After a couple near misses yesterday biking on Highland and Negley, I was wondering if anyone has a better, maybe lower-traffic route to get to Oakland (Pitt campus). I'd like to try to bike down there more this summer (in one piece)!
One option, at least heading into Oakland, is taking Euclid to Penn Circle, then taking Centre to Negley to Ellsworth. Coming home, you have to be a bit more creative (you can take Beatty from Baum and through the Meineke parking lot, then back on Beatty on the other side of th circle, and cut over to Euclid). Not ideal, but certainly lower traffic than Negley or Highland.
I dont' think there is a safe way to get across Penn/PennCircle.
You can come down Negley and go right on Penn one block and cut through side streets to aiken to Ellsworth.
It doesn't save you much grief, though.
Negley is the traditional street to get severely harassed in Pittsburgh.
I think the only solution is to become a little hard-assed about the whole thing. I don't like giving that answer, but there you have it.
Mick
If I wanted to be SUPER SAFE.
I would do euclid to penn circle.
Center for like 2 blocks, then dip into the
parking garage behind the lofts/gpoa.
this cuts through to the new light at the negley
giant iggle. left negley.
This cuts out center/negley.
Right on ellsworth to oakey dokey
especially cause the center/negley intersection is
really jacked up right now. jeeez
Hey Greenbike, have you picked up one of our maps yet? If not you should go to a local bike shop and pick one up for free. Or you can get a waterproof/rip-proof one for a little bit of money. You can also check out the routes we recommend here: http://www.bike-pgh.org/onlinemap2/
some of the notes need updating, but the routes are all there.
Scott: I do have the map, and it's definitely handy! I use it to go biking through Morningside on the weekends...it saves me from the big hills. 
Thanks to everyone for the suggestions...I appreciate it!
When I moved to Pittsburgh I tried to avoid hills for about 6 months, but then decided I needed to face the fact that it is hilly here. I just started going from Point A to Point B by the shortest route that could be safely travelled, hills or not.
When I moved to Pittsburgh I tried to avoid hills for about 6 months, but then decided I needed to face the fact that it is hilly here. I just started going from Point A to Point B by the shortest route that could be safely travelled, hills or not.
same thing for me. now it's gotten to the point where i think "hmm, route A looks a bit hillier than route B, let's do A," before i go on my rides. or occasionally "how many dirty dozen hills can i fit in this ride?"
If you're willing to take a slightly less direct route for less traffic, this might be useful:
Euclid -> Penn Circle -> Friendship -> S Fairmont -> Harriet -> S Winebiddle -> 1 block on Liberty -> Gross -> Sciota -> Millvale -> Half-block on Centre -> Devonshire -> Elsworth -> Neville -> 5th -> etc.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2807084
(The way back is trickier, because of one-way streets. My best suggestion for the return is to take Millvale all the way to Liberty, then take Gross, Corday Way and a half-block of Winebiddle sidewalk to get back to Harriet. Then take S Fairmont all the way to Penn -> Negley -> East Liberty Boulevard -> Euclid)
