BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I have three main routes that I use to get out of Downtown that aren't Liberty. 1. If you're willing to deal with traffic and hills, Penn Avenue is not that bad of another option. I usually take Penn Avenue over to Smallman Street, then cut back over to Penn and go up the hill. 2. Again, if you're willing to deal with a little bit of a hill, but no so much traffic, I actually recommend Allegheny Cemetery. As long as you hit it early enough, the gates are open. I take the same route out of Downtown but then instead of going all the way over to Butler Street. The cemetery itself is relatively quiet and has a white line marking that takes you straight from Butler Street to Penn Avenue. There is a bit of a hill at the end, but nothing a little downshifting can't solve. 3. Get onto the Furnace trail, which will eventually connect you to the Junction Hollow Trail, which links up to Boundary Street. Take Boundary up the hill (not too bad) to Neville, then use Ellsworth to access the East End. IMO, out of the three, I like the Cemetery the best, it might be a little long, but it does get you into a quiet area of town, and traffic on Butler isn't too bad (as long as you don't get attacked by an angry driver.) I made a map of the routes I take. https://goo.gl/2VeZ3C

I use Forbes. Right lane, left tire track, and never leave it. Well, one place. Just past the Birmingham Bridge, I jump over the divider and go up the dead lane for about that tenth of a mile. The sticky part is getting into fast moving traffic coming off the bridge. Again, get in the right lane, left tire track, and do not move right. At all. STAY in that exact slot all the way up to, and past, Craft. Do not, under any circumstances, move to the right in that right lane. It's your lane. Anyone who wants to go faster, there is at least one lane, and for a while, two lanes, to your left, for them to go faster in. That's what multi-lane streets are for. Same through and past Oakland. Use the bike lane to climb past CMU. Past the park, take the whole lane. It is dangerous to ride immediately adjacent to parked cars, so don't. I am less familiar with Forbes east of Wightman, but the same rule applies. You may always take the lane on a two-lane street, and should certainly take the lane on a four-lane street. Doing so will allow you to avoid: * car doors opening, * people pulling out of side streets * people backing out of driveways, * people walking out from between two parked cars * motorists behind you trying to make a right turn in front of you * motorists approaching from opposite trying to make a left turn in front of you * all the debris, branches, carrion, and broken pavement on the road edge Hope that helps.

A variant on Jason-PGH’s Route 1: Around 33rd St get over from Smallman to Liberty, cross Liberty (a little tricky), R on Sassafras, go through the valley (deserted road), it becomes Neville, then Lorigan, and climbs up into Bloomfield, L on Cedarville (say), cross Liberty, R on Friendship. But sprist asked for routes to Regent Square, not East Liberty. I made a Google Map. https://goo.gl/auUc3t Several options shown there. These aren't the fastest, but they are fairly green and pleasant. For example, they use Southside Trail over Eliza Furnace Trail because the former has more trees and less car exhaust. The Glenwood Bridge-Duck Hollow Trail route is tricky and involves walking along RR tracks for about 500 ft, but it's almost all trail. When crossing Glenwood or Homestead-Grays Bridges, I always use the sidewalk. (If you take Forbes to Oakland, I would get off it through most of Squirrel Hill and use Wilkins and Aylesboro instead. Aylesboro has no traffic lights and little traffic.)

In order of distance: You can certainly do Forbes all the way out, and it'd be direct. The interchange with the parkway is a bit unpleasant (traffic + hill) but otherwise it's fine. I think it empties out enough not to hold you up much except in a couple spots when it's not rush, which is a double edged sword actually because are coming off the parkway onto the road faster. The next most direct major option, especially given the traffic concerns I'd suggest (while the greenfield bridge is still up) is trail to greenfield avenue (most choose sidewalk, kitted roadies tend to hug the right side since it's a single narrow uphill lane) through the de-motorized bit of pocusset street and continue through the neighborhood north to Wightman, east on Forbes, and south to your destination. Liberty is a reasonable option that has less wasted climbing and the bike lane to keep you moving on that part, though I think the traffic on Center and Penn (the most direct follow-ons toward your destination) can be bad. That said, there are a lot of side street options you could try that if not a faster ride, would make for a more pleasant one.

Forgot to mention, Darlington saves you some traffic over Forbes going east in squirrel hill, and you might prefer Bartlett going west for the same reason, though the delays aren't as bad in that direction.

Connected to the Darlington suggestion eastbound, Schenley Drive is only a little longer and is a more scenic and pleasant option than the Forbes avenue bike lane.

Sorry about my routes ending in East Liberty, didn't catch that part of the post.

There's many different ways to do these routes; all will have traffic, especially at rush hour. I usually try to avoid those times (for me, after 9am, after 6pm). I would suggest taking a Sunday and check the street out, then factor in the traffic on a weekday ride. Do check out the Strava heatmaps; they're imperfect but they do give some sense of where people [into the quantified life-style] bike. http://labs.strava.com/heatmap/#14/-79.96713/40.44698/blue/bike Coming out, I think you want East Liberty as a waypoint: you won't have to climb over Sq Hill. Coming in, Forbes/Frick Park is reasonable, given that the rest of the way will be downhill. Try Beechwood -> Mellon Park, then connecting to the stuff below. Two ways to get out of town: the Allegheny or the Mon side. You'll need to fill in some of the transitions but they should be evident. Mon: 1) Jail Trail -> Junction Trail -> Boundary/Neville -> Ellsworth > mall -> Highland -> [Broad, ELB] -> Hamilton Allegheny: 1a) Penn Bike Lane -> Spring -> 31st -> Liberty ->Ellsworth -> mall -> Highland -> [Broad,ELB] -> Hamilton 1b) Penn Bike Lane -> Smallman -> Butler -> 39th -> Penn -> Negley -> ELB -> Hamilton Then: [Hamilton] -> Braddock -> Mead -> Trenton -> [Regent Sq, eventually]

It used to be so much easier before CSX fenced off the railroad crossing at the end of the duck hollow trail. Also before the LTV site was closed for development. It was possible to follow the level grade of the river on a rail trail from downtown to frick park. Only a bit through hazelwood involved riding on the road. Now I use the jail trail to panther hollow and then take random routes through oakland and squirrel hill. None of them are that great so I tend to switch it up. If riding on forbes through squirrel hill, I tend to skip the section between murray and aylesboro. Aylesboro is less hilly and is wide with little traffic.

Thanks for the reminder of the PITA created by a fenced off railroad crossing. I was looking for a nice routing up through the southern portion of Frick and this is why I couldn't find it. Yuck. Hopefully we can avoid any more of these valuable railroad crossings being fenced off...

Looks like Aylesboro might be a decent alternative to Forbes all the way from Dallas to just above CMU, only that little wiggle at Shady. Confirm?

It is. Though I like to ride through the squirrel hill business district on Forbes . Less climbing that way and it's easier to cross Shady and Beechwood at a traffic light. Traffic moves slowly enough through the business district that ironically it is one of the safer stretches of Forbes to bike. The part of forbes that crosses murdoch and whiteman... that's the bike-unfriendly section that is worth skipping. Steep hills and you've got to take the lane to avoid dooring or getting sideswiped during a pass. Drivers want to go 45 and most people likely would be pedaling at less than 10 up those hills. One street over on aylesboro is longer distance but just as quick given less elevation change.

Aylesboro is a good way to do Dallas -> Forbes. For extra peace, enter the cemetery from Forbes just before Dallas and up to the Aylesboro gate Aylesboro is generally quiet, except for rush hour(s) when it serves as a Forbes bypass. At the Forbes end you can easily zig up to Schenley Dr. You could also drop down to Northumberland which has traffic lights (and over again at Wightman) (but maybe more traffic). Take a Sunday to check it all out...

I don't live out that way, but I think the SouthSide trial> Highlevel bridge upstream sidewalk> Somerset development> Beechwood> Forbes, would be a fairly low stress ride. The only bad stretch is the one block from the far end of the development up to Beechwood. Or you could go through Frick Park instead of Somerset if running wider tires.

@Marko82, that's a nice route but two points to note: 1) It's pretty roundabout: the Mon meanders a good bit and so does Beechwood; it adds quite a few miles to the route. Which maybe not what you want on a non-recreational trip or a commute. 2) In both versions (Saline, Forward) you have a stiff climb just as you get close to Beechwood. It's ok if you're in shape and have the gears, but you may or may not want to always have to do it. The earlier suggestion of Duck Hollow then up the driveway up from the playing fields is a good one. But it's currently a no-op. Finally, from the 21st century integrated multi-modal transport network perspective, you could always hop on one of the 61's to get you home, or at least to Sq Hill. The heck with the climbing.

Can someone give instructions on how to get onto the Duck Hollow trail? I've seen some notes that this is fenced off in some locations and I think I've seen it from the bridges, but never been able to work out how to get on the trail itself. Are there any trailheads or parking access? Thanks,

The duck hollow trail head parking lot is where the nine mile run stream empties into the Mon. Frick park actually extends all the way to this parking lot now. Follow the crushed limestone trail from Frick park all the way down toward the Mon. The trail ends on old brownshill road just above the parking lot. That road has virtually zero traffic. Turn left onto the road and go down to the river. The trail head is at the far end of the parking lot. The trail ends in hazelwood just before the glennwood bridge. It used to be possible to walk across the track and emerge on 2nd avenue in hazelwood. Now there is a chainlink fence. Really determined people go around it but that isn't easy. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Duck+Hollow+Trail+Access%2FParking,+Duck+Hollow+Trail,+Pittsburgh,+PA+15217/@40.4143987,-79.9165826,814

I use Forbes. Possibly with some detours, but sometimes not. Detours can include 5th Ave Bus Lane out to the Cathedral of Learning. And or include past Schenley Plaza ancd up through teh Schenley golf course. If it were midnight on a Friday and Saturday, when a reasonable person might assume every driver is dead drunk, I might do Jail trail to Panther hollow, then, Bartlett and Darlington. Sidewalks whern a drunkard (i.e. anyone driving a car) comes along. It akes ame about 35 minutes to get from Okaland to Swisshaelpm park at around 7 pm on a Friday. It might take me 90 minutes to get home, but I can travel that 5 or 6 miles without letting a car pass me (or get behind me) on a street.

I'd take the Jail Trail, but stay out of Schenley unless you just want to be in the park. It slows you down and backtracks if you're headed to Regent Square. Go up Greenfield, either all the way over to Murray or (probably quicker and more enjoyable) turn left over the Greenfield bridge and take Pocusset up to Wightman. Then pick your favorite way over to Forbes north of Frick - I'd go to Darlington or whichever cuts over to Beechwood. No bits of this route are especially unpleasant and it's pretty direct, and the car-less bits help you keep up a good speed.

one option variant that doesn't seem to have been mentioned: Stanton Ave. follow your preferred route out to Lawrenceville. For this distance, mine would probably be to hop over to the North Shore Trail out to Millvale, then fold back to 40th Street Bridge. (Ignore the dopey sharrows on the ramp and bridge; just stay on the sidewalks.) Take the first left onto Foster; follow it to the end. Turn left on 44th, then the first right onto Plummer. You'll hit Butler at 48th; turn left. Take the first right after the cemetery onto Stanton. It's certainly a hill, but it's mostly lower traffic than other routes mentioned. I think I've driven it in the evening and not seen more than a couple other cars on the entire length... Pavement is currently not great, but it's scheduled to be repaved this fall. The one bad (as in dangerous, rather than merely difficult) part: When you get to the downhill section, from Stanton Heights descending into East Liberty, take the very center of the lane and strap in. It's posted 25, but I have had vehicles pass me on the right while I was at 30+. From here, I've enjoyed taking Meadow across Larimer, which winds a bit after Lincoln and comes out across from the East End Brewing Company; take Frankstown or Hamilton to Braddock and south to Regent Square. Other than Stanton Ave. (...Mrs Lincoln), this route should be very nearly flat. you could also take Negley or Highland south to East Liberty Blvd, cut around Bakery Square II, and take Beechwood > Reynolds to the north end of Frick Park. Find the Kensington Trail over to Braddock about a block north of Forbes.

You guys keep throwing in these climbs... If you're coming up from Butler just do 57th and get it over with. BTW, Stanton->Meadow->[east] is a very nice ride. But, regrettably, it will not quite get you right in front of the EE Brewery.