BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Limited access to this rail line from neighborhoods is a problem. You can get on at Hamilton Ave across from The Wheel Mill in Homewood. Or at the end of Tennis St in Lincoln-Lemington. For much of its length, the rail line is high above Washington Blvd. There's an access road to the police shooting range here https://goo.gl/maps/EmCeVV3WeMX1b95E8 that angles up to and crosses the RR tracks, but this road may be signed "no trespassing" or some such. Be prepared to walk or bike on ballast (2 inch diameter rocks) to travel along the tracks.

Yeah that shooting range isn't very useful as it drops you on Washington Blvd. As much as I love the idea of a bike/pedestrian bridge from Aspinwall, I don't think I see any advantage of having this access.  I do ride through Lincoln-Lemington sometimes, but not often. I didn't vote either way on it as I probably won't use it as it doesn't go anywhere I tend to ride.  I go to the Food Co-0p sometimes and that might be a better route if I was in Aspinwall.  I don't think this bridge is worth the effort and that is probably the only time I would ever say that.  I can't think of anytime in our city that I would just say, it isn't really worth doing.  I would rather see the trail from Aspinwall to Millvale complete.  That would be way more beneficial for commuting/cyclings along the river. I don't have a strong opinion on this however and if someone came on here and made a case to make this happen, I could easily change my mind.

From what I've been hearing, the bike trail  crosses the Allegheny River on an unused Railroad bridge heading South from the Aspinwall Riverfront Park, ending in Homewood near Simonton and North Dallas in Homewood.You'll be traveling through some sketchy, high crime neighborhoods,(Lincoln Lemington and Homewood) so I probably won't be using this trail very often, if at all either.I live in the Shadyside/Squirrel Hill neighborhood and this would be a great way to get home, but it's not worth the risks.Scary enough driving through these areas, but cycling through?? No thanks!  I agree with GG. and would rather see the trail go from Aspinwall to Millvale.I think a much better idea would be to make a bike lane go down Washington Blvd.

Respectfully, you guys should get out more. Larimer, Homewood, and Lincoln Lemington are great neighborhoods for biking and an important part of the bike network. I would take this trail any day over the mess that is the Highland Park Bridge.

I agree with happy dog adams. The line parallels Washington Boulevard, which thousands of people drive down daily without incident. I would personally volunteer to take cycleguy for a relaxing ride around those neighborhoods any day.

I've ridden through those neighborhoods a few times.  They aren't my favorites, but they are preferable to, say, Findleyville or Monroeville. Lincoln-Lemington is not comparable to the hell-on-earth terror of Washington Blvd and the Highland Park Bridge.

I have no functional need for this trail, but I would ride it for fun on a regular basis.  It looks like it could be a safer and more scenic way to cross the river into Aspinwall/Sharpsburg neighborhoods. I agree on biking the East End Neighborhoods as fun.  Bike lane or not, it is super flat and the blocks are pretty square and uniform by Pittsburgh Standards.  I have found the drivers in that area to actually be pretty conscientious of cyclists as well.

This railroad appears to go along the ridge in the woods next to Washington Boulevard.  I don't think the trail would really go through any "neighborhoods". Either way, I believe that if they built this it would get heavy usage.  The Washington Blvd/Allegheny River Blvd intersection is terrible and there are no sidewalks or shoulders, and the only way around it toward the east end is up past the zoo or through Morningside. Plus it will form a sort of unfinished beltway around the city.  If the Millvale trail gets extended and this one gets built, someone in Shadyside could take a trail ride downtown via Oakland/Panther Hollow/Jail Trail, then come back via Northside/Millvale/Aspinwall.  And with its very own trail-only bridge. And it will be a quick way for people in the city to get up to the Allegheny Valley area for road riding.  Mountain bikers could park in Aspinwall and have just a two-mile trail ride to the Wheel Mill, or one more mile of roads to get to Frick Park.  Lots of upsides to this trail idea.

Thanks Alleghenian.  I don't really have much of an opinion that is why I asked about it.  I would like to have a look at it.  Maybe I will ride around that area on the trail.  I know it has been done.

Concerns about the safety of the Homewood terminus are overblown in my opinion.  The rail line is elevated and separated from what i see until near the Wheel Mill.  The scary looking abandoned buildings, overgrown vegetation and litter stop at about that point and once you cross the busway, it's a pretty nice looking, ie. rich, neighborhood.  Also, maybe this neighborhood needs active recreation facilities the most!  I really like the idea that this is something nice for Homewood. That said i would ride this.  It is really easy to get to from much of the East End.  Riding up on that high bridge over the Allegheny would be breathtaking!!  I think the "utility" aspect of this trail would be less in its point-to-point connections and more in how many people want to use it for exercise.  I think this is essentially the same for the 3 Rivers Heritage Trail.  It connects stuff, but much of the appeal is simply riding on a great and scenic trail.  We can't afford to let an opportunity like this slip away.

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. I see this as a fantastic addition to the bike network. I didn't think this would happen this quickly, but I'm not complaining. I might only ride it once a year, if I'm lucky, mostly because it's a side of town I have little need for traveling to, regardless of mode of transportation, but that is no reason to oppose or not support this project.