Anybody ride across the Hot Metal Ped Bridge this morning? I'm curious what to expect for the ride home.
sheet of ice over the weekend, just like the rest of the pathways on both sides of the mon. It may be completely gone by this Thursday, due to mid-thirties in the forecast?
Anyone wanna develop a deicer spreader from a bike trailer? Although, I would suggest not using salt. Perhaps Magnesium Chloride? We don't want the repair costs, which I can assure you, the city cannot afford.
Yep. Deep, rutted snow yesterday on the bridge and in the Hollow. The city "groomed" the trail and the bridge today, thus making a fine packed surface.
*secures skis to bike*
I want my 2 Dollars!!!111
I'm glad I'm not the only one suffering over the bridge. I use the panther hollow trail and HMB daily now and they seem to have sucked for the last week or so since the snow first fell. To make matters worse at the PHT some jerk drove an ATV or something through there. The trail became like double the width from cyclists trying to go over unpacked snow and grass rather than trying to screw around over the packed stuff, myself included. The irony is even greater because both the Eliza Furnace Trail and the PHT intersect at a Department of Public Works facility that has salt trucks. I want to make a front mounted cycling snow plow.
Everyone who rides this bridge and trail... It's very important you log your complaints with 3-1-1. I just did last week, but it's going to take more than one person calling and writing in. If you only have a cell phone, you need to call 412.255.2621 or go to the 3-1-1 site. http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/mayor/html/311_non-emergency_services.html
and fill out the form.
I suspect that last week's conditions had to do with the city being off for MLK day.
I sent this to 311 via email. Feel free to copy, paste and resend. This is about as nasty as I get...
The paved trail which runs from Grant Street to 9 Mile Run and parallel to Second Avenue and Interstate 376 does not permit safe travel due to the thick layer of ice over the entire right-of-way. The Hot Metal Bridge is also quite icy.
People use this trail, when it is safe. I can assure you that when the condition of this trail warrants safe navigation there are more commuter trips per day from walkers and bikers than many of the local and collector streets within the city that are on the snow routes. Based on the city's actions, I don't see that level of commitment to alternative transportation for the commuting public that Council and the Mayor like to crow about. Capital projects are nice, but the day-to-day operation and maintenance is how city government can win or lose support from its citizens and visitors.
If the city cannot maintain this thoroughfare, then please inform city council so that they may either prioritize funding to enable Public Works to perform this task effectively, solicit operation and maintenance proposals from local trail non-profits to shift the burden off the city and onto another agency, or close the trail to the public until funding and staffing levels are sufficient to adequately maintain this portion of city right-of-way.
Thank you.
The only section of the trail that isn't clear is the parcel that the city actually owns! lol
County website lists parcel 2-R-320, the portion between the Liberty Bridge and South 10th Street Bridge, as owned by the City of Pittsburgh. Everything to the west is the Parking Authority and everything east is the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which doesn't exist anymore.
here is the answer to our prayers. think we can get dpw to buy one if we promise to use it?
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/02/pedal_powered_snow_plow.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
Here's another bike plow.
http://www-bdnew.fnal.gov/pbar/organizationalchart/peterson/snowplow_files/Bike_Plow.html
And, someday in the far future, maybe we'll be up to where Copenhagen is today:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16nine/2345328582/
I'm thinking deeplocal could fabricate a bikesnowblower or bikesnowbrush for us. possibly using a tandem where one person powers the blower/brush and the other powers the bike.
