BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Maybe an art project?

there will be fireworks over the weekend - maybe they got a jump start on putting up barriers?

I ride to work this way, and the fence has been up for a couple of weeks at least (which I think would rule out fireworks). Vannevar is right that you can just walk your bike around it, and there doesn't appear to be any work or other reason for the fence being there. The sign claims to be from the City of Pittsburgh, but it looks pretty hand made, so it's hard to tell.

anybody try moving it out of the way and see if it stays moved? This could accomplish two things:

1. The fence stays out of the way (or is removed), and merrily we roll along.

2. The fence acquires additional signage indicating why it is there or that it really must stay in place, and merrily we roll along.

3. It gets moved, back by whoever and forth by cyclists, for eternity, with no additional information or changes.

4. A more permanent and less easily moved barrier goes up, hopefully with additional signage. Slightly less merrily we roll along.

I think the chances of the first two outweigh the last (the third is just silly). But it's not on my commute. Just thinking out loud.

On CMU campus, for some form of tax purposes I think, they have a Law of Conservation of Scaffolding. Perhaps the trail systems are acquiring a similar conservation law of barriers.

I rolled through the first fence last Saturday, not paying it much attention. My line of thinking was, "Oh, a fence. Oh, it's open. I wonder why that's there." *a millisecond passes* *goes on with life*

The really closed fence 100 yards later, just short of the fountain, more caught my attention. "I guess they really don't want us down by the fountain yet." *turns around, climbs steps*

We had a Flock ride last summer that went down here, and the fence was there then. At that time, the area had recently flooded and there was a good bit of mud, but even then it was open, and the mud was more a deterrent than the fence.

Just looks to me like someone forgot to take their fence with them when they were done with it. Or it will magically disappear along with the other one by the fountain when all the work gets done.

ejwme - I kind of liked your option3 the best. "Optional Signage: Is it maddening bureaucracy or an Installation?"

my next time through there I may have to help it advance to a better place. (which would be "up against the wall", not deep-six in the Allegheny)

I rode past this fence/gate yesterday, seems pretty pointless, as there are multiple ways to get into that area from the Point Park side that have no barriers.

Weird.

Did they replace the concrete sections that had the strange striations in the surface? I rode through the other day and don't remember seeing those. Maybe left from that work.

Eric's point is a good one, because there is no second fence. That is to say, you can freely approach this fence from either direction - all it does is serve as an annoying barrier.

To ejwme's question: That fence has been there pretty much ever since the trail opened, but the gate (such as it is) was always open. Then recently it was closed, but with no sign. Someone opened it back up, which lasted for a few days until it was closed again, this time with the sign. At least I think that's how it went.

In the end, it's not that big a deal, although anything that makes me ride closer to the edge of trail makes contemplate just how far I would have to swim in icy water to find a place to climb out.

Sorry please disregard

I rode by there and xmas and moved the fence open. I didn't notice any signs but I also didn't really paying much attention. My thoughts where that some hooligans moved it across the trail just to be jerks.

Sure there is room to ride around normally but there have been many times I have come through there with single and double wheeled trailers. That could make for a tight scare squeeze.

Not sure if it's related to this fence but the brass light fixtures along the trail around Point State Park were stolen. They probably put the fence up to keep people out at night for safety because the lights were out.

They found the missing fixtures at a scrap yard and arrested the person responsible. Some of the fixtures were damaged pretty good and they don't know when they will all be back in place.

In the same way, yesterday I was wondering about the cool new mileage markers placed in the surface of several local trails. I like them, I hope they don't go south. (It's the New Yorker in me.)

The fence was gone when I went by Tuesday at 6.

This was a small story on the late news last night. I can't find anything about it online. They said someone had stolen a lot of light fixture around Point State Park several weeks ago and they just caught him trying to take the fixtures at the water fall by the convention center.

Glad they caught the jerk, people suck.

Oh, so those brass markers are new? I saw one on the Jail Trail on Christmas Eve and chalked it up to general mindfartness that I hadn't seen them all long.

Really sad when *infrastructure* gets stolen.

It's the kind of behavior that fuels the "This is why we can't have nice things" mindset that keeps gates locked and trails from being built in at least two neighborhoods I can think of off the top of my head. sigh.

I like them, I hope they don't go south.

Somebody was talking about them on the Three Rivers Heritage Trail Yahoo group recently, hoping they would be added all along the GAP. Nope, was the reply. They're only for the local trail system.

So you can be reassured they won't go south.