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Jail Trail pollution from 376, 2nd ave, and boul of the allies

Does anyone else get annoyed traveling the jail trail and having to suck in the clouds of smog from freight trucks and the like...I have no constructive idea on ways of avoiding this since there always seems to be traffic on these expressways, maybe on a sunday it would be a nice trail to take with less traffic...i take it because its the best way for me to get to duquesne university from the east end of town.. i would rather take the southside trail into town and cross the smithfield bridge if time wasnt an issue...I just think its a contradiction that we have to deal with as cyclists, we are out there riding on a trail not causing any pollution and yet we are the ones sucking it all in, I just wish more people rode and thus less pollution for us to breath in....I love the jail trail still and the pollution isnt always bad, but the other trails in the city offer more of a quaint river setting away from traffic, but the jail trail hugs expressways, making it probably the worst rode to take as far as inhalation of pollution...i just try to go slower during heavy pollution so im not sucking more in...what a pain right??? haha cycling in pittsburgh, always keepin it interesting.


nickbikes
2008-09-19 00:39:51

Take comfort in the study that showed that cyclists, even riding in traffic, are exposed to less exhaust fumes than the motorists seemingly protected within their cars.


kordite
2008-09-19 12:16:16

hmm...where and when was this sudy done, I definately would like to read that one, the only difference i see, is motorists arent sucking in air at a fast rate like cyclists on a hot day.


nickbikes
2008-09-19 14:27:38

the difference between the cyclist and the driver is that the driver will continue to breathe the noxious fumes even after the exhaust producing vehicle has moved on. The cyclist, because he is outside an air re-circulating box, will quickly begin breathing fresh air as soon as the vehicle passes.


Noxious fumes become trapped in the car and are recirculated for a period of time.


pratt
2008-09-19 19:15:48

I see what your saying pratt, that cycling is the lesser of two evils when talking about inhalation of pollution....as cyclist we are more aware of it because we are constantly in the air, and recognize that distinct and bitter pollution smell when a big truck revs up right near you....im not saying that this is a bad side affect of cycling, i wouldnt let car pollutants get in my way......but when i move past the pollution on the jail trail into so called "fresh air", i still am not happy that i just breathed in the disgusting pollution..for me cycling is a movement, a return to the past, a sacred mode of transportation that is efficient and constantly renewable....and to have to deal with such a bi-product of urbanization as pollution, its just a symptom of our environment, so no matter where we are we cannot excape the machine....I am bitter every time i suck in pollution, no matter in a car on a bike or walking for that matter....and as far as the jail trail, my point for this post is to portray it as one of the worst routes as far as pollution proximity to cyclists....the trail is great for its obvious ability to connect neighborhoods to downtown, but I still maintain that the trail is a vacuum for pollution from 2nd ave, boulevard of the allies and 376......i really believe in the others comments about cars being worse, but i dont think the cycling alternative is that much better in urban areas that have high smog anyway...i could be wrong about this and the fumes i take in may be more minor to my health than i think, but i have also read articles in the bicycling magazine in the august issue that say the contrary and that cyclists should take steps neccessary to avoid conjested and smogged areasand if that holds true then one of these areas is definately the jail trail, speaking of trails I hope the new trail on the allegheny will be nearer to the river than the jail trail and thus further from exhaust ....i will lean towards the idea that the other articles saying its not that bad for cyclists to ride near polluted air are just rationalizing to make themselves feel better, i believe its a neccessary evil that we face, but worth the risk most certaintly! I accept it that its unavoidable in urban areas for the most part especially while riding with traffic, or in the case of the jail trail riding along side traffic in many spots....just my opinion


nickbikes
2008-09-20 08:24:09

It's a worthy question, and I wonder if it's been studied scientifically. I also wonder how different it is on the trail as compared to, for example, Forbes in Oakland, Penn in the Strip, or someplace similar with a relatively high % of bikes and lots of traffic. Also worthy of comparing to being stuck in a car on the Pky East at 7:45 a.m.


stuinmccandless
2008-09-20 16:54:28

I've been looking for the reference to that study but I haven't been able to find it again. It was quite a while ago.


kordite
2008-09-21 15:43:04
Is it true that pregnancy causes more deaths than air quality issues?
zzwergel
2017-11-12 15:59:40
I don't even see air pollution on the list. It is interesting that pregnancy is more likely to cause death than war. I thought air pollution was on that list below pregnancy for some reason. I think I have an irrational fear of women close in age to me who have been pregnant. Probably due to my Autism Spectrum disorder.
zzwergel
2017-11-13 12:19:28
Note: that specific chart only represents deaths in England in year 2007. It would be specious to derive broad generalities from it in the absence of a commensurately larger dataset.
ornoth
2017-11-13 13:00:35
I would not read much into any of those figures. Too many moving parts, not large enough sample sizes, old data, etc. In general, any time you see the phrase "A new study says..." you should don an air of skepticism. Not reject it outright, but await further confirmation. Cohort studies, OTOH, by their nature, are more trustable. Pregnancy can cause all manner of trouble, even danger, so of course there will be statistically significant numbers to report. But it is rarely uniform. Certain populations fare much better than others. So to compare a moving target like air pollution issues to another moving target like pregnancy seems suspect at best, and should be ignored.  
stuinmccandless
2017-11-13 16:39:06
@Ornoth, Where does it say England 2007? The link is about Milwaukee in 2015.
zzwergel
2017-11-13 20:07:00
ZZ: The chart appears in the Milwaukee blogpost mixed in with data and quotes from different studies and articles from diverse sources, each using different datasets. There is no connection between the chart and the blogger in Milwaukee who wrote about it. That specific chart was prepared using the English National Health Service's Atlas of Risk Tool, which was published in 2013, but came to public prominence in 2015, in places such as this article in Business Insider. The links to the original NHS Atlas of Risk are no longer valid, but here is a link to a version of the tool that is no longer functional. The tool itself specifically states "The data used in this atlas is taken from deaths registered in England in a single year (2007)", and the user can further filter the data down to specific regions in England.  
ornoth
2017-11-13 20:45:23
Nick- I find the fastest way from Oakland to Duquesne is to go straight down 5th avenue.  I only take the trail when I want a leisurely ride.
helen-s
2017-11-16 12:17:07
More trees along the Jail Trail would make a difference. You always have pollution there, but it is rarely thick.    Taking, say, Forbes  Ave out  (which I do, daily), sometimes I get blasted by diesel.  There are times I can hold my breath until it clears, but not always. Last month, I was holding my breath behind a truck at a light.  It started moving, and so did I.  Then the truck stopped or hesitated.  As I caught up with it, the truck double-clutched and blasted out just as I was gasping for air.  Ugh.  Most of us have been there.
mick
2017-11-16 15:07:05
I hate bus exhaust as well.
zzwergel
2017-11-16 17:43:28
The buses now all have mitigation systems installed on their tailpipes.  That's the weird triangle thing on the pat buses. I don't remember if those are PM 2.5 filters or what and a Google search didn't turn up anything.
edronline
2017-11-17 16:37:08
Smoky bus engines should be rarer these days. New regulations began with buses manufactured after 2006, but since buses have a 12- to 14-year lifespan, it takes a while to replace them. All of the 3100-series articulated buses, for example, are 2004 models, but will be replaced in a month or two with the new 3400s just now arriving. The “triangle thing” I think you’re referring to is atop the exhaust pipes of the newer 40-footers, numbered 5600 and higher, dating from 2009. The newest buses, the 6300s, are replacing the 5200s and 5300s from 2003-04. So it might be two more years to retire the rest of them.
stuinmccandless
2017-11-19 05:14:04
What about diesel trucks, trains, and boats? There are other non-vehicle sources of air pollution as well. The steel mills in Braddock and Clairton, Cheswick and Springdale power plants, Marcellus shale wells, campfires, cigarette smoke, and ozone are all sources of air pollution that should be accounted for.
zzwergel
2017-11-19 10:48:05
Let’s take cigarette smoke out of that list. That requires a different discussion. Ditto campfires and heavy industry. Yes, all are pollution sources, but need different approaches. Let’s instead focus on transportation sources. Trucks, railroads, boats. All use diesel, but each is regulated separately. Even in highway transpo, I don’t know how to achieve lower emissions at the state vs federal level. Also don’t know how to achieve better local enforcement. Suggestions welcome.
stuinmccandless
2017-11-19 12:59:28
@Stu, As I was riding around Robinson an North Fayette Township, I got some video. During the video, I smelled some pretty rancid fumes due to all of the cars on the roads. I am pleasantly surprised that many people are choosing to ride the bus in that area and the 28X seems to pull ridership from miles away in Moon Township. Some people drive or bike and park near the Ikea stop to get the bus to Downtown or Oakland. Someone was actually waiting for his boss to pick him up after getting off of a bus so he could go to work. It is actually very nice to see people in car-[in]dependent urban sprawl getting around on there own two feet, public transportation, and bikes. https://youtu.be/N1ULHzLCkJc
zzwergel
2017-11-19 18:02:57