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Thur. May 26: Proposed Negley Ave Bike Lane Public Meeting

The proposed Negley Ave bike lanes will provide an important network connection. Your input throughout project development is very important to its success! The project team will be available at the meeting to answer questions and gather feedback. Questions? Please contact Kristin Saunders, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, City of Pittsburgh. E-mail: kristin.saunders@pittsburghpa.gov Phone: 412-393-0150 facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/828830750555353/
erok
2016-05-17 09:48:49
there will be some call out for things to do in regards to this, but in the meantime, please feel free to email Kristin at the above email address about it, and/or have a story to share, near miss or hit, etc. She'll be compiling the emails she receives about it
erok
2016-05-17 09:52:34
Here's my email to Kristin: "I’d like speak in favor of the Negley Ave Bike Lane plan. I ride my bike through the planned route almost everyday, and I’ve witnessed many drivers using the right lane to to get ahead of the traffic on the left lane, and often at speed above posted limits, putting us bike commuters in danger. I was wondering if it’s possible to set up similar lane system as that on E Liberty Blvd. It would be tremendously helpful in ensuring safety of all road users. Thank you very much!"
ninjaturtle0304
2016-05-19 13:46:29
great thanks!
erok
2016-05-19 15:38:46
I emailed too, same basic message as Gordon. I also stressed that it is wide enough and the traffic light enough during most parts of the day that the extra traffic lanes aren't needed, and will turn it from a 4 lane highway into a 2 lane street. Feedback from her was positive.
edronline
2016-05-19 18:54:51
My email in support: Good Morning, My name is Jason Ferrante and I am a resident of the East Liberty neighborhood. I frequently commute on Negley Avenue between my house and Oakland. I am writing in support of the Negley Avenue bike lanes. I feel that, in it's current state, the road is too wide and too many lanes for the amount of traffic that uses it, and these bike lanes would help with the problem. However, I have three main concerns that I would like to bring up (I will be unable to attend the meeting.) 1. Buffered bike lanes - I am not sure about the official plans, but this road seems feasibly wide enough for buffered bike lanes. Given the high volume of traffic, as well as the high speed at which this traffic travels, buffered bike lanes should be prioritized, as opposed to regular bike lanes. If regular bike lanes are used, many may feel safer simply taking the lane as opposed to riding in the bike lane. Buffered bike lanes would also make me (personally) feel safer when the high volume of bus traffic that drive on Negley (71A, 71C, 87, 77, etc.) 2. Tricky intersections - One of the more difficult intersections where the bike lane would pass through is the one with Negley Avenue, Roup, and Centre Avenue. Bikes, hypothetically in a right hand bike lane, would have to be seen behind a building (Hertz Rent-A-Car) then proceed to cut in front of traffic to get into the straight only lane, creating a dangerous mixing zone. I'm not sure how to solve this, but it should take some consideration. Could green painted bike lanes be taken into consideration? 3. Right hooks and swerving - A lot of vehicles, including buses, make right hand turns off of Negley Avenue onto side roads (Penn Avenue and Friendship Avenue come to mind.) If the bike lane is on the right hand side, many cars would be hooking bikes in the bike lane. Potentially, at this location, there should be a designated right hand turning lane and the bike lane continues to the left of the right hand turning lane. Likewise, the right turn only lane at Penn and Negley should also be looked at. Furthermore, many vehicles turn left off of Negley Avenue (E. Liberty Blvd.) As there is no designated left turn only lane here, many cars will subsequently swerve around these vehicles, and without a designated lane to turn left, to go straight, and a bike lane, cars may end up swerving into the bike lane, potentially creating a conflict with bikes. Again, thank you so much for all you do and these bike lanes are a big step forward in terms of bringing essential bike infrastructure to Pittsburgh's East End. Best, Jason
jason-pgh
2016-05-23 07:13:34
that centre/roup/negley intersection is extra special. It'll be interesting to see how they shoehorn the bike lanes in there. the only way I've ever found to be safe on that block (you know, because of traffic all over the place, and buses, etc. etc) is to take the lane going either direction on Negley. And when I'm heading toward Shadyside, I point like crazy, even if I'm going straight, especially as it curves around that Hertz car rental place.
edronline
2016-05-23 16:04:00
Maybe building out the curbs on Roup would help.
adams
2016-05-25 13:45:40
My email in support, busy at work, so I had to whip it up fairly quickly. Good morning Kristin, I hope this correspondence finds you well. I will be unable to attend the public meeting for the proposed bike lane project on Negley Ave. I wanted to show my support for the project through email. This project, if done properly (protected bike lane, two way with bollards), would contribute greatly to the bike infrastructure of the city. As it is currently, Negley Ave presents as one of the difficult main arteries in the east end to navigate on bike, primarily due to aggressive and exceedingly fast motor vehicle traffic. The posted limit is 25mph, and 15mph in the school zone areas of the street. It is common to see vehicles traveling at 40-50 mph easy on this road. I suspect it is due to the condition of the street surface (overall, quite good), and the high visibility proceeding down Negley. In my experiences, vehicles traveling at 25mph is an anomaly. I have been passed extremely recklessly while riding on this road. Legally holding the lane while riding a bicycle is also dangerous due to the aggressive motorist behavior on this street. (this serves as the current safest way to traverse this road by bike). If done properly, the bike lanes could help encourage better motor vehicle operator behavior and hopefully encourage these same drivers to take up riding to their destinations in the city. If relevant, the number one reason I have observed as to why people don't want to ride the city streets is the fear of erratic and careless motorists. These lanes help cyclists get noticed while riding legally and contribute to the overall goal of safer city streets. Negley ave is not the highway that motorists treat it as. It is a residential street traversing several neighborhoods, schools, churches, businesses, and homes. Please consider taking this opportunity to embrace this and consider some bike lanes so that these neighborhoods feel more connected, more like home. Thank you for your time.
tenplusone
2016-05-26 10:24:57
I've biked through this corridor almost everyday, and I like the bike lane plan. It's very intuitive to me since I usually ride like the planned bike lane's directions. It will help new bike commuters learn the safe way to negotiate through urban traffic, and hopefully bring more people to choose bicycling as their primary mode of transportation. Below are some pictures of the plan, but the city will also put the plan on their website soon.
ninjaturtle0304
2016-05-26 19:23:37
i think just adding clarity and turning lanes to the corridor will make it better for driving cars on as well. albeit a bit slower (read: speed limit)
erok
2016-05-27 12:28:58
> This project, if done properly (protected bike lane, two way with bollards) To be clear, this won't be happening---it'll be one lane on each side, paint only. A section will have buffers between the bike and general-traffic lanes, but due to driveways and such very little of even the buffered section will have bollards. The lanes will, however, be larger than we're used to in many parts of the city---a full six feet in sections, five in most of the project.
epanastrophe
2016-05-27 17:45:50
Any updates on the Negley Ave project? I emailed Kristin earlier this week but have not received a response yet.
quizbot
2017-08-04 10:34:35
I'm told this will be in by the end of summer.
erok
2017-08-07 10:45:03
That's awesome... thanks Erok!
quizbot
2017-08-07 13:16:03
ok just got word that it's supposed to be done by Sept 30. Fingers crossed
erok
2017-08-07 14:54:37
the thread on Nextdoor about this is surprisingly positive.
erok
2017-09-08 10:20:09
Wow, Nextdoor. Quite civil and positive. Accountability requiring you to use your real name, no suburbanites who only pass through commenting since it's locals only, and a lack of trolls that scour the post gazette probably doesn't hurt.
benzo
2017-09-08 10:50:52
I think, too, is that a lot of E liberty residents rely on walking and the 71A and are sick of trying to cross the street with traffic going a little too fast for comfort. Plus mix in some less car-centric gentrifiers.
edronline
2017-09-08 11:29:57
I work at the corner of Negley and Friendship, they started marking out what appears to be the bike lanes today!
the-beast
2017-09-08 15:18:46
Saw markers for lanes and other stuff roughed out on Negley Ave today when driving through highland park. I'm a bit bummed, as it appears that they are going to recreate the dangerous situation I encounter regularly at Bayard and Bigelow intersection in Oakland. I've had many close calls due to auto traffic driving in to the bike lane during the transition. The issue is a large buffer space in the middle of the road followed by a quick transition of the bike lane around street parking on the right.  Appears to be going in at Negley and Black Street intersection with the exact same dangerous design. One big thing which I think could make both designs better would be to narrow the yellow buffer in the center of the roadway so to funnel auto traffic slightly less towards the bike lane transition. Here's a google maps linke showing what this situation looks like at bayard and bigelow. https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4476706,-79.9536725,3a,75y,53.04h,62.23t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sbN5BCQuViYHdEbL8UeTYiw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 See example video of rush hour on this stretch, where 85% of auto traffic fails to not drive on or in the bike lane: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMAuOO99sgI I really don't want this same situation recreated on Negley.
benzo
2017-09-16 11:58:23
@Benzo, Would Installing bollards around the buffer zone and a guard rail/bollards across from the intersecting street be of any use in these two scenarios?
zzwergel
2017-09-16 14:20:34
I saw that too. They have the bike lane turning at sharp angles meaning cars will drive in it. And bollards won't work because the bike lane bumps out for car parking. The bollards will require cars to stop and back in, backing up and stopping the cars since negley will be one lane each way. And this will mean more cars stopped in the bike lane waiting.   Also, I bet that the bollards will be knocked down repeatedly
edronline
2017-09-16 16:17:33
Negley Ave. used to terminate at Baum Blvd. The section of Negley Between Baum Blvd. and Roup Ave. did not exist. Only Roup Ave. continued south of Baum Blvd. and into Shadyside.
zzwergel
2017-09-16 16:51:43
This may be a bit OT, but I saw a really nice solution to (some of) these issues in Montreal. The following arrangement makes things much better for cyclists but (among other things) managing the risk of right-hooks, while separating bike (and bus) traffic from car traffic. Note how the transition to the curb lane includes a no-parking stretch and a sizable buffer, addresses some of the problems we have at Bayard/Bigelow. Additionally, the signalization includes a bicycle phase that further improves safety. St. Urbain is a 1-way street, so maybe there was room for what they did. But I think that streets like Negley have the width for something similar that clearly separates traffic without committing to a full bike-lane solution.
ahlir
2017-09-18 09:50:20
I have a proposal. Make Roup Ave. between Dapper Way and Negley Ave. bike/pedestrian only.
zzwergel
2017-09-18 20:21:34
Dapper way doesn't actually connect to roup. Also, there is no way for a car to make a right from Baum heading eastbound onto negley heading south bound.  That's what roup is used for. I'm not sure what your proposal would accomplish anyway.
edronline
2017-09-18 22:08:06
@Ed, I do not see any No Right Turn sign on Baum Blvd. eastbound at Negley Ave. on Google maps. Making Roup Ave. one-way toward Negley Ave. might work. Also, couldn't eastbound traffic on Baum use Graham St. to Centre Ave. and right onto Negley Ave. from Centre Ave.? Westbound Centre Ave. should also have a protected left onto Southbound Negley Ave.
zzwergel
2017-09-18 22:16:21
In general I’m stupid happy about Negley lanes going in and treatment. This makes my commute about 90% complete with lanes / sharrows / trail to downtown. I do have questions about the Negley outbound / Black St angular transition. Why not a smoothed out curve? If the concern is loss of a parking space between Black and Hays, it’s totally unfounded as there are rarely more than a few cars parked on either side of Negley in that block at any given time of day. Is the angle transition a design standard of some sort? If so why? People don’t drive at sharp angles, even at low speed. It makes zero practical sense. A smooth elongated curve would make all parties happier. That is my humble opinion. ;)
quizbot
2017-09-20 20:59:01
They did the same thing in Oakland. My guess is they just don't think and do it angled.
edronline
2017-09-20 22:16:30
Someone has thought about the rest of the placement... I don’t think they’re just throwing it out there to see if it sticks. I could be wrong. There must be some sort of design/ engineering standard they’re following, but again it makes zero practical sense for real life traffic flow. Smooth curves in the transition is not rocket science. To be fair it’s a pinch point in outbound flow with the left turning lane onto Black, but the angle is definitely janky. Actual use case won’t often matter but it’d at least be more aesthetically pleasing with a curve.
quizbot
2017-09-20 22:33:26
@quizbot, I thing the intersecton of Highland Ave./Walnut St. is a lot worse. Also, the series of curves on 5th Ave. between Robinson St. and Kirkpatrick St. makes the ride form Oakland to Uptown somewhat enjoyable.
zzwergel
2017-09-20 22:57:49
welp, the city just sent out this presser   PITTSBURGH, PA (September 22, 2017) - The City of Pittsburgh Departments of Mobility and Infrastructure and Public Works advise that the installation of bike lanes on Negley Avenue – from Howe Street to Stanton Avenue spanning the neighborhoods of Shadyside, Friendship, Garfield and East Liberty – is scheduled to begin on Monday, September 25, 2017. The Negley project design will include bike lane and shared lane markings along designated portions of Negley Avenue. Shared lane markings begin at the intersection of Howe Street and Negley Avenue and extend to Centre Avenue. Bike lane markings extend from Centre Avenue to Stanton Avenue. A map with example photos of the of the project infrastructure can be found here. Residents and businesses along the project route have been notified in advance of the project through public meetings, informational flyers, community newsletters, social media posts, bike advocacy groups and posters in grocery stores and gathering spaces. Construction of the Negley bike lane project is weather dependent and is currently scheduled to last through the months of September and October and to conclude by November 1, 2017. Some preparatory work may begin in advance of Monday. Major pavement marking improvements are anticipated to occur Monday, September 25, through Friday, September 29. Residents should obey all posted parking variances. During installation, motorists should expect delays and intermittent lane restrictions. No detours are required. Construction costs for the Negley Avenue bike lane project are approximately $387,870. The project is fully funded by the Federal Highway Administration's Transportation Alternatives Program. ###
erok
2017-09-22 13:58:35
On my way home from Oakland yesterday, I saw where the lanes are to be located. Many motorists were encroaching on the draft areas especially between Friendship Ave. and Rural St.
zzwergel
2017-09-22 17:03:31
A map with example photos of the of the project infrastructure can be found here. Can you post the link? The PR text doesn't resolve to a webpage...
ahlir
2017-09-22 20:31:45
The City's press release on its website links to this map (click for bigger):
steven
2017-09-23 04:42:34
FWIW, last week I forwarded my concerns along about the transition around parking (pretty much verbatim of what I posted here) to the bike-ped coordinator, who told me the comments were forwarded to the design team. Not sure if that will change things since the ball is already rolling, but hey, I put it out there.
benzo
2017-09-23 10:45:05
Went through there today, by car and by bike. A couple of observations.
  • Northbound on Negley (by car), the left onto Roup is really confusing. At the very least it would help to have a broken yellow line guiding you into the correct lane. Also, southbound drivers were ignoring the whole bike lane thing. I hope they lay down the green carpet, otherwise it's just not going to work.
  • Southbound on Negley (by bike), the bike lane is cool. Straight-through traffic on your left, right turns on your right. Except when I was there, the cars on both sides headed down Negley. This will be exciting fun for bikers. Anyone coming down Roup will likely find it difficult to veer over to the left side of the lane when there's traffic. I can see the incentive to drive on top of the bike lane.
ahlir
2017-09-23 17:50:26
Really, the whole Roup thing, while quirky traditional Pittsburgh traffic fun, is idiotic. Negley should divide into two one-way streets there. Roup should be one way southbound from Baum to Centre. Negley should be one-way northbound from Centre to Baum. I guess the traffic "engineers" thought, wow, so much asphalt space, let's use it. But let's not.
jonawebb
2017-09-23 20:01:35
Why can's sharrows be painted all the way to Mellon Terrace. as well as on Mellon Terrace and Mellon St. from Mellon Terrace to Bunkerhill St.? I think Sharrows should be painted on Callow Stanton Ave. from Highland Ave. to Jancey St., on Chislett St. from Black St. to Greenwood St., On the entire length of Jancey St., on Baker St., between Jancey St. and Butler St., on Greenwood St. between Jancey St. and Chislett St. and on Black St. from Negley Ave. to Aiken Ave. as well as protected bike lanes on Mossfield St and on the uphill side on Bunkerhill St. and sharrows on the downhill side.
zzwergel
2017-09-23 20:46:33
Roup should be one way southbound from Baum to Centre. Negley should be one-way northbound from Centre to Baum.  Maybe when they do Bus Rapid Transit they can rethink the current setup. (As I recall, the plan is to install dedicated bus lanes right before intersections where they can, and priority signaling, but not continuous dedicated bus lanes in this area.) For now, making those roads one-way would add an extra light to the inbound 71A and 71C, and make them subject to whatever traffic blockage is on inbound Baum at the time. I'm not sure the added simplicity of the street pattern would be worth that trade-off, unless it buys more safety too. Why can’s sharrows be painted all the way to Mellon Terrace The city's budget probably prevents painting all the sharrows the city could use, in a single year. I expect they'll do much of that eventually. So far they seem to be picking a fairly sensible order for adding bike infrastructure.
steven
2017-09-23 22:57:10
Nothing wrong with identifying where infrastructure should eventually go. I wouldn't get my hopes up for seeing it all happen soon. But remember, the Negley lane came about in part because someone drew a line on the street five years ago, thereby starting the conversation. Five years is not an unreasonable timeframe for setting goals. All that's missing from your list, Zack, is a priority list and reasoning as to why, say, the first three are more important than the rest.
stuinmccandless
2017-09-24 15:23:06
How did someone draw that given the amount of traffic on Negley Ave.?
zzwergel
2017-09-24 15:25:58
I think they did it at night. Pittsburgh has some outlaw bike lane painting groups. And not to denigrate their work, but Pittsburgh has professionals looking at where bike lanes should be. It's not just in reaction to informal groups.
jonawebb
2017-09-24 15:37:17
That was when someone painted the sharrows on negley too, the biker with the ponytail?
edronline
2017-09-24 16:11:44
And let's not forget those guerilla sharrows on Baum... And on 44th in L'ville. There's bike lanes and there's sharrows. We could use more sharrows in general. They legitimate the presence of bike on streets and remind drivers that they should respect all street users. And the city should at least commit to maintaining the ones they have put down. For example inbound in Bloomfield between Taylor and Ella. Wait. Don't we have some sort of full-time bicycling coordinator person in town? Could she maybe take some time out of her busy schedule to deal with some of these mundane issues that actual cyclists deal with? Do we have to keep bleating about the obvious stuff?
ahlir
2017-09-24 17:06:25
I know our bike peds coordinator does important work, but the 3 times I've contacted her about what I thought were legit issues (mainly city vs state refusing to keep sidewalks maintained) there has been radio silence. So I'm not sure what her job description entails. Maybe it's just a think up policy and supervise big projects rather than the day to day QOL issues for bikes and peds.   I happen to feel that you could have a great system and poorly maintain it and have it be less useful than no system at all.
edronline
2017-09-24 21:02:14
The guerrilla sharrows with the ponytail (and a chest) were on Smallman, IIRC. Then legit sharrows with a ponytail were put down in Millvale a couple years later.
stuinmccandless
2017-09-25 13:22:01
Several people on my Facebook feed who are not pro or anti bike have posted in the last day or two about the Negley bike lanes right where it meets Roop in that triangle. The consensus is that the lane markings are very confusing there for drivers and as a result it is generating a lot more traffic than normal and people driving in the bike Lanes. It is unclear to me whether people are confused just because it's new and a lot different than it was before or whether the lanes themselves are actually confusing. I won't have a chance to go through that intersection for quite a while. Is there anyone that uses this intersection on a regular basis that finds the same thing my friends have posted about? If so, would you mind contacting 311 or the peds bike coordinator as I worry about drivers getting very angry about new bike lanes and they're being a huge backlash a la the ft Pitt lanes downtown.
edronline
2017-09-26 12:53:28
By car or by bike, it would help to roll video. Ideally, one person do both as a valid comparison.
stuinmccandless
2017-09-26 15:53:55
@Stu, where are the ponytail sharrows? Also, tomorrow, I will have to go to Ross Garage to pick up my wallet. Will taking the 4 Troy Hill be less stressful than taking the 8 Perrysville bus to Ross Garage by any chance?
zzwergel
2017-09-26 22:57:31
I rode Negley the whole way from Ellsworth to the Zoo yesterday, and found the bike lanes a major improvement, but mildly confusing in a few spots. There is a lot of lane shifting. Two cars accidentally (I'm guessing) ended up in the right turn only lane at Penn and Negley, and had to cut through the bike lane to go straight. Several cars were parked in the bike lane between Center and Penn. Buses seemed unsure about when they were allowed to encroach in the bike lane. All of this caused significantly more traffic than usual (this was at 6 pm). I think a lot of this will just take some getting used to, and am very happy to see the development. My wife, on the other hand, drove roughly the same route toting kids to and from school, and was very unhappy about the increased traffic. I suspect this will be LTE fodder soon.
dberlin
2017-09-27 11:13:12
I worry about blowback stopping other projects. But not sure what the city could do differently as change takes a while to get used to. Does everything need better signage?
edronline
2017-09-27 11:29:22
the city should also have signs give 4 feet when passing bikes its the law. I don't think old drivers know the law. new ones had to learn it for permit but with no retest people do not stay up to date with law changes
aesiskind
2017-09-27 15:32:51
@A: StuInMcCandless has also been advocating a driver license renewal test. But I think it will be extremely difficult to implement due to the sheer number of drivers. However, when the autonomous vehicle technology becomes reliable, the powers that be can make obtaining and maintaining a driver license a stringent and expensive process.
ninjaturtle0304
2017-09-27 17:16:48
@gordon, I really don't see why it would be a huge challenge to retest drivers, at least a written/computerized test for competency with existing and new laws. Since people need to go to a DMV office every 5 years anyway to get a renewed license and photo, this could be a step done at that time while they are already in the office.
benzo
2017-09-28 09:53:55
At 8:30 this morning there was significantly less inbound traffic on Negley from Stanton to Center. Out of curiosity I looked at traffic on google Maps, and Washington Blvd looked backed up from ARB to the oval. I'm guessing that either 1) people coming in from the suburbs over the Highland Park bridge or on ARB got fed up with the state of their shortcut on Negley or 2) PennDOT put up some signage to direct people to Washington Blvd.... or a combination of both. Any other ideas?
quizbot
2017-09-28 17:22:13
There's no additional Penn dot signage. I think there is a decent amount of randomness in traffic.  I think your sample size needs to be larger.
edronline
2017-09-28 17:46:57
@z, the lanes look pretty par for the course.   I think yinzers will need time to get used them. After all, we still give directions based on landmarks that have been gone for 30+ years.
edronline
2017-09-28 23:00:29
Also note that DPW posted in tweet that they would adjust the traffic light timing at Penn and Negley to reflect the new configuration. Whether this was a planned move or an adjustment based on initial implementation is not clear, but at least they are being proactive about it. (OT) now, if only they did something similar going eastbound on the Penn Ave cycle track. Seriously. If you get a red light at Penn and 10th, you will get a red light at Penn and 11th. No way to avoid the latter. At least not legally...
chrishent
2017-09-29 08:55:23
@chrishent, How does traffic light timing have anything to do with motorists parking in and encroaching on the bike lanes? I think the traffic lights on Penn Ave. at 6th St. and 5th Ave. in Downtown need to be adjusted. The traffic light at 5th Ave. turns red a few seconds after the one at 6th St. turns green on every cycle. It is impossible to make it through both intersections without stopping. Also, I think the intersections of Penn Ave./Centre Ave., Penn Ave./Highland Ave. Centre Ave./Highland Ave. should have an exclusive pedestrian interval in their cycle. The traffic lights on Centre Ave. at Negley Ave., Aiken/Liberty Aves., Highland Ave., and East Liberty Blvd should have protected left implemented in every direction. Also, all way protected left and an exclusive pedestrian interval on Highland Ave. at Penn Ave. would be a good idea.
zzwergel
2017-09-29 16:33:29
Worrying about traffic light timing for bikes is about as useful as discussing the color of toilet seats. Everyone bikes at different speeds. The light turns red; you stop. Frankly I worry more about getting a light green, since I'm more likely to encounter a left-cross or right hook if I'm already in motion. Even if it's their fault, it's still up to you as a cyclist to ensure you're not going to get hit. If the light is red, I can usually tell better what someone in a car is going to do, and if I'm right alongside, I can make visual contact with the driver so they know I'm there. In short, having to stop for red lights when in a bike lane is a good thing. On a street without a bike lane, I get in the driving lane at a traffic light, and pull to the right as soon as I am clear of crossing traffic to let following traffic pass.
stuinmccandless
2017-09-30 10:49:45
So anyway, I drove through Center/Roup/Baum again this morning. There's more lines down on the ground and there's a green carpet, with what looks like more coming later. From a driver's perspective the intersection is much more readable than before. I'm optimistic that the whole thing will work out, eventually. And while I have thread: My experience is that lights along main road are mostly timed to allow through passage for long distances when driving at the speed limit. This will not necessarily be true in both directions but it's surprisingly common. Just think of it as an incentive to get yourself up to A class.
ahlir
2017-09-30 12:32:09
@Ahlir, How are you supposed to drive or bike on a carpet? Wouldn't the carpet get destroyed? Also, what is A class?
zzwergel
2017-09-30 16:47:36
I biked it northbound twice today. both times, there were cars parked in the bike lane on both sides for the entire block between Baum Blvd. and Friendship. After seeing this for the first time, I went to the Zone 5 police sttion to report it. After doing it again around 6:00 PM, I caught someone in the act of parking and notified him that what he was doing was illegal and can result in a citation. After I notified him about the bike lane, he gave me a sarcastic "So, everyone is doing it" response. There are no parking signs posted on all of the telephone poles as well as on sign posts along the entirety of the block. I also do not like how it becomes a DZBL past Penn Ave. I got video of both.   https://youtu.be/0-ZXiWXGFqA https://youtu.be/-lUaXVptCa8
zzwergel
2017-10-01 19:52:08
You should just call 911 when you see this.
edronline
2017-10-01 20:07:31
@ed, I'm afraid to call 911.
zzwergel
2017-10-01 20:16:26
Really, that's what it's for; when you need a cop. You see a violation of the law, calling 911 is the right way to report it to the police. There's no better way. You're not wasting anybody's time. They will prioritize the call. You won't be taking them away from solving serious crime or anything. (BTW, people who call 311 for issues where you need a cop: you're just wasting time. They'll have to call 911 for you. 311 is for city maintenance issues, like broken streetlights and potholes.)
jonawebb
2017-10-01 20:19:52
@jonawebb, Did you see where the first video ended? is there a way to post links to video evidence?
zzwergel
2017-10-01 20:33:58
How are you supposed to drive or bike on a carpet? Wouldn’t the carpet get destroyed? Figurative expression, referring to the green pavement used to designate bike-priority sections of a street. Also, what is A class? http://www.cannonballs-cycling.org/rider_classification.htm
ahlir
2017-10-01 21:30:22
Came in on Negley today. There are now lanes from ELB in, with buffers. A crew was working on sharrows and stuff just north of Baum. Sharrows sketched in up to at least Ellsworth. Progress.
ahlir
2017-10-03 10:33:20
BTW, @zz, you have to call the police when you see the problem, and (perhaps) stay where the problem occurred, to talk with them. So, if you see people parked in the bike lane, call them right then and tell them about it. They'll say something like, "we'll send somebody out to take a look." Maybe they will, maybe they won't. But if enough people call, eventually they will. And people will start getting tickets, and stop parking where they shouldn't. It doesn't work to try to submit video evidence later, usually. At most you'll get the police to call the guy with the license plate and warn them. (I've tried this, is how I know.) The best thing is to make the police think they're needed to deal with a situation that needs fixing right now. That's what they're good at.
jonawebb
2017-10-03 10:57:31
@Jonawebb, My grandfather told me that I shouldn't call 911 over just seeing cars parked in the bike lanes a few times. It would be more appropriate if I continue to see it happening. If someone else or I get hurt because of the parked cars, I will call 911 then because it is an emergency.
zzwergel
2017-10-03 16:34:45
I'm definitely not going to argue with a guy's grandfather.
jonawebb
2017-10-03 17:39:04
Hah! I actually have an original 78 rpm pressing of IMOG inherited through the fambily. Must be a hunnerd years old by now. It might even be a single-sided one, before they figured out they could cut tracks on two sides of a platter.
ornoth
2017-10-03 20:28:38
For some reason I can still sing most of the lyrics of the song "Sex Symbols" on the same album.   Yet I forget names of people I've known for years.
edronline
2017-10-03 20:35:08
I will call 911 then because it is an emergency. In most parts of the country, 911 is only for emergencies, and there's a separate number for non-emergency police requests. Here, they're combined. People from elsewhere often have the same view as your grandfather, not realizing that our 911 system is weird like that.
steven
2017-10-03 22:20:59
I had the opportunity to ride these lanes yesterday, going southbound from Stanton to Baum. A pleasant experience, though it was past 7:30 pm so no traffic. A couple of observations:
  • I was stopped at a red light on Penn and a driver got behind me on the bike lane to turn right. This is a section that has double striping on the bike lane, and drivers are supposed to turn from the rightmost car lane. This is not a merge zone like you see on Liberty Ave, East Liberty Blvd, etc. So is this section going to be bollared or will it just have the double striping? If the latter, then expect these kinds of mergers to occur on a regular basis, at least for a few months.
  • As others have noted on various outlets, I encountered a line of parked cars between Friendship and Baum. This area also has "No parking" signs, and I don't recall seeing any signs saying this only applied for a certain time of the day. I took the lane and that was that, but unless there's enforcement or bollards, this will be a common sight. It reminds of the bike lane on 6th St downtown. Originally, I don't think it was going to be bollared, but they had to put bollards in after a few months because of constant illegal parking.
chrishent
2017-10-04 07:57:12
the "formal" signs won't be in until the week of Oct 16. I doubt they will enforce until then
erok
2017-10-04 09:26:27
Regarding the turn at Penn, they really need to put in bollards. 4 years there was a similar situation outside of Western Psych. It is very confusing for the drivers unless there are bollards put up
edronline
2017-10-04 12:52:58
I noticed today that the no parking signs are only in effect from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM  Mon-Fri. Northbound and from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM Mon-Fri Southbound. Why is this. What good is a bike lane that can only be used for two hours ever weekday and not at all on weekends? I hope these signs are old. Also: at 6:31 PM today, I saw cars encroaching on the green bike box on East Liberty Blvd. on my way home from Oakland. From Forbes Ave. and Meyran Ave. I took Forbes Ave., Craig St., Bayard St., Amberson Ave., Ellsworth Ave. Negley Ave., Wellesley Ave. Mellon St., One Wild Pl., and Heths Run Bridge sidewalk and boarded the 75 bus on Baker St. at Butler St. by the gas station just to take me across the bridge. Also, the northbound bike lane was clear the whole way.
zzwergel
2017-10-04 19:16:32
Also, speaking of bollards, there were several bollards knocked down on the cycle track on Schenley Dr. between Roberto Clemente Dr. and Schenley Dr. Extension closer to the latter.
zzwergel
2017-10-04 19:30:08
1) those are the old no parking signs.2) use the online 311 reporting website to report downed bollards.
edronline
2017-10-04 20:08:58
Why do the bollards keep getting knocked down? @edronline, I will check again tomorrow. Should I also 311 the signs?
zzwergel
2017-10-04 21:01:46