BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/pit/ballpark/pit_ballpark_guide.jsp

BIKE PARKING/RACKS

Bike racks are located outside the ballpark on Federal Street near the Roberto Clemente Bridge entrance to the park and at the southwest entrance near the Allegheny River. Bikes are not permitted inside the ballpark.

I don't see anywhere in that statement that permits them to remove your bike? Did you park in the ballpark?

// FYI I sent an email to the Pirates inquiring about the policy which would permit them to do such an act.

Was there a "no parking" sign on the meter? They may have considered the full scope of the law. Whereby, any vehicle parked along general robinson, federal, etc would be towed or removed: car, truck, motorcycle, pedalcycle.

What type of lock did you have?

Maybe the consider the meter you locked it to private property?

Was it near the front entrance of the park? I go by there almost every day and there is a bike locked up to a pole that is maybe 30 or 40 feet from the entrance and he dosent seem to get his bike "towed away". I feel the whole thing is a giant load of BS and some security guard was just getting of on the little bit of power he has at the ballfield. He must be good friends with the PAT workers that have the same mind set.

BTW im going to go by there right now on my way to work and see if that bike that is always there is there today. Ill snap a pic.

http://www.dot.state.pa.us/BIKE/WEB/bikelaws.htm

Section 3509. Parking.

(a) Sidewalks.

(1) A person may park a pedalcycle on a sidewalk unless prohibited or restricted by an official traffic-control device.

(2) A pedalcycle parked on a sidewalk shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of pedestrian or other traffic.

(b) Roadways.

(1) A pedalcycle may be parked on the roadway at any angle to the curb or edge of the roadway at any location where parking is allowed.

(2) A pedalcycle may be parked on the roadway abreast of another pedalcycle or pedalcycles near the side of the roadway at any location where parking is allowed.

(3) A person shall not park a pedalcycle on a roadway in such a manner as to obstruct the movement of a legally parked motor vehicle.

(4) In all other respects, pedalcycles parked anywhere on a highway shall conform with the provisions of Subchapter E of Chapter 33 (relating to stopping, standing and parking).

The classic response to this is to lock up a beater with a donated, high quality lock and a note in colorful language scrawled on the seat.

Even if the bike did "impede the normal and reasonable movement of pedestrian or other traffic," the authority to cut the lock and remove it rests with the City of Pittsburgh, not PNC Park as the parking meter and sidewalk is city property.

I have heard of cyclists filing theft charges for incidents such as this.

That's quite scary because I have often locked my bike to a meter, not being aware of a bike rack in an unfamiliar area. What's next.... not locking your bike to a light pole,telephone pole,fence,tree,etc. Also What does one consider being a bike rack in the vacinity?? 1 block away or even half mile away?? In the vacinity is very subjective and has no meaning.

call Steve Patchan with City Planning. He has an official city document stating that bikes parked to public property cannot and should not be confiscated, but bikes locked to private property can. If he doesn't know where this document is, tell him Richard Meritzer created it and to please ask him.

In short, bikes parked to meters should not be messed with.

Thank you all for your input. In all honesty, there was a "no parking" sign on the meter. The bike was on the sidewalk, secured to the parking meter, and was not impeding pedestrian traffic. The particular meter I locked the bike to is on the left of the Home Plate Gate, i.e. the first meter on General Robinson where it intersects with Mazeroski.

I feel that whatever the case may be, the Police should have been notified. The first officer I talked to said, and I quote "I didn't hear anything about it. Maybe someone nailed it."

It was late at night, and I just wanted to get home, but in hindsight, I should have filed a theft report. I do have half of the destroyed lock (it was a very thick u-lock. they must have brought some serious equipment to cut it).

Scott had it right on the Commonwealth of PA bike laws with regards to bike parking (permitted on sidewalks).

The Pittsburgh Parking Authority is the entity responsible under Pittsburgh City Ordinance for parking enforcement in the City of Pittsburgh. NOT THE STADIUM personnel. The Parking Authority operates under City Ordinances that support the Pennsylvania provisions that Scott noted. Specifically, the Pittsburgh City Ordinance says this with regards to vehicle parking:

§ 541.01 PROHIBITIONS IN SPECIFIED PLACES.

Except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or to protect the safety of any person or vehicle or in compliance with law or the directions of a police officer or official traffic control device, no operator of a vehicle shall, and no owner of a vehicle shall allow the vehicle to:

(a) Stop, stand or park a vehicle:

(1) On the roadway side of any vehicle stopped or parked at the edge or curb of a street EXCEPT THAT A PEDALCYCLE MAY BE PARKED AS PROVIDED IN (PA) VEHICLE CODE 3509(b)(2).

(2) On a sidewalk EXCEPT THAT A PEDALCYCLE MAY BE PARKED AS PROVIDED IN (PA) VEHICLE CODE 3509(b)(2).

You can find a link to the full City Parking Ordinance if you search Pittsburgh Parking Authority on Wikipedia.

Oh, how I hate to say that Philly seems to get this one right, but I was reminded of this post, which appeared earlier this week or late last week on some email list I am on:

Posted on Thu, Jul. 16, 2009

Push for pole-less meters has cyclists circling

The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia officials have been receptive to bicyclists' concerns about removing old-style parking meters and replacing them with multi-space kiosks where drivers pay electronically.

Bicyclists find the old parking meters to be among the best places to lock up bikes because they're all over cities.

In the Philadlephia mayor's office of transportation, an intern has been sent around the city to survey which meters are most frequently used by bicyclists. In some cities, a ring is being added to the old meter poles to allow two bikes to be locked to the pole at once.

Just a little tidbit to add. Although enforcement is within the purview of the parking authority, it is limited to their business hours. Very very rarely does the parking authority enforcement officers work in the evenings.

Also, I haven't received a response from PNC Park or the Pirates from the questions I had regarding this issue which I submitted this morning via their "contact us" link on the pirates website. I should've reposted the question here for everyone, but basically I reiterated what 1981circa posted here.

Then I requested a copy of the section within the Municipal Code for the City of Pittsburgh or their own policy which allows for the removal of bicycles from the public right-of-way so that we could all be better informed and to eliminate any future misunderstandings.

1981circa, did you get your bike back?

here's a link to the city's bicycle parking policy:

http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/cp/assets/07_Bicycle_Parking_Policy_Statement.pdf

if it's a meter, it's city property so you can lock to it.

what a bullshit argument "it was locked in front of a business" considering you were supporting it