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#LunchLoop + Tactical Urbanism + PARK(ing) Day

So I'm super jazzed for this Friday.  Not only is BikePGH holding our final #LunchLoop bike ride of the season (which you should all totally register for, and invite your coworkers to do the same), but it is PARK(ing) Day! And for PARK(ing) Day, BikePGH is working w a whole gaggle of partners to do a little demonstration of a public plaza + an extension of the bike lane to Point State Park.  It will look kind of like this: Screen Shot 2016-09-13 at 11.44.52 AM Did I say it would be cool? It will be awesome. The #LunchLoop will be taking a few laps through the bike lane extension, so you should absolutely register for it if you work downtown or near it (or give me a shout if you want to volunteer to help make it happen – dan@bikepgh.org).
iamdan901
2016-09-13 11:49:21
Let me make sure i understand the proposal, because i'm sure others will have similar questions....
  • close the slip-ramp and narrow the enormous corners at Liberty & Commonwealth
  • close the eastern turnaround from WB to EB Liberty, and narrow the EB to WB turnaround
  • fully close Penn Ave Ext to motorized vehicles but continue (at least the WB side of) the bike lane across it
  • remove the median on Stanwix, shift the NB lanes into that space, and paint an unprotected NB bike lane between Liberty and Penn
If I understand it correctly, this looks pretty nice. Unfortunately, I work in Oakland, so I won't be able to make it down during the day--how long is this PARK(ing) Day proto-Plaza expected to be up for...?
epanastrophe
2016-09-13 15:54:04
That drawing is one of three preliminary designs that Kristin made and presented at a public meeting last winter.  For Parking Day this Friday, we'll only be closing the bit of Penn Ave between Stanwix and Liberty and extending the bike lane from where it currently ends all the way down to the point.  Unfortunately, the bike lane will only be up for a few hours – 9am to 2pm – long enough to get some great photos and footage of how the closure would effect traffic + public life.
iamdan901
2016-09-14 10:35:54
Anyone have good pics to post of this?
benzo
2016-09-19 13:17:26
Sorry I don't have pics, but the setup was pretty smooth flowing when I went through except they'll have to figure out how to handle the bus stop at Gateway Plaza, and maybe a bike/ped only signal at Stanwix.  Overall, I think the pop-up idea is a great way to try changes like this.
marko82
2016-09-19 14:27:00

It's a shame that this weird downtown mini-highway even has to exist at all. Ideally the city should extend Liberty Ave westward as it is downtown, and inbound and outbound should only be separated once they become highway ramps at Point State Park.

Then Penn Ave. Ext. and the current outbound half of Liberty could be changed to a side street with bikeway, or pedestrian-only street, or a parklet like the rest of Gateway Center's courtyards.

That would connect Point State Park to Market Square nicely, and make the Gateway Center T station less isolated.

Plus traffic probably wouldn't be affected much. Inbound would be the same; Penn outbound would just have to make a left on Stanwix then a right on Liberty.

alleghenian
2016-09-19 16:20:39
This was really cool - would love to see it permanent. Unfortunately I don't have any pics but there were a ton of "pro" looking photographers taking pictures at the lunchloop ride so hopefully Dan can post them?
salty
2016-09-19 21:39:28