BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

With all due respect, I think your time would be better spent trying to get permission from the city to bring a piece of private equipment onto the jail trail and clear it. Then find a sympathetic plow truck owner to plow the trail, or someone with a plow on their ATV. If someone wants to do the politicking I can probably round up a plow truck or an ATV with a plow.

Also, it would be great if the county jail had the inmates shovel the trail as part of repaying their "debt to society."

I'm throwing ideas out there. I'm not trying to the throw bombs just to throw bombs, again, was only ever considering this if the trail were not clear that day.

I don't know anyone with a plow truck or plow on their ATV. It's nice that you do and that may help a few times, but I really think ultimately it's the city that has to look at this as one of their responsibilities or we'll never be able to out of brady street dot cam checking mode.

I think the 311 was important to get in, pursue official channels first and all, but if that doesn't get attention I think this is one way for us to effectively band together and get that attention. And again, not just for the heck of it, we're just going where we need to anyway, and we're safer riding together on a street like 2nd than alone. My 2c.

the EFT has been plowed already this year (well, technically it was the first snowfall @ the end of december).

Ideally the situation would be to have to routinely plowed, as a once-a-season plowing jsut aint going to cut the mustard.

Looking at the penndot traffic camera linked in another thread, the trail looks like it may have been plowed. It still has some material on it, but it's a much darker color than it was this morning.

That is a big improvement, thanks for the heads up.

Also, I'd be in for a group commute on 2nd ave, but I head outbound in the morning and inbound in the evening.

The trail was plowed but that did nothing to remove the lumpy ice on the pavement.

I like the idea of a critical mass commute. Would it be sfety in numbers, or would the cars just pick off the stragglers one by one like lions on the herd of gazelles?

Oh, handy! I never knew about this traffic camera before:

http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Penndot/Districts/district11.nsf/TCID330?OpenPage

Hi Helen,

If the trail was plowed, and it's still kinda ugly maybe it could be salted or sprayed with brine. Never hurts to 311 it.

I do think there's some safety in numbers, even very small numbers like 3 or 4. Visibility, lower profile per rider to the traffic, easier to comfortably take the whole lane, backup in case of aggressive a-hole, just lots of goodness all around.

Between mattjackets post and your post, I was pretty sure I'd go that route and just shrug it off if it turned out to kinda stink. I don't know if you're thinking you would feel better about taking 2nd avenue for your ride home today based on your experience with the trail earlier today.

If you do want to ride together with someone on 2nd avenue, top the thread, I'll be your #2 any time it fits my schedule, and I'm guessing we could get at least one or two others to jump in.

Trail had been plowed and even HMB. Still a lot of snow on HMB. I "activated salt" by walking on it and after it cleaned rumps to HMB from EFT (the one going to parking lot has complete piece without snow or ice and another one was 60% from the top). I have dug shovel wide "single track" on HMB "over the 2nd". And then my lunch was over.

I have some pictures but I cannot upload from work. If someone wants to post them (9 total) I can forward them to this person.

PS We lost one more shovel to vandals on SS.

City put small track with plower on the HMB but it did no work nicely. But it was able t salt it a little bit. And then they put a tractor and it did more decent job but HMB still has a lot of compacted snow.

I never know when I am going to be able to leave, so meeitng up would be difficult for me. The only time I regularly rode 2nd was after the big snow 3 years (?) ago when it took weeks for the main trail to be cleared- and I walked up through Panther Hollow. I will see what that looks like today.

-- vandals

-- plowed by truck HMB

-- tractor on HMB

-- tractor on HMB and opened side

-- 2nd Ave entrance after tractor plowed it

-- shovel wide track from entrance to mid of overpass on 2nd

-- shovel wide track from mid of overpass to EFT

-- to EFT parking lot

-- to EFT downtown

punk @$$ vandals, that's why we can't have anything nice.

But good to see the city is at least attempting to be accommodating to the needs of its taxpaying residents.

Thanks for those updates Mikhail. Pictures blocked at work (imgur is a no-no).

Are the jail trail pictures improvements since 4:40-4:55PM yesterday? That's roughly when I was riding back in those parts and some parts were fine, other parts not so much. So I'm not sure how much I like using the Brady Street camera as my guide now.

No, those pictures are related to 12:30-14:00 period and all of them are for HMB.

PS It looks like it's not enough just to salt icy spots (and snow). If there is not enough traffic then it would refreeze later. Part of yesterday clean up for me was to walk enough time on ramps to mix salt and snow. And when it started to melt I was able to pick some ice spots completely. And cleaning snow was pretty easy.

Awesome. Thanks for the photos Mikhail.

After tire-skating on the trail this morning I think I’m up for a 2nd Ave. meetup. At the T station? I come in early (~7) but I’m flexibleish.

Since you're an early go-er I could meet you there as early as about 4:15.

Although we may have an easier time getting more riders pushing that later.

Anyone else for the ride back east today?

I will be leaving downtown around 5 today, and could meet around 5:10 for the trek. But I don't want to delay anyone, and I wouldn't be offended if you left earlier.

I felt the ETF was mostly clear this morning, and with sun and 5 degrees warmer than yesterday, it should be a pretty smooth ride this evening. Certainly safer and easier than 2nd. Panther hollow won't thaw until next week sometime- forecastr says rain in the 40's late in the week- thaat will do it.

I checked out the start over lunch and... it's ~ok~ I guess. I don't know, I just got a little past the parking lot and got annoyed.

I probably have less tolerance than most because I don't ride on knobby tires and I don't have the best reflexes/balance.

Maybe I'll change my mind seeing it in another two or three hours, but to my mind at present I'd rather ride second if I can do it in group.

benstiglitz, think you can push as late as 5:10?

Days I'm extra thankful that I ride to work

"The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority says Fort Pitt Boulevard will remain closed through the afternoon rush hour. A contractor working to repair the ruptured 12-inch water main expects to finish work by 8:00pm Thursday."

I imagine traffic downtown will be a nightmare, specifically on the Boulevard.

I meant AM. I head Oakland—Downtown in he afternoons.

Talk to mattjackets, maybe you two could ride together.

Ben, I'd be up for forming a rush-hour-opposing commuter group into Oakland. Which T station did you have in mind, First Ave?

I've finished cleaning ramp to HMB and I've made pass through Bates overpass. From what I see EFT is completely ride-able from parking lot up to passing Ansaldo garage.

Thanks for the Bates overpass and for all your work on this generally!

Matt: yep. Ping me via PM if you're up for today or tomorrow.