BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Thanks for posting this. I have not idea if it could ever happen, but I signed in. The scrap yard is one huge moneymaker. I think one could buy the property for around $15 million. Anyone have some spare change? You never know what could happen though.

"Susan Crookston met with officials in Sharpsburg, O'Hara and Aspinwall last week to seek support for a proposal to turn 47 acres of riverfront property into a mixed-use development." So, the trail would be a component, but not the only feature, of a mixed use development. So, with development backers, there is a chance this could happen. More Info: http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yourfoxchapel/yourfoxchapelmore/7708309-74/crookston-project-property#axzz3TXknZofb

A couple of years ago I think that scrap yard was valued at 15 or so million dollars. I am not sure if things have changed or not. I see she doesn't want to disclose the price which would make sense at this time. Might be a little overwhelming if you slap a big number on it. I looked around these properties as an old real estate investor, but the scrap yard was a very profitable business. Everything has a price though, so I guess time will tell.

I have heard AZCON recently lost 40% of their business when one of their customers went under. And, while being rid of the scrap yard has been a pipe dream, as well as the subject of multiple rumors for a long time, this is the first time anything concrete and public has happened. Based on what Susan has been able to accomplish with Aspinwall Riverfront Park, I would not bet against her. Visit ARTEZ.org to forward letter of support. This project will be a game-changer for the mid-valley, and Sharpsburg in particular.

Two years later, what's become known as R47 is a major factor in a ten-way race for four seats on Aspinwall boro council. Here, the PG offers statements from the six Democrats running: http://www.post-gazette.com/local/north/2017/05/05/Six-Dems-vie-for-four-seats-in-Aspinwall-interest-triggered-by-Riverfront-development/stories/201705050040

Working in Aspinwall and talking to people, the fight over r47 and the entrances may still not be over. Eastern Ave got nixed but the next fight may be Brilliant Ave...  So this thing is nowhere near being settled.

I would like the trail to go from at least the 62nd St Bridge if not Aspinwall and join up with the North Shore Trail in Millvale. Where the trail terminus is currently situated in Millvale makes is practically useless for me as I would have to cross the Highland Park or 62nd St. Bridge and cross again at 40 St. It is a real bitch to climb Parker St. or Washington St. out of Etna just to get to Millvale which is less than 2 miles away. The hill makes it seem more like ten miles.

This is a big political issue right now. If r47 gets built in Aspinwall there will be a tiny trail through part of Aspinwall. No plans as far as I know to extend it from 62nd Street bridge to r47 parcel.

Several years ago, some folks in Etna were looking to build a park under the 62nd St Bridge, possibly coordinated with planning for an extended Allegheny Valley trail.  Not sure what's happened with that lately, especially since ARTEZ seems to have stalled and fallen apart...  

They got funding for the Etna park. Hopefully will start sometime this century.

I want the trail to at the very least connect Poplar St. or Bridge St. in Etna to the current Millvale terminus. As it stands now, the trail is almost completely useless for me because I would have to cross the Allegheny river twice to get to it, then cross the river again to get to Downtown. The only options are:  

1. Cross Highland Park Bridge sidewalk from Aspinwall and take Butler St./Penn Ave. all the way to Downtown. Highland Park Bridge is a bitch to cross with traffic.. Weave areas with Washington Blvd traffic, as well as debris (Broken glass that no one give a rat's ass about cleaning up) on the sidewalk make it nearly impossible to pass without risking a ruptured tire of collision with a speeding car. Accessing the sidewalk from eastbound Butler St. is a bitch. This option is out.
2. Cross 62nd St. Bridge and take Butler St/Penn Ave. 62nd St. Bridge is a bitch to cross with traffic and with its sidewalks terminating at steps in Sharpsburg.
3. Cross Highland Park or 62nd St. Bridge, Butler St./Plummer St. to 40th Street Bridge. Take trail, cross again at 6th St. Bridge. I would have to cross three bridges so that is out.
4. Take Freeport Rd./Main St./Bridge St./Butler St. to Parker St. in Etna. Climbing Parker or Washington St. is a real bitch just to get to Millvale which is less than two miles away so that is out.

Only viable options involve a bus:

1. Take a once every 50 minutes 1 Freeport Road bus from Aspinwall to Millvale and precede on the trail, Cross 6th St. Bridge into Downtown.
2. Take a 75 Ellsworth Bus across Highland Park Bridge and get off on Jancey St. at Greenwood St. Go one block west on Greenwood St., right onto Morningside Ave., left onto Baker St. and continue on Butler St. and Penn Ave. to Downtown.
3. Take a 91 Butler Street bus from Aspinwall to Upper Lawrenceville (Approx. Butler St. at 54th St.)  and bike the rest of the way to Downtown on Butler St. and Penn Ave.

There is a solid plan and funding to build Etna riverfront Park, which I understand will encompass the millvale end of the trail all the way to the railroad crossing under the 62nd Street bridge. As part of the deal with the railroad they will need a flyover bridge to cross those tracks even though everyone does it already at grade level. I think only a flyover is legal.   http://www.post-gazette.com/life/recreation/2016/02/12/Etna-gets-funds-to-extend-Three-Rivers-Heritage-Trail/stories/201602120009 Obviously things move very slowly in government time.

2 other thoughts.  You can stick on the rocks between the 62nd Street bridge and millvale. It is just a bad ride but doable with the right bike.   Or if you like hills you can take Butler st through Etna and then go up Washington/Friday street to evergreen in millvale. It is an awfully big hill, though.

I generally used to take High St out of Etna instead of Washington or Parker since High has so little traffic. (It's no where near as hard as any of the other 12)

My preferred on-road Etna / Millvale connection is Friday rd to evergreen. That hill is a son of a gun though. The railroad ballast is much more appealing if I'm not feeling super strong, even on skinny tires.

Where do you go once at the top of High St.? That just keeps getting steeper as you go up.

After High you can follow Seavey and it's really the same as having come up Parker.

If it's just as bad, why even recommend it? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYDwRkfAvlc&t http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ-iNXV8h8E&t

z - you can't get on the trail over there in millvale.  As you saw, you can get to the riverfront, and there's a tiny dirt trail, but it doesn't really go anywhere.  Some people have been able to get on the railroad tracks back there and bike on them, but I wouldn't go anywhere near those in sharpsburg.  not an easy on/easy off type of situation.  Just Freeport/Main Street. I think that alleys around here don't have stop signs because they're not treated as through roads but rather more like extended driveways.  I'm not sure I remember seeing any stop signs on any alleys in Pittsburgh or Aspinwall.  (watch, people will totally tell me I'm wrong.)

There are stop signs on some alleys -- IIRC, Spring has them at some intersections, though not all; the same I think is true for the alleys just south of Carson (on either side of Sarah). However, you are correct that statute requires stopping as you come out of an alley in all cases, as you would at the end of a driveway (you do stop when pulling out of a driveway, right?  ....never mind).  § 3344 of the vehicle code:

…the driver of a vehicle emerging from an alley, building, private road or driveway within an urban district shall stop the vehicle immediately prior to driving onto a sidewalk or onto the sidewalk area extending across the alley, building entrance, private road or driveway or, in the event there is no sidewalk area, shall stop at the point nearest the street to be entered where the driver has a view of approaching traffic.

Alley, defined in 75 § 102:

"Alley."  A street or highway intended to provide access to the rear or side of lots or buildings in urban districts and not intended for the purpose of through vehicular traffic.

Note that many Pittsburgh streets which serve as alleys were one time actually *called* Alley, but seem to have been systematically renamed Way sometime in the early 1900s. I'm frankly not sure what any of this has to do with the price of tea in China, however, or trail development in Aspinwall and/or Sharpsburg for that matter.

In Aspinwall the alleys are really called Alleys.  Alley A, B, C. Etc. But no street signs for them like the Pgh Alleys.

Pittsburgh area in general has too many stop signs. Only the street with less traffic should have to stop. Why make a collector street in Ross stop in both directions at a dead end cul-de-sac when only the cul-de-sac has to for safety. The more (unnecessary) stop signs there are, the less likely they are to be obeyed and driving becomes more aggressive mid-block. http://youtu.be/3ae1r8Kzrww Stop sign is a little right of center screen. it has ? (Tíng) on it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4_tSsMISQo

I don't have anything else to add to this conversation about stop signs, but if you want to continue it perhaps you should start a new thread on this message board. This may better be under a topic of Road design in biking. That may be general enough that people can use it for other Pittsburgh area Road topics when biking is involved.