I moved from the east end of the city to Ross Township a little over a year ago. I bike in to work on the Northside most every day now and like to jog/run around too. I am a little dissapointed in the quality or lack of good trails/lane shoulders around the area -- any one try to ride along McKnight in rush-hour?? I have and have switched to a little longer route of Babcock into Millvale and then along the River to the city.
I have started making a list of places around Ross and some of the immediate surrounding areas in the North Hills that could be improved with either slightly enhanced shoulders on the roads or the possibilities of some off road trails. Before I get too far along in this effort I wanted to see if anyone else had been working on something like this or was interested in helping.
I have been looking at the roads and breaking them down between Township owned, County owned, or State owned. Some of the bridges especially are due for Replacement or Rehab -- like McKnight over Babcock. It would be great if we could advocate that when they do replace that they could add a bike friendly shoulder lane. Right now that bridge can be scary to go over in traffic.
Comments would be appreciated for the SPC Bike Suitability Maps -- contact Ryan Gordon at first initial last name at spcregion.org. Allegheny County would also like the information. visit the website at activeallegheny dot com. Thanks!
Getting an official bike trail from the Northway Car Wash at Babcock-Babcock-3Degree, north to Perrymont (just over the line into McCandless), would be quite welcome. It's already bikeable (watch that cable up at night just to the west of the car wash) though a little rough. Connections to side streets like Sunderland, Pines Plaza, etc., would seem to be simple. You can actually drive onto it from Kaylor, off of Perry Hwy, since a couple hundred yards of it is a public street on the McCandless end.
Painted lanes on Babcock would be nice. There's a big enough shoulder for that to happen. I hate cars that go around people that are stopped waiting to turn left. The firehouse on Babcock close to Shell seems to support it with a sign and cones, always knocked over. When I drive and am behind a left turner, I stop with a lot of room in front of me to stop the person behind me swinging around. It doesn't stop people 5 cars back from going around 5 cars, and many follow.. then it's my turn to drive and people are next to me not even on the road. Should be an automatic $1000 ticket.
I've ridden North on McKnight Rd at 8am several times from Babcock to McIntyre Square. I'll probably never do it again, but it can be done. Babcock is a lot safer, clearly but I didn't know that at the time.
I have given up on babcock and thomson run. I only
use wible or one of the side roads now.
I think there should be a signed "city to north
hills" bike route that goes out little pine creek
to wetzel a bit of MT royal with marked shoulders
to scott to north road to greenfield.
This would get a lot of north hills commters safely
to town with the aid of the bike trail to 62nd
street.
flyS564-> I agree on the Babcock painted lanes. I ride that strecht most every day and know exactly the firehouse you are referring to. Cars passing on the right shoulder do present a problem.
steevo-> I totally agree on a signed city to north hills route. Also, I would think you could easily put a trail in the I-279 right-of-way coming out of the northside to McKnight and beyond. There is pletny of space on either side of the right-of-way. I used to ride the Eliza Furnace/Jail trail all the time and that was right in the middle of 376 so it can be done!
StuInMcCandless-> I know most of that stretch you are referring to. That would be a prime one to upgrade.
