last time (4- week ago) I went by the Sheepskin spur, there was signage directing one to Dunbar as well as brochures from the Historical Society showcases various historical venues in Dunbar.
yalecohen
2015-06-16 12:28:19
The letter is of course right. Who wants a bike lane in a park? We should of course tear out the sidewalks too! Oh, and that running track, the ice rink, and those playgrounds... there could be roads there!
andyc
2015-06-17 08:31:01
^I don't know this "Mike Cherepko", but dude, you win.
edmonds59
2015-06-17 09:03:02
New Pittsburgh Pirates draft pick sounds like someone we should get to know. “(Bike riding) started off as something to do for fun. I was going with my mom and my brother just to local mountain bike trails. After I committed, I kind of shut it down as far as going on the trails. I was just riding on the road. It's still fun. It's another getaway, just to get baseball off my mind a little bit.” http://triblive.com/sports/pirates/8554071-74/hayes-bryan-baseball#ixzz3dKUNS8ej
marko82
2015-06-17 09:29:24
I added this comment to the Trib story: Ke'Bryan, if you're reading this, there are a lot of road riding groups in and around the city, with regularly scheduled rides, just about any day of the week or time of day or level of experience or difficulty or length. Nor would you be the only pro athlete on two wheels, as Steeler Antonio Brown rides regularly. I'd be impressed if he showed up at a ride.
stuinmccandless
2015-06-17 11:24:15
I just rode the cycle track from 16th street to 6th. 1245-1251...lunch time... I was passed by only 4 cars...2 bicyclists..and a skateboarder was going on my directions....maybe the drivers are afraid of the bike lane.:;-) ...
yalecohen
2015-06-17 12:07:25
Scooter Dude: "***UPDATE*** Pittsburgh Police and Pennsylvania State Police both say they had no calls about a man on a motorized scooter on Route 28." Interesting.
rustyred
2015-06-19 12:36:30
PennDOT's bicycle manual says "If your bike doesn't trip the detector, you have to wait for a car to do it, or else you have to go through the red light. Going through the red isn't against the law, because the light is defective. If you ever have a crash or get a traffic ticket because a traffic light won't turn green, it's the fault of whoever installed the detector." So this legislation will either make such maneuvers legal, or even more legal.
steven
2015-06-23 12:44:59
You know that the PennDOT Bicycle Driver's Manual doesn't have force of law. Though I would sure use it in my defense if I was ever ticketed for this.
jonawebb
2015-06-23 12:52:10
No, this is bad legislation based on bad information, and would be a mess. If you are a smaller vehicle which does not trigger a sensor, if present, that light is not adjusted properly and therefore malfunctioning, so 75-3112c2 applies. What this does is allow people to proceed thru reds if the driver is impatient. An impatient driver is less likely to be looking for a cyclist proceeding through a legal green.
stuinmccandless
2015-06-23 12:56:10
I'd say that if the legislature is trying to pass a bill to make something legal, that's likely to influence the courts to think that it wasn't legal before.
jonawebb
2015-06-23 14:35:20
Brainstorming session comes up with "shared space" concept for Liberty Ave, from Commonwealth Pl to Stanwix: http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2015/06/24/Planners-studying-free-range-transportation-concept-for-Golden-Triangle/stories/201506240109 Interesting idea. There's also mention of extending the Penn Ave cycle track to Point State Park, which I think is part of the long term plan anyway. However, I'd be disappointed if they extend the cycle track before they repave the 500 block of Penn. It's shot.
chrishent
2015-06-24 07:02:14
"So this legislation will either make such maneuvers legal, or even more legal." "No, this is bad legislation based on bad information, and would be a mess." I've been doing a little bit of research on this. The issue appears to be that, while you can "usually" get the ticket voided if you take it to court (I couldn't find any evidence that people have lost in court, but I'd be willing to bet it has happened, depending on the District Magistrate), people don't like having to take time off from work etc. to fight it. So motorcyclists (there's an organization called A.B.A.T.E.) are supporting the legislation, which would also apply to us. Which makes me think there's enough overlap in the interests of bicyclists and motorcyclists that there might be other issues we could work together on.
jonawebb
2015-06-24 10:09:14
From chrishent URL:
Victor Edwards42 minutes ago Yes, idea #1: Have the police enforce existing traffic and pedestrian laws at that intersection and the immediate feeder streets. Let's see what we have after that is accomplished.
Sometimes I think that it should be done up to the each letter in the law. It would paralyze car traffic completely. Every drive should remember that they are not allowed to start a turn or straight movement until there is a pedestrian on a crossing. And most downtown traffic signals are not set to have a separate car turns.
mikhail
2015-06-24 12:53:06
That Victor Edwards sure does not like that crazy Wabash tunnel!
edmonds59
2015-06-24 17:30:07
But he sure does like the Mon-Fayette Expressway.
stuinmccandless
2015-06-24 22:29:26
"OSWM, Likes moonlight, long walks on the beach, and 1950's era transportation theory".
edmonds59
2015-06-25 07:12:05
OSWM = Old Single White Male? Ornery? Outraged? Opinionated?
stuinmccandless
2015-06-25 12:08:33
Sounds kinda like me, except I like 1890's era transportation theory.
mick
2015-06-25 13:07:20
I thought it was "transporter theory"
vannever
2015-06-25 16:09:28
I know that the Hotel Monaco will make arrangements for kayak rentals through Kayak Pittsburgh for hotel patrons. I believe they also have a loaner bike program. Edited to confirm. From their website: Healthy Travel: Take one of Kimpton's custom designed PUBLIC bikes for a ride around town. Our hotel bikes are there for all of our guests to enjoy.
swalfoort
2015-06-26 08:42:11
Re: OpenStreets article, that Emma sure doesn't like bikes. She's now a regular on these type of articles. And judging by her comments, I don't think she's ever in the Strip. She had to look up what Strip District Meats was, and they are kind of hard to miss...
chrishent
2015-06-26 14:17:05
Are the renderings for the bike lanes running near the church online anywhere, or can someone upload them?
romo
2015-06-26 16:20:24
Regarding the church in the Strip, there seems to be a bit of misinformation here by someone on this story (KDKA, the City, etc.). The entrance for it is on 21st St, not Smallman. On that side of 21st, there's a Healthy Ride station, so unless this station is relocated, it would be pointless to put a bike lane here. The portion of Smallman on which the church is located has metered parking spaces, for about 5 or 6 cars. If there was a bike lane/cycle track on that side of Smallman, would it really hurt them to lose those parking spaces?
chrishent
2015-06-26 16:39:59
The bottom line is that people, businesses, and organizations should be consulted before projects are started. Even PennDOT does that. The idea of going around and speaking to various groups is something Bike Pittsburgh and all of the neighborhood groups should be doing on a regular basis, if they are not already doing so. That is how you build support and gain valuable allies. The Montour Trail Council did an excellent job with this approach back when the trail was just an idea. Mia Birk did it in Portland and I'm sure there have been others around the country. It is time for us here to follow that successful model.
fultonco
2015-06-28 19:29:36
Speaking with disregard for context and (tsk) the requisite background reading: 1) St. Stanislaus is on Smallman, if you understand that the street is really a market square between the (16th St) bridge and the church. That's why it so wide for that stretch. 2) The east side of 21st between Smallman and Penn has never been real parking. The bit in front of the church property has been designated as religious non-parking for a long time. The bit further up, except for maybe a couple of spots in front of that Peruvian chicken place, has always been "30 min". 3) 21st is not, in any reasonable universe, a major bicycle street. At best it allows riders coming up Smallman to get onto Penn (and why would this make more sense than using 20th or 23rd?). in any case, given practical speeds, bicycles fit right in. [Sorry, this is what happens when I'm told that my access to the kitchen has been delayed for yet another 30 mins. Thank you for your consideration.]
ahlir
2015-06-28 20:00:31
On yesterday's OpenStreetsPGH event: http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2015/06/29/OpenStreetsPGH-draws-crowd-despite-cool-wet-weather/stories/201506280224 And more on the shared space ideas around Liberty Ave: http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2015/06/29/Experts-say-shared-space-transportation-free-for-all-makes-sense-for-Pittsburgh/stories/201506290021 Regarding OS, there's a quote in there about Wholey's not doing so great during the morning. I suppose they know their numbers, but I when I went in there shortly after I ended my volunteer shift at 12 it was as busy as I usually see it on Sundays. Oh, and there was the usual huge line outside DeLuca's
chrishent
2015-06-29 06:43:55
This was the first Open Streets I'd taken advantage of: I saw none of the things the haters complain about: loss of business, traffic backups, etc... I saw a huge line at DeLuca's and tons of people shopping/dining. I, myself did some shopping at Stan's, that Kitchen place next to Wholey's and the Mexican food truck at 6th and Penn (which is really good, BTW). I made sure to either wear the bike helmet or carry it prominently while making my purchase to make sure merchants got the "BIKE MONEY" message.
rustyred
2015-06-29 07:17:36
My (limited) understanding) is that the eateries do an increased business, but the wholesaler/pack-and-lug shops are hurt as people cannot park nearby. Indeed, I spoke with Stan's after the first OS and yesterday and their sales WERE down; they were not whining, and liked the OS for what it was, but it hurts their business; I questioned whether it picked up later in the day or that it might ultimately increase business as people find out about their existence...that's harder to measure...offering single servings of fruit (e.g. watermelon was suggested--which I noticed Wholeys was doing)... Of course this is a single data point, but we must recall what we don't see is as important as what we do see...And one needs to hang out there on a non-OS Sunday...long lines...smiling faces...bikes ...cars...lizards...???... As with anything new, there is an evolution; OS creates an opportunity for different business models that may be more appropriate...
yalecohen
2015-06-29 09:30:40
Here's a pic of the cool bike repair/tool station at PIT airport over next to Baggage Claim P. Was surprised and pleased to see this last night. Houston commercial photography
ka_jun
2015-06-30 10:14:54
@RustyRed Yinz think she’s insane n’at? Banning cars dahntahn?!? It a great idea and it would make life a lot better for a lot of people and only slightly worse for a small few. She's insane if she thinks it actually might happen, though
mick
2015-07-02 10:22:24
This writer is also responsible for the anti-trans-Jenner phillipic. Maybe she's doing damage control. Cyclists : the NextGen splinter group.
vannever
2015-07-02 19:08:12
As you might have guessed by my comment on the article, I don't think it's a crazy idea, just more futuristic than realistic. Twenty years ago, someone suggested to me the idea of what eventually became Open Streets, and even I thought it far-fetched at the time. Then when Mayor Ravenstahl single-handedly and without anyone's significant input (such as, perhaps, Port Authority) re-routed all the buses out of Market Square, I realized all it really takes is a vision, a decision, and the power to make it happen, and bingo, you got yourself a change. As for Ms. Graham? Meh, what she writes gets newspapers sold, and gets people talking. No publicity is bad, right?
stuinmccandless
2015-07-02 19:42:35
I would rather sit through a Justin Bieber album or subject myself through a Kenny Chesney concert then listen to the idiotic rabble of the WTAE comment crowd.
shooflypie
2015-07-07 09:20:57
^ or you can live stream Le Tour at http://cyclingfans.com/ for free, and in your choice of languages.
marko82
2015-07-07 12:18:57
I added a couple of words. Mr. Taszarek has it exactly backwards. The first thing you do is figure out what speed is appropriate for the area the street travels through. Then you alter the street such that 85% of motorists will go that speed, or slower, without needing to enforce it. The absolute least important thing is cars-per-hour throughput.
stuinmccandless
2015-07-10 11:41:58
@edmonds59 Note that all of the comments are from names well known here. ;) But even though WE know that, most people reading do not.
mick
2015-07-10 18:23:46
The key point that all the idiot comments are completely ignoring is that this is not just about bikes, that this was recommended by the NTSB to protect MOTORISTS. I created an account and registered a comment. Lotta hate out there.
byogman
2015-07-14 19:48:38
I was surprised to see a lot of truck side guards on rt 80 going to NYC. They all looked like this instead of the rail style: Source So Aero!
benzo
2015-07-15 08:31:17
Scottdale hears trail presentation http://triblive.com/news/westmoreland/8704246-74/trail-borough-route#axzz3fy37nmer They want to create an on-road trail to bring cyclists into their town which is great, but then they just send you down a bunch of alleys. Nothing says welcome to our town like a good view of all the stinky dumpsters behind the nice businesses. BTW, Butler is guilty of this too.
marko82
2015-07-15 09:00:27
At least they are looking into doing something. That is a step in the right direction. Once the route is established, them ol' boys may warm up to the idea of them damned bye-cyclists riding' through town. Kinda like Glassport did last year.
fultonco
2015-07-15 15:58:42
Thanks, I just got back from a bike show in Portland and just saw the story, I did a 3 hour interview with them about biking and other things I like about Pittsburgh....Pittsburgh bike friendly
bicycle-heaven
2015-07-17 00:14:26
... Leann Chaney will begin a new day job in Pittsburgh.. newly created transportation planning position with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. ...she said she's been told her job with SPC will focus on “pedestrian-bicycle planning, and it likely will involve other aspects of intermodal transportation planning.” http://triblive.com/news/indiana/8735423-74/chaney-blairsville-bcda#ixzz3g9VMlX7Q
marko82
2015-07-17 07:49:13
How would I contact her? She's not in the SPC transpo directory yet. @swalfoort, could you put in a good word, when you see her? Point her to this blog post, for starters.
stuinmccandless
2015-07-17 08:33:20
@marco said - Nothing says welcome to our town like a good view of all the stinky dumpsters behind the nice businesses. BTW, Butler is guilty of this too. I disagree. I was involved in laying out the routes here. The problem is Main Street where all the businesses are. It's also Route 8. PennDOT gave it a road diet a few years ago and made it one lane in each direction. You have on street parallel parking (door zone issues) and a lot of truck traffic as well as cars. I wouldn't send anyone but an experienced cyclist used to riding in traffic on it. You can't use the sidewalks because the city has the no-bikes-on-sidewalks-business-district ordinance. Because of this we opted to use the main adjoining streets one block on either side of Main Street - McKean one way north and Washington one way south - as the suggested streets and then directed people at intersections to turn and go the one block to Main Street so their exposure by riding on Main Street would be limited but they could still get to where they were going reasonably easily. If you want to get in the alleys behind the buildings where the dumpsters are you take Cedar or Jackson, which are the tertiary streets off Main at the half blocks. Local cyclists tend to use these, especially Cedar because they are low traffic and you get in or out of downtown pretty efficiently.
cdavey
2015-07-17 08:59:53
Then part of the solution is to get cyclists to ride squarely in the center of the lane, and get motorists to expect and accept that. Goes for Butler, and Scottdale, and Babcock Boulevard, and everywhere else.
stuinmccandless
2015-07-17 10:21:00
I'm not familiar with the exact streets in question, but I see nothing wrong with cyclists being directed down a side street. E.g., I prefer to ride out of the Strip via Spring Way, which is the kind of back alley being discussed here, instead of Liberty or Smallman. It's quiet and seems safer. If Scottdale has found a viable route using streets that aren't out of the way that sounds like a perfectly good solution. Not every conflict has to be resolved by cyclists taking a stand and demanding motorists yield to us.
jonawebb
2015-07-17 10:35:40
@cdavey. No disrespect to you or the other volunteers that worked on getting infra installed in Butler. I’ve been working for close to two years to get simple bike racks installed in the south hills with not much to show for it, so I know a lot of effort was put into your project. But as someone visiting the city you want to go where the shops are. My visit last year was pleasant enough as we followed the bike signs that take you on a looping route around the town and past some nice old homes and such, but when you get to the business district they basically send you down some alleys & side streets. Sure this is probably much safer than going down the main street, but it would be even safer to stay on the B-F trail and just skip the city. Most people venture into town to check out the shops, get a bite to eat and drink, and the bike route takes you away from all of this. I guess if I lived in Butler and just wanted to get across town I would find the lanes more useful, but as a means of drawing customers off of the nearby trail (which is what Scottsdale is trying to do) they leave you with the impression that bicyclist aren’t really welcome.
marko82
2015-07-17 10:56:17
When I hit connelsville on the GAP trail and get routed right through the middle of town on a bikeway I feel welcome. Then I look around I immediately see a frozen yogurt place, a bike shop, and a few restaurants. From that quick glance, I've already made up my mind about where to spend my money. Meanwhile, I see just about nothing of Mckeesport and don't really know what's available blocks off the trail. I could bust out my phone and see, but there isn't anything enticing me to venture off the beaten path.
benzo
2015-07-17 11:10:14
New Dero Bike Fixit station installed in Point State Park at the foot of the Ft. Pitt Bridge ramp, next to Ft. Pitt museum. Used it yesterday, already. High utility.
ka_jun
2015-07-24 10:51:27
Another one at Blue Slide Park is in the works.
mjacobpgh
2015-07-24 11:52:23
If you didn't hear already: WPXI: Driver accused of yelling at 2 bicyclists, pushing 1 to ground in Lawrenceville http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/driver-accused-yelling-2-bicyclists-pushing-1-grou/nm54L/ Post Gazette: Woman says she was shoved off bicycle by motorist in Lawrenceville http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2015/07/23/Woman-says-she-was-shoved-off-bicycle-by-motorist-in-Lawrenceville/stories/201507230207 The man has been identified and is being charged with "physical harassment" apparently.
benzo
2015-07-24 12:28:03
@mjacobPGH did not know that. useful info, especially if one were to have a bad run down Iron Grate.
ka_jun
2015-07-24 13:10:18
I wrote a letter to the PG editor in reaction to yesterday's Lawrenceville incident. We'll see if it is printed. The gist of it: enforce the laws, and require written tests for driver's license renewal.
paulheckbert
2015-07-24 13:33:08
On the final OpenStreetsPGH on Sunday: http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/8779981-74/cummings-event-openstreets#axzz3h6PeFH1n Finally got to participate in one of these, and it was awesome to see so many people out enjoying themselves. The article mentions the possibility of moving the event to other neighborhoods, but it'll be difficult to match the quantity and diversity of stuff to see and do along this route, not to mention the flat terrain.
chrishent
2015-07-27 09:54:28
Trib Editorial Board Opinion Bikes vs. cars: In the aftermath of a nasty bicycle-car confrontation in Lawrenceville, Bike Pittsburgh Executive Director Scott Bricker said, “People should have the freedom of choice to get around.” Indeed, they should. But we would remind motorists and cyclists alike that that requires everyone to abide by the rules of the road. And for all the griping we hear from cyclists about reckless motorists, we see, on a daily basis, cyclists blowing through stop signs, red lights and weaving in and out of traffic. This street, we remind, runs both ways. http://triblive.com/opinion/editorials/8799331-74/cyclists-pittsburgh-businesses#ixzz3hBfbQ1me
marko82
2015-07-28 07:10:36
@ marko82 And for all the griping we hear from cyclists about reckless motorists, we see, on a daily basis, cyclists blowing through stop signs, red lights and weaving in and out of traffic. Of course, we never see a car driver exceeding the speed limit...
mick
2015-07-28 11:12:32
Eric Heyl's op-ed in the Tribune-Review: A rampant anti-car conspiracy appears to be happening in Pittsburgh. At the least, a concerted effort is occurring to inconvenience and irritate motorists by making it more difficult for them to travel and park on city streets. … Nothing against cyclists, public transit riders or pedestrians who want to play chicken with vehicles coming off the Fort Pitt Bridge at 55 mph. To each his own. But a truly inclusive city wouldn't ignore those who drive environmentally harmful vehicles and are susceptible to occasional acts of road rage. It's time to stop treating gas guzzlers like second-class citizens. http://triblive.com/opinion/ericheyl/8800899-74/bike-heyl-lanes
paulheckbert
2015-07-29 05:21:18
Full transcript, so you don't click and generate ad revenue for one of the sadder op-eds that I can recall: Heyl: Bicyclists get all the love in a city that still prefers 4 wheels Someone needs to stand up for the gas guzzlers. A rampant anti-car conspiracy appears to be happening in Pittsburgh. At the least, a concerted effort is occurring to inconvenience and irritate motorists by making it more difficult for them to travel and park on city streets. That's perplexing. Motorists by far are the largest demographic using streets. But they are getting short shrift from Mayor Bill Peduto's administration, which seems to crave the progressive credibility it would receive if people got around town primarily on bicycles or in rickshaws. Evidence of this Portland envy can be found in: • The bike lane boom City officials on Thursday will detail plans to increase the number of bike lanes in Oakland, long the state's third-most congested urban area. Adding the lanes could result in the loss of as many as 100 parking spaces in a neighborhood where locating one can be as rare as finding a gazelle in a library. That's in addition to the roughly 40 spaces displaced near Phipps Conservatory when Oakland's initial bike lane was installed in Schenley Park. “On busy days, we use a portion of the employee parking lot for valet parking,” Phipps spokeswoman Connie George said. “We've adjusted.” Why should Phipps and its patrons do that for an admittedly passionate but statistically insignificant bicyclist minority? A 2014 Census Bureau study found Pittsburgh failed to rank among the top 15 large cities where people bike to and from their places of employment. Considering that less than 1.8 percent of city workers commute by bike, they're really starting to hog the available blacktop. • A proposed bus rapid transit system Plans are afoot for dedicated bus lanes between Downtown and Oakland with limited stops and stations. The system would cost $200 million and reduce a typical 10- to 15-minute trip to eight to 12 minutes. Cars traveling the route would plod along at slower speeds, owing to traffic lights and traveling in a tighter space because of the increase in dedicated bike lanes. • The shared space street concept City officials are considering a plan that would remove traffic signals, signs, lane markings and crosswalks on the Downtown stretch of Liberty Avenue between Commonwealth Place and Stanwix Street. The intent would be for pedestrians to mingle with cars hopefully better than most bulls mingle with matadors in Barcelona. Nothing against cyclists, public transit riders or pedestrians who want to play chicken with vehicles coming off the Fort Pitt Bridge at 55 mph. To each his own. But a truly inclusive city wouldn't ignore those who drive environmentally harmful vehicles and are susceptible to occasional acts of road rage. It's time to stop treating gas guzzlers like second-class citizens.
chrishent
2015-07-29 06:10:41
Was that a bit of tongue-in-cheek from Heyl, or do I need to recalibrate my Snark-O-Meter?
rustyred
2015-07-29 06:31:31
That whole column makes me think of this song: https://youtu.be/BYwWKEc8c88 Also, bulls don't mingle with matadors in Barcelona anymore. They banned bullfighting there a few years ago...
chrishent
2015-07-29 06:31:57
oy Our esteemed opinionator may have confused Barcelona with Pamplona (they kind of sound the same, I guess). Also, the interweb informs us "Bullfighting in Barcelona was banned on July 28, 2010". It might just be me but, on a typical day downtown, if you look around the street you will see way more pedestrians than vehicles at any given moment. If you are going 55mph as you come off the bridge and into downtown, you are seriously speeding. Hope you get caught. If the rest of us are lucky, they'll impound your car (and you'll hop on a share-bike!)
ahlir
2015-07-29 07:59:16
The two cents I will provide will concern motorcycle parking. You wanna get downtown and home in a hurry without breaking a sweat, use a motorcycle. But m/c parking is in miserably short supply, both downtown and in Oakland.
stuinmccandless
2015-07-29 09:40:32
One of his arguments is that only 1.8 percent commute by bike, so cyclists shouldn't get so much available blacktop. I would love to measure the sq. footage of all paved roads in the Pgh area, which would surely show that way less than 1.8 percent of it is made up of bike lanes. So we may as well keep adding them until we make it a fair 1.8 (and obviously add more if that commuting percentage then increases).
alleghenian
2015-07-29 09:51:23
Rusty Red I wondered the same thing, but my snarkometer landed on the probability that the guy is just a dumbass.
edmonds59
2015-07-29 10:29:54
The guy has some GREAT ideas: Plans are afoot for dedicated bus lanes between Downtown and Oakland with limited stops and stations. The system would cost $200 million and reduce a typical 10- to 15-minute trip to eight to 12 minutes. Cars traveling the route would plod along at slower speeds, owing to traffic lights and traveling in a tighter space because of the increase in dedicated bike lanes. That is the most wonderful transit idea in a long time.
mick
2015-07-29 11:28:19
Why do cars need to go 5th and/or forbes fast to get downtown from oakland unless they really want to stop in uptown. We've already built an expressway between downtown and oakland for cars. Boulevard of the allies is the way to go fast and direct. There are no lights between oakland and downtown at all. They will not be slowed down by bike lanes or busses.
benzo
2015-07-29 12:33:59
I saw a teaser for a local news story last night about a cyclist getting arrested for taking the lane. I know I read about this on here somewhere a week or more ago, but I can't find it. Anyone catch that?
erink
2015-07-29 14:38:18
We discussed this guy at length in this thread a few days ago. He might be technically right, but has lots of other things going on that make it not a good case for discussion. Note that the woman at issue earlier in that thread won her case in court, though lost it in public opinion, and ended up having to move to a different town. We're connected on Facebook.
stuinmccandless
2015-07-29 15:36:30
Two things about this guy: One, he really gets around. I'm always impressed with the number of people who have personally interacted with him who take the time to post on stories about him. Two, either they have some super-careful drivers out there in Hempfield, or there's something about this guy's riding that's not quite as dangerous as they're saying. Also: Stu, are you talking about Cherokee Schill? I thought she lost the case, and decided not to appeal.
jonawebb
2015-07-29 15:40:01
He was charged in April with threatening the staff of East Huntingdon District Judge Charles Moore when he entered the office carrying a rock in one hand and displaying several knives attached to shoulder straps. This month, Smith's attorney Larry Burns said Smith carried a “pebble” into the courtroom, not a rock. Or, stay away from this guy.
ahlir
2015-07-29 15:52:15
I am; I'll check my facts when I'm not at work. I do know she moved to Louisville.
stuinmccandless
2015-07-29 15:55:23
Yes, I was on the Ross ride last night. You can see me in the second photo, blue shirt, yellow helmet. I have video of the ride -- and a proto-ride last week. We will be doing another one of these, same route, starting at Northway Mall, next month.
stuinmccandless
2015-07-30 10:33:38
Ok, I tweetered. But only once. This dude did it at least twice: Randall Pink Floyd @ dandyrubich Irwin,PA Just a dude doing things dudes do. I try to be funny i'm probably not. I like sports and boobs and a smooth bowel movement. Hi. I'm confused. Isn't Irwin PA just an exit on the Turnpike? Should I keep tweetering? How do these polls work anyway?
ahlir
2015-07-30 21:05:46
Randall Pink Floyd - MENSA called. Just kidding.
edmonds59
2015-07-30 21:15:04
WTAE did a hatchet job this evening on the Oakland meeting. The only clip from the meeting they showed was the only person who raised her voice. It was introduced with something about cyclists behaving badly, but it was just a complaint about a route choice that had been discussed with the building it affected. They tried hard to generate controversy, but the reporter must have been at a different meeting. Oh, @J Z , the poll came out 3:1 against bike lanes -- but they just asked whether people wanted more bike lanes rather than, for example "would you favor changes that improve safety of pedestrians and bicyclists". Bah.
maryshaw
2015-07-30 23:07:45
Ha, they've got problems with pedestrians getting in the way of cars, and deer getting in the way of cars. Maybe their real problem is with the cars?
jonawebb
2015-07-31 09:53:11
Congrats to Paul for bringing John Strahs out of hiding! The blinding dislike for all things bike lanes from that Emma woman (personal theory: she got screwed out of some free/cheap parking in Schenley Park when the cycle track was put in) was starting to get old. All kidding aside, nice letter @paulheckbert!
chrishent
2015-08-01 10:14:01
Boy that John Strahs does read like he's been indoors too long... A while ago he was (I believe) banished by the P-G due to issuing threats of violence directed at cyclists.
ahlir
2015-08-01 11:47:25
So, John Strahsmeier is a climate change denier in addition to everything else. This Emma Dunsen is taking up the slack from Strahs's silence of late. This is the first I've seen them both yabbering away in the same spot.
stuinmccandless
2015-08-01 13:01:37
John Strahs threatened to "mangle" me in his truck tires and was briefly banned. Anytime I bring this up in a PG comment, it gets deleted but he gets to keep jabbering away.
mjacobpgh
2015-08-02 12:16:48
Not sure if this is the right place for this, but had to share. Passed a dude today on the jail trail riding a bike share bike with a semi-automatic handgun strapped to his hip. Yikes!
kristopher
2015-08-02 15:41:58
I bet he gets four feet, every time... (I've thought about it, tbh.)
epanastrophe
2015-08-02 15:44:02
Good one! I stopped and fiddled with something till he passed, then passed again just to be sure.
kristopher
2015-08-02 16:04:29
Quote from the Walk//Bike Ross story: Last night we took the right lane of McKnight Road with a group of 17 riders. One of which was Patrolman Matthew Immekus, Ross Township Police Bike Officer and an International Police Mountain Bike Association Police Cyclist Instructor. No one honked. As my buddy Steve noted, “It’s tough to honk at someone who’s armed.” [emphasis mine]
stuinmccandless
2015-08-02 17:55:22
Bike vs pickup truck reported near the Ambridge-Aliquippa Bridge and South Heights on KQV traffic report, 7:08 a.m. Anyone got details?
stuinmccandless
2015-08-06 06:11:51
benzo
2015-08-06 08:27:26
There is a wide berm but rumble strips and lack of maintenance on that stretch make it difficult to use. I usually take the lane at that point.
5matt
2015-08-06 08:42:56
Thanks buffalo buffalo - link has been fixed.
benzo
2015-08-06 08:43:21
What 51 needs is a road diet, a vastly reduced speed limit, or both. I'm thinking 30 or 35 instead of 55.
stuinmccandless
2015-08-06 10:13:56
It'll piss off the suburbanites and lead to more, "I hate this city" comments, but I agree with you Stu, 51 needs a road diet, or at least the construction of sidewalks for heaven's sake. 51 is the prime road in and out of the southern neighborhoods.
jason-pgh
2015-08-06 10:57:42
Completely different part of Rte 51. Saw Mill Run already has a 35mph speed limit. This is about the road to the northwest, especially the segment between Coraopolis and Beaver.
epanastrophe
2015-08-06 11:00:33
I was referring to the Ambridge-Aliquippa part of 51. South of town needs its own discussion.
stuinmccandless
2015-08-06 12:53:53
I thought the news did a good job with this. They showed the bike's back light still blinking, even though they did not mention it. They talked about the 4 ft law. They did not say anything about whether the biker was wearing a helmet. I'm OK with that reporting. Of course, I'm not OK with what happened.
mick
2015-08-06 17:10:31
vannever
2015-08-08 07:39:31
So sad. Keep us informed if a memorial ride is planned. This is the third death in three years on the official PA bike route A. https://goo.gl/maps/W1Rx8 I hope some lawyer sues the hell out of the state for bad road design- it's the only way this route is going to be made safe.
marko82
2015-08-08 08:59:23
@Marko82 & @Vannevar: Was Arthur A. Bell, Jr. the cyclist struck on route 51 near the Sewickley Bridge recently? I've seen no news stories connecting his name to that incident. Have you?
paulheckbert
2015-08-08 09:21:36
Assuming it's the same guy, what sort of unholy hell do we have to raise to get things fixed?
stuinmccandless
2015-08-08 09:25:04
I came back from Flor-duh for a long busy work week and haven't been paying attention to the news. The route 51 story is very sad, and it frustrates me. It seems like a very avoidable death. Why no information on if the driver is at fault? Any negligence? Was the four foot law followed? Most likely not if you hit somebody as one can't hit somebody from four feet away. Any cell phone use? No information except the cyclists was hit and the bike dragged under the car. Now most likely a 54 year old engineer is gone way to soon most likely due to negligence on another American who drives their over-sized scooter without any concern of other lives. I understand there is no 100% factual information linking the obituary to the story, but it seems most plausible. I also have no facts in how the accident happened and it might be still being "investigated". But regardless I am right to assume that the motorist is most likely at fault as they have the obligation to control their death machine as they haul themselves around. I would also place what savings I have that this investigation finds no fault on anybody for this man's death. Now the East Liberty story sure whipped up a lot of moronic trolls because the cyclists ran a light. Bring out the morons. However, when one is killed by a motorist I guess the news sources close the comments from the classy idiots posting their "thoughts".
shooflypie
2015-08-08 09:56:31
I'm not exactly sure if he was hit in this section, but there's quite a long bit there where if they would simply clean the berm conditions would be a lot better. There are fallen rocks blocking its use. That is not a road design issue, or a PennDOT issue. It is simply the local municipality not keeping up with their responsibilities.
jonawebb
2015-08-08 09:58:12
I did DC and back in 4 days last month with a backpacking tent, spare tubes, a external phone charger stuffed in my seat bag, no mats to rest on, a bag on my back with spare clothes, pumped water on the C&O, and lived on foods from Sheets in Hancock & a food stop in Cumberland and Ohiopyle. I made it in DC caked in mud from head too toe on night two then having to bike back to my tent I set up 30 miles back in the dark with my light. I was picturing a nice dinner in DC after a shower filling up the hungry stomach, but I was so damn smelly and muddy the homeless didn't want me around so I went in, got my photo that I made it, and headed back west aiming for Sheetz in Hancock again the next day. Reaching Cumberland back the third night for the second time I just turned on my bike light at dark and ran it to low battery with just enough to make sure I found a place to throw my tent on the scenic overlook right north of Maryland. Made it home the next day at 4 and had a hour long shower. I was not shell shocked though. I thought it was great and I would do it again every year till I am old.
shooflypie
2015-08-09 08:40:38
Going online at 5 am on a Sunday to comment on an LTE about bike lanes: the sadness of John Strahs knows no bounds
chrishent
2015-08-09 13:19:43
@chrishent well that seems to validate what we all kind of assumed.
mjacobpgh
2015-08-09 14:19:04
I am nowhere near running out of two-cent pieces. There is no point in arguing with these haters. What they do need to realize, though, is that more of us are rolling front and rear video, and know exactly what the rules are, and are following them to the letter. We also know how to take down plate numbers and press charges if you haters give us serious trouble on the roads, yes those roads we do have every bit a right to use as you do in your two-ton tin cans. While I would love it if you would please just shut up, I would love it more if you learned what the rules actually are and mean, and try to get along with us. For if you do end up causing or contributing to a crash that gets someone hurt or killed, you will have a long record of hate that will not help your case. You should know that we've bookmarked and/or independently preserved every single one of these comments, going back a couple of years. So, stop spitting in the wind, and learn to smile instead.
stuinmccandless
2015-08-09 17:56:50
The haters are all around and nothing satisfies them. Today, I had been riding with a friend. He peeled-off in the city portion of the South Hills while I continued on, solo into the suburban wilderness. As I got close to home in Bethel Park, I was being followed by a Cadillac as I was rolling down a road that had 3 stop signs. The speed limit was 25 mph and I was moving pretty well because it was down hill and I was not exaggerating my stops. I made sure to stop at each, putting my foot down for a brief second and then rolling onward. By the time I reached the 3rd sign, the Caddy was being followed by 2 more vehicles. Someone blew the horn when I stopped at the 3rd sign (I don't believe it was the Caddy). Then all 3 proceeded to pass me on the next stretch of open road, which wasn't very long. The Caddy blew out a lot of gray and black smoke but had a clear pass. As the next two cars passed, there was an oncoming vehicle. I would say that there was not sufficient distance or sightline to pass safely in that area. The 3rd vehicle had its windows down as it passed and I did holler "nice move" because his pass was the most dangerous to the oncoming vehicle, which had nearly come to a complete stop. Of course, the driver flipped me off. I simply smiled and then caught up to him within a tenth of a mile because the road took a hard left, under a RR overpass and reached the 4th stop sign at the intersection with route 88. No further communication occurred between us. I suppose I could have said nothing when he passed, but it was a very dangerous maneuver and probably scared the oncoming driver more than it did me. To these haters, we cyclists are wrong simply for being on "their" road. If I hadn't stopped at the stop signs, they would complain about that. Since I did stop, they felt inconvenienced and didn't like that either. Just tried do the right thing and to keep my emotions in check. However, a question or two occurs to me. If I encounter a more aggressive motorist, do I have to allow myself to be assaulted ? Am I not permitted to defend myself ?
fultonco
2015-08-09 18:22:20
In general I've found that while they complain about stop signs, nothing annoys a motorist more than being slowed down. And you can get in trouble whenever you injure another person, even if they started it.
jonawebb
2015-08-09 18:41:51
A couple of weeks ago San Francisco cyclists obeyed traffic laws, specifically stop signs, to the letter along a popular bicycle route. Here's what happened: http://www.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2015/07/30/this-is-what-happened-when-bicyclists-obeyed-traffic-laws-along-the-wiggle-yesterday Back story: local SFPD station Captain told his officers to punish bicyclists for various annoying infractions. Bicyclists rode through his zone single file, each stopping completely and yielding the right of way. Meanwhile, the president of the SF Board of Supervisors and at least one other board member endorse the Idaho stop.
maryshaw
2015-08-09 19:45:09
The Idaho stop is just common sense. We aren't driving weapons of mass destruction, we are riding on two wheels. We have huge advantages over cars in hearing, visibility and more. I do what I want to stay safe for myself and keep away from cars and don't impede traffic to the best of my ability. If getting through a red light on the red lets me get in a better area for me and the line of cars, i should be able to do that and I do. Most drivers have been great because for the most part they see clearly that I am wanting to make this better for all. Things are better than every in Pittsburgh for cyclists. Believe me, 30 years ago it was more than horrible in comparison. I am just thankful to cycle and really love it more than anything.
gg
2015-08-09 23:29:30
Regarding the crash at Highland & ELB a few weeks ago, I found this statement in an article about hit-and-runs happening in Philly: But the act of fleeing and trying to hide instantly ratchets up what may be a genuine mistake to a punishable act. And the penalties are severe: leaving a scene that causes injury or death is a second-degree felony, one that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of three years in prison, according to the state's Crime Code & Vehicle Law Handbook. http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20150812_Experts__City_s_hike_in_hit-runs_hard_to_explain.html#SLCDsPu87iv7SR5T.99 So what's the status of this case? The car was found quickly, the police were called...
marko82
2015-08-12 10:15:54
@jonawebb and @MaryShaw Thanks for the comments related to the minor problem I encountered while trying to obey traffic laws. I agree with the Idaho concept and find it to be very practical in many situations. Regarding the more aggressive and assaultive motorists, my only comments are that it is shame that one has to allow oneself to be physically assaulted in order to remain on the right side of the law. It seems nothing happens to the initiators but if one defends oneself, one risks becoming a criminal also. There is something wrong with this picture. When I was growing up, which is getting to be a long time ago now, one was able to act in self-defense. Nowadays, that seems to be questionable at best.
fultonco
2015-08-16 07:55:33
So, according to the author of the LTE about cyclist education, there's a place in Pittsburgh where Liberty and Friendship intersect. Who knew? ;) On the other hand, I do like that students, such as the author of the first letter, are starting to speak up about more cycling infrastructure.
chrishent
2015-08-17 06:23:47
Kudos to that Hempfield guy. BTW, has anyone other than me thought about the origin of that name - "Hempfield" ? I have always wondered, what up that?
edmonds59
2015-08-17 09:32:51
According to Wikipedia, it's pretty much exactly what you think.
Its [name is] taken from Hempfield Township in Lancaster County, which was formed in 1729…[and] is named after the hemp fields that were in the area.
epanastrophe
2015-08-17 09:37:03
I don't suppose there was a Bubba Marley involved in the founding?
edmonds59
2015-08-17 09:39:03
Hempfield Twp, home of Hempfield Area School District. Now figure out what its senior high school's initials would be.
stuinmccandless
2015-08-17 10:49:10
;D
edmonds59
2015-08-17 12:12:11
Port Authority dropped their September service changes today. Of particular interest to this community might be the extension of the 20 Kennedy (PDF) to Groveton, a mere half-mile from Mile 0 on the Montour Trail. ...Too bad it doesn't run on weekends.
epanastrophe
2015-08-19 17:30:51
Nice to know that Jesse White--the former PA State Rep from Cecil who once had to apologize for creating fake names to harass his own constituents--is at least now doing his internet trolling under his own name now. "Dear cyclists in spandex shorts who feel the need to bring traffic on Route 50 to a crawl… Why are we spending millions of taxpayer dollars on a trail network if you just ride on the road anyhow?" https://www.facebook.com/jessewhite46/posts/10153700849331833 "The post I made yesterday about some of the cyclists on Route 50 in Cecil has drawn the ire of some people…To those people I say this: Grow up." https://www.facebook.com/jessewhite46/posts/10153701934761833
epanastrophe
2015-08-19 18:32:10
It is an improvement, however modest it may be. Having been rebuked by the electorate, what is he doing right now, other than playing on the internet?
jmccrea
2015-08-19 18:51:38
On the internet, no one knows you're a dog. What can I say?
ahlir
2015-08-19 23:04:58
Didn't read the link. From the quote, I guess if you don't wear spandex, he doesn't mind if you take the lane?
ericf
2015-08-20 04:49:58
Why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars making an expressway system if cars are just going to use the regular streets anyhow?
mick
2015-08-20 13:19:16
This is reposted for @Marko and the other Un-FaceBook'd among us. ----- Autopods, electric assist bikes, and Copenhagen wheels – oh my! Before we change our name to E-Bike Pittsburgh we want to hear what you think about the newest take on a centuries-old machine. Get information about the laws that govern e-bikes in Pennsylvania and tell us your thoughts. Your ideas and concerns will help us shape Bike Pittsburgh's position on electric bicycles. This meeting is for Bike Pittsburgh members. Please RSVP using this form: https://docs.google.com/a/bikepgh.org/forms/d/1nSO0lU2i7w5POjWljgBwiyv-XJ60pgALQPhpmKogs1k/viewform?usp=send_form
vannever
2015-08-20 19:22:21
For the non-FB folks, I was finally able to assemble a rational response to that Jesse White individual without expressing what I actually think of the idiot: Should the image expand when you click it so it's legible?
edmonds59
2015-08-21 06:24:07
Very nice, E. Well done. (i just did 'open image in new tab' on my phone, then was able to zoom in until I could read it...)
epanastrophe
2015-08-21 06:31:14
Non Face-thingy person checking in here. Thanks for the updates.
marko82
2015-08-21 06:56:19
Nicely worded, Bill. Thanks. I had a post on the thread, too, but don't care to dig back for it during the work day.
stuinmccandless
2015-08-21 08:36:24
any update on the cyclist struck by train on SouthSide last Saturday? thanks!
vannever
2015-08-27 12:19:01
Fb reports car struck cyclist in 2300 block of Atmore around 1130 Thursday night. Cyclist alert and taken to hospital
vannever
2015-08-28 04:40:01
There's a P-G reporter aboard today's test run. Stay tuned.
stuinmccandless
2015-08-28 07:56:07
P-G describes a plan to build a transit link between Oakland and the Almondo development (which it refers to as the "Hazelwood Flats"). This sounds like good news, but consider the proposed routing: The first segment, called the Junction Hollow Connector, would be combined with existing and proposed public streets to create a larger Oakland Transit Connector. The Junction Hollow segment begins at South Neville Street and Forbes Avenue in Oakland, goes south on Boundary Street and continues on the existing trail through the hollow until it rejoins Boundary Street. There is only one "existing trail" that I'm aware of in that area... http://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2015/08/29/Pittsburgh-seeking-money-to-build-transit-link-between-Oakland-Almono-site/stories/201508290058 [the whole thing could make sense if the transit route follows Boundary-Juno then climbs to Swinburne, leaving the existing trail alone.]
ahlir
2015-08-29 09:40:22
Re Boundary St ... Once upon a year, it used to connect from Big Jim's up to where it now ends near Panther Hollow Lake. It was taken out of service -- I heard it involved politics. Sometime later I drove up it, but there were potholes, big rocks, washing machines, and stuff in the road. If you look on the satellite view in Google Maps, you can see a sort of dark groove just west of the Junction Hollow Trail. That's it. From the Oakland side, if you drive down to the gate where the trail takes off, the road continues. It jogs to the right (and climbs, I think) to become Juno St. At that kink you may be able to see the former Boundary St. A few years ago it was still (marginally) passable on foot. The police had the trail closed off, and a group of us who were headed north went over to where Boundary used to be and beat our way through the knotweed to come out near the Juno/Boundary/trail gate location. So I think there's enough space up at the north end for both the trail and a bus road, but probably not to reopen Boundary to car traffic. The problem will come down by the soccer fields. I think the trail is pretty much on Boundary St at that point. My favorite idea for a Junction Hollow connection is to build a Robert Heinlein style rolling road from Almono and the Pittsburgh Tech Center up into various points in Oakland.
maryshaw
2015-08-29 21:52:42
I also remember the former Boundary, and cycling down it (a rough gravel surface in my recollection). The google map, which shows the notional street plan, has an extension of Juno that follows the edge of the Sesteli Nursery property then curves up to Swinbourne. I was thinking that this should be the transit road. Of course a good number of Pittsburgh's streets were laid out apparently without taking geography into account, so it's hard to say. Running Boundary down towards Big Jim's, on the other hand would be a disaster: it would disrupt the neighborhood, the playing field and the trail.
ahlir
2015-08-30 05:58:02
Not specifically a bike article, but the comments quickly included bikes. Port Authority's plan for car-free communities slow to bear fruit Comment from routine hater Mark Parrish: "What happens after the transit stops in the evening or night. I guess they will have to ride bikes on the highways next."
stuinmccandless
2015-08-31 11:52:41
^ uh, I also am an Oakland resident, and apparently Mr. Posner III doesn't understand that EFT/Jail Trail IS a transit corridor. Currently, as is, it promotes leisure AND mobility. Luckily, city leadership paradigm isn't on the same page as that guy. What's he proposing? EFT/Jail Trail as a rail corridor? A HOV lane? How wrong minded.
ka_jun
2015-09-02 09:20:56
He's proposing a rail link to downtown, which of course he would, given the organization that he works for would likely benefit from this. And I may be in the minority here, but I certainly don't see the Jail Trail as a "leisure" route, being that it's flanked by two major roadways. Though it never fails to amuse me when I'm pedaling at 15 mph with a tailwind going towards Oakland and traveling faster than the vehicles on the Parkway
chrishent
2015-09-02 09:36:36
I wouldn't automatically reject the use of the EFT as a mass transit passage. If they wanted to put in an elevated T-line with the bike trail underneath (or the line below with the trail on top) I think we all could coexist. It might even make winter commuting better and would surely make the multi modal connections work much better than they do now. Sure I prefer to have grass and trees beside me while I ride, but I think they could accommodate this as well - look at the hi-line in NY.
marko82
2015-09-02 09:54:39
+1 @marko. I'm in favor of commuter rail, and there's limited places where one can run it without extravagant expense, other than the existing rail beds. I'd be interested in seeing proposals for a light-rail-with-trail scheme...not so much for a rail-no-trail replacement of Eliza Furnace, unless it also included a rebuild of Second Ave to include a separated MUP.
reddan
2015-09-02 10:08:42
With the kind of money a rail connection to downtown would require, you could do all sorts of things to that corridor. Second Avenue has way more space than it needs, for most of its length. So I'd think a cycletrack would be possible. But two things: 1) I have heard that when a rail link between downtown and Oakland was proposed back in the Murphy administration, politically connected people in the Hill District insisted it go that way (I think as a subway). This is one of the reasons we ended up spending the money on the stupid tunnel to the Northside instead. 2) It would take a really awesome amount of money to build a rail link. BRT is much more possible, though still a reach. And BRT between Downtown and Oakland would mean no need for the rail link, basically.
jonawebb
2015-09-02 10:15:05
While riding home on the Jail trail one day I was thinking about the changes to come to 2nd Avenue in the next decade when the Almono project gets developed. I believe a resident complex is being built in the Technology Center, and this can hopefully become more mixed use. Eventually (hopefully) everything from the Hot Metal Street Bridge down to Hazelwood will be far different with vibrancy. A nice multi-use path on the right of 2nd to the new Almono development would be nicer than along a highway anyways.
shooflypie
2015-09-02 10:27:23
I'm supportive of commuter/light rail, but the idea of replacing EFT/Jail Trail is a non-starter for me. I use that transit corridor every day, year round, and I'm not the only one.
ka_jun
2015-09-02 12:45:23
I live in Oakland and I use the Jail Trail frequently, but I'd support putting a rail there and the trail on 2nd ave.
mick
2015-09-02 16:29:39
No. Just, no. There are already tracks there; if we want rail access for a one-mile rail line, use those. Better, put BRT in place so the existing street network can get people in and out of Oakland quickly. I am against moving one shovelful of dirt for a motorized transportation system.
stuinmccandless
2015-09-02 19:41:13
I dunno...if said rail system comes with associated trail, and there's the prospect of extending it further up the river, I could be persuaded. The thought of light rail+trail up through Braddock (or beyond) has some appeal. That said, I agree that BRT would be a whole lot cheaper and easier to implement. (I also agree that using existing tracks would be preferable to tearing up existing infrastructure and laying new ones.)
reddan
2015-09-03 06:13:57
Back to the LTE, I think this guy thinks that any propulsion of a human by anything that isn't motorized automatically categorizes as "leisure", and further that it lacks legitimacy.
stuinmccandless
2015-09-03 07:37:02
^^Imagine having light rail (with bike trail) extended out through Hazelwood to Braddock and then up the turtle creek valley to to far east end. How many cars would that take off the road? How much congestion would we also take off of the eastern local streets from people passing-through trying to get to the parkway? And how much space which is currently misused for parking would we free up? I'm not against BRT (it is cheaper), but I think the politics that jon mentions above is clouding our judgement on the best possible routes.
marko82
2015-09-03 08:14:42
That's actually the old route to Pittsburgh (before they built the Parkway), BTW. What you're doing is proposing to restore the light rail system they had there. Maybe they can use some of the old trolley poles, many of them are still up. And doing this would do more to restore economic vitality to areas like Braddock and McKeesport than anything else we could plan.
jonawebb
2015-09-03 08:19:51
Originally posted in the thread about the Route 51 cyclist, but worth cross-posting here. The comments on this story include some real haters. Have we run into this "Dr. Avis" previously?
stuinmccandless
2015-09-13 14:12:29
I really wish news stations would only allow comment sections be from real names using Facebook accounts. You get less trolling and morons are presented by their real name. I have read other comments on their site before about other stories than cycling and Dr. Avis is always there making disparaging comments wanting to get a rise even if they are insulting a person who recently died. Probably some 45 year old virgin, who is not a doctor, and spends his time pleasuring himself in his mom's basement over the negative feedback he gets on news forums.
shooflypie
2015-09-13 17:54:17
Dr Avis's comment has been removed from the KDKA story. I don't recall the name being talked about here before, but i've seen them posting a variety of racist, misogynist, and otherwise vile comments all over KDKA's site.
epanastrophe
2015-09-15 08:52:09
If they can't properly moderate comment on their site, they should be disabled.
benzo
2015-09-15 09:57:03
^Related to cycling but not local, some professional cycling news sites have, over time, gotten rid of their comments section because they simply became areas where nothing of value was added to the article being "discussed". Ultimately, the lack of any type of civil discussion led these sites to simply shut these sections down instead of having someone moderating it. The PG does this to a certain extent, as they do not enable comments on a few articles based on their subject matter. My guess is that this is likely done out of previous experience
chrishent
2015-09-15 10:19:05
Most people don't even read the articles. They go straight for the comment sections to fling shit and start their assault on the English language (myself included.......Ahlir can back that up)
shooflypie
2015-09-15 10:49:34
Almono Update Construction of new road and utilities beginning The Almono Phase 1 infrastructure plans have been approved for construction. Thank you to the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and their related agencies on their efforts to move the Almono Hazelwood development forward. On-site work is scheduled to begin in October. This $25 million Phase 1 infrastructure project includes: •New 1.5-mile complete street with innovative stormwater and cycle track •Fully separated new sewer system and new utility trunk lines http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=816243608bdbd4e8207cdea3c&id=d99556795a&e=94f00abefc
yalecohen
2015-09-17 13:31:22
The City of Pittsburgh has submitted its' budget proposal for 2016: http://pittsburghpa.gov/mayor/release?id=5168 In the capital budget proposal, found at the bottom of the page, there is again a section for bike infrastructure. Only two projects, but I think they are good ones: - protected bike lane on East St, going up to Hazlett St in Northview Heights. - "Gap to the Point Trail Extension": This looks like it might be the long-awaited Point Connector. Obviously, this is subject to change. If I recall correctly, the Oakland bike lanes and the one on 40th St weren't originally part of this year's budget
chrishent
2015-09-22 12:13:14
East Street needs pavement more than it needs a bike lane, and it seriously needs speed enforcement. Fiftyfrigginseven miles an hour up that road, uphill, not really that big a problem since it's two lanes outbound, but inbound, even though it's downhill, drivers seem to want to race traffic on 279 a few feet away. I've been tailgated on the motorcycle going the posted 35, and on the bicycle, nobody wants to cross the double yellow.
stuinmccandless
2015-09-22 13:30:58
@stu, agree on the new pavement for East St. Hopefully that's included in the $14.7 million that they are expecting to spend on resurfacing city streets, with the cycle track being put in shortly after that. I would imagine that such a project would narrow East St down to two lanes instead of three (traffic calming?) I've never had a problem riding on East St, but I can see why others would be intimidated to ride here, with the aforementioned high speeds. It's great that the City is thinking about expanding bike infrastructure to the North, and this would be one of the best roads to do it on.
chrishent
2015-09-22 13:47:57
In addition to the projects @chrishent notes, the capital budget proposal (PDF, 161pp.) also includes: - audible countdown signals and traffic signals at five intersections, including Bigelow and Bayard, Craig and Bayard, and Bigelow & Centre - new traffic signals at about ten intersections across Downtown, including Penn at Fifth & Sixth; separately, a new signal and markings at Liberty and 12th, which currently has no signal at all as I recall - preliminary work toward replacing the Charles Anderson Bridge, which carries Blvd of the Allies over Junction Hollow, and the Negley Ave Bridge over the Busway; replacement of the West Ohio Street Bridge over the railway in Allegheny Commons West - repairs and reconstruction to four stepways, plus "Multimodal Design [for] Joncaire Street and Isis Way" in Oakland - a whole bunch of park work, including better crosswalks in Highland Park and water fountains at Arsenal - $500K for "Public space improvement, transit improvements, and other infrastructure improvements" - as @chrishent notes, $14.7 million for resurfacing about 60 unspecified miles of city streets. it also provides for a number of upcoming projects in future years, including: - "reconstruction of two to four blocks of Smithfield Street", beginning 2017 and spending $2,500,000 each in 2019 and 2020 - replacement of the Swinburne Bridge over Four Mile Run - continuation of the Penn Ave rebuild in Garfield
epanastrophe
2015-09-22 14:36:27
The 40th St. bike lane was specifically mentioned in this year's capital budget. Not sure about Oakland. I really hope we get more than two bike lane projects next year.
willb
2015-09-22 14:43:38
I sure hope Centre Ave is on the paving list. The Flock ride last Friday went along it from Craig in NOakland to Broad in ELiberty. I'm sure glad I don't have to bike that every day. With all the longitudinal cracks and large craters, that's just plain unsafe.
stuinmccandless
2015-09-22 14:53:34
Page 29 mentions upgrades for 11 intersections on Liberty Ave downtown. These are badly needed, as pretty much all of them suck for pedestrians. Also, repave this freaking road. @willb, the problem for 2016 is that the City appears to be footing the bill for the Point Connector, which will use up over 90% of the budget designated for bike infrastructure (city budget: $777k). Whether that money should be used elsewhere is up to debate, but given that the Mon Wharf switchback is also supposed to be constructed next year, the timing is ideal. We'll see what the final budget looks like
chrishent
2015-09-22 15:06:13
IIRC the repaving money gets divided among the council members and each one gets to decide what roads get repaved in their district. $14.7 M is I think a 50% increase over last year. This should put to rest any complaints that Peduto is favoring cycling infrastructure over the needs of motorists for pothole-free roads. (Ha!)
jonawebb
2015-09-22 15:41:52
The process is not to just tell a council member they have $1.5 million and to decide what roads to pave with it. Council members definitely have input in the process but other considerations like road classifications, utility work, etc are taken into consideration.
mjacobpgh
2015-09-23 22:06:30
so far nobody seems to have answered the compelling question: how is the bike?
vannever
2015-09-27 02:18:00
So, no one at PennDot goes to jail for repeatedly obstructing sidewalks with their stupid bloody signs?
edmonds59
2015-09-28 08:29:48
Fitzgerald proposes boosting vehicle registration fee $5, to $41 in Allegheny County, to pay for county road maintenance: http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/9155927-74/county-fee-council “This $5 fee, it's not going to solve everything,” Fitzgerald said, “but it's either this or property taxes.” Comments thus far are pretty much what you'd expect...
epanastrophe
2015-09-28 12:17:10
just in via North Side bike/ped committee email list: St Boniface Church is blocking the proposed bike lane up East Street through the valley, because parking.
It appears that St. Boniface Church has refused to agree to either of the City’s compromise designs which would’ve allowed them to keep parking spaces in front of their building, and the Mayor’s Office does not want to move forward with the project without their approval. This is obviously a major blow to our efforts over the past several years, and I wish I had more detail to share about a situation that seems inexplicable. What I do know is that any efforts to remind the Mayor of what this project means to the Northside can’t hurt. I know of one last meeting between the Church and City taking place sometime this week, and will let you all know when (if) the City shares any information.
(i guess this is more simply 'local news' than a 'local news story'. not sure there's an existing more-appropriate thread, though...)
epanastrophe
2015-09-28 13:11:03
Okay, how about they keep the parking, and we instead add speed tables and similar devices to keep the speed to 25 MPH all the way to the traffic light at Evergreen?
reddan
2015-09-28 13:19:55
Well, that didn't take long. I wonder if the City is proposing a two-way cycle track on the right uphill lane. I really hope they aren't. With good pavement, East St is a sweet, straightforward descent. Putting a protected bike lane, either as part of a two-way cycle track or as a single lane on the down, would make for a less safe descent
chrishent
2015-09-28 13:40:03
I almost never have trouble on East, outbound, despite insane traffic speeds. It's posted 35 but I've seen 55-60 (following people when on motorcycle). They really do not need a bike lane along there. Inbound isn't that difficult, except for the poor surface. You HAVE TO take the lane there, the whole way from Venture down to the dogleg turn over the highway, so you can avoid cracks and craters. No, Bike-Pgh, don't press for the bike lane here, even if the church is being stupid about on-street parking for four hours of a 168-hour week. Just have the city pave the street. And maybe enforce the existing speed limit.
stuinmccandless
2015-09-28 16:32:46
I think the city is trying to build a spine on this road, which I understand, but there's really no need here. I think the priority in the north should be, as others stated, traffic calming and speed enforcement.
jason-pgh
2015-09-28 17:32:14
Fitzgerald, Allegheny Conference to announce Regional Transportation Alliance of Southwestern Pennsylvania, a "10 county…effort to develop a regional transportation plan." http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/9171943-74/transportation-regional-allegheny
The initiative will focus on needed, high-impact transportation projects, how they can be accomplished and what resources are available to pay for them, Fitzgerald said. Projects could include roads and bridges, expansions of rail and bus transit systems as well as options for bicycles and pedestrians, he said. Examples of ideas discussed over the years include ways to alleviate congestion along the Parkways East, West and North, as well as the possibility of forming one regional transit agency rather than 10 separate groups. “Some of what we might want may be so unaffordable that they may not be achievable,” said Fitzgerald, noting that the regional approach will help tap into the imagination and expertise of home-based leaders and experts. “The important thing is that we come up with something that works.”
Not entirely clear how this differs from the SW PA Commission's transport group, tbh. @swalfoort? @willb?
epanastrophe
2015-09-29 17:50:27
Bicycle Heaven in the news ,please let the city know we need Signs for Chateau Attractions on the North Side ,the last of the bike trail in need. CBS just filmed B.H tonight to air on the Steeler game this Thursday night world wide .Many other kool places coming up that's just great for the bike World your help is needed,,Thanks so much to everyone who helps us,, bicycleheaven.org as seen in the NEW YOURK TIMES http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/diana-nelson-jones/2015/09/29/Diana-Nelson-Jones-Walkabout-1/stories/201509290032?utm_medium=social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=echobox&utm_term=Autofeed
bicycle-heaven
2015-09-29 21:42:41
11 people live in Chateau? Where is there even a place TO live in Chateau? I know of some squirrelly little nooks in the Cardello Bldg, and a shower, and I suppose some people sleep under their desks, but houses? apartments? lofts? Or are we counting people who live on boats anchored in the marina?
stuinmccandless
2015-09-29 21:56:53
I had over 180 people from out of the state and out of the USA last weekend alone its about signs needed to find the great places that are in Chateau ..diners / cafes and soon coming Aero Technologies and other places,,you will see its the new place to go for Art and other kool places,,not about 11 people who live in Chateau .
bicycle-heaven
2015-09-29 22:33:34
One of the Trib's comments has already been taken down, looks like. Separate matter, has anyone tried to fish out the guy's bike? Aside from being underwater for a few days, seems like it was otherwise undamaged. Am I wrong in assuming this would be an easy job for someone with scuba equipment?
stuinmccandless
2015-10-01 12:46:26
I've heard of other bikes getting fished out of the Mon when the rider went in over by PNC Park, fwiw.
ka_jun
2015-10-01 13:04:36
On fishing a bike out of the Mon. The Mon is murky and has a layer of muck at the bottom. ("Mick KNOWS muck!") There has been a lot of rain, so the water is a bio-hazard and there is current. There is barge traffic in the middle of the river. I'm guessing you COULD get the bike out, but the cost of putting a pro scuba guy down there and getting it out would be less than buying a new bike. If it were me? The guy would probably have to kill me to throw my bike over. This is not indicative of wisdom on my part.
mick
2015-10-01 13:44:28
Saw last evening where the new replacement for the Hulton Bridge will open shortly. Apparently, despite prior recommendations to make the old bridge for bike/ped use, it is going to be torn down. From Historic Bridges.org, "HistoricBridges.org has repeatedly attempted to communicate and work with PennDOT to try to develop win-win scenarios where a historic bridge can be preserved, while also ensuring that the needs of a functional infrastructure are met in a cost-effective and safe manner. Unfortunately, these efforts have not reaped any positive results. HistoricBridges.org continues to welcome any opportunity to work with PennDOT to develop preservation solutions for the historic bridges of Pennsylvania, and hopefully PennDOT will have a change of heart and join many other states in the Union that have a strong commitment to historic bridges. In the meantime, the rate of historic bridge demolition in Pennsylvania, coupled with the significance of those bridges being demolished is absolutely agonizing to witness." See the full article at: http://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=truss/hulton/ Once again, PennDOT forges ahead, ignoring anything having to do with bike/ped opportunities or historic preservation. Unless you are a rail-trail entity, are we really getting anywhere outside of the City of Pittsburgh?
fultonco
2015-10-06 05:06:00
I've been wondering about that. Any idea if the new bridge incorporates pedestrian/bike-able facility?
edmonds59
2015-10-06 08:47:20
Do we need to set up a ride out there to ride all day back and forth across the new bridge, taking the lane, and going 9 mph, spaced 100 yards apart?
stuinmccandless
2015-10-06 10:25:56
New Hulton bridge replacement will have a single 5ft wide sidewalk (way too small for two way bike/ped traffic) and 6 foot shoulders (which might be okay for biking, but not sure how that will play out yet).
benzo
2015-10-06 11:17:03
I'm mainly curious as to how difficult it will be to get on and off the sidewalk from the road. I'm not sure what the intersection is going to look like. Getting on the old hulton bridge sidewalk (downstream side) was a bit tricky coming from upriver because it's uncomfortable to get into the high-speed left hand turning lane while going up the hill. (If the traffic was moving along that is.) My usual strategy was to just stop and use the pedestrian crossing. Going the other direction I'm usually headed to Northbound Freeport Rd so I would just take the regular lane (traffic was generally slow enough to just keep up.) There's not a lot of pedestrian traffic out that way - slowing down and slipping by one another on the sidewalk should not be an issue.
andyc
2015-10-06 12:01:28
To me, it's the obvious question, but I'll put it out there for everyone else to chew on, who knows this corner better: Are we setting ourselves up for another Emily Jancart situation?
stuinmccandless
2015-10-06 13:54:06
@StuInMcCandless With the new bridge, quite possibly, that is if anyone actually uses it for bike/ped travel. With 4 lanes, it is going to be more high speed, crowded, and decidedly un-friendly for non-motorized travel. If the old bridge is preserved and used for non-motorized travel, such tragic situations become much less likely to occur. It seems to me that despite all the discussion, there is no vision when it comes to these situations. And these courses of action repeat themselves everywhere, West Carson Street, Lincoln Way in White Oak... I'm sure everyone can name another spot. Recently, a friend of mine wrote letters to PennDOT and had communications with them for a year, regarding making a stretch of Flaugherty Run Road a little more bike friendly where it meets up with the Airport Connector of the Montour Trail. He really thought he was getting somewhere and then the fateful letter came. The usual polite boilerplate letter, complete with the blah, blah, blah reasons why it can't happen. And that's it. It ain't gonna happen. Another opportunity lost for another generation or more. Other areas make these projects happen. They may not have the same challenges as we do but they have unique challenges. In Portland, it rains all the time and they have people who hate cyclists. In Madison and Minneapolis, it's freezing for 9 months of the year. In Tucson, your tires and head explode from the heat. It's simply that, in these places, there is leadership and vision that appreciates the value and finds ways to get these kinds of projects done rather than reasons for putting them into the circular file. Until we demand better leadership, we're going to stay stuck in the cycle of hopeful proposals and polite denials.
fultonco
2015-10-06 19:48:30
At this point, I would GLADLY pay a nominal yearly registration fee to avoid that tired argument, provided my money was put towards bike infrastructure. In fact, I'd welcome it, I think.
doublestraps
2015-10-08 09:02:43
"He said putting sidewalks on busy roads doesn't make sense because it will be dangerous to have pedestrians walking along them as cars zip by" Are you kidding me?
chrishent
2015-10-08 09:54:13
I'm not sure that adding sidewalks to main roads is as useful in suburban areas as creating sidewalks and paths that go from neighborhoods (and specifically insular subdivisions) to shopping centers. It's terrible to have to choose between bushwhacking and hopping fences to go 100 yds or having to walk 1/2 a mile (or having no good option at all). Granted topography can make this difficult.
andyc
2015-10-08 12:12:17
I am on this committee. We are taking both needs seriously. Yes, we need to get out to bus stops and businesses from neighborhoods, and yes, we also need to be able to walk along busy roads like McKnight. We need both, for different but related reasons.
stuinmccandless
2015-10-08 16:53:20
So noted. I added it to @WalkBikeRoss's Twitter follow list.
stuinmccandless
2015-10-09 05:28:52
When I biked from the east end to Ross Park Mall several years ago, not wanting to die on McKnight Rd, I searched for a path connecting from Tara Ct to Cheryl Dr, at bottom of the map below. I didn't find one. I see that google maps now shows a connection from Crestvale Rd - a big improvement! We need many more paths/trails/sidewalks like this! https://goo.gl/maps/QKAz1irXgzm
paulheckbert
2015-10-09 07:07:05
On the subject of the Greenfield Beechwood Boulevard Bridge closure and reconstruction: http://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2015/10/13/City-braces-itself-for-closing-of-Greenfield-Bridge/stories/201510130034 Not a bike/ped story, but there's a paragraph there about the suggested detour for cyclists and pedestrians: "Mr. Hassett said the city has six suggested detour routes that it will detail today. For pedestrians and bicyclists, the city is encouraging the use of Junction Hollow, where improvements have been made" Huh?
chrishent
2015-10-13 08:17:18
They did fix the stairs that go down into 4 mile run from Greenfield Ave (a bit up the hill from the Swinburne St bridge)
andyc
2015-10-13 10:19:31
@chrishent sounds like the idea is for riders to instead of going over the bridge "Greenfield Road", say going northbound on Greenfield Ave., one would follow Greenfield Ave west and connect to Saline, then to Junction Hollow. Anyways, this necessary project is going to suck hardcore.
ka_jun
2015-10-13 10:42:47
@J Z, pretty sure the 'huh' was to the "Junction Hollow, where improvements have been made" ... at least, mine was. I rode it last night; admittedly, it was pretty dark outside the range of my headlight, but i didn't see any improvements.
epanastrophe
2015-10-13 10:44:38
Yep, I was referring to the supposed improvements on Junction Hollow. Now that @andyc mentioned it, I remembered the Greenfield steps project coming up somewhere and found this: http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/diana-nelson-jones/2015/04/21/Diana-Nelson-Jones-Walkabout-Joncaire-Street-steps-project-in-Panther-Hollow-makes-a-bike-friendly-link/stories/201504210015 The article deals mainly with the Joncaire steps, but there's a mention of the Alexis St steps rehab. I guess this project has been completed. Do the steps have a runnel? Other than that, there's no improvements that I can see, at least based on my last ride through there this past Sunday. Also, the bridge project will surely impact traffic around the Chute area. I bet that left turn coming from the parking lot onto outbound Second Ave will be trickier
chrishent
2015-10-13 11:16:56
Maybe they also meant the bike path on Saline. It's not that new, but it happened well after they started planning for this bridge project.
steven
2015-10-14 00:32:00
@Steven, you might be right. The Trib has an article on the bridge project, which includes a few more details on the bike/ped detour: http://triblive.com/mobile/9251623-96/bridge-greenfield-detours "Pedestrians and bicyclists will be detoured from the Junction Hollow Trail via the Alexis Street steps or Saline Street in Greenfield, and Joncaire steps or Joncaire Street in Oakland. New steps and lights will be added on the trail"
chrishent
2015-10-14 06:28:02
- -
vannever
2015-10-14 12:27:04
Top-notch reporting on the Trib regarding potential bike lanes on Freeport Road: http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yourallekiskivalley/yourallekiskivalleymore/9271827-74/lanes-bike-harmar#axzz3ohGfTyCS The writer mentions the post that Bike PGH put up earlier this week regarding the 11th hour opportunity for bike lanes on that road, but doesn't actually talk to anyone in the organization. It also quotes a thread on this message board regarding discussions on Freeport Rd. Is this a first? So, Harmar officials are sending a letter to PennDOT indicating that they do not support bike lanes on Freeport Rd but that they do support a bike/ped trail along the Allegheny River (does PennDOT even have anything to do with the latter?)
chrishent
2015-10-17 06:44:34
City adds another four miles to this year's paving list: http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2015/10/19/City-adds-16-streets-to-paving-schedule-pittsburgh/stories/201510190125 Via https://pap.accela.com/envista-public-web/index/Pittsburgh, new projects (all apparently marked "2015 Add 2") include Black Street between Negley and Fairmount, Craft between Fifth and Forbes, Penn between Mathilda and Friendship, and Smithfield between Oliver and Seventh (which is also, separately, getting a sidewalk extension at the Burlington Coat Factory bus stop at Sixth). Also critical, also apparently coming up at the end of this month: South Aiken Ave bridge over the Busway and its horrid potholed expansion dams are on the list for a repave soon, too. The current week's paving schedule is at http://pittsburghpa.gov/dpw/StreetPavingSchedule -- Penn Ave in Bloomfield is apparently already in line to be milled tomorrow; Penn between Stanwix and Sixth Downtown is to be paved Friday.
epanastrophe
2015-10-19 15:35:00
Gil Penalosa was in Pittsburgh to speak at the American Planning Association of Pennsylvania’s annual conference. But he also spoke to a more intimate gathering of city leaders, planners, and activists at the WESA studio. http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/87361-to-design-great-cities-gil-penalosa-says-think-ambitiously- He is the founder and chair of a Toronto-based non-profit called 8-80 Cities, which advocates for urban biking, walking, parks, trails, and public spaces.
marko82
2015-10-20 09:33:36
New paving additions are great. Especially that horrible pothole ridden section of penn ave between 45th and S Mathilda St. That's one of the worst crater fests in the city.
benzo
2015-10-20 09:36:16
Bikes lanes are being installed along East Street in the northside. This will make East Street one of the best ways to get out of the city going north. The climb is gradual, there are only a few intersections, and there is almost never any traffic. I can't tell from the article how much of East Street will get the lane. If it goes the whole way up toward Venture it will probably be the longest bike lane in Pittsburgh. http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2015/10/26/East-Street-project-will-make-room-for-protected-bike-lanes/stories/201510260160
alleghenian
2015-10-26 14:07:42
Here's a map. They're between Lareda St and Suffolk St.
jonawebb
2015-10-26 14:19:00
That map is a PDF, btw, for those on mobile. You're expected to take Howard, the nearly unused road on the other side of the expressway, to the Gerst Way pedestrian bridge. (Does anyone know, are there steps to that bridge? I haven't been on it in years...) The lanes then will only run to Suffolk, which I guess is great if you're training for the dirty dozen but won't do much for anyone going the rest of the way out to Observatory or Summer Hills...
epanastrophe
2015-10-26 14:27:36
Google Earth makes it look like ramps on both sides. But there's some tight turns in there.
jonawebb
2015-10-26 14:38:40
> The lanes then will only run to Suffolk, which I guess is great if you’re training for the dirty dozen but won’t do much for anyone going the rest of the way out to Observatory or Summer Hills… Email to the North Side Bike & Ped Committee notes that "this project will coincide with previously planned street resurfacing which will only reach Suffolk Street this season. The City plans to continue paving East Street up the valley next year, and at that time the bike lane treatments will be extended as well."
epanastrophe
2015-10-26 15:26:09
If I recall correctly, the pedestrian bridge does have wheelchair ramps at both ends. The access to the bridge is a bit narrow, but it works. This is great news!
chrishent
2015-10-26 16:57:20
Meanwhile, in Downtown, Forbes/Smithfield rebuild postponed because they apparently didn't know where the underground utilities are. http://j.mp/1WeqKXK
epanastrophe
2015-10-26 17:12:29
I recall Gerst Way as having a couple of steps here and there. They were not a problem because I was walking the bike. I was walking the bike, not because of the steps or 90° bends, but all the glass and other debris.
stuinmccandless
2015-10-27 00:57:50
Oh man... “From the preliminary stages of the investigation, it appears as if there was a vehicle that was coming up the hill trying to make this left turn and somehow it encountered two pedestrians, one in a wheelchair, one walking,” said Public Safety spokesperson Sonya Toler. Gotta watch out for those magically appearing pedestrians. Wouldn't want to place any blame on the driver.
romo
2015-10-27 15:18:13
Fm today's "Eat That, Read This":
“If the driver [had] fled then it would be a clear case: There would be charges,” Toler told WTAE, showing that regardless of the outcome–that is, the senseless death of two people–the law may decide that, ¯\_(?)_/¯, stuff happens, and no one person is really culpable. The aggressive, careless way that people drive on Pittsburgh streets is a constant threat to human lives–and though the grief we feel is sincere and deep, the mass delusion of Car Culture has inured us, paralyzed us, captivated us to understand traffic violence as accidental rather than the result of poor decision-making, careless behavior, and our shamefully misbuilt environment. These are patterns of error that we need to fix. We should feel sad when someone’s life is snuffed out for the simple act of crossing a street. But then, crucially, we should get angry.
epanastrophe
2015-10-27 15:20:32
chrishent
2015-10-29 06:21:26
“The earliest a lane could be built if the federal money comes through is 2017,” he said in an email. So does that mean that no bike lane can be made on fifth/forbes until 2017 (when the BRT planning period is set to end) or do they just not have funding until then? Because if the latter, I don't see why we can't try to speed it up by getting the Universities to contribute and looking for other alternative sources of funding. Even if the lanes only run in Oakland and not all the way to downtown, that would be a huge improvement.
romo
2015-10-29 07:09:49
Also, LTE in the Trib calling out victim-blaming: http://triblive.com/opinion/letters/9326782-74/killed-transportation-cyclist BTW, @ROMO, I'm assuming they're saying they can't build a bike lane because they have to wait on BRT funding. This is absurd. A bike lane simply doesn't cost that much to build. It is a small fraction of the cost of repaving, which has to be done regularly. It is certainly possible to put a bike lane in on Forbes without Federal funding. It is simply a matter of political will. Motorists would have to give up some space. I've been thinking about the design, BTW. What do you think of putting it on the north side of Forbes (that is, on the left side of the one way traffic). I suggest that because it would avoid interfering with bus traffic, which is problematic. Where there is parking, you could put the lane between the parking and the curb. I suppose the lane could run up to Bellefield, and then switch to the right side of the street at the light, to continue up past CMU. (Possibly make it a cycletrack to connect with a bike lane coming down from CMU, so that you have a two-way path for bikes through the heart of Oakland.)
jonawebb
2015-10-29 07:59:55
@chrishent. Thanks for all the news links. I hope that these recent tragedies will galvanize the public that something needs to change. Of course the cheapest and quickest change would simply be for drivers to just slow down and pay attention. We will never be able to redesign our way out of all the numerous conflict-zones that exist when cars/bikes/pedestrians/PEOPLE need to share the same space. So the only real solution is to change behavior. Sadly, I am pessimistic that this will ever happen.
marko82
2015-10-29 09:59:56
From today's University Times, the official biweekly staff paper at Pitt: "Committee discusses Oakland transit woes": http://www.utimes.pitt.edu/?p=37266
Ever-present frustrations with parking, coupled with Greenfield Bridge detours and new bicycle infrastructure that’s causing confusion for drivers and cyclists alike led to a wide-ranging discussion on Oakland’s many transit issues in a recent meeting of the University Senate community relations committee (CRC).
Today's paper also carried Dr Hicks's obituary: http://www.utimes.pitt.edu/?p=37278
epanastrophe
2015-10-29 10:39:21
Two more pedestrians struck - this time in West Mifflin The PG reports that two pedestrians were struck along Camp Hollow Road in West Mifflin this morning about 7:20 a.m. They were both taken to the hospital.
swalfoort
2015-10-30 07:54:57
Oh man... I ride Camp Hollow road every day. Traffic is a bit crazy - people fly up this road and there are a lot of tractor trailers - but I haven't had major problems. Better infrastructure would be awesome though. I mainly use the shoulder which is very wide in most sections at the top of the hill. I see pedestrians walking it every day... I assume they are going to the bus stop on Lebanon Church.
bree33
2015-10-30 18:21:01
Damn, in the moment between when I first hit the link and went to sign in they seem to have removed the comments.
edmonds59
2015-10-31 09:49:46
Their website sucks. I see the comments and a new one was just added. I tried to sign in, but I can't get past the sign-in page. I just wanted to comment that this fine intelligent upstanding individual should keep his car/truck on the interstate only and not on our city streets clogging them up with gridlock.
shooflypie
2015-10-31 09:56:11
They've apparently turned off comments on this letter. So why did they run the letter in the first place?
stuinmccandless
2015-10-31 11:51:57
When I go to the PG website on a computer that I have never signed in on before, I can see the comments. Stu - I wonder if you and I have been blocked? That would be complete bullshit. and b. WTF?
edmonds59
2015-10-31 12:11:57
I think the comments section is down for all PG articles. I tried a few other articles, and there were no comments allowed, either.
chrishent
2015-10-31 17:18:25
The main PG site recognizes my login, but I can't get to the comments section from either that or my Facebook connection. Tried two browsers on the laptop, plus the iPad. No go.
stuinmccandless
2015-10-31 18:31:43
I can see 5 comments. 7.30 Saturday night.
vannever
2015-10-31 18:32:05
P-G: Pittsburgh cycling group pleads for safety measures in Oakland Really? Plead? Maybe we're just "asking" or even "requesting"? Let alone "demanding". I guess we just don't have the power to do much else than plead.
ahlir
2015-10-31 19:06:07
sidebar: i'm not sure why, but the Comments section appears for me on my laptop. Win8.1, Firefox, nothing special. I am not a subscriber.
vannever
2015-11-01 09:22:17
Another article in PG today. This one about comments made by the Pitt University Police relations officer. http://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2015/11/01/Oaklands-bike-pedestrian-and-car-traffic-perils-not-an-easy-fix/stories/201511010068 "Officer Johnson said the biggest problem he sees is that motorists and pedestrians, in particular, are too distracted to move about safely in a high-traffic area. 'All you can do is talk to them,' he said." Or, you could, you know, ticket them. The consensus from most of these articles seems to be that nothing will be done until 2017 at the earliest when the BRT studies are completed. I'm highly skeptical of even this timeline, however. They've been "planning" this BRT route since 2011.
romo
2015-11-01 09:34:11
Most of Officer Johnson's comments seem to address educating pedestrians. What is he doing about educating the people driving the cars? For example, he talks a lot about pedestrians with their heads in their cell phones. What is he doing about the people who are simultaneously trying to operate automobiles and cell phones -- which is actually illegal? I chant the same old chant -- let's enforce the laws we already have. That doesn't require long-range planning, capital budgets, or long lead times. It just requires determination.They could start tomorrow.
maryshaw
2015-11-01 10:07:44
From the comments on the Brian O'Neill column: "I ride eight miles a day, five days a week, no matter the weather. I wear headphones when I ride, so I don't hear anything around me. And I ride in the comfort and safety of the YMCA in Murrysville, because I don't want to risk death by riding in vehicular traffic." Funny. I think some of us would rather die than do a single pedal stroke on a stationary bike ;-)
chrishent
2015-11-01 18:29:58
Must be nice to live at the Y, so you don't have to risk death by walking or driving there. I feel a song coming on...
reddan
2015-11-01 18:55:30
Eight miles on an exerbike- unless riding really slowly, that is not a lot of time. I was really glad Brian wrote this- I know all of these points have been addressed numerous times in the comments sections, but maybe his pulling all of it together will reach more people. Maybe the lack of comments means people who don't believe it now have nothing to say. Or then again, maybe no one read it either because the game or just because.
helen-s
2015-11-01 19:34:39
Vince Troia of the Ohio River Trail Council wrote an excellent comment (truncated, unfortunately) in response to Saturday's neanderthal blame-the-victim letter to the Post-Gazette editor, http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/2015/10/31/Ride-bicycles-on-trails-not-on-roadways/stories/201510310062: Vincent Troia, Nov. 1 With all the ant-cycling sentiment in the news recently, it seems that most of the animosity is originating from non-cyclists that believe that cyclists do not belong on the road. Below is a response to their most common arguments: 1. Cyclist do not belong on the road because they are not licensed. There is a common law right for anyone including cyclists to use the public roads. Bicyclists are considered drivers of vehicles and therefore have the same rights to the road as motorists. 2. Cyclist do not belong on the road because only Drivers pay road taxes. Paying fuel and vehicle taxes does not give anyone, the right to use the roads and theses taxes do not fund the total cost of construction and maintenance of roads and highways. The balance is derived from bonds, property taxes, local taxes, and sales taxes. Thus, even if you do not drive a motorized vehicle, you are still paying for local roads and highways. Nevertheless, almost all bicyclists also drive cars and pay taxes. They also pay taxes for highways, which is a type of infrastructure that bicycles are not permitted to use. Furthermore, the actual cost of bicyclists using the road is minimal compared to the congestion and road damage created by cars and trucks. Since we all pay for streets, let us make them safe for all! 3. Cyclist do not belong on the road because they are only designed for motor vehicles. The fact is that roads should be designed with all legal vehicles in mind, including bicycles. Roads have been around for many thousands of years, and for much of that time, they have carried carts, horses, wagons, streetcars, buses, bikes, and automobiles. Roads can be designed to carry any type of traffic we determine is beneficial. Nevertheless, we have auto-oriented our roads to the degree that put every other mode of travel at a disadvantage. More troublingly, is that we have auto-oriented our minds, making it hard to imagine that things could ever be different. Since it is widely believed that roads are not for people on bikes, if a Bicyclist is killed, it is believed that it is due to their own fault. Motorists and Cyclists can coexist and will have to become more accustomed to Sharing-the-Road. 4. Cyclist do not belong on the road because they delay motor vehicle traffic. The truth is that cars cause most of the traffic delays. Often the motorist perceived delay due to a cyclist may be more illusory than real, as motorists often catch up to where they would have been and then wait at the next traffic light. 5. Cyclist do not belong on the road because they should only ride on paths. Bicycle paths are not built so Bicyclists can stay off the roads. Bicyclists are legally permitted to ride on the road and can safely do so when both the Motorists and Bicyclist obey the law, especially the speed limits and traffic lights. 6. Cyclist do not belong on the road because they only belong on the sidewalk. Bicycling on the sidewalk is very dangerous to both pedestrians and bicyclists, and is frequently illegal. 7. Cyclist do not belong on the road because they always break the law. Just because some bicyclists ignore the rules does not change the law, which says that bicyclists may use the road. The truth is that some Cyclists neglect to follow some of the rules, mostly rolling though stop signs and going through red lights when there is no cross traffic. It is also true that some Drivers do not always follow the rules, namely speeding, tailgating, not signaling, not stopping before a right turn, texting, failing to stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk, honking your horn just because you are angry, and yes, running red lights and rolling through stop signs. The fact that drivers break the law does not make it okay for Cyclists to do so. It is just that traffic laws are some of the most commonly disregarded rules. However, obeying the traffic laws makes both Drivers and Cyclists safer. 8. Cyclist do not belong on the road because they are dangerous. Cyclists have a responsibility to stay safe and look out for others, but Drivers are operating a powerful and heavy vehicle at a higher speed. Over the last ten years automobiles killed between 32,000 and 42,000, people a year. One solution is to redesign our streets to slow down motor vehicles. A person struck by a car at 25 miles per hour has a 10 percent risk of dying. At 40 mph that risk increases to 50 percent. A reduction in the speed limit from 40 mph to 25 mph only increases transit time by 9 minutes over a 10-mile distance. In places with high numbers of pedestrians and cyclists, speed limits can easily be reduced to save lives. 9. Bicycling infrastructure should not be built on roads since it causes more traffic congestion. With good design and implementation, cycling infrastructure fits easily into city roads and intersections. Cities have a finite size. Bikes and public transit are more space-efficient ways of moving large groups of people. We can try to keep squee
paulheckbert
2015-11-02 09:53:56
I haven't checked back up on that LTE since Sunday morning. It seems like they finally fixed their comment section and now there are a total of 18. That is 18 comments blasting this stupid backwards letter and 0 for support. I finally have a little more hope for humanity.
shooflypie
2015-11-02 10:57:23
I was very impressed with Vince Troia's write-up. He's the trail guy for the ORTC, but it's excellent to see him absolutely sledgehammer the case for road riding as well, especially in response to bullshit telling cyclists to ride on trails. Everyone everywhere should save his complete text to cut and paste anytime these boneheads come out of the woodwork. Also I am very glad that many other intelligent people were able to comment. Bravissimo all.
edmonds59
2015-11-02 11:20:12
"I am very glad that many other intelligent people were able to comment" Well, except for a certain frequent commenter, who apparently is still upset that the Schenley Park cycle track screwed her out of her convenient, possibly free parking spot. Now she's suggesting stuff like referendums for bike lanes. I mean, if you're going to do referendums about bike infrastructure and its measly cost, well, we should do this for every single public project, right? Fortunately, she does not reside in the city, so she wouldn't get a vote.
chrishent
2015-11-02 13:07:43
This is an important piece of legislation. If you don't want some backwater southern politician determining your future, please let your representatives know where you stand. People like Ted Yoho (R - Florida) think like the author of the op-ed letter. They are looking to gain control and stop the tremendous progress that is being made. They believe things like I've heard come out of people's mouths, "That Obama is turning us into a 3rd world country." These people are not only ignorant but they are dangerous. Dino Angelici: Thank you for supporting our effort. Check our blog at bikeleague.org to find out what happens in the transportation debate, or join us on November 10th for our webinar on federal transportation policy - https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/3877635933194748162 We appreciate your interest and hope that you will consider helping us again in the future. Your message has been sent to the following recipients: * Representative Tim Murphy The content of your message is as follows: [The message(s) you sent had each recipient's salutation here]: Please vote no on the Carter amendments 68 and 69 and Yoho amendment 158 to the transportation bill. The underlying Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act includes a carefully constructed agreement on bicycling and walking funds. It rolls transportation alternatives into the surface transportation block grant while maintaining the local control aspects and competitive process that made transportation alternatives program effective at helping Mayors and communities fund their transportation priorities important to their communities. The Carter and Yoho amendments undermine the Shuster-DeFazio compromise.Rep Carter has two amendments. #68 makes biking and walking projects ineligible for certain types of transportation funding. #69 compromises local small project funding, often used for bicycling and walking projects. Representative Yoho's amendment 158 would make the Recreational Trails Program ineligible for any transportation funding. Thank you for your consideration. We ask that you support the Shuster-DeFazio base bill and oppose the Carter and Yoho amendments. Sincerely,
fultonco
2015-11-03 05:41:08
Thanks, Dino. I copied/pasted that into an email to Keith Rothfus. He's generally useless on most anything, but hey, I voiced my opinion through official channels. Not much else I can do.
stuinmccandless
2015-11-03 07:54:33
Damn! Now ORT Vince stepping up HUGE on FB against anti-bike-lane bike-lash re the Trib/Freeport Road article! Huge! For those who do that: https://www.facebook.com/ohio.trail?fref=nf
edmonds59
2015-11-03 12:56:14
Rob Rogers notes that Mt Lebanon deer are turning to cycling:
paulheckbert
2015-11-04 08:19:02
Update: Lewis Hardway, the Moon dude LTEr, has posted a comment on one of today's LTEs. It basically confirms that he's a troll.
chrishent
2015-11-04 09:01:37
No bikes involved -- it's a car-on-car -- but WPXI gets props for calling this a "crash" rather than an accident http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/2-people-injured-two-vehicle-crash-route-711/npGC3/ The fact that witnesses "saw the driver of the Subaru that caused the crash driving erratically for miles" (note, this identifies the driver, not the car, as erratic) and the bottle of vodka on the front seat of the Subaru might have helped with the "crash" interpretation. No byline, alas, but good on WPXI. Let's hope other news sources follow this good example
maryshaw
2015-11-04 21:33:23
Another day, another cyclist killed. From the PG: "A bicyclist was killed today when he collided with a tractor-trailer in Upper Burrell, Westmoreland County emergency officials said." Not much information there, but props to the PG for calling it what it is, a crash. The way the article is phrased though makes it sound like the bike ran into the tractor trailer, which I have a hard time believing. Read more here: http://www.post-gazette.com/local/westmoreland/2015/11/05/One-dead-in-bicycle-tractor-trailer-crash-in-Westmoreland-County/stories/201511050172
jason-pgh
2015-11-05 12:43:25
Travis Grayson, the 3-previous-underage-DUI driver who was drunk and stoned when he killed a six-year-old in Shaler six weeks ago, has waived prelim and will be arraigned next month, with trial date to be set then. Charges include DUI, homicide by vehicle, and aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI. http://www.post-gazette.com/local/north/2015/11/06/Man-20-to-stand-trial-in-6-year-old-Shaler-girl-s-death-millvale-locust-ridge-ava-campbell/stories/201511060235 Good news, but doesn't exactly break the trend of only drunks get charged with killing people with their cars...
epanastrophe
2015-11-06 09:57:46
From today's sports section (in the article Bad Memories) : An Aussie gets his wheels Jordan Berry is 24, and the Steelers punter. He has never driven a car. Last week, he finally got his driver’s license learner’s permit. Until now, he never felt he needed a driver’s license. “Just growing up we have really good public transport in Australia,” said Berry, who attended Melbourne High School in South Yarra, Victoria, Australia. “We don’t even drive — apart from football games. Maybe once every two or three months we’d drive somewhere. “I just caught the train to school every day and rode my bike to football practice and stuff.” He needed no more than his bike when he attended Eastern Kentucky University and that was his mode of transportation since arriving here in the spring. But it’s November and Berry figures his bike-riding days in Pittsburgh’s streets could become a tad more difficult through the winter. “I don’t want to be doing that in the snow,” Berry said. “I settled in here and I need to get a car before the snow hits, so I’d rather get it done now.” He figures it will take a month or two before he can get his real driver’s license from the state. “I’ll take some lessons because I don’t want to be driving around crazy. I don’t want to be one of those people.” Ed Bouchette: ebouchette@post-gazette.com and Twitter @EdBouchette.
helen-s
2015-11-08 12:07:57
Bike as a transportation... This is a picture showing Rock Werchter Festival near Brussel This was honeymoon travel through Europe Originals (and story) are here (in Russian).
mikhail
2015-11-08 12:40:27
The paragraph structure of Kreckel's letter seemed very odd and contorted until I realized: This letter is a rewrite of Lewis Hardway's misguided rant http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/2015/10/31/Ride-bicycles-on-trails-not-on-roadways/stories/201510310062. (From my PG comment: Hardway's flawed "logic" was that a car driver recklessly plowed into others, killing a cyclist that was doing everything right, therefore bicycles shouldn't be on the roads. Here we have Philip Kreckel altering Hardway's words but reaching a different conclusion: that reckless car drivers killed cyclists and pedestrians that were doing everything right, therefore cars shouldn't be on the roads.)
paulheckbert
2015-11-09 12:25:04
There's a lot of good reporting in that City Paper story. Thanks for posting it. Notably, "PennDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator Roy Gothie says that at a September meeting, PennDOT requested that a bicycle subcommittee re-evaluate the segment of Route 51 where crashes have occurred. "
jonawebb
2015-11-11 10:29:41
Rob Rogers on ghost bikes:
paulheckbert
2015-11-12 10:14:20
I was unsatisfied with the last two panels of Rob Rogers' cartoon, so I modified it:
paulheckbert
2015-11-13 00:52:30
Bravo Paul! I like simple truth.
mick
2015-11-13 03:19:26
From back on page 11:
Restoration work for Allegheny Landing on the North Shore, between the Clemente and Warhol bridges....Includes reconditioning the busted circular plaza on the trail this year, and work on the trail in 2016.
Email via the North Side Bike/Ped Committee:
TOMORROW, 11/17 at 6pm, we’ll be meeting at the Allegheny Landing reconstruction site to walk and discuss the upcoming trail detour with Addy Smith-Reiman and Vivian Li from Riverlife. If you consistently use the trail, you may be interested in giving input about this.
(ETA: And, of course, that email was received yesterday. The meeting is actually this evening.)
epanastrophe
2015-11-17 10:07:09
vannever
2015-11-17 17:22:34
@RustyRed, this is that section of the Strip District trail that currently has inoperable lighting fixtures. These are, per Deb Gross, going to be fixed soon. I remember seeing a man hanging out by himself in this area on Monday night. Grey-ish beard, 40s, I think wearing a baseball hat. I'm wondering if it could be the same person
chrishent
2015-11-19 10:10:45
Slightly crushed to see a post of this sort not including the Chanukah ride in 13 days (can you believe it!?). Included as the first comment. Someone upvote the comment because of ride awesomeness before someone else downvotes me for leaving what's basically an annoying ad.
byogman
2015-11-23 11:44:40
Great write-up in the Trib about the new Cultural District artistic bike racks. It has interviews with some of the artists that give insight into their work, as well as a simple explanation of how the project came about: http://triblive.com/mobile/9499692-96/bike-racks-says
chrishent
2015-11-25 08:54:28
PG: "Viewing Oakland through the windshield of a Port Authority bus driver: Bus drivers describe dangerous behavior of pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists" http://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2015/11/25/Viewing-Oakland-through-the-windshield-of-a-Port-Authority-bus-driver/stories/201511260007 Oakland's Transportation Management Agency called it an "interesting perspective". https://twitter.com/OaklandTMA/status/669590182174158848 “[Pedestrians] can’t see and they’re not looking. People absolutely do not pay attention.” “[Cyclists] can be frustrating... We put up with the Triangle Messengers Downtown for years, but now [bike riders] are all over.” "Drivers unfamiliar with Oakland add another layer to traffic strife." Interesting indeed. Apparently the problems and dangers on Oakland's streets are everywhere but behind Port Authority's wheels. [ETA: I wrote a bit more on this, here: https://infinitebuffalo.wordpress.com/2015/11/25/windshields-are-surprisingly-effective-at-deflecting-fault/]
epanastrophe
2015-11-25 15:51:53
Three cents added: I don't think the basic idea of the original letter is all that "pie in the sky", but it is not going to be easy. I have been working downtown for over four years, and have not once driven a car to work and left it there all day. I bus, I bicycle (10 miles each way), I motorcycle, I telecommute. On very rare occasions, once or twice a year, I will get a car ride from a family member. My nearest bus stop is just under a mile away, since the 2011 transit cuts left me without the Perry Highway bus to ride. To me, the basic issue others seem to have with _not_ driving downtown is a combination of not knowing how the transit system works -- i.e., they couldn't use it if their lives depended on it -- and fear of being stranded, even for an hour later than planned. It further doesn't help that so few of our suburban roadways are pleasant or safe to walk on. I've learned how through experience, but if scares the willies out of my neighbors to walk along Perrymont Road in McCandless on a dry day in July, imagine getting them to consider it in the dark in a snowstorm. All the time. So until and unless you can figure out how to get 50,000 people to learn how to use the transit system, actually walk over a half mile to a bus stop in a 37 degree rain, and/or take the lane biking on roads like McKnight and Perry Highway, you are just going to plug up all the streets and parking garages in the city like you always have.
stuinmccandless
2015-11-25 21:58:18
For many people, the out-in-the-suburbs end of the problem can be solved by using park-and-ride lots. Another idea that's been floating around is "park-and-bike" lots -- like park-and-ride, but closer to the city and with bike lockers. For example, the Millvale Riverfront park has been (informally) used this way ever since the trail connected into the city, with people bringing their bikes on their cars. It might be possible to interest Sandcastle in such a use of their lot on weekdays.
maryshaw
2015-11-25 22:31:45
New bollards installed along the section of the Chateau trail where vehicles frequently drive on the trail! Yaaaa! Already, I've seen a few of them melted by vandals. BOOOO! meltedbollards2 meltedbollards1
rustyred
2015-12-05 19:26:44
@MaryShaw With regard to the suburban park and ride lots, they also become overcrowded with parked cars. At Washington Junction, in Bethel Park, there has been an ongoing project to increase the parking capacity of the lot. I would predict that once completed, this increase will soon not be enough capacity. What I never saw addressed was improving pedestrian and bicycle access to the station. I realize that with this project, Port Authority is only taking care of what they can control. However, it is too bad that PAT, PennDot, and the Municipality did not consider and work together to improve access to the station via means other than the motorized variety. Milford Drive and Route 88 are not good roads on which to walk or ride a bike. There are little to no shoulders and no sidewalks. If cycling, there is a bike rack at the station, but it can only hold a half dozen bikes at best. The bike rack is out in the elements w/o any protection from inclement weather. Had the infrastructure and situation been considered from a "wholistic" viewpoint, with safe cycling/pedestrian approaches and a covered bike parking area with increased capacity, I would predict that more people would leave their cars in the driveway.
fultonco
2015-12-06 13:00:40
I agree with fultonco, a lot of our far out suburban transit needs to consider cyclists and pedestrians in their station design as well as work on improving streets near the stations to provide safe and useful sidewalks and bike routes.
benzo
2015-12-06 18:36:34
Police are looking for a car involved with a hit and run that sent a cyclist to the hospital http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/search-continues-vehicle-struck-bicyclist/npdsF/ Pittsburgh police say the man was hit at the East Commons crossing on East Ohio Street at 7:25 a.m. Monday. Police Assistant Public Information Officer Emily Schaffer, the victim was a 43-year-old male bicyclist. The victim, whose name hasn’t been released, was taken to Allegheny General Hospital in good condition and has since been released. “The vehicle is a dark gray/black sedan with a black trash bag taped to the rear of the vehicle,” Schaffer said via email. Missy Demchak, who lives near the scene of the accident, told Channel 11’s Courtney Brennan she thinks it’s a dangerous area. “It’s pretty dangerous. I’d be afraid I’d get hit, too,” Demchak said.
rustyred
2015-12-07 18:04:04
Cyclist Brendan Linton says he and his father Jack learned that few police officers in Cranberry know the bicycle laws but fewer know the proper enforcement of them. http://www.thecranberryeagle.com/article/20151128/CRAN0101/711289747/-1/CRAN "In 2014, Brendan Linton’s path was interfered with by a motorist on Haine School Road, Jack Linton said. Brendan Linton and the vehicle driver had an argument. ... According to Jack Linton, the vehicle operator repeatedly threatened to assault him. In self-defense, Brendan Linton advised the operator that he would be pepper sprayed if he continued that. ... Brendan Linton was found guilty of disorderly conduct ..., but the driver was found guilty of nothing [even though he had violated the 4 foot law]." The above was spotted in https://www.reddit.com/r/bicycling412
paulheckbert
2015-12-09 08:53:59
Marko stated: Prosecutor says Hempfield bicyclist accused of obstructing traffic may have financial motive http://triblive.com/news/westmoreland/9628720-74/smith-traffic-attorney#ixzz3uOzwboPH Wow, I saw a video of that guy and I encountered him on a country road once. He was in the middle of the road waiting to cross RR tracks at a 90 degree angle. Cars weren't giving him enough room. I stopped and waved him to cross the tracks which were at an angle. He proceeded to then cross the tracks and then took the entire lane. I was okay with that even though there was room for him to move over. I followed him for a while wondering why he was riding in such a way. Believe me, he wasn't riding in a normal fashion. I was concerned for his safety to be honest and pulled up alongside him and told him, I worried about his style of riding on these roads. He gave me the finger. Keep in mind, I stopped to let him continue and gave him a ton of room. Sure I gave my opinion, but I really was worried for him, especially out in the country with the nutty pickup truck people. I sort of liked what he was doing in a way, but still all it takes is one nut to run him down. I don't think he has some financial motive. I think he was riding okay by the letter of the law and in hindsight, maybe I should have just passed him and waved, but I couldn't help but to worry for him. Ah well.
gg
2015-12-19 17:01:03
I think what you are seeing here is an example of why the Tribune Review is not a quality paper and why, actually, it's a bit of an embarrassment to local journalism. A conscientious reporter might have asked the prosecutor to explain on what basis, exactly, he was asserting that Smith had a "financial motive" for riding erratically. Was there evidence? A professional reporter might even have made the effort to contact Smith and ask him to comment. Casually cruel slander is easy; but a bit cowardly, don't you think? And it's a pity that Westmoreland Country does not seem to encourage a clearer sense of professionalism in its public servants. I don't know Smith, but from what I read I get the feeling that he's a disturbed individual; that he happens to be on a bicycle seems incidental to the case. But I guess he's a handy proxy when it comes to complaining about all those uppity bikers clogging the streets.
ahlir
2015-12-19 18:00:02
I agree the Trib is an embarrassment in this story and it looks like they are just reporting something anti cyclist, which is par for the course. The Trib is a joke and they wonder why no one takes them seriously. Anyway, my encounter with Smith didn't leave me feeling he was "disturbed". He just seemed to be someone that wanted to educate others on the letter of the law. He did nothing wrong when I encountered him. He could have made things easier for others, BUT he was well within his rights. Of course my encounter was brief, so I am not going to claim more knowledge of him than what I was exposed to. I sort of wanted to talk to him more, but he seemed angry at me, so I moved on. I guess I could have handled things better looking back on this, but I make plenty of mistakes ALL the time, so what else is new?
gg
2015-12-19 23:27:33
I'm pretty sure this is the same guy who set up at the last couple of Try-A-Bike days. If I hadn't just dropped $20K into a roof and furnace, I'd be very interested in these, complete with a solar panel or two.
stuinmccandless
2015-12-26 20:16:53
Yep, that's Adam of ASR...he has indeed been at Try-A-Bike for the past couple of years.
reddan
2015-12-28 10:36:20
A broad (somewhat shallow) discussion of how to reduce the number of pedestrian and cyclist deaths. Mentioned are: lights in the asphalt at crosswalks, fences to reduce jaywalking, more traffic signals, adding sidewalks and bump-outs. But no mention of speeding! http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/9584620-74/pedestrian-traffic-deaths
paulheckbert
2016-01-02 09:11:41
From the article: "For drivers, it's important to remember to slow down, Luther said. "
yalecohen
2016-01-03 11:50:42
[...] staff analyzed 24 metrics covering data such as the number of sporting goods stores, golf courses, fitness centers, playgrounds, fitness trainers and little leagues in each market on a per capita basis. It also factored in the average cost of various activities, such as fitness club memberships and bowling. Maybe biking (and hills) is somewhere lower down on the list... Bowling might work, but it would have to be the Rock 'n' Bowl. Which, sadly, is not in Pittsburgh.
ahlir
2016-01-05 19:28:26
http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/mis/5393148724.html I got hit by a truck - w4mw Got hit by a truck while riding my bike to work yesterday near the intersection of Penn and Braddock around 3:30pm. You collected the pieces of my bike from the road and took them with you. I'd like them back. ---------- (also, should we have a 2016 version of this thread?)
vannever
2016-01-08 14:34:30
We should and we do.
stuinmccandless
2016-01-08 16:49:53