BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

« Back to Archive
138

Encouraging Almono to think big on active transport

I pitched to Almono via http://almono.org/contact, just now, about how potentially huge their development could be. Obviously all of the riverfront real-estate for starters, but I encouraged them to think big about their place on the bike/ped network. If they'd dedicate some of their resources to connect from the EFT trailhead first toward their property, they'd get a lot more traffic than with weird crossing hmb switchbacking and go around the parking lot required to get to the old hazelwood trail, and if they built out from the same point, say, in a Y shaped bike/ped bridge over the RR tracks to Saline/Greenfield they'd cut the biggest gordion knot impediment to active transport in this whole city, and put themselves firmly at the center of things (if I looked at the map right, the EFT lot stands just opposite the middle of the property across 2nd avenue). Obviously, if someone has better ideas they should share. Was trying to think big and tie it all together. I think that should be the common focus. Of course they'd find a lot of partnerships, and good PR from all this. Finally, people pay a lot for southside and strip real estate close to the trails, which I didn't fail to mention. But anyways, per the website, this is exactly the sort of organization that is both capable and willing to think big about this sort of stuff (I mean, look at this: http://almono.org/about-almono/the-vision... the next 127 year plan? that's a colossal statement) and we know there are more resources behind this than are going to be behind anything for the foreseeable future. I think we should make a point to make our voices heard here. And of course someone who is interested in the place as a location for their business or to plant roots there and sees this please do chime in, those voices are going to be heard the loudest. I did notice that it seems to be the same contact point for questions about all the parcels: Contact: Brad Kelly 412-697-3203 bkelly@ridc.org
byogman
2014-08-06 15:49:36
I have a feeling that Friends of the Riverfront is actively pushing for good trails as the Almono development progresses. However, I'm not exactly sure how to get involved with them to find out more about the progress/plans for that area.
rgrasmus
2014-08-06 16:00:58
Friends of the Riverfront pushes for good trails along the rivers. I'm actually not sure whether the EFT is on their radar. The connecting stuff inland for sure wasn't on their radar last time I talked to them (which was maybe a year and a half ago? Around the time I posted an open question about cost efficient bike improvements but the thread turned into "what are we going to do about the chute?"). I think this almono project is our best opportunity to make something big and cohesive happen here. I worry it may be the only one until one or more of the current bridges die.
byogman
2014-08-07 07:36:29
I've had a discussion with RIDC/Almono about the importance/value of a trail connection, and I know that others have as well. I would suspect FOTR has been part of the dialogue, but cannot be certain. I provided them with bike count data for the EFT/Hot Metal Bridge, demonstrating demand. I also pointed out the "awesomeness" of a connection across the railroad tracks into Duck Hollow, figuring that if they were doing site design, they might be able to figure all that out. I have no idea as to whether it will be helpful in the long run. But, it can't hurt. And if they read the news, they will know that the sorts of employees they want to attract make life decisions on things like the ability to walk or bike to work. So, that can only help too.
swalfoort
2014-08-07 08:12:11
During the opening ceremony for the Hazelwood trail (now closed) they had a booth set up with info on the development. One of the architects (more likely an intern) kept going on and on about how cycling was important and was incorporated into the plan. She did this by pointing out the nice ROAD that was going to hug the river that would have “accommodations” for bikes. There was no dedicated bike trail through most of the development from what I remember. Nor was there much access down to the water’s edge for kids to fish, skip rocks, etc. Hey, is that a river over there?
marko82
2014-08-07 08:29:04
"During the opening ceremony for the Hazelwood trail (now closed) they had a booth set up with info on the development..." I was going to mention that big festival they had in Hazelwood. Then not terribly long afterward, closed the trail for an indeterminate amount of time. Whattheheck.
edmonds59
2014-08-07 09:48:53
Sarah, thanks for providing them some data. Sounds like there's a lot of work to do in terms of convincing these folks how much it matters.
byogman
2014-08-07 12:48:13
BikePGH started working on this over two years ago when Rothschild Doyno was doing the initial planning. That's how we were able to plans in place for a street with a dedicated cycle track (Signature Blvd) designed and the trail connected (via Sig Blvd, and new trail). We also emphasized in our meetings the need for traffic calming and a "people first" design to the streets. We supported RIDC's PLDP at Planning Commission, and have since supported their funding applications. Here was their application to the PA Multimodal fund their line items for their proposed scope of work for it. "The proposed PennDOT Multi-Modal Transportation Fund would be used to establish the site’s “Signature Blvd.” – an access road that will open the site up for development opportunities, realign an existing railroad line through the Almono-Hazelwood site (Mon Con Line – owned by Almono, LP), link the proposed Signature Blvd. to Second Avenue (S.R. 885) near the Hot Metal Bridge, connect Hazelwood Avenue extension to Second Avenue/Irvine Street (S.R. 885) in the Hazelwood neighborhood (including upgrading an existing at-grade railroad crossing), as well as continuing an existing trail network through these improvements and directly linking these areas to the Steel Valley Heritage Trail system (and the Great Allegheny Passage) through both a cycle track (protected on-street bikeway) and off-road trail construction." "Estimates for the cost of construction: Construction of Signature Blvd: $1,209,250 Trail and Cycle Track Construction: $727,500" We have also had meetings with developers interested in developing the site and have followed up with them with our wish list so-to-say. I am pasting it below: - The streets of the development to not just be navigable by bicycle, but attract new people to bicycling by enhancing comfort and safety - Bike routes should be as direct and intuitive as possible - There are a number of tools by which to do this, but many (but not all) can be found in the NACTO Urban Bicycling Design Guide and the NACTO Urban Streets Design Guide. The former has been endorsed by DPW, and the latter has been endorsed by Mayor Peduto - We are especially fond on green lane markings, cycle tracks, traffic calming, neighborhood greenways (aka bicycle boulevards), and one-way except bicycle markings should any of your streets be one-way - Sidewalks should connect pedestrians easily throughout the full development to make the choice to walk an easy one - Bike parking must be ubiquitous. Also your housing units, and hotel developers should both think about how to make bike storage/parking easier for tenants and guests - If a new trail is to be developed through the site, it should be lighted and maintained through the winter - Multiple connections into the community and main street of Hazelwood that are biking and walking friendly - Bike wayfinding signage to and from the development that conforms to the City's Bicycle Route and Signage standards - Easy connection(s) to existing trails near the site By all means, please keep advocating for these improvements. Lots of stuff can get cut from development plans depending on funding, and we don't want to lose this opportunity.
scott
2014-08-07 15:47:39
@Scott, that's excellent. Let's see what happens. Will there be a mechanism for ongoing feedback as the project progresses? As opposed to an input into into the initial planning process.
ahlir
2014-08-07 19:07:53
I like these recommendations, and along the river is one (very important) thing. Connecting from these river trails to more parts of Pittsburgh in a really friendly way is however, sadly, not our forte here. And the latest project and its little spur along saline puts highlighter on that. In an ideal world the task would fall to the city of Pittsburgh that would git-r-done. And we have a friend in the Mayor's office now, thank goodness. But we also know the state of the city's budget. I don't know whether it's more realistic to think that the city's budget will improve first or whether it's more realistic to think that one or more of these bridges whose arrangement is so vexing today will be deemed too structurally deficient, even for PA. I think the most reasonable assumption is that whichever comes first, it'll be way too far off. And so here we have this giant partnership with huge vision and huge resources to bring to bear doing a river adjacent development that's bigger than anything going by orders of magnitude and which also happens to stand directly astride our stupidest and heaviest trafficked bike/ped gordion knot. How could we not push for them to cut it? There's no trickery here. Because of the size of the development the fact that it stands directly astride the benefits to them would be absolutely colossal... scaled out over a billion dollar development the couple million listed by Scott is certainly nice and all, but really piddly. They can do a lot more and it still be very proportionate and reasonable. And it works with the advertised ethos of the project perfectly... they're trying to promote their development as green and forward looking, and centrally located, and all that jazz. So while bike-pgh was there making sensible recommendations years ago, I think it makes all the sense in the world for us to keep pushing now as an organization, as individuals, and encourage them to think beyond the initial recommendations to something larger, reflecting not just about the river and their place relative to that, but their place relative to Oakland and the city as a whole. Certainly, it makes more sense than dreaming up what to do with the chute as a hijack of a thread I started (maybe a couples years back was it?) asking about cost effective minor improvements. So let's think big here, and then let's talk to THEM. Here: http://almono.org/contact.
byogman
2014-08-08 13:35:33
I thought it was in this thread, but I guess not. In saying the couple million is really piddly and we should think bigger, it's because it's on the scale of ... no joke... a BILLION dollar total investment.
byogman
2014-08-08 14:28:05
Ywanna think big? Let's see how un-goofy I can make this sound. The price of gasoline on Memorial Day 2001 was 129.9/gallon. In 1971 it was about 29.9/gallon. So in 30 years we more than quadrupled it, and in less than 15 more we tripled that. Anyone want to venture guesses where we'll be in 10 years? 15? 30? My point is that fuel costs, as we understand them today, will become unmanageable within a generation. Anyone planning a billion-dollar project might think about how anyone might access that project in a generation. To my line of thinking, this bodes well for the Almono Hazelwood project, since it is along a level path up and downstream on the river, and to and from downtown, and an easy grade up to Oakland, which won't be 100% dependent on fuel-based transportation. To that end, however, @byogman's ideas matter. How do we get a large number of bicycles to and from Oakland, to and from downtown, and to and from SqHill and points east, through that knot right there, in a scalable manner? How would you put 100x more bicycles through there than are there now? My vote is to put a huge bicycle roundabout 50 feet in the air over that whole corner, accessible from six directions: Junction Hollow, Greenfield, downtown, Hazelwood, and two legs going into Almono, one pointing upstream, the other downstream. This thing.
stuinmccandless
2014-08-08 14:29:09
EFT as a compromise in itself. It's an area of land that wasn't being used for anything else, an old rail line I think, so we got it. It doesn't have good connections to anyplace people actually live. You have to go up a steep hill to get anywhere. And it has serious space limitations because of the rail line that's still there. It makes sense to try to improve it in the short run, because it's there, but really we need a good connection between Oakland and Downtown that doesn't require you to go down into a valley. And the most likely way we'll get that is with BRT, with a parallel protected bike lane. That's a much better way to move forward than going all crazy with the EFT. As far as the Hazelwood connection goes, though, it does make sense, and I think there's enough space on the river side of the railroad bridge that you could run a bike lane to the EFT if there was a bridge over Second Avenue. Which is I think what byogman is proposing.
jonawebb
2014-08-08 14:50:49
"Anyone planning a billion-dollar project might think about how anyone might access that project in a generation..." Developers want to see their return in a matter of Quarters, let alone years. A generation? Not on the radar.
edmonds59
2014-08-08 15:00:05
If we do the bike lane part right, BRT is going to be the way people will go between downtown and Oakland specifically. I'm not proposing they do this to capture that slice of the bike traffic... it wouldn't work long term. However, a ton of people going other ways go through there now and would continue to... and an easy stop-over into their site would be a boon to retail. And of course they'll be creating a huge amount of traffic to/from their site with all the development they do and if they care about that traffic mix and what it does to their land, development options, and quality of life, having the biggest bike friendly hub in town RIGHT THERE matters enormously. And it matters NOW even. Yes, a bridge over second avenue is part of what I'm proposing and I'd like to see more people chime in support of. But it's just a start of what needs to happen and would benefit them. NOW. http://almono.org/contact
byogman
2014-08-08 15:10:01
For the Eliza Furnace Trail / ALMONO connection, I don't think you need a bridge. I was down there today and I think there's enough space to run the trail alongside the tracks (with a fence separation) all the way to the roundhouse, where the ground is level with the street. You just need a crosswalk there. Even if there's not enough space for the bike trail next to the tracks down by the roundhouse, there's definitely enough space up to the edge of the development (where the gate is). You would just build a ramp on the side of Second Avenue furthest from the river up to the trail. Then there's no bridge, just a ramp up to the trail extension.
jonawebb
2014-08-09 21:04:35
BTW, here is what the development looks like right now. There is no Hazelwood Trail.
jonawebb
2014-09-01 13:18:48
Blank slate. What is coming can be better than a soggy, spongy, packed limestone trail.
benzo
2014-09-02 07:55:15
Almono today stated on Twitter that their roads they are building will include over 1 mile of protected bike lanes
rgrasmus
2014-09-05 15:37:24
$400k to build pedestrian and bike infrastructure at Almono site (http://www.pahouse.com/wheatley/PAHouseNews.asp?doc=40355): "PITTSBURGH, Sept. 11 – State Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Allegheny, today announced a total of $2.3 million in state grants for three projects in his district. "I am committed to working to bring state funding back to Pittsburgh for economic development and other important purposes, such as improved transportation and public safety," Wheatley said. The grants are: $400,000 for Almono, L.P., toward construction of the Signature Boulevard streetscape. Almono is revitalizing about 178 acres along the Monongahela River in Hazelwood. The overall project is intended to transition a vacant brownfield site into a vibrant riverfront development, including the construction of the 1.5-mile Signature Boulevard and its streetscape. Construction is planned to include development of an integrated landscape and storm water system; and installation of ADA-compliant sidewalks, street lighting and directional signs for vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists. The total project cost is $6.05 million. The new road would create an alternate route to avoid congested Hazelwood Avenue in Hazelwood and Greenfield. It also would create an alternate route around the very congested Greenfield Avenue-Irvine Street-Second Avenue intersection, which has a high incidence of vehicle accidents and is not passable for pedestrians or bicyclists."
rgrasmus
2014-09-12 11:15:41
"It also would create an alternate route around the very congested Greenfield Avenue-Irvine Street-Second Avenue intersection, which has a high incidence of vehicle accidents and is not passable for pedestrians or bicyclists.” Woo hoo!
jonawebb
2014-09-12 11:24:02
tonight http://almono.org/community/events ALMONO Community Meeting Tuesday, February 24, 2015 Food at 6:00pm, Meeting starts at 6:30pm Firefighters Hall - 120 Flowers Ave, Hazelwood Topics will include: * Open space designs * Phase 1 buildings * Site sustainability goals * Transportation update * Timeline of the work
paulheckbert
2015-02-24 09:30:34
It absolutely killed me, but I couldn't attend. Someone report?
byogman
2015-02-25 10:12:23
A meeting report: Attendance was good: about 150 people. The speakers were from RIDC and Perkins+Will, an architecture/design firm. The presentations were pretty boring: lots of circles, squares, clip-art trees, ... talk of greenspace and placemaking. There was no major news that I caught, since the October meeting (http://localhost/mb/topic/hazelwood-trail-input-session-10162014/#post-303353). The most memorable points (commentary in italics): * They plan to focus much of the initial development near the Mill building: make that a destination with shops & food. * They're conscious that Hazelwood gets a lot of through traffic (i.e. South Hills to Oakland). At some future date they might rebuild the 2nd-Saline-Greenfield-Irvine intersection and divert most through traffic (non-Hazelwood traffic) off Irvine and onto 2nd, which would become a high-volume boulevard. So Irvine would get traffic calming (e.g. on-street parking). I don't see how that helps Hazelwood much, since the business district that is most impaired by high traffic is on 2nd (the continuation of Irvine) south of Hazelwood Ave, and is outside of ALMONO. * I also don't know how this boulevard idea would mesh with their proposal to build a ramp from the south corner of the Eliza Furnace / UPMC parking lot down to 2nd Ave. If 2nd is a four lane, high-traffic boulevard then that's not bike-friendly. RIDC says CSX has been unresponsive on this ramp proposal. * They're planning geothermal heating & cooling using underground pipes - sounds fancy but they say it's inexpensive. * To help Hazelwood residents (either inside ALMONO or outside) get to jobs/school in Oakland, they're talking about (but no firm plans) to have public transit through Junction Hollow to Oakland. * They strongly hope to have a nice boardwalk along the river bank near Hazelwood Ave, but since that is CSX land, not ALMONO, they need a land purchase or easement, and that's still unresolved. * There's no news on future bike trail connection between Hazelwood Ave and the Duck Hollow Trail. I emphasized the importance of such a connection. CSX and Allegheny Valley Railroad (which operates the Glenwood Railyard) have been hostile to cyclists, to date. * During Q&A, the questions were along the lines of "We want a grocery store" and "This sounds nice, but not a place I could afford to live or eat; how will this help Hazelwood?"
paulheckbert
2015-02-26 19:27:55
I doubt we will ever see become a Legal / Safe bike crossing @ Duck Hollow/ Glenwood Bridge unless you go over the tracks with a bridge
cowchip
2015-02-27 06:25:10
public transit through Junction Hollow to Oakland And the PH bike trail, what happens to it? Not to mention Panther Hollow itself. One would hope this might be a climb up to Swinburne (though of course the RR is in the way).
ahlir
2015-02-27 08:42:16
The Glenwood Railyard is operated by Allegheny Valley Railroad. They are the company that put up the fence at the end of the Duck Hollow Trail, impeding access between there and Second Avenue and the Glenwood Bridge. This news story says that their business has grown in recent years due to fracking: “Our business has grown approximately 35 percent in the last three years, and probably two-thirds of that is related to the Marcellus shale,” said Russell Peterson, CEO of Allegheny Valley and the Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad. The two companies are owned and operated by Carload Express in Oakmont. The Glenwood Yard, center of Allegheny Valley's Pittsburgh operations, will enter the last phase of a $6 million overhaul in the spring [of 2013]. The upgrade will increase capacity for loading, sorting and moving cars that carry sand used in hydraulic fracturing; water and chemicals used in drilling; metal pipe segments and wooden “mats” for crane equipment. http://triblive.com/home/2921718-74/gas-railroad-shale-trains-rail-pennsylvania-tracks-valley-yard-ago If frac sand is inhaled, it can cause silicosis, a lung disease. https://www.osha.gov/dts/hazardalerts/hydraulic_frac_hazard_alert.html . Is AVRR transloading sand in Hazelwood?
paulheckbert
2015-03-02 20:23:40
(there was discussion of turning Second Ave into a thru-traffic boulevard in another thread; I'll reply here). There was talk of this at the 2015/2/24 meeting. See my synopsis. Below is a map shown at that meeting. Note the "pass through" traffic (orange line) on Second Ave north of Hazelwood Ave, and seemingly on Gloster St (west of the RR tracks) south of it. Hmm. Two issues with that: (1) Gloster St is a quiet residential street, currently, (2) Ahlir's question: where would the boulevard cross the tracks to connect to the Glenwood Bridge? At the meeting, the stated goal of moving thru traffic to the boulevard was to help the Hazelwood businesses by traffic calming on Second Ave south of Hazelwood Ave.
paulheckbert
2015-04-27 01:51:57
Thanks. That also ties in to the desire of folks to see the Duck Hollow trail somehow connect. However, I'm wondering about what to do on Irvine right now during development.
neilmd
2015-04-27 05:12:04
I feel kind of bad for not paying more attention to the 2/24 report, but holy shit is that "plan" messed up. For one thing directing "Pass-through traffic" isn't going to help the Hazelwood business district at all, it's a bullshit smokescreen for directing traffic to whatever new retail they propose in Al Mono. Removing traffic, pass through or otherwise, never helps a business district. Bullshit. I doubt it will work anyway. No one (especially yinzers) is going to take all those turns to take a pass through. They're going to keep taking the same route they've always taken since their pappy drove that way. So you're going to end up with a 4, maybe 5 lane underutilized roadway through the new development, totally people, pedestrian, and bike UN-friendly, and fat surface parking lots. I don't know, but those look suspiciously like big box stores on the plan. Hopefully I'm wrong. But it looks like the exact same kind of retrograde thinking that produced the hideous big box clusterfk at the Homestead Waterfront. And the exact same kind of 1950's thinking that decided a 5 lane highway was needed to service the big boxes. That plan reads to me like a brainless photocopy of Homestead. And pretty much zilch for the community. I see the whole plan creeping toward developer-think.
edmonds59
2015-04-27 06:23:10
I'm more optimistic than @edmonds59 about the way ALMONO will turn out. RIDC has said repeatedly that they don't want ALMONO to be another Waterfront. They say "we already have too many big box stores", "Pittsburgh is over-malled", etc. They say they don't want to suck the life out of the existing Hazelwood business district; they want to connect to it and help rejuvenate it. Reasons I believe they're sincere: they plan on a mix of business and residential, they plan to connect up the new streets to existing streets (Langhorn, Blair, Lytle) in the Hazelwood flats west of the railroad tracks. Bike trails are part of their plans, not an afterthought. They're planning on transit to Oakland. Their first priority is to figure out what goes in the old J&L mill building, which is close to Hazelwood Ave. But they are being quite ambitious in places, and some of their graphics suffer from design hype syndrome. Where their good wishes may fall short: they're hemmed in by RR tracks on the west (along the river) and the east (along Irvine/Second) so ALMONO has few east-west connections. It's almost like a linear island. 885 is a traffic problem and as ALMONO grows that'll get worse. The intersection of Second, Saline, Greenfield, and Irvine is a mess and that will become more congested. CSX and AVRR are oppositional. I'm not convinced they're doing enough to employ Hazelwood residents in the construction or the new industries, or planning to build enough low-income housing. RIDC is not in a position to mandate that a grocery store come into Hazelwood. This is all going to take years. It sounds like getting the new roads built, getting some new businesses established in the mill building, and rebuilding the Hazelwood Bike Trail of a couple years ago are things we can expect in a year or two. But re-engineering of the messy intersection, possible construction of a "boulevard", and a thru bike trail connecting to Glenwood Bridge are more long-range and blue-sky at this point; maybe they'll never happen.
paulheckbert
2015-04-27 12:22:57
...which is why I suggested that suspended structure for cyclists at the Saline/2nd corner. That takes all the complexity out of accommodating cyclists in any transportation plan. Done right, it could be a point of beauty for the area, not Yet Another Blocky Building.
stuinmccandless
2015-04-28 07:23:05
http://www.post-gazette.com/in-the-lead-2015/reports/2015/05/11/In-The-Lead-Hazelwood-Almono-gives-neighborhood-a-shot-at-recovery/stories/201505140090 Hazelwood: Almono gives neighborhood a shot at recovery. This PG story discusses the desire of Hazelwood residents for a food store and jobs. my comment: Better connections along the river for pedestrians and cyclists would help. The trail should be restored from the Hot Metal Bridge to Hazelwood Ave, then extended further upstream to connect with the Duck Hollow Trail and the Glenwood Bridge. That way Hazelwood residents could bike more easily to Southside, Downtown, Oakland, Squirrel Hill, Frick Park, Swissvale, Homestead; and residents of those communities could more easily get to Hazelwood. Better recreation and health, too.
paulheckbert
2015-05-11 22:18:16
Extending the trail to the Glenwood bridge would make a connection to the GAP trail! It could be made better by adding some runnels on the stairs on the south side of the river.
benzo
2015-05-12 09:53:30
PennDOT has issued an RFP to replace the Glennwood Bridge south side staircases. It would be great if they could also build a ramp from the Duck Hollow Trail up to the Glennwood bridge sidewalk which would allow Duck Hollow trail users to cross the tracks.
mjost7
2015-05-15 11:47:40
@mjost7 - Any details on the specifics for the stair replacement? Will this be bike-friendly and/or handicapped accessible?
benzo
2015-05-18 10:00:43
For south Glenwood Br, add a switchback ramp for bikes and widen the sidewalk to the Baldwin stairs, which themselves could stand a rebuild (plus a ramp).
ahlir
2015-05-18 10:56:32
Very nice. I would love to see ramps instead of those stairs. This would be great to connect the Hazelwood trail (when it's rebuilt, or alternative on-road infrastructure through the almono site) to the GAP If they could add a duck hollow connector on the other side this would be a spectacular trail connection since you could then ride through Frick to duck hollow to the GAP very easily or legally connect up from duck hollow to hazelwood without tresspassing on railroad property.
benzo
2015-05-18 11:42:34
Handicapped accessible --yes this is mentioned in the RFP. Bikes are not specifically mentioned but there is some chance the actual design will include at least stair ramps. Perhaps Bike Pittsburgh can work with the City and PennDOT on them. Yes a connector on the Duck Hollow side will be wonderful. Has anyone here talked with Firends of the Riverfront on moving this connection forward? I spoke with ALMONO/RIDC but it is not on their site so it is out of their direct control.
mjost7
2015-05-18 11:56:58
*grumble* In an ideal world, the politicians would be encouraging the parties responsible for work just outside the domain of the big project to work in concert with the keepers of the big project. Here we are, with well defined needs, defined and repeated many times many years ago, just beyond the Almono site. Yes of course Duck Hollow and the Saline/Second/Greenfield fustercluck aren't part of Almono. It isn't necessary for them to be. But what should be happening is Someone In Charge saying, OK, Almono is taking on the big-ass project in the middle, now can we please get some attention on these two entry points? OTOH, I can see where this can be abused, as well. Ideal world. Ideal world. Ideal for us, maybe. But I can also see where Someone In Charge could just as easily say, OK, Almono is working on the big-ass project, so let's piggyback on that and dump something totally asinine just outside Almono's realm, and nobody will notice because they will think it's all part of the Almono thing.
stuinmccandless
2015-05-18 12:55:06
yes, yes. I'd like to contact PennDOT to push for improved ramps & provisions for bicycles at the Glenwood Bridge. Can anyone recommend a PennDOT contact?
paulheckbert
2015-05-18 14:52:38
Uber planning to break ground at former LTV Coke Works in Hazelwood "Uber said the Almono facility would be in place temporarily while the RIDC prepares the land for long-term housing and office development. City Councilman Corey O'Connor has said the test roadways could be in place three to five years and then removed." http://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2016/02/23/Uber-planning-to-break-ground-at-former-LTV-Coke-Works-in-Hazelwood/stories/201602230196
paulheckbert
2016-02-23 19:27:39
ALMONO has approved construction of a road from near Hot Metal Bridge to Hazelwood Ave. It will have a 10 foot wide bike path on the sidewalk. It looks good as far as it goes, but the northwest end doesn't show a connection to the Hot Metal Bridge. It appears to tee into Second Ave SE of the existing UPMC parking lot's traffic light, probably here: https://goo.gl/maps/C6mhik8kSav. Would the only off-road connection to HMB be the existing sidewalk, which has telephone poles and fire hydrants in the middle of it? See map & diagram: http://friendsoftheriverfront.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Hazelwood-Phase-1.pdf
paulheckbert
2016-05-02 16:58:06
@paulheckbert In these pdf sheets from 2011, a 12' bike trail is shown that joins the stub of the trail off the Hot Metal Bridge. See this map for reference. Perhaps this will somehow connect to the "main boulevard" trail.
abf
2016-05-03 00:24:04
@abf: That looks just like the temporary trail that was built a few years ago. I assume that remnants of that trail (crushed limestone on the ground) still exist, but if the plan was to connect the new-road-with-bike-lane to that NW end of the old trail, it's curious that the new map didn't show it.
paulheckbert
2016-05-04 14:36:49
There's so much grading to do on the site that my assumption is that no previous roads or trails will be preserved. The entire area will likely be closed until the development is complete. Or at least closed until the infrastructure, utilities and some of the buildings are complete. I'm not expecting to be able to ride through there for at least another 4 years. :(
dfiler
2016-05-09 12:13:33
https://youtu.be/Xu4hGJMZqWY The upcoming Almono land development project in Pittsburgh brings a lot of excitement, but also a lot of worries. With the current traffic congestion on the 2nd Ave, it is hard not to envision worse conditions after adding more traffic coming in and out of Almono. I am not totally convinced by Almono's solutions of diverting traffic and adding a transit link. I believe the ultimate solution is to encourage more people to take up bike commuting. In order to do so, the developers need to emphasize improvement of bicycling infrastructures. The better they are, the more likely that people will use bicycles for transportation. I will probably be long-gone before the completion of Almono project, but since I've been in Pittsburgh for almost a decade, it feels like a second home to me. I'd hate to see it's downfall due to lack of foresight.
ninjaturtle0304
2016-06-01 09:04:10
That bike bridge over the tracks at the back of the upmc parking lot look like a ton of stairs. that would be an atrocious solution that is worse than the cattle chute. It may just be a bad mockup. I could see a bridge with a few switchbacks like the hot metal bridge ending on the southside or the spiraling ft duqesne bridge. I thought there was a potential project as part of planpgh to add a trail spur parallel to the train tracks to run from the soccer fields to behind the DPW building, which would require no track crossing. That is a solution that seemed to make sense if it was doable.
benzo
2016-06-01 09:32:34
@Benzo: Thanks for the suggestions. I couldn't find a good picture of bike bridge over train track for that particular angle, and I don't want to bother drawing one myself. If you can find a matching picture, please send me the link! I think the plan for a bike trail paralleled to the train track is doable, but riders still have to deal with the climb to 5th Ave on S Neville St at the end. Also, it's a detour to get to Pitt campus. I still think a bike lift on Joncaire St will provide a better boost to ridership.
ninjaturtle0304
2016-06-01 10:29:49
Earlier in this thread, I proposed they allot for 100x the number of cyclists that are there now. I've proposed a suspended ring such as is shown in @gordon's little video. Make the thing large enough and all approaches can be at a light enough grade as to be easily accessed from any direction. I'd like the thing to be enormous, a centerpiece, something you can see for miles away, like the Dixie Cup atop the Carnegie Science Center. It wouldn't matter if you were coming down Greenfield or up from Almonoville. It would be a level ring, well above the level of passing trains, hovering maybe 50 feet over the Irvine-Saline intersection and maybe 250 feet across.
stuinmccandless
2016-06-01 13:10:57
Thanks for the heads up about the flyover bridge. I'm sure finding appropriate imagery may be a challenge. I also like the suggestion of connecting the duck hollow trail under the Glenwood bridge. Additionally, creating connectivity between squirrel hill at Murray and forward to saline street would provide another great connection, another piece that has been brought up on the boards here. I would also love to see sylvan ave be reconnected between frazier street bridge and home rule street as a bike ped path to improve hazelwood connections along what appears to be a city right of way. I don't see those bike lifts as a great solution. My initial impression is that it would be difficult for a lot of folks to master, and could be expensive to maintain. It would also require the cobblestone street (which seems to require little maintinance) to be paved and require routine resurfacing. I would bet that you could build a paved set of switchbacks with a gentle grade on the wooded hillside above joncaire to make an improved the bicycle connection. An example that comes to mind is in baltimore where the jones falls trail climbs up from falls rd to wyman park drive. However, the google map link doesn't show it quite well enough. https://www.google.com/maps/@39.3209963,-76.6288504,18.75z/data=!5m1!1e3
benzo
2016-06-01 13:53:48
@Stu: Does this concept art fits your description of the suspended roundabout? I totally agree with you - it will be a nice thing to have.
ninjaturtle0304
2016-06-01 20:55:00
@Benzo wrote of "potential project as part of planpgh to add a trail spur parallel to the train tracks to run from the soccer fields to behind the DPW building, which would require no track crossing". Regarding that concept, see map at http://goo.gl/lT0LWO, click on "Junction Hollow Trail - rerouted" for a picture and my personal assessment, namely that there's not enough space beside the railroad tracks for that particular route. Other options look more feasible and less expensive.
paulheckbert
2016-06-02 09:23:57
Streets at Hazelwood's Almono site set for year-end finish http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/10811042-74/hazelwood-almono-former The good: Crews are nearing completion of the 1.5-mile street that runs from Second Avenue to Hazelwood Avenue and installation of utility lines along the route. Completion of Signature Boulevard will permit the ownership group known as Almono to reconnect streets into Hazelwood. The (possibly) bad: The City of Pittsburgh, the city Urban Redevelopment Authority and Almono hope to build a street for shuttle service on publicly owned land through Panther Hollow that would connect Hazelwood to Oakland and its universities.
marko82
2016-07-19 15:44:43
@Gordon - Yes, exactly. Sorry I didn't respond sooner. I just linked another thread to that exact diagram. A picture speaks a thousand words. I don't care if it costs $10 million. It should be a showpiece.
stuinmccandless
2016-07-19 16:17:26
The traffic lights for Almono's entryway - Signature Blvd are up. But I don't see why they can't put a bridge to jail trail at the same time. It doesn't have to be a heavy duty bridge like the one on Hot Metal Bridge - a suspension one will be plenty enough for pedestrians and cyclists. Can't Almono's engineers design a traffic light beam that can house the lights as well as serve as a suspender for a suspension bridge? Singnature Blvd Traffic Lights   Hot Metal / Jail Trail Connector Bridge
ninjaturtle0304
2017-01-19 13:21:12
Unfortunately there is no such thing as a cheap bridge and suspension bridges are the most expensive bridges to build. A simple truss bridge, as seen in the hot metal bridge photo you posted, would be the cheapest option.  Ironically, it might actually be cheaper to mount lights the standard way rather than attaching them to a bridge structure. My guess is that a bridge there would be at least a half million dollars. Combined with engineering for connecting ramps and sidewalks, etc, the price could be in the millions. Personally, I'd rather see that money spent on bridges that would make a bigger difference, like connecting the end of the duck hollow trail to the glennwood bridge.
dfiler
2017-01-19 13:35:45
From a late-2016 article: Peduto proposed Uber invest $25 million into building a new transit connection from Carnegie Mellon to the Hazelwood neighborhood where the company was planning a test track for its self-driving cars. In return, Peduto wrote on May 21, Uber would get “exclusive rights to operate along the busways for five years.” Uber had other ideas. “The monetary investment required” and the “need for USDOT approval make this difficult for us,” Uber wrote. https://qz.com/874548/uber-asked-a-lot-of-pittsburgh-for-its-self-driving-cars-and-offered-back-very-little/ See also these articles about the Uber test track that was built last year (that's the big, unlabeled chunk of land at the south end of Almono, near Tecumseh St). This test track is expected to last for 3-5 years. I wonder if it will end up being permanent. If so, it could block the promised integration of Almono into the existing Hazelwood street grid. http://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2016/02/20/Uber-considers-building-test-track-in-Hazelwood http://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2016/09/03/Uber-s-test-track-almost-ready-still-no-official-word-on-when-self-driving-cars-will-roll-out
paulheckbert
2017-03-21 10:48:53
Signature Blvd at ALMONO has been painted. This is the view from Eliza Furnace Trail. I'm surprised by a couple of things:
  • I though the Signature Blvd was going to have a separated bike path or wide sidewalk for cycling, outside the main roadway. Where is that?
  • Why is there not a curb cut at the lower left corner of this picture?
https://flic.kr/p/VsRf3w
paulheckbert
2017-06-22 23:26:43
The ADA curb cut work might be a separate subcontract, so I'm not too concerned about that ... yet. Better question, can you get a wheelchair comfortably past the light posts and speed limit signs?
stuinmccandless
2017-06-23 10:37:52
Wait are you sure that's actually the portion they're calling the Signature Boulevard? My goodness, that's just atrocious design detailing.   How does one manage to screw up design of a brand new street with a 90'(!!!) right-of-way so bad that it cannot fit street parking or even the lowest class of bike lane, not to mention sidewalks that lack a buffer for utilities and sign placement?   Also, LOL at placing curve warning chevron signs on what's supposed to be a 25 mph neighborhood-focused street.
nmr
2017-06-23 12:34:55
Wow, those are horrifically wide lanes and wide corner radius. That means that cars will be going 40 or 45+ mph. It's basically an urban highway rather than a livable, human scaled street. Why the hell isn't there a bike lane instead of those ludicrously wide lanes and painted median? I'm hoping that is not the signature blvd, but rather a perpendicular street connecting to the existing street grid. Which intersection is the photo showing?
dfiler
2017-06-23 12:45:05
No, this is definitely "Signature Boulevard" just off the far-western intersection with Second Ave.  This is the view from the Jail Trail, about halfway between Swinburne and Hot Metal. As I wrote to a friend when he asked Corey O'Connor's office and RIDC to open Signature ASAP to bikes and pedestrians because Second Ave is simply unsafe (a month ago), it's too bad the new road wasn't aligned with Swinburne.  Getting between the new road and the trail will be very difficult unless the state does something drastic to lower speeds on Second (PA-885) or reconnects the trails it broke during construction.
epanastrophe
2017-06-23 13:03:42
We could learn more about ALMONO's plan up close by attending the Bike Tour of the Almond Site hosted by Green Building Alliance on July 19th: https://www.go-gba.org/events/save-date-bike-tour-almono-development/ Experience This is a very special opportunity to get an inside look at Pittsburgh’s last big brownfield redevelopment, and to learn about the site’s future. Rebecca Flora of ReMake Group and Almono’s Project Director will kick off the tour with some site history and information about Almono’s sustainability goals. We’ll then break into groups on our bikes (or on foot) to check out a few highlights of the site. The bike ride will be about 3 miles in length. If biking isn’t your style, an alternate walking tour will also be available, with a reduced 1.5 mile route. Food and drinks will be included. Once you click on the “register now” link, please pay attention to the registration options.  Our friends at Healthy Ride are offering on-site bike rentals for anyone who will need a bike when they arrive. If you will need a bike provided to you on the tour, please register under that option (for an additional $15). Members of BikePGH and Healthy Ride are eligible for the GBA member price. (Starting from $30)   About the Site In 2002, the Almono LP had the foresight to purchase this former J&L and LTV steel site to ensure that its redevelopment could be fully leveraged as a unique opportunity for the Hazelwood neighborhood, city, and region. Now, fifteen years later, the 178-acre site is positioned to not only become a hub for the innovation and tech economies, but serve as a leader and catalyst for sustainable development. The site aspires to be a place for experimentation and creativity. This vision is carried out not just in the types of businesses and development that it attracts, but in the site’s infrastructure, programming, and process. It is a place to test new approaches to integrating stormwater management into the public realm, to facilitate thoughtful co-locating of industries, to create a model for district energy, and to design a process that yields an authentic sense of place. During this tour we will get a chance to look at and talk about some of these innovative approaches already underway, as well as the larger vision for the site. Stops along the Tour Site Work & Stormwater. Now with Act II clearance, environmental clean-up of the site over the past 15 years was no different from the many riverfront brownfield sites in the region. However, the environmental clean-up was completed in conjunction with the first road on-site, as well as the design and building of the site’s stormwater management infrastructure. Additionally, this road was designed as the city’s first newly designed complete street. This tour stop will focus on the groundwork undertaken to get the site to where it is today, and ready for future development. Public Realm. The idea of public realm on the site is intended to include a variety of things: the 1.2 miles of riverfront, the Mill Plaza, the pedestrian and cyclists connections, and everything else “between the buildings.” Accessibility and inclusivity are key components of the site’s public realm strategy. This tour stop will talk about the public realm vision for the site, how it can be amenity for the neighborhood, as well as a part of the larger city and regional park system. Trails & Connectivity. Though Second Avenue and railroads currently create barriers to the site’s connectivity and accessibility, the site is perfectly positioned to act as a confluence for Hazelwood, South Side, Oakland, Four Mile Run, and Greenfield. This tour stop will highlight some of these key linkages and how the site could tie to the Eliza Furnace trail, the Great Allegheny Passage, the South Side Riverfront Trail, and Junction Hollow. Mill 19. One of two legacy buildings on the site, this will be the first to be developed. Plans and design for the building aim to emphasize the building’s heritage while providing space for a completely new and different industry: automation. This tour stop will focus on the building’s design and role in the site’s redevelopment, as well as its energy goals. Pumphouse. This remnant of river infrastructure has sparked lot of great and intriguing ideas. Currently one of the few places to access the water, this is easily one of the most inspiring places on the site. This tour stop is meant to generative creative thinking for alternative reuse of the riverfront and ignite the imagination as to how we engage with the water.
ninjaturtle0304
2017-06-23 15:17:02
Unless we're under the wrong impression about what appear to be zero accommodation for bikes, I can't believe the the project director is naive enough to be involved with a bike tour of the development. Those sharrows are an insult and more of a charade than actual bike infrastructure. The project touted the blvd as bike and pedestrian friendly. Yet I can think of no worse design for walking or biking. Seriously, how could it be worse? The sidewalk is immediately next to the road and blocked by poles. The lanes are so wide that people will drive much faster than the speed limit. The curbs at intersections are so rounded that cars won't slow down while turning. Turning speed has been optimized over safety. There's no cross walk. The sharrows are positioned dangerously. Riding on the sharrow isn't far enough left to take the lane so dangerously close passing will be encouraged without cars leaving the lane. It's a shame because it seemed Pittsburgh was steadily marching toward a complete riverfront trail system. And here we are with a development that not only doesn't include a riverside trail, but the "signature blvd" is built like a highway. For the speed limit we'll see here, the blvd's  has the most dangerous design possible for bikes and pedestrians. I really hope i'm wrong and that the rest of the road is better than shown in the photo...
dfiler
2017-06-23 15:38:06
Seeing that link, perhaps my distain is only partially justified. The photo in the link looks a bit different than Paul's photo. The article also mentions a protected bike lane. Perhaps that lane parallels the blvd on the river side of the street, eventually connecting to the EFT. Paul's photo might just be the stretch of road between that and 2nd ave. Still, it's astounding that a highway style road was built with sharrows and is intended to connect to the protected lane. Why not just make that section protected too? The road is too wide for the speed limit. When will they learn that wider roads in cities are actually more dangerous than roads narrow enough that people naturally drive the speed limit?
dfiler
2017-06-23 17:29:22
I attended the Almono Bike Tour Wednesday. Some things I learned: Signature Blvd, which tees into 2nd Ave north of Swinburne, runs south, and meets up with Hazelwood Ave, is nearly done. It’s a “complete street” (bioswales for stormwater management, roadway for cars, sidewalks, and a separated bike path). CSX and AVR railroads insist that a canopy be built for the cyclists and pedestrians passing under the railroad bridge (but not the cars) to protect against the possibility of stuff falling off the railroad cars. That might open by the end of 2017. When they open Signature Blvd, they anticipate drivers cutting through ALMONO to avoid traffic jams on 2nd Ave. To keep car speeds down on ALMONO streets, they’ll use speed tables (raised crosswalks) at every intersection, in the future. Curb cuts will be added to Signature Blvd later, once they figure out where the cross streets will be. They want to build and attract development at the south end of the “Mill 19” building (a relic from Jones & Laughlin Steel) soon. Over the next two years they plan to remove the asbestos-laden roof and walls of the Mill 19 building, leaving only a skeleton, add solar panels, build the first office building inside this skeleton, and design and start building “Mill Plaza” which will be an outdoor space just south of the building. They want the plaza to be a “place”. Uber’s test track currently takes up all the space between the extension of Hazelwood Ave and Tecumseh St. Uber’s lease will end in four years, after which ALMONO intends to reclaim it, build a street grid connecting to Blair St and the other small north-south residential streets in the flats and put residential buildings there. There is a sliver of land between the railroad and the river, north of Hazelwood Ave along which there will be an additional bike/ped trail. It passes a Pumphouse and docks, which has potential as a hip industrial spot along the river. How to develop this is undecided. I asked about connecting the bike trail south to connect with the Duck Hollow Trail. There’s no news here. AVR’s Glenwood Railyard difficult to get around. Regarding connections to Junction Hollow and Oakland, I heard that negotiations between the city, CSX, and AVR went nowhere. ALMONO mentioned a possible aerial tram connecting Oakland, ALMONO, and Southside. Hmmm! They’re also planning an autonomous shuttle bus circulating through Hazelwood and ALMONO. ALMONO illustrative site plan, annotated by me (click for uncropped picture)
  • blue = Signature Blvd
  • orange = existing bike trail (new)
  • red = trail past Pumphouse (old road)
  • darkened = currently Uber
https://flic.kr/p/VCrhh3 railroad bridge over Signature Blvd, with Mill 19 Building in distance https://flic.kr/p/VCrhiq pier and Pumphouse https://flic.kr/p/WUDv7e
paulheckbert
2017-07-20 01:55:57
Any idea what those wheeled devices were for in the last photo?
edronline
2017-07-20 07:04:38
Winching cargo? Steel and/or coke?
paulheckbert
2017-07-20 08:37:54
Got it.   How did the bikeability seen on the tour compare to the fear of a dangerous  layout generated by seeing Signature Blvd?
edronline
2017-07-20 08:57:16
The separated bike trails are nice. The short piece of Signature Blvd that tees into 2nd Ave north of Swinburne (blue without orange in my map) isn't designed to carry many cyclists. The piece of trail heading north of there to the Hot Metal Bridge (along the old Hazelwood Trail route) is in a less finished state (crushed limestone, not asphalt) but they anticipate working with Friends of the Riverfront to improve that. There was a bit of talk of a bike ramp from the Eliza Furnace/UPMC parking lot straight south to the quiet piece of 2nd Ave, an idea that's been discussed in the past and which I thought CSX had nixed. They expressed some hope that careful examination of property lines could suggest a route that would obviate negotiation with the intransigent railroads.  
paulheckbert
2017-07-20 09:31:28
^^yes, those are winches that are used while the barges are being unloaded.  Most of the barges were carrying coal since this was were the coke battery was, the ore unloading was further down river. As the weight of the barge decreases (coal is unloaded) the barge rises up out of the water (12 feet or more!), so a standing line would have to be constantly untied/retied; the winches make this easier. There was a big vertical bucket-conveyer-belt (no longer there) that unloaded the barges. Each bucket scooped up about a ton of coal - the thing was huge!  I was told it was over a hundred years old when I got a tour back in the late 70's when the mill was still running.  The mechanical engineer giving the tour claimed that every so often they would explore a better way of unloading the barges, but couldn't find one that was any cheaper or quicker.
marko82
2017-07-20 10:32:56
Earlier in this thread I discussed the idea of a hovenring. If it could provide all the ground clearance the RR would require of any bridge, and assurance that they would not be responsible for maintaining it, I see no reason why that cannot be the solution. Same solution also directly connects Oakland with downtown without dealing with the chute. I say we assume the RR is OK with the idea and proceed to preliminary design. Legs to Eliza Furnace Trail, Saline, Greenfield, Irvine, and some touchdown location in Almono. All would need long ramps to get high enough to access the ring, and of course some redesign of that intersection would be necessary for car traffic. Likely a roundabout, with the spire's base in the center of it. Done properly, it would also likely ease car backups, too.
stuinmccandless
2017-07-20 12:48:46
I also attended the bike tour. The Signature Blvd bike path is actually pretty nice with wide porous asphalt surface and separation from both motor vehicle and foot traffic. I asked if the porous asphalt would crack during winter because of icing, but the tour guides did not know. The bike path ends before the 2nd Ave intersection, but given the heavy motor vehicle traffic on the 2nd Ave, I don't think many cyclists would go that away. A better way to connect to Hot Metal Bridge, Southside, and Jail Trail is to follow the old Hazelwood trail, which I believe follows the AVR train track and go underneath the Hot Metal Bridge. From there, cyclists could go up the ramp next to the Thermo Fisher Science building and get on the the Hot Metal Bridge. However, this is a long detour, and I think a safe way to connect directly to the Panther Hollow Trail will encourage a lot more people to visit ALMONO on bikes. The tour guides mentioned that the developers are considering the possibility to build a gondola to connect ALMONO to Oakland. I think the gondola is a good idea, but I feel a bridge that connects with Jail Trail and Hazelwood would also be needed to make ALMONO more accessible. Currently, the only bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly access points are near the Hot Metal Bridge and the Hazelwood Ave. Lastly, the tour guides explained that the accessibility issues are not the most urgent to the developers. The developers need to start having some money flowing in by attracting investment before they can work on improvement. Photo album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PKn0YpKDF8vwV9eF2 End of bike path on Signature Blvd. The crushed lime stones path behind the lady should be the old Hazelwood Trail. The bend of Signature Blvd which joins the 2nd Ave Traveling east on Signature Blvd null Concept art of the renovated Mill 19 Mill 19 Round house. No plan on development yet.
ninjaturtle0304
2017-07-21 09:47:06
Dumb question.  What's a gondola in this context?
edronline
2017-07-21 16:21:39
I recall them using the term "aerial tram" (not "gondola"). When I said "but there's plenty of space in Junction Hollow for a shuttlebus road", they brought up problems with railroads and property. They didn't give details. If the planners are OK with shuttle buses running on existing roads from the Junction Hollow soccer field south to Second Ave, then I don't see a railroad problem. The buses can use the existing Boundary and Saline streets. If the planners have their hearts set on a dedicated shuttlebus road all the way to ALMONO then perhaps the two RR crossings are the problem. The natural route for a shuttle road is west of the CSX RR line up near the Panther Hollow neighborhood, then crosses to east of the RR line near Big Jim's, then crosses to west of the RR line near Second Ave. The existing RR underpasses are pinch points, particularly the latter one. Keeping the shuttlebus route west of the RR tracks all the way looks possible, but would cost money. See my map of ideas for Pittsburgh Bicycle Connections, in particular the curve called "Junction Hollow Trail - rerouted". It's a way to stay west of the railroad tracks. Maybe a dedicated shuttle road and/or a bike trail could follow that route. All you'd need to do is move the railroad tracks east 20 feet or so to make space. (It's been done elsewhere: Route 28 & 31st St Bridge). map: http://goo.gl/lT0LWO
paulheckbert
2017-07-21 16:52:34
There are already Port Authority routes which stop at either end of the Almono property and run to Oakland--the 58 Greenfield and 93 Hazelwood-Lawrenceville, respectively.  Both are a bit circuitous at the moment, but that (especially in the 93's case) should ease once the Greenfield Bridge reopens, projected for this fall. CMU and Pitt both already have shuttles which run to the business park at Second and Bates, and of course there are multiple UPMC shuttles to their lots along Second Ave. Instead of introducing yet another source of traffic to the corridor, Almono should be pushed to work with one (or more) of the existing transit providers to make theirs available.  A rebuilt 84B that extended the Port Authority's old South Oakland loop down to Technology Drive and Almono (and provided evening and weekend service than the last version...) would be beneficial to residents of both neighborhoods as well as to the university students and staff that use the Pitt and UPMC shuttles.
epanastrophe
2017-07-21 17:29:27
I haven't been keeping up: Is the boulevard through Almono open to the public (on bikes) currently or is it still gated off indefinitely?
benzo
2017-08-14 14:12:36
It was gated the last time I was there (last week). In practice, some people are skirting the gates and getting through.
paulheckbert
2017-08-14 14:56:36
Not sure if this was posted before and I'm coming late to the game, but this seems interesting -- https://www.hazelwoodgreen.com/lytlestreet/   Raised and protected bike lanes when Lytle Street is extended throughout the development...
edronline
2018-10-27 06:48:06
FYI. Get updates on trail's protective canopy at https://www.hazelwoodgreen.com/trail/ Looks like the last update was >> 10.01.2018 UPDATE Construction under the rail underpass is underway! Initial work is composed of connecting utilities and completing the roadway.
benzo
2018-11-05 16:44:36
per the trib article- A 1.9-mile dedicated bicycle route known as Hazelwood Trail that parallels Blair Street provides a direct connection from Hazelwood to Eliza Furnace, Three Rivers Heritage and Great Allegheny Passage trails. The Port Authority of Allegheny County has agreed to route its 57 Hazelwood bus line through the property. Where exactly is this direct connection between Hazelwood and the EFT? Or am I missing something? ie, if I go over the HMB from the Southside Works instead of connecting to the EFT I can get on the Hazelwood trail under the HMB on the Oakland side and then avoid getting on 2nd avenue?
edronline
2019-04-01 18:30:23
What they're referring to is that the Hazelwood neighborhood is now connected such that once you're on the bike lane in the development, you can reach the entire riverfront trail system or EFT without mixing with traffic again.
dfiler
2019-04-01 18:57:46
Yes, you can get on the Hazelwood Green Trail by getting off the EFT at the Hot Metal Bridge, crossing Hot Metal Street, and getting on the Hazelwood unpaved trail. I rode it today, and the transition is a little funky, and the old section of the Hazelwood trail is not packed in. Once on the Hazelwood Green trail, it's a great ride. Right now you do have to get on the street where the railroad overpass is, as that section of the trail isn't finished. No biggie. You can hop back on the trail and continue all the way to Hazelwood Ave. I'm a little disappointed that the western end of Blair St. did not connect directly to Swinburne St., so you could access the trail there. Also, the traffic light at Blair and Second Ave is not operating yet.
chrishent
2019-04-01 20:45:39
oh, and there was no fencing on the western end this afternoon. No need to cause a ruckus ;-)
chrishent
2019-04-01 20:47:34
I think me talking to Karina Ricks this morning (plus the tweet for backup) helped get the fence removed. The car fences were down by 9am but the bike fence was still up at 11am, I noticed. Maybe they would have removed the fence today if I'd said nothing, but I kinda doubt it. Post-Gazette story about today's road & trail opening: https://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2019/04/01/Hazelwood-Green-streets-trail-opens-to-public-for-the-first-time-in-decades/stories/201904010057
paulheckbert
2019-04-01 23:57:13
Is there a plan to pave the crushed limestone sections? It is disappointing that the fancy permeable asphalt bike lane passes through 90% of the development and then just ends. Certainly not all of the hazelwood trail is on their property but paving to their property line on both ends is still possible. I know I should be happy that Blair Steet has a bike lane at all. But it seems  more like a check box checked and a photo opportunity rather the developers actually providing good infrastructure. In my opinion it would be ludicrous to build such a beautiful bike lane and then leave both ends unfinished. Hopefully this is just a temporary issue. The land is just barren ground at this point so it would be understandable if higher quality connections were slated for a later phase. But when the developer announces the bike lane is open but didn't bother to put in a curb cut at the on one end and didn't bother to take down a fence blocking the other end, their dedication is a bit suspect. https://www.hazelwoodgreen.com/hazelwood-trail    
dfiler
2019-04-02 08:31:48
Today, I went for a ride on the new track and I think Blair St. is on on the most beautiful roads I've ever seen. Is the track going to be shared with pedestrians, or is it bike only? I like the idea the many of the sidewalks Pyongyang, North Korea had bike lanes striped on them to reduce collisions with pedestrians. here is a vier of Mirae Scientists St. in Pyongyang. The asphalt sections of the sidewalks are the bike lanes. Does anyone know that once some businesses and residences move into Hazelwood Green, Will the 57 bus increase in frequency?
zzwergel
2019-04-03 21:43:38
Judging by the pictures and the satellite view in google maps, there is a sidewalk on both sides of Blair Street for its entire length, so I would think that this is the exact intention: sidewalk for pedestrians, asphalt trail for bikes.
alleghenian
2019-04-04 14:41:24
The sidewalk on the river side of Blair St. is narrow and has lights and signposts obstructing it, so it is not ADA compliant.
zzwergel
2019-04-04 18:31:50
Rode it today. The dirt/rock trail from HMB to almono sucks. Could also use better signage at bottom of HMB. Once im almono there is so little traffic taking the road was the easiest option. Any idea what they are building in the old superstructure/ Skeleton of the mill?
edronline
2019-04-06 15:09:06
The traffic light on 2nd Ave at Blair St. is functional. You can turn right off of Greenfield Ave., or Swinburne St., get in the left turning lane, and turn left at the traffic light which features a protected left. The Hazelwood Trail can also be accessed from Bates St. via a 1-block dash on 2nd Ave. Also, I think more bike racks and should be installed in the business district and 2nd Ave. sharrowed south of Hazelwood Ave.
zzwergel
2019-04-09 00:56:46
it's too bad that those utility poles along 2nd avenue (ie., smack dab in the middle of the sidewalk) can't be moved back a bit onto the property... I can only think that it was done intentionally. (i.e., "we don't have right of way to put it on almono property and, shoot, no one walks over here anyway, so lets cut the sidewalk in half and obstruct visibility for people using the sidewalk and just put 'em right in the middle."
edronline
2019-04-09 07:10:22
@Eric, It appears that those telephone poles have been there at least since 2008 according to Street View.
zzwergel
2019-04-09 21:00:43
I've been told they plan to pave the bit from Blair St to HMB.  There are two more serious problems, though:
  1. The horrible tight switchback from HMB onto the ramp to 2nd Av
  2. The awful pedestrian crossing of HMB to get into Hazelwood Green.  Is there ever a time that no one is either turning right on red or going on green?  There needs to be a route that goes to the river on the downtown side of HMB and crosses under HMB to hook up with Hazelwood Trail.
Fortunately, there is currently an opportunity to speak up about getting these improvements! Bicyclists who use the Eliza Furnace Trail and (want to) ride through Hazelwood should be aware of the current study of multimodal transportation in the Second Ave Corridor from 10th St to the south end of the Glenwood Bridge.  This includes the nasty mess where "The Chute" picks its way through the Irvine/Greenfield/2nd/Saline intersection to get from Junction Hollow to the Eliza Furnace Trail. The project web site at https://spcsecondavenue.com/  They had a public meeting a month or so ago and have been doing intense design.  There will be another public meeting in early May. If you have opinions about improvements in that area, this would be an excellent time to send comments to the project.  Please use spcsecondavenue@wrallp.com as the contact email address. Please send comments by late April. If you'd like to see what several of us have written as suggestions, take a look at the reports at  https://furnace2furnace.org/   However, do not assume these reports are enough.   Every additional message gives greater weight. Mary
maryshaw
2019-04-14 21:51:47
It has been pointed out to me that "If you have opinions about improvements in that area, this would be an excellent time to send comments to the project." is too subtle. So,
If you care about cycling improvements to the 2nd Ave corridor between 10th St and Glenwood bridge, now is the time to speak up
The project web site at https://spcsecondavenue.com/  Please use spcsecondavenue@wrallp.com as the contact email address. Please send comments by late April.  Plan to attend the public meeting in early May.  Get your ideas into the plan they're making.  Opportunities like this don't come around very often.
maryshaw
2019-04-15 11:41:05
@MaryShaw - Thanks for raising awareness of how bad it is to get to the hazelwood trails. I added a few comments about access issues from Hot metal and the street crossing there when the wikimap opened. Now the trail is open, I get an even better impression that that crossing at the 2nd ave intersection sucks as I had to play chicken with some right turning cars while walking my bike across the crosswalk with a walk signal.
benzo
2019-04-16 16:41:03
Here is video of me going from the Blair St. track to the Eliza Furnace Trail on 700Cx28 tires. Tomorrow, I'll try to go from the Junction Hollow trail to Blair St. via 2nd Ave. I've already done it once, but I did not get video. https://youtu.be/NroTm8Qp4ik?t=481
zzwergel
2019-04-16 18:27:02
I typically bypass the road crossing by going under the hot metal bridge on the trail, then turning right on the sidewalk past the first building. Follow that around and it’ll lead you to the HMB ramp without having to cross a road. It adds probably 200 yards to your journey but can actually be quicker because you don’t have to wait for traffic.
dfiler
2019-04-16 18:36:25
@dfiler, Thank you for letting me know. I did not know there was a path under the bridge.
zzwergel
2019-04-16 18:42:51
@dfiler -- that's genius! How in the hell did I not even think of that?
edronline
2019-04-16 19:07:31
It works but could be even better. There is a sidewalk next to or under the building immediately next to the HMB. However there are steps as well. It is a gradual grade so if I remember correctly there are only single steps and they are spaced perhaps 30 feet apart. If it were repaved to eliminate the steps, it would still be an gradual grade and also be usable by bikes. My description may not be entirely accurate but the general idea is that the sidewalk isn't useable but would be the optimal route for the connector to the bridge ramp.  It is the shortest route and also eliminates the need to cross a road. Granted, the sidewalk certainly appears to be private property so I don't feel entitle to its use. In hindsight though, one built further out from the building and without steps would have benefited everyone, including tenants of the building. Perhaps that is still possible.
dfiler
2019-04-17 08:17:36
This thread motivated me to take a ride on my lunch break from downtown to check out this trail.  I concur with most of the comments here.  The switchback to get down to the crossing requires an impossibly tight u-turn.  It was nerve-racking to cross Hot Metal Street with the ped signal because most cars were turning right from 2nd Ave onto the bridge at high speeds.  The half mile or so from the bridge to the paved trail is in bad shape. In some places it is basically single-track. In other places the crushed limestone is so thick that my tires were sinking in like sand.  And you have to know the specific way to get there... No one exploring the Heritage Trail system would ever notice it if they were not given directions. That being said, the new trail is awesome once you get there.  Fresh pavement, cool views of the valley.  Barely any cars on the road for the time being. If you go under the Hot Metal Bridge coming back toward downtown, one other alternative is to follow the path up to Technology Drive, then cross 2nd Ave. at the 'Middle Access Dr.' stoplight. There is a ramp to the Eliza Furnace Trail here, which used to be the trail detour when the bridge over Bates Street was being replaced a few years ago.  This is easier and probably faster than dealing with the Hot Metal Bridge.
alleghenian
2019-04-17 14:50:47
But isn't that sidewalk in a business district due to the office buildings here? Technically making it illegal to bike on without signage designating this as a shared use path? I'm just being pedantic here. But it makes a case for the necessity of a 100% legal, safe, and bikeable access to the Hazelwood trail. Business district—The territory contiguous to and including a highway when within any 600 feet along the highway there are buildings in use for business or industrial purposes, including hotels, banks or office buildings, railroad stations and public buildings which occupy at least 300 feet of frontage on one side or 300 feet collectively on both sides of the highway. https://www.pacode.com/secure/data/052/chapter37/s37.202.html
benzo
2019-04-17 16:41:14
It’s curious that the definition of business district used the word ”highway” and not “road”. I wonder if they define “highway”.
paulheckbert
2019-04-17 17:52:50
Here is me connecting from the Junction Hollow Trail to Blair St. via 2nd Ave. 2nd Ave has a dedicated left turning lane which makes waiting for opposing traffic to clear less stressful. A similar maneuver can be done from Swinburne St. as well to connect from the Eliza Furnace Trail. This is not for anyone who is unsure of their skill and not confident. https://youtu.be/QPjxdWUbkQA
zzwergel
2019-04-17 20:26:11
Please send these opinions to the current Second Ave Multimodal Corridor Study. There is a public meeting coming up where you will be able to see the current recommendations and make your own suggestions.  From the announcement:
The next public meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday May 8th, from 6 to 8 pm at the Spartan Community Center of Hazelwood (134 East Elizabeth Street). The meeting is an open house, you are welcome to join us anytime from 6 to 8 pm. The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) invites you to attend a public open house focused on transportation needs and solutions along the State Route 885/Second Avenue corridor between the 10th Street Bridge and the interchange with State Route 837 just south of the Glenwood Bridge. The State Route 885/Second Avenue Multimodal Corridor Study will analyze current and future transportation and land use conditions to provide a series of recommended multimodal strategies for this growing area. At this meeting, we will be seeking your input on potential future transportation and land use scenarios.
The project web site at https://spcsecondavenue.com/  Please use spcsecondavenue@wrallp.com as the contact email address. Please send comments by late April.  Plan to attend the public meeting on May 8.  Get your ideas into the plan they’re making.  Opportunities like this don’t come around very often.
maryshaw
2019-04-18 01:12:42
I cannot attend meetings that late as I live in Aspinwall and the buses in Hazelwood do not operate that frequently. It would take a long time for me to get home and it will be after dark. I do not think the 93 operates that late.
zzwergel
2019-04-18 13:06:42
Z, there are enough buses headed downtown from there, and enough 1 and 91 trips after dark to get you home.
stuinmccandless
2019-04-18 19:30:08
@Stu, The 56 and 57 only run every 50 minutes during midday on weekdays. Is there any chance the two schedules are staggered so the 57 comes and then 25 minutes later, the 56 comes, and so on? If they are staggered like this into the night, even if each individual route runs on a 60 minute interval, that means there will be a bus every 30 minutes and that is acceptable.
zzwergel
2019-04-18 22:59:30
When sending your Hazelwood / Second Avenue corridor wishes to spcsecondavenue@wrallp.com this week, you should not only say that we need a connection to the Duck Hollow Trail, but also say loudly and clearly REPAIR DUCK HOLLOW TRAIL ASAP! cc that message to corey.oconnor@pittsburghpa.gov, also. (DHT was cut in half by a water main break in February).
paulheckbert
2019-04-19 09:26:07
Z, with the opening of the new Blair Street, and the trail under Hot Metal, you can bike downtown from the meeting in about 20-25 minutes. * L Gertrude St, L Flowers, R Chatsworth, L Hazelwood, cross Irvine/Second, R Blair Blvd. * At R bend, peel L onto trail, pass under Hot Metal Bridge. * At some point, make a couple R turns to aim back to the Hot Metal Bridge. Take ramp to bridge as if you were headed to SSide, but hang a tight left to cross the HMB on the sidewalk. Another L points you downtown. * Exit trail at Grant st, continuing downtown on Grant. * L onto Seventh Ave, L on Liberty. Your choice of the 1 on one side of Liberty, 91 on the other.
stuinmccandless
2019-04-21 01:23:09
I could also bike to Oakland to get the 75.
zzwergel
2019-04-21 03:04:26
Reminder: Public meeting about transportation in the Hazelwood area this evening: “The next public meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday May 8th, from 6 to 8 pm at the Spartan Community Center of Hazelwood (134 East Elizabeth Street). The meeting is an open house, you are welcome to join us anytime from 6 to 8 pm.” Topics of discussion: connecting Hazelwood trail to Duck Hollow trail, The Chute, proposed shuttle between Oakland and Hazelwood. more info: http://localhost/message-board/topic/encouraging-almono-to-think-big-on-active-transport/page/3/#post-361911
paulheckbert
2019-05-08 07:56:44
Already missed it.
zzwergel
2019-05-08 20:13:43
I attended, sat in the front, listened intently, and asked a couple questions, as did many others. Sounds like the railroad is a major roadblock (literally) to getting anything progressive done. Meanwhile, the speakers there made it clear that they were interested in public input, and pointed to the dozen presentations on tripods as echoing what had been gathered from previous rounds of public input. Everything presented will be up on a website soon.
stuinmccandless
2019-05-08 22:58:25
I was also there, spent time talking to project staff rather than in the presentation and Q/A.  I'm generally pleased with the extent to which they incorporated the extensive comments that several of us sent them over the past couple of months.  Those comments are at https://furnace2furnace.org When they get the displays posted, please look at them and respond.  They had a questionnaire at the meeting tonight and said they would be converting it to surveymonkey so other folks could comment too.  
maryshaw
2019-05-08 23:10:50
If you want to see the Duck Hollow Trail connected to Hazelwood, rather than remain a dead-end trail, or if you want a decent, bikeable connection in Hays between the GAP and the Glenwood Bridge, to replace the lousy stairs, or if you want “the chute” at Second Ave & Greenfield Ave fixed, please send your comments to SPC by May 24 via the survey at https://spcsecondavenue.com/may-public-meeting/ Just answer the questions you care about. SPC has great influence with the city of Pittsburgh, with PennDOT, and with other powerful entities, so sending comments to them is a smart judo move. thanks below is one of the posters from the May 8 public meeting — some of the ideas SPC is considering. https://flic.kr/p/2eMMMuJ
paulheckbert
2019-05-22 11:14:45
FYI there will be a public meeting Thursday on "improvements" to SR 885/Second Ave between the 10th St and Glenwood Bridges: "SPC Second Avenue Project Good afternoon - You are receiving this message because you have participated or expressed interest in the State Route 885/Second Avenue Multimodal Corridor Study. We are writing to remind you that the final public meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, July 25th from 6 to 8 pm at the International Union of Operating Engineers‐Local 95 located at 300 Saline Street, Pittsburgh, 15207. There will be a presentation starting at 6:30, in addition to staff and display boards available anytime from 6 to 8 pm. The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) invites you to attend the final public meeting focused on transportation needs and solutions along the State Route 885/Second Avenue corridor between the 10th Street Bridge and the interchange with State Route 837 just south of the Glenwood Bridge. This corridor study has incorporated over 500 public comments and survey responses and has analyzed current and future transportation and land use conditions to provide a series of recommended multimodal strategies for this growing area. At this meeting, we will be seeking your input on our draft findings prior to finalizing this study. Getting to the meeting: By transit: Bus routes 56, 57, or 58 stop under the bridge at the corner of Greenfield Ave/Irvine St/Second Ave/Saline St, Walk up Saline St (about 5 min.) By bike: Eliza Furnace Trail to Saline Street By car: limited parking is available on-street A flyer with this information is attached, please feel free to post or share with anyone you think might be interested. More information about the study can be found on our website: https://spcsecondavenue.com/. Please let us know if you have any questions. We hope to see you there! Thanks, The Second Avenue Multimodal Corridor Team"
jonawebb
2019-07-22 16:40:36
From this meeting: what they're proposing for the Second Ace/Greenfield/Chute etc area: https://flic.kr/p/2gGSie2
jonawebb
2019-07-25 20:00:26
wow! a direct connection if it's funded! The hourglass road thing looks weird.
edronline
2019-07-25 20:19:03
But no traffic lights! There were lots of roundabouts and semi-roundabouts all through their plans. They were the guys who put the roundabout in Rochester.
jonawebb
2019-07-25 21:13:47
Roundabouts are a great (and, sadly, greatly underutilized) traffic directing device. The intersection of Rt. 28 and 31st Street Bridge/Rialto would've benefited greatly from a large roundabout at the bridge level (with four through lanes of Rt 28 underneath), in my opinion. Instead, there is a four-minute traffic light. Another spot where a roundabout would make all the difference is the intersection of Irishtown Rd and Logan Rd in Bethel Park, right at the end of the Bethel Park branch of Montour trail.
rainbow-dog
2019-07-26 11:14:27
I'm originally from the east side of cleveland, the land of very large roundabouts. I'm just having a hard time imaging where the roundabouts will be at the greenfield ave/2nd avenue/chute/etc intersection given it's very narrow there and there are large walls and an overpass for the (old) railroad.
edronline
2019-07-26 11:23:32
The roundabout is squeezed down to fit through there. The round parts are on either side. I guess they'll need land from the garage at Greenfield and Saline and probably have to move the water tank at Greenfield and Irvine.
jonawebb
2019-07-26 18:35:28
Man that double roundabout and fix of the Chute look amazing.
lee
2019-08-07 20:41:41