BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

this reminds me of "Alleghney Places" which was/is the county's comprehensive land use and growth management plan. Obviously this is more about transit, but the 2 should be used together I would think. Anyway, just commenting that I hope they take into account groundwork that's already been done. I'm interested in learning more though.

Good catch, Tabby. Active Allegheny is an implementation tool for Allegheny Places. One could not exist without the other. This one just takes a good hard look at Active Transportation needs and opportunities.

And for those of us that couldn't make it to those locations at those times if we had wings? Hopefully the user survey won't be just multiple guess?

oh good, Swalfoort so glad to hear that it's part of the same project and not just moving on to something else...another study, another plan

@ejwme - as previously suggested, I'd love to find a way to really engage the folks from the Penn Hills area. I can do that outside the scope of the public meetings, and as a member of the project steering committee, see to it that your comments are given equal weight/consideration.

How about AFTER the meetings in downtown and in Carnegie we schedule a meeting for out your way? Surely there's a coffee shop or library we could use for the purpose.

I only suggest AFTER the other meetings because then I'll be sure to have copies of any handouts, maps, etc.

nice! I'll tap in to the CDC, Council, and a couple other orgs (you want Monroeville people too? I know some who will be interested, at least will help publicize...) and see if I can find a way to communicate this to people. Do you have a time frame in mind? The next CDC meeting for PH is July 29th, I'm not sure if I can reach _everyone_ before that. Venue won't be a problem

I PM'd you my email (didn't I?), let me know when the web site is up and running too, that will help spread the word!

top for this week

bikepgh blog post: http://bike-pgh.org/2010/06/your-input-is-needed-for-the-countys-active-allegheny-plan/

and a PG Article:

'Active Allegheny' to develop biking, walking plans

Friday, June 18, 2010

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Allegheny County residents will have two chances next week to comment on efforts to develop a regional bicycle and pedestrian transportation plan.

The $300,000 study is being funded with a Pennsylvania Community Transportation Initiative grant from the state Department of Transportation.

"Investing in commuter biking and walking routes and providing additional and better linkages to other transportation modes will make a real difference in Allegheny County," county Executive Dan Onorato said in a statement.

The effort is called "Active Allegheny."

The first public meeting will be 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Point Park University Ballroom, 201 Wood St., Downtown. The second session will be at the same time Thursday in the Carnegie Borough Building, One Veterans Way.

Additional information is available at www.activeallegheny.com.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10169/1066471-455.stm

I lol'd at the banner image on the Active Allegheny website. Tom Murphy and Dan Onorato out for a ride...

i didn't even notice murph dogg in that

The user survey is now live. You have 30 days to contribute information on how how often, and for what purposes, you bike, walk or use other forms of active transportation.

www.activeallegheny.com

thanks! Everyone should take this

Question 1: What is your PRIMARY MODE OF COMMUTING to work, school, social visits, etc.?

[...]

( ) Kayak/Canoe

Are they just checking to make sure you're paying attention, or are there people who really Kayak/Canoe to work?

[BTW, there is an "Other" box so it's not like the list had to be exhaustive]

actually, there is a dude who works for Mullen in the Strip, lives in Milvale, and commutes on his kayak

I wonder if motorboatists gripe about him for being arrogant, slowing them down, and not paying his fair share of the river maintenance?

hmmm, i'm sure he's still gotten beverages thrown at him

I would LOVE to kayak to work.

Didn't we set a Guinness World Record for kayaks about two, three weeks ago? That'd certainly be cool, to also have bragging rights for being the #1 American city for kayak commuters.

Anything but the damned car!

if helicopter isn't an option, i'm not completing the survey.

we didn't set the record. 2300 people signed up, but 500 didn't show (for me, the lightening kept me away). So only 1800 people in the flotilla.

I'd completely add the kayak to my mixed transportation bag, if I could cart around the boat on the bike or the bike on the boat. OR have a convertible boat/bike. Like a personal ducky-mobile. That would ROCK. Should be doable. (just got a mental image of a unicyclist with a life vest and an oar strapped to their back - possible with sticky pedals and a seatbelt?)

I forwarded the survey to everyone in my addressbook that has anything to do with Allegheny County. Everybody take it! (It's a really good survey, by the way, kudos to the designers!)

@ejwme- I just read about doing this...

In the comments here:

http://letsgorideabike.com/blog/2010/06/bike-camping-trip/

" Dave Schlabowske says:

21 June 2010 at 6:42 am

.... The only thing left after that is the folding multi-modal S24O. Last year I got a nice folding kayak used. I then rode my folding bike to ride up the Milwaukee river, camped, then unfolded the kayak, put the folding bike inside and paddled back.

I did not document my trips last year, but will do so this year at http://overthebarsinmilwaukee.wordpress.com/

"

The previous record was 1104. With ~1800 it would still set a new record. I believe they filed the paperwork with Guinness and have to wait several months before it is official.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10156/1063522-100.stm

It was a good time, but slightly less so with participating in a midnight mass the night before.

#29 - all of the above? It's not really a choose-one question.

@Tabby - that looks awesome. I had no idea there was such a think as folding kayaks - I know there are inflatables, but inflating one of those would take too long for me to mix-commute. That and the rivers all point the wrong way for me You'd think I'd luck out with either rivers or roads going in my direction, but no.

I'm still slightly obsessed with my vision of a unicycle/floaty set up. Maybe with collapsable fins on the spokes to turn pedal power into paddle power. The Unipaddle.

How about a hydrobike with inflatable pontoons and a retractable fan blade? Sort of a bicycle version of a Duck......(as in Just Duckies, not the waterfowl).

I could picture a recumbent with pontoons that could be raised and lowered, much more stable, and with a paddle wheel that would be tire driven like a stationary trainer. Just use solid plastic discs over the sides of the front wheel like an aero wheel, for steering. It wouldn't make a recumbent THAT much stranger...

Still, it's not as unusual as a bent.

@Marko82: I would so ride that. Awesome.

what you really need is two kayaks, to act as outriggers and use the bike to provide power and steering. that would actually be pretty cool

would two kayaks in such a fashion make it a biyak?

Flocycle? Bike-tilla? Veloswimmer?

Flocycle? Bike-tilla? Veloswimmer?

Flotilla of Cycles.

I love the idea of commuting by boat. Unfortunately there is a limited range for it because of dams/locks at highland park, next ot Kennywood on the Mon and nto too far down the Ohio.

Velocirafter.

!! Win to Stu!

While staying at my friend's house in the richy-rich lakeshore suburbs of Chicago, I saw a helicopter fly down the beach super low. His father said, "oh that's our neighbor, he takes a helicopter to work"

Seriously.

nice one Stu. The Velocirafter would be completely marketable based purely on the name

I'd only take a helicopter to work if I had like a Go-Go-Gadget-Helicopter In A Hat kind of thing going on. Otherwise it'd be too much fuss.

*bump*

don't forget to take the survey guys! forward to friends, family, coworkers, everybody!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ActiveAllegheny

I built a trailer out of 2 front forks and some 2 by 4's to haul my 14 foot kayak behind my mountain bike. It worked ok, and cars could not miss seeing me if they were even halfway paying attention to the road.

helen - I know cars are limited in what they can tow on the road... as vehicles, are we also limited? Like do our trailers have to be registered (with those little trailer plates and everything)? I love your diy approach, and can completely envision it's wonderfullness, but it made me wonder. (I've been oggling a for sale trailer near me that would massively help with hauling stuff for my garden with my car, and it's got plates, so it's been on my mind).

and don't forget to fill out the survey!