BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I'm assuming the DIY fluorescent tape job by said bollards is connected?

That's the "kerplunk bridge" (named for the sound as you bike across each panel of the strangely-contoured concrete). I don't have any.

I’m assuming the DIY fluorescent tape job by said bollards is connected?   Correct. Apparently at least five people have hit the bollard this summer. And it was often in the down position, which is the footage we're looking for.

I thought I might have a photo of that, but apparently not. Those bollard SUCK really bad, dangerous situation there. Not easy to see at all. Especially when there are other trail users around.

The only vehicle that needs to use it is the alcosan inspector. Maybe just get rid of them.

i question how much access an alcosan inspector's vehicle actually needs.

I use the trail several times a week in the morning.  The alcosan guy usually is on the trail every day in the morning, visually inspecting (and I think checking some gauges) at every run off point (the points where the runoff from the streets, etc. runs into the river).  I think they're checking for combined sewer overflow, would be my guess. The last one he checks is right on the other side of that bridge from downtown.  so the options are to park under the 31st street bridge and walk across the bridge and check the sewer, drive on 28 from 31st to 40th street bridge, get off in millvale and loop around through the riverfront park and go to the millvale end of that bridge, or continue on with the truck across the bridge. As I see the alcosan guy do this quite a lot, it never is intrusive, he always yields for me when I'm running. I don't think that that bridge is a hot spot for people trying to use the trail to avoid route 28, and you really can't get on the trail back there by mistake.  So maybe just taking out those stupid bollards (they were originally supposed to have a lock attached so they could be locked into the upright position ,but that feature isn't available anymore).  Or, come up with with bollards, like 3-4 feet high, and have the alcosan guy and EMS have key access to put them down when they need to get on the trail... There are no other bollards on that section of the trail anyway.  The bollards only start between the casino and the west end bridge and run toward the prison.

I will check when I get home. I’m not hopeful, though. My #1 bike with the rear cam has been off the road since around that time, and my front cam has been flaky since it got wet around the time of BikeFest.

Why doesn't the Alcosan man/woman use a bicycle to do the inspections?

I thought about that, too. Even parking along River Ave and biking up to Millvale shouldn’t be that difficult. Then again, I don’t know what equipment they need to carry. Can it fit in a pannier?

I never see them carrying anything. So they're just visually inspecting I think.   They gotta use a truck. Because trucks burn fossil fuels which cause more and bigger rainstorms which causes increased runoff and thus justifies the need for an alcosan person checking for combined sewer runoff. See?

Imagine it's pouring rain (which is presumably when checking gauges and such really matters). And imagine the guy has to take notes for each inspection, and doesn't want to return to the office with a soggy mess of paper. A truck solves this problem easily. Keep the notebook or stack of forms in the truck, along with towels and whatever else he might need. Maps or reference books perhaps, or maybe a laptop computer. Ever tried accessing stuff in your panniers in a torrential downpour without letting any water get in? I imagine a solution using a bike could be devised.  (Waterproof audio recording setup, to be transcribed later? Special plastic notepad and pen that works in the rain? Can you get a waterproof tablet or phone?) But it's probably not going to be as easy as keeping all his tools in a truck.

I looked. No, sorry, I don’t have any footage.

just topping to see if anyone else may have footage. also to plug the gofundme page for him to get new teeth. because this is america where having teeth isn't a necessary medical procedure that insurance covers https://www.youcaring.com/dougweaver-1027003

Inadequate or no dental coverage is making America great again. The bollards are now locked in the upright position and the alcosan truck now goes on 28 to get to the sewers on the other side of that bridge.

yeah. and to think he's probably got great insurance and the insurance company won't cover it - he's a pittsburgh fireman