BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

"One nice thing about all of the potholes, they slow traffic way down." True! But it only works out well when you don't have to get too wacky with your line to skirt them and the surface that isn't pothole isn't cold patch washboardy crap. I have no idea what's coming in 2014 in terms of bicycle infrastructure. But by default I assume I would've heard about it here if plans were solidified, so maybe not much this year. Maybe some slight traffic calming just for there being more cyclists out there? I'll optimistically, but still reasonably I think, assume that. Crossing my fingers for more in 2015.

Streets to be paved this year (40 miles): http://www.post-gazette.com/attachment/2014/05/08/PDF-2014-Paving-recommendations.pdf

What are the odds of a last-minute bike lane blitz? Schenley drive in front of Phipps was just paved but has not been lined yet. This is a perfect area for a nice set of bike lanes because the street is so wide. Many other places that are being paved would be great for sharrows. Newly paved roads seem to be our quickest way to expand bicycle infrastructure.

Awesome map of the to-be-repaved roads: http://blogs.post-gazette.com/news/pittsblogh/41455-map-which-pittsburgh-roads-will-be-paved-in-2014

Based on the last last minute save, the bike lanes on Negley Run, who knows what's possible. I think we ALL need to jump on this pothole blitz opportunity suggesting repainting in a bike friendly manner. Wherever you ride the most, be noisy! Not sure if 311 was the right forum, that's where I started. Please someone suggest others. My submission: " My submission here is about the "pothole blitz", described here: http://blogs.post-gazette.com/news/pittsblogh/41455-map-which-pittsburgh-roads-will-be-paved-in-2014 inasmuch as painting might follow. The painting of lanes on Negley Run was a major win, we could do with more: http://localhost/mb/topic/bike-lanes-on-negley-run/ On that map, what comes immediately to mind based on where I ride regularly, (there's more I'd vote for, but wanted to speak from my experience) I want to vote for the following Right lane sharrows on fifth between shady and beachwood. Bike lanes on the "elbow" of Beacon Street. Bike lanes on Schenley Drive to better connect eastern and western squirrel hill (and hey, if at some point in the future we can configure the rest of beacon to be two instead of three lane with bike lanes on the outside, that would be absolutely beautiful). Sharrows on Coleman/Alger (take people of the greenfield avenue sidewalk). Last item, jumping outside my regular experience more, but it's a standout on the map and I have ridden that aways, just less frequently: Reconfigure East Street to be one lane in each direction with bike lanes on the outside (this is a rare opportunity to make useful inroads on bike infrastructure in the North Hills, and East Street is a great, lowish traffic and low gradient connector that would get a ton of use). " I also wanted to put in something for 18th street but I had to cut off somewhere and I've never actually ridden it, and I wanted to speak from some experience.

Oops, will put in clarification... Beacon was about better connecting eastern and western squirrel hill. Schenley drive is about making the university/attractions area more bike friendly and as a logical extension of what's already there in the park.

I take Greenfield Ave everyday up that stupid hill/sidewalk. Does Coleman/Alger St. connect to the bottom of Greenfield Ave @ Saline St?? I'd love if they eliminated parking on Greenfield Ave and put a climbing lane in. The climbing lane is so narrow and the stop-and-go traffic is brutal to deal with.

Alas, no. After you've done the main climb and you're to the closely spaced blocks, Alger is the little road paralleling you to your left hand side. If you did the main climb on the sidewalk, perhaps heading toward the greenfield bridge, ducking left onto this side road off the sidewalk is probably more natural than trying to get back into lane on Greenfield and then cutting left toward the bridge just before the road bends to the right. With better road surface, I think more people will cut over to it, and off the sidewalk, sooner. Certainly I think that should be encouraged. If and when the greenfield avenue needs repaving or the center line needs repainting, I endorse a full court press here ideally to get a climbing lane... failing that to paint the center line to make the downhill lane narrower and uphill lane wider to make the climb in lane less stressful. But we're not looking at anything that big here... not in the short term. Long term, depending on what gets connected to it, but east street going north could be really huge.

Well, if start up Greenfield and got to the point of intersection with Frazier St/Sylvan Ave then you have multiple choices: 1. Continue Greenfield. 2. Turn left to Frazier St and continue Swinburne/Dawson 3. Turn right to Sylvan Ave/Waldeck St/Bigelow St -- this is residential almost no traffic street and an excellent training hill similar to Hazelwood Ave in profile. Winterburn Ave is complete downhill and would bring you to Greenfield back. :)

I actually live at the top of the final Dirty Dozen hill in Greenfield/Hazlewood at Calvary & Frayne. Anyway I go has HUGE hills, but I never considered Sylvan Ave for riding a bike just because I scoot up that street if I'm driving and there is so much debris and crazy people.. it's intimidating. Do people actually ride up Hazlewood Ave?? I'm not sure I've ever seen a cyclist attempting this and I don't recommend - HUGE potholes and chunks of missing pavement everywhere on the Hazlewood end.

Hazelwood is not too bad on the way up. It's wide enough to accommodate bikes and cars; I don't recall major pavement issues (but maybe I've lived here too long). I last went up thataway maybe a month ago.

I just went up & down Hazelwood last week and it was fine except for a very short section at the bottom and even that wasnt too bad - just watch your speed. +1 for moving the double yellow over on Greenfield to give the climbing lane more room.

We should do this, here. http://potholepopup.com/

Since you live pretty much just off Bigelow, I'd strongly consider doing the climb that way. Yeah, that little switchback is narrow and gnarly and the area not so nice. But if you fall it's probably at low speed, and crazy people are less intimidating when you show your personal brand of it. Also, the same things that scare you probably scare almost all of the drivers away.

Also, people can't go much faster than 10mph on the switchback so, that's built in goodness there. This option sounds MUCH shorter than taking Greenfield Ave alllll the way around to Hazlewood and then up Hazlewood (which I normally have to walk by that point).

Do people actually ride up Hazlewood Ave??

I climb it on a regular basis as a training climb during lunch hour.

Three things about Federal St on the North Side: 1) On the dead-level part between Allegheny Center and North Avenue, they have the street torn up some. Wednesday morning, there was a nasty lip to mount, going toward downtown. 2) Going uphill on the real steep part above the lower Perrysville corner, is another case of the uphill lane being way narrower than the downhill lane. 3) The downhill side below the lower Perrysville corner has some original 1960s concrete that's in terrible shape.