Map showing the Secret Service security perimeter around the Convention Center.  Click on the image to be directed to the Official Map.

PLEASE NOTE: This is what we were able to decipher from the provided maps.  We’re simply trying to boil down the cycling sections into one place.  As anything, this is all subject to change and we’re not responsible if it does.

Whether you’re protesting, or just needing to get to work, riding a bike to downtown during the G20 will be by far the easiest way to get there.

New to Bike Commuting?

Downtown will be virtually car-free during the G-20, so if you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at riding to work, this is a great time to give it a try! Don’t let all of the road closures, bus route changes, and restricted areas stop you.  To help you out, BikePGH has produced both an online guide on getting started with bike commuting, and a brand new comic-book style Bike Commuting 101 booklet.

New Info: If you want to combine modes, try parking your car in the URA owned lot behind REI in the SouthSide Works. It will only cost you $1 if you bring a bike. The South Side Trail entrance is right across the street. Take the trail all the way to 4th street and then take McKean St to the gas station and East Carson Street to the Smithfield Street Bridge to Downtown.

The following are a sampling of cycling related blurbs taken from the  Official G20 Safety Site:

Will people be able to come and go as they please?

Yes, pedestrian and bicycle traffic is permitted anywhere in the Downtown area. If you would like to enter a place of business within the Secret Service perimeter, you will need to pass through an access point.

Will people have free movement Downtown?

Yes, Downtown will be accessible to everybody, and anybody can leave through any exit. However, if returning by vehicle, residents must come through one of the designated entry points. There will be no restrictions on pedestrians or cyclists. No vehicles will be permitted to drive in the Downtown area except to exit and return to the place of residence.

What is the difference between Downtown’s limited traffic restriction perimeter and the Secret Service security perimeter?

The Secret Service security perimeter is a secure perimeter, meaning that individuals wishing to enter it will have to pass through a magnetometer. The traffic perimeter applies to vehicular traffic only, meaning that police officers at the three designated entry points will verify which vehicles are permitted to enter Downtown, using protocol and good judgment. There will be no searches conducted at the entry points, and bicycle and pedestrian traffic can freely enter and exit Downtown.

A secure perimeter means that no vehicles may enter this perimeter and pedestrians and cyclists will have to go through a magnetometer in order to gain entry.

What is the protocol at each entry point?

Pittsburgh Police Officers will be located at each entry point to control vehicular traffic. They will verify that each vehicle attempting to enter the Central Business District is permitted to be there. There are several posted detours outside of these entry points so that only permitted vehicles reach the entry point.

Police officers will not be conducting vehicle searches, and they will not prohibit pedestrians or bicycle traffic from entering the CBD.

This map shows the closures

From what we can tell, these will be the best ways into Downtown:
From North: The 6th and 7th Street Bridges appear to be open to bicycle and pedestrian traffic as they are in the “Traffic Perimeter.”
Note: We’ve heard reports that the Fort Duquesne Bridge Bike/Ped Access is closed right now, which is strange because it’s not on the map as “restricted.”

From South:
Smithfield Street Bridge will be closed to much of the car traffic, but peds and bikes should be able to get in. The West End Bridge doesn’t seem affected.
From Oakland:
Entering on Fifth Ave shouldn’t be a problem.
From the Strip:
Two provided maps don’t match up.  It appears that the best way to get into the Strip would be to cross the 16th St Bridge.  From there, you can take the trail to the 7th St Bridge.  Another map shows that there is access from the Strip District.  Ugh.

The site says that “no pedestrians, cyclists, or motorists will be searched because this is not a secure perimeter. Again, motorists just have to prove that they are a permitted vehicle.”

Follow a discussion on the BikePGH Messageboard about biking into Downtown during the G20

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Not a member of Bike Pittsburgh? Join today! We need you to add your voice! Bike Pittsburgh works to protect cyclist’s rights and promote the vision of making Pittsburgh a safer and more enjoyable place to live and to ride. For more info, check out: www.bike-pgh.org/membership