This is not an April Fools Joke

Finally! The long awaited Hazelwood Green protected bike lanes and sidewalks will be open for business at 9:00am on Monday, and all are invited to ride or walk it.

The approximately 1.9 mile stretch of road and trail, now called Blair St, contains a two-way fully protected bike lane, new sidewalks, and a two way street, connected to a trail segment. On Tuesday, March 26, the City officially accepted Blair St as a public throughway, the first time in over a century that this former steel site was in public hands.

It’s the Missing Link

This new section of road is critical for connecting the neighborhood of Hazelwood to the surrounding communities, Schenley Park, and the city’s trail system with a safe route for people on foot or two wheels. The only alternative is the PennDOT-owned Irvine St, a dangerous, fast-moving throughway that lacks sidewalks, and became the focus of Hazelwood community activists seeking safe walking and biking options.

Additionally, the Port Authority will begin routing the 57 bus onto Blair St and Hazelwood Ave.

New Bike Lanes to look forward to

On the northern end, the new bike lanes are connected to the refurbished Hazelwood Trail that links directly to the Hot Metal Bridge and the rest of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail system. On the southern side, they connect to a new pair of bike lanes on Hazelwood Ave, or alternately, a block-long path along Gloster St to Tecumseh St, that provides access to the Hazelwood business district.

Temporary Detour within

Unfortunately, there is a temporary issue with a train bridge that heads over the new street. The railroad company is requiring that the City install an overhead protective canopy under their bridge to protect people traveling below. There are some on-site issues, resulting in only half of the underpass having the canopy. In the interim, they’ve installed a detour that will direct people on bikes across the street to the sidewalk. This temporary situation should be resolved by June, when an official opening celebration is planned. The City is asking for residents to please comply with the detour.

A long awaited connection

Finally, while Blair St is open to the public, the rest of the site is not as it is an active development site with ongoing construction activity. It is advised to heed the no trespassing signs and stay out of any of the remaining site as it’s private property.

For more information about the Hazelwood Green project, see their website.

Sign up for Bike Pittsburgh’s newsletter, The Messenger, to get the latest news on events, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and fun, delivered straight to your inbox. Twice monthly emails, no spam.

SIGN UP!