“Last Friday’s alternative transportation event in Market Square was about pushing the city into greener territory. At the event, Port Authority revealed that all of its buses now will be outfitted with bike racks in front. It is another example of Pittsburgh’s efforts to further accommodations for bicyclists. And for the most part, these measures have been successful.

Last year, the League of American Bicyclists awarded Pittsburgh bronze status and a designation as bike friendly. At the same time, Stephen Patchan, Pittsburgh’s bicycle-pedestrian coordinator, said in an interview with WDUQ that the city had 12 miles of bike lanes, twice the amount it had in 2007. And in recent years, Pittsburgh has connected its bike trails to Washington D.C. through the Great Allegheny Passage and has improved its Three Rivers Heritage trail.

All these improvements are leading Pittsburgh in a positive direction. The addition of bike racks to busses is helpful, but it glosses over the real problem. According to an article on page 7 in this week’s Duke, a Port Authority spokeswoman explained the move as a way to ferry cyclists through streets that are unsafe to ride.”