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Penn Ave bike lane

On Penn Ave by Heinz Hall, Saturday 4:30pm, a car had just entered the bike lane. We talked to the driver and he backed up, quite apologetic. Something needs to be done as this is the second time I've seen a car enter the bike lane at 6th St out of 10 recent rides on Penn Ave. Better signs, or paint on the road, are needed to make it clear this lane is not for cars.
paulheckbert
2015-03-21 20:07:03
we helped a car turn around same section Today , I would say this is a major Safety concern . needs a BOLLARD
cowchip
2015-03-21 20:24:44
Yes, a bollard (flexible, so a cyclist bumping it wouldn't get hurt) would be a GREAT improvement. A bollard would be far more effective at keeping cars out than signs or more paint on the road. The latter two are often ignored, as we've seen. Here's the February 8 incident I witnessed, where a car turned right from 6th St northbound into the bike lane on Penn: http://localhost/mb/topic/dangerous-drivers-thread/page/17/#post-308390
paulheckbert
2015-03-22 00:28:12
There are signs everywhere. People are stupid. This is the same as the drivers who go the wrong way down the one way street on which I live. Even bright neon signs won't make them stop. They need to put bollards up so that people can't go into othe bike lane without damaging their vehicles. Though I am afraid that even a physical barrier may still not be enough.
stefb
2015-03-22 03:30:59
There were bollards at all intersections up until December, I think. They were removed to facilitate snow plowing. I just did a 311 to get them re-installed.
chrishent
2015-03-22 06:52:07
The bollard at I think 12th St. is there, and kinked at about a 30° angle from being clobbered so often.
stuinmccandless
2015-03-22 08:18:18
The bollards were removed so that the lanes could be plowed and they should be put back very soon.
mjacobpgh
2015-03-23 08:00:46
> The bollard at I think 12th St. is there, and kinked at about a 30° angle from being clobbered so often. That's not a bollard, that's a Yield-to-Pedestrians sign. They get pretty beat up all over town---here's what one of the Butler Street ones looked like a month ago (before it vanished entirely): https://twitter.com/infinitebuffalo/status/569523808417271808
epanastrophe
2015-03-23 16:51:03
So they could be plowed, ha. I think they forgot the memo to plow the bike lane, all winter. There were times when there was ZERO snow in the city, except the bike lane.
cpollack
2015-03-23 21:20:17
They absolutely were plowed though they were treated as low priority such as a tertiary road.
mjacobpgh
2015-03-24 09:22:02
It also doesn't help that some of the property owners along the bike lane shovel all of the snow from their sidewalks into the bike lanes.
mjacobpgh
2015-03-24 10:25:22
Am I the only person who always has to deal with people telling me to get into the bike lane when traveling Penn Ave to Point State Park at Penn/6th. I move out of the bike lane, signal and get in the lane to go straight on Penn where the bike lane ends. It has had to have been more than 10 times now that somebody says, "Derpidy derp, there is a bike lane there." I have to respond that I am going straight where the bike lane ends. It is just obnoxious.
shooflypie
2015-03-24 12:07:24
@shooflypie, yep this has happened to me, too. It's an awkward transition, but it would be less problematic if, during a red light, drivers actually stopped at the white line on Penn that's maybe 50 ft before the intersection, as opposed to at the intersection itself. Obviously this doesn't do anything for when the light's green, but whatever. I just brush it off. In any case, this will be moot once the bike lane is extended all the way to Stanwix, assuming that's still the plan. Although this may be delayed yet again, since there's still problems with underground water/sewage pipes on the 500 block of Penn. Last week, one of these pipes burst, which is why there's metal covers on that side of the street.
chrishent
2015-03-24 12:34:15
i heard the center bollards were supposed to be reinstalled yesterday - did that happen?
erok
2015-03-24 14:40:52
The center bollards have been reinstalled.
mjacobpgh
2015-03-29 13:08:00
Today at 15:30 With working engine. Half an hour later still the same and engine running...
mikhail
2015-03-31 21:16:46
mikhail
2015-04-01 07:39:42
@paul, the one you reported for the Benedum loading area is perhaps unavoidable, due to the location of the loading dock for this theater (https://www.google.com/maps/@40.44347,-79.999302,3a,75y,168.96h,76.72t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1snu9jhqVuFByk0AHou8sphQ!2e0) If I recall correctly, this also happened even when there was no cycle track. I haven't actually gone back into the alley to see how close the back end of the trailer is to the loading dock, but I'd imagine you would want to have them as close as possible. I'll check it out the next time I see this
chrishent
2015-04-01 07:40:02
There is also this PA law - Effective: February 6, 2009 Act 124, Title 35 P.S. Health and Safety § 4603. Restrictions on idling (a) Restrictions.--No driver or owner of a diesel-powered motor vehicle with a gross weight of 10,001 pounds or more, engaged in commerce, shall cause and no owner or operator of the location where the vehicle loads, unloads or parks shall allow the engine of the vehicle to idle for more than five minutes in any continuous 60-minute period, except as provided under subsections (b) and (c). https://govt.westlaw.com/pac/Document/NC1A821F0C83B11DDAB46D9C8AD0152D8?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default) If you think you see an idling violation, call the toll-free Citizen Complaint Line at 1-866-255-5158 https://idlefreepa.wordpress.com/enforcement/
marko82
2015-04-01 08:32:48
@chrishent: right, my truck picture from 2014 was from Benedum, not Heinz. I misspoke.
paulheckbert
2015-04-01 12:55:37
Not that I am not annoyed by these trucks, but idling can be related to cargo refrigeration (which is an exemption in the section C of the above quoted document). Even if one assumes the truck driver doesn't give two hoots about the environment, diesel fuel costs money.
rainbow-dog
2015-04-01 13:22:11
FYI: Clark transfer, the owner of the truck, and provider of transportation solutions for show business transportation and logistics, states on their website: "Clark Transfer is committed to continual improvement in the environmental friendliness and sustainability of its operations. A proud member of the Broadway Green Alliance and the US EPA’s SmartWay Motor Carrier Program, Clark is also the creator of the industry-leading Touring Green initiative."
benzo
2015-04-01 13:47:54
Marko82's link says that vehicles with a sticker from California saying they meet a certain NOx idling emission standard are exempt from the anti-idling law. If Clark Transfer is as green as they claim, perhaps their vehicles have such a sticker?
steven
2015-04-01 16:36:55
Trucks in the bike lane, methinks we doth protest too much. Sorry, but the Benedum can't do too much about where their loading dock is, or how long the trucks that service it are. As a regular reader of the blog of the Prairie Home Companion's truck driver, who often opines about the ease (or lack of same) of getting their road show's stuff in and out of any given city's venue, they really don't have much say in the matter, and if it blocks traffic, it blocks traffic. Inbound, just use the traffic lane (and to hell with anyone who complains about it). Outbound, just watch yourself getting around the truck.
stuinmccandless
2015-04-01 17:01:45
I think it's a legit issue Stu. ToBeSure, as they say, if there's a need to park a truck there for an hour for an actual load/unload - I understand that. But they park trucks and block the bike lane overnight and all day - and that's no good. We didn't agitate and advocate for years for bike lanes "unless any truck owner wants to park there", in which case "nevermind". I don't take up a space in the truck parking lot, they don't get to block my bike lanes unless it's very short-term and used for actual loading/unloading. Just my .02
vannever
2015-04-01 22:53:38
This a regular issue. They can't force pedestrians and cyclists out into a dangerous situation for several hours a day. EVERY day. They need to do one of the following: A: move their loading dock further back to accommodate a trailer and truck. II: unhitch the truck while the loading takes place 3: use a shorter trailer to make/receive deliveries This morning, I had a man yell at me to "Get in the bike lane!" while I was maneuvering around the truck AGAIN. It was sitting there on my way in at 7:55 and again at 8:30 when I returned. blocked bike lane Not only is the bike lane blocked and full of pedestrians, but I've got some dude on the other side of the street giving me lip about it.
rustyred
2015-04-02 08:07:43
There's traffic counting wires on the Penn Ave lanes. I saw them in front of Heinz Hall and then between 9th and 10th. There's probably one or two more before the lanes reach the Strip. It was only a matter of time before these were put in.
chrishent
2015-04-12 07:43:43
I may spend the day riding up and down the bike lane.... maybe...
rustyred
2015-04-12 08:54:49
Saw a family of 3, a group of four riders, a couple, plus a few more solo riders while riding in from the Strip. Good day for a ride
chrishent
2015-04-12 11:49:27
No need to pump up numbers, Downtown and the Strip is absolutely nuts with recreational cyclists of all ages and abilities. Grannies, kids with training wheels, Freds, soccer moms. Holy crap I was speechless at the numbers of people using the new bridge and bike lanes. They LOVE the bike lanes. *LOVE them.* They're having issues connecting the bike lane from Clemente/6th because it is BLOCKED with parked cars and no bike box yet. IMG_20150412_122242
rustyred
2015-04-12 13:23:05
Like I mentioned in another thread, this block of 6th St has always had "No Parking" signs, that were disregarded in general. I think they are delivery drivers for some of the restaurants on that streets. This may not go away quickly...
chrishent
2015-04-12 17:56:54
This is one thing bollards could help prevent. Maybe they'll consider installing them if people continue to do this. It keeps the bike lane open and prevents people from illegally parking/stopping on that stretch
romo
2015-04-13 01:57:02
Have any tourist-types been confused where the Penn Ave bike lane just STOPS where oncoming traffic is moving towards you at the 16th street bridge? The way they have the markings from the bike lane going from there into the middle of Penn Ave (obviously for people going INTO town) — I can't help but think someone is going to follow the markings right into an oncoming car's hood. I've seen more than one person DRIVE through that intersection back before the bike lanes were there — before realizing the mistake they made... So I expect this will happen sooner or later.
adam
2015-04-13 12:22:10
Re: The stretch of 6th from Penn to the Bridge, seeing as how that stretch includes the drop off area for the Renaissance Hotel, that area requires a different treatment than other typical streets w/bike lanes. People travelling in all modes are going to need to deal with mixing and coexisting in that area, as well as unfamiliar visitors. I'm thinking of a treatment similar to Market Street in front of the Fairmont. The street design in that block makes it apparent that it is not a purely vehicular street, nor a purely pedestrian street - the design makes it "feel" different, and makes it clear that you do not travel through in a typical "vehicular" way.
edmonds59
2015-04-13 12:40:34
The northbound stretch of 6th St is not an issue. That lane is sharrowed, as there is a taxi stand, hotel dropff and a bus stop all on that block. The southbound lane has the bike lane and it has issues with illegal parking. It always has. Personally, sharrows on both lanes would have been fine with me, but I suppose they added the bike lane southbound to provide a friendlier connection between the Clemente bridge bike lanes and the Penn Ave cycle track.
chrishent
2015-04-13 16:40:04
Short report. I went on my lunch ride around 1pm through EFT, Oakland (to get a crepe for lunch) to 5th, downtown, Penn. So I was at Penn around 1:45pm. Counted around 30 people on bicycle: 8 were going out, 22 in. Turned around at 16th and counted again. Another 8 people. This is for about 18 minutes. And only one red light runner.
mikhail
2015-04-13 17:05:22
This morning's bit of brilliance: bike lane obstruction
rustyred
2015-04-16 08:41:58
Red, I got a pic of that last night too. Sent it to 311 via twitter. No response yet.
htric
2015-04-17 10:27:18
Almost got killed by a giant box truck that turned left across my path and pedestrians crossing the street at 11th and Penn. If I hadn't stopped I would've ended up right under the back tires. I was visibly upset by it but it didn't seem to phase the pedestrians at all since I guess you just get used to people doing that downtown.
mjacobpgh
2015-04-17 11:00:22
@rustyred - I think you were right behind me. I took a picture and tweeted it out too. 311 replied and said that it wasn't the city but some utility company and that they would have it moved. It was gone this morning, so that was nice.
willb
2015-04-17 14:04:36
"@rustyred – I think you were right behind me" If you were wearing Ibex and have an orange pannier, then yes, that was me. I also encountered a film crew hunkered down in the Clemente bike lane that morning, I was leery to approach a couple of hipsters crouching in the bike lane. film crew
rustyred
2015-04-17 14:14:17
yep that was me.
willb
2015-04-17 14:38:36
Man I need to remember the date on Skirts and Dresses day. Gonna hafta hit the Goodwill.
edmonds59
2015-05-01 08:40:45
@rustyred - Off topic, but what camera are you pulling those ride photos from? It looks pretty awesome.
erink
2015-05-01 13:28:31
@ErinK those are from a Contour Roam. They no longer make/support them.
rustyred
2015-05-01 15:48:34
Hey, the cops are doing a great job of keeping cars from parking in the bike lane connector on 6th ave! cops in bike lane
rustyred
2015-05-06 13:24:25
Didn't see these this morning but saw them coming back in: https://www.flickr.com/photos/68912815@N04/shares/1P10P3 The 6th St bike has been bollared. I don't think this was the original plan, otherwise they would've been put in earlier. While this is certainly appreciated, it's sad that it had to come to this. All because people were not able to respect a simple "No parking" sign
chrishent
2015-05-15 16:37:05
This why bike lanes on one side of the street are unsafe. You are asking cyclists to ride head on in traffic and cars do not expcect them. Two lanes are needed, one on each side of the street (if it is a two direction street) with bicycle traffic traveling in the same direction as car traffic. Personally, I avoid the Penn Ave cycle lane when riding downtown. I'd rather ride one or two streets out of my way so I can travel with the traffic.
pghdragonman
2015-05-20 14:31:40
If there had been bike lanes on both sides of the street, he would've hit both sets of bollards. If there had been cars in the northbound lane, he would've hit them, or forced them out of his way, just as he did the first riders in the lane. This is a demonstration of why 53' trailers are inappropriate for Downtown streets, not bike lanes.
epanastrophe
2015-05-21 16:32:57
I'm impressed he managed to make the turn without taking out the parked FedEx truck. And it is similarly impressive that these things pop right back up like that after getting crushed by a tractor-trailer. FWIW, I sent the video link to Kristen Saunders, too. I figure that she would want to see them in action.
stuinmccandless
2015-05-21 16:50:07
So, if people claim that Open Streets skewed it, take about 1400 off the count since a regular weekend day would have around 800 and were still left with nearly 23,000 trips which comes out to nearly 700-750 trips a day. Also, this was done in partnership with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership who I would think has little reason to skew the numbers in any way.
mjacobpgh
2015-06-04 13:55:53
Huh. Ride of Silence on the 20th didn't skew the numbers. That looks like a lot of usage during the week, honestly, probably more than I would have expected. That "commuter pattern" is a cool find, as well. Is there similar data for EFT/Jail Trail and the other local segments of Three Rivers Heritage trail?
ka_jun
2015-06-04 14:37:30
the numbers aren't skewed. if anything, they are less due to not using the bike lane, like on the underwear ride. i'd say only a fraction of the people on the undie ride rode in the bike lane. i also wonder what happens when two people riding side by side hit the counter at the same time
erok
2015-06-04 14:45:48
"I also wonder what happens when two people riding side by side hit the counter at the same time" I've been known for slowing down or speeding up when riding two abreast on the bike lane to ensure my bike is counted separately by the counter ;-)
chrishent
2015-06-04 15:35:51
haha. i do the same thing.
erok
2015-06-04 16:28:32
I wonder what it does with the single bump from a unicycle hitting it, as I did several times on Sunday.
stuinmccandless
2015-06-05 08:41:41
+1 to trying to ensure I'm counted by the counters by slowing/speeding up on Penn.
ka_jun
2015-06-05 10:44:27
One nice thing -- all the comments that say, "I don't believe it. Those numbers are inflated. PDP is a corrupt organization beholden to the Peduto administration," imply the bike lanes are a success. Otherwise the comments would be, "Ha! You see, no one is using them!"
jonawebb
2015-06-05 14:28:39
It doesn't take a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon to figure out the inflation. A little arithmetic: 2 cables per interaction X 2 tires per bike = 4 hits/trip Clearly, some software guy was paid off to forget the /4 in the code. And we know how corruptible software people are...worse that bikers....
yalecohen
2015-06-05 15:04:21
OK, honest question. Cyclist "A", starting at 6th and rolling to 16th, would hit all the strips. How does that get counted, vs Cyclist "B", starting at the Greyhound Station and rolling to 16th, and only hitting one set of strips?
stuinmccandless
2015-06-05 16:18:04
@iguana: Excuse me if this is too much for your reptilian brain (-: I imagine that the bike counter people have already taken such obvious issues into account. Is there any evidence that the numbers are inflated by a factor of 2 or 4?
paulheckbert
2015-06-05 17:10:43
@paulheckbert You've got a good imagination. Is there any evidence that they did take it into account...And as the astute @StuInMcCandless points out it may be inflated by another factor of (up to) 3... ...that gives us about 2000 trips for the month...and I did about 500 of them scampering back-and-forth dining on insects and leftovers from the restaurants, the convention center, and the strip...
yalecohen
2015-06-05 17:23:43
People, people, this is so easily resolved. I suggest than someone truly invested in this issue park themselves at one of the installations, for a day (ie 24 hrs), and count the traffics. I would recommend a 3-clicker counter so you can get inbound/ outbound/ car counts. We can then check these against the reported counts and compute the agreement (κ). Then we will know for sure. Well, to make legit we should probably get one of those LetterToTheEditor farts to show up and do a count as well. Maybe do it for a complete week, just to be sure. I would also suggest bringing some sandwiches and a comfortable chair. This is absolutely publishable, somewhere.
ahlir
2015-06-05 20:04:09
Well, to make legit we should probably get one of those LetterToTheEditor farts to show up and do a count as well The only way to get one of those guys offa their couch is to put a cold beer just out of reach, so they have to heave the lard up our of their seat to get it.
mick
2015-06-05 22:48:32
Can we just point a camera at the bike lane and hook it to a recorder, then play it back at some speed and count people? It would take a lot less human time than having someone stand there all day.
stuinmccandless
2015-06-06 07:46:55
Indeed a camera is better solution. But the suggestion was more intended for committed participants in this never-ending Bike Lane battle of attrition. I personally would rather just wait a couple of months until letters show up complaining about how you never can find a share-bike when you need it, and why weren't they installed in some obvious location or other. Later on we can have letters complaining about bicycle traffic jams and by what right do cars get to have so much space on streets.
ahlir
2015-06-06 09:52:06
That quirky bike rack on Penn, between 8th and 9th, is finally getting some use: That odd bike rack on Penn Ave getting some love
chrishent
2015-06-22 09:29:41
Still hate that bike rack, but at least folks are using it (and by the looks of it, doing a pretty good job of using u-locks consistently).
benzo
2015-06-22 13:23:47
June report for the Penn Ave cycle track is up: http://www.envisiondowntown.com/new-blog/2015/7/6/penn-avenue-bike-lane-june-traffic-report Overall, ridership was sligthly down when compared to May, but given the weather we had, this was to be expected. That last weekend illustrates this perfectly. It basically rained all day on that Saturday, and the next day's OpenStreetsPGH was significantly affected as well, as the numbers were cut in half. Though the latter may also be because people didn't see the point of riding on the cycle track when they had the rest of the street available.
chrishent
2015-07-06 11:01:55
Wettest June in 20 years, nearly identical ridership in the outer section. There were a couple events that closed Penn in the Cultural District; I wonder if that's why the 600-block counter recorded so many fewer riders than the 1200 (and have left a comment asking if that's so)...
epanastrophe
2015-07-06 11:19:00
I noticed the counter in the 600 block was partially pulled up (damaged) last night when I went through. Who do we report this to?
marko82
2015-07-06 11:42:18
@buffalo, don't get me wrong, I still think the numbers are good, especially considering the weather we had. I guess I didn't clarify that numbers were "slightly" down. I've edited this in my original post Regarding the 600 block, there was a period for about a week or so that they were doing utility work right on the section were the counter is. Granted, this work was done mostly at night, but it surely lost a few trips because of this. A drier July and a fully rolled out Healthy Ride should see these numbers go up.
chrishent
2015-07-06 11:55:11
I just found this blog post from a local lawyer-cyclists that talks about mandatory use of bike lanes. It's a good read. http://offthefrontcycling.com/now-that-weve-built-it-are-they-legally-obligated-to-come/ What got me looking was an encounter I had on the road next to the trail by the Duquesne incline over the weekend. An SUV crossed the yellow line and drove in the wrong lane to pass a long line of stopped vehicles which were turning into the parking lot. We had a brief standoff, but apparently it was my fault because I wasn't using the bike lane.
marko82
2015-07-06 16:16:22
Just noticed on the city's scheduled paving map that Penn between Sixth & Stanwix is up to be finished this fall. Have a query in to 311 to ask whether this means the bikeway will be extended then as well.
epanastrophe
2015-07-27 15:52:52
I believe this was always the plan. The bikeway was originally planned to go all the way to Commonwealth Place, but I think because Penn Avenue was going to be re-paved and PWSA had some work they wanted to get done, they didn't install the bike lanes.
jason-pgh
2015-07-27 16:45:31
If I recall correctly, the original plan last year was for the cycle track to go all the way to Stanwix, but those last two blocks were postponed due to utility work on the 500 block of Penn. The current state of this block could be fairly described as "shot", so the repaving is definitely needed, bike lane or not. Also, I've heard a couple of times now that a bike lane is coming to Stanwix. No idea on timeline or shape, though.
chrishent
2015-07-27 16:46:18
well, yes, but the point was to ask if it would actually happen.
epanastrophe
2015-07-27 16:47:09
On a related note, the bike lane and neighboring sidewalk were closed off last night due to some sort of construction work high on the Heinz Hall building—looked like grinding or welding or something up on the fire escape. (This on top of the work trucks that have been in but not entirely blocking off the lane the last several times I've been downtown.) There was, of course, no detour or other information posted nor any sort of safe passage provided, just a sawhorse across the sidewalk and bike lane.... the two car lanes were, naturally, unaffected.
epanastrophe
2015-08-06 15:54:18
This is pretty awesome. Will be coming up to 100K trips very soon! Interesting to that the hover over gives a count for the cars that shouldn't have been there, too.
byogman
2015-08-06 16:01:46
I wonder if the "car" counter is actually pedicabs or bikes with trailers. That would make sense ;-) Here's the Envision Downtown report for July: http://www.envisiondowntown.com/new-blog/2015/8/4/penn-avenue-bike-lane-july-traffic-report The commuter pattern remains strong, but the peaks remain consistent, even if average weekday ridership has gone up. Weekend average ridership remains higher than that of weekdays, but the latter seems to be catching up
chrishent
2015-08-06 20:00:02
My ongoing gripe with the Penn Ave lane is all the low manhole covers. They were one of the first things noticed, it's been nearly a year, and not a one has been fixed.
stuinmccandless
2015-08-07 08:31:42
Agreed! I'd use the lanes more if it weren't for those, as is I have to avoid if I'm trying to get somewhere kinda fast. I still use them when not hurrying just to see some more other cyclists than in the parallel roadways and to enjoy the fact that we're in a city that's trying.
byogman
2015-08-07 12:26:51
Five-minute video of the low manholes. From my video's explanatory text: One of the earliest complaints about the Penn Ave bike lane when it first opened was low manhole covers. A year later, not a one has changed. Experienced riders find them annoying, but in the dark or rain, an inexperienced rider could get enough of a jolt from one of these to lose his balance. Inbound starting at 16th St, my front camera, normally jiggly anyway from being mounted directly on the handlebars, registers strong jolts when some of these holes are hit. Some of these are outbound, but as I didn't have time to roll both ways, I swung over to the outbound bike lane to clobber a couple of those instead. I hit holes at: 0:32, 0:35, 0:52, 0:59, 1:12, 1:15, 1:18, 1:22, 2:02, 2:07, 2:09, 3:00, 3:04, 3:16, 3:20, 4:05, 4:07, 4:11, 4:13, 4:14, 4:20, 4:28, 4:38, 4:41 (actually a drain grate) and 4:49.
stuinmccandless
2015-08-10 19:09:09
The 1200 block bike counter hit 100,000 trips sometime yesterday morning! High five, people! Good job running your bikes back and forth over the counter to fudge them numbers! All kidding aside, that counter is at an average of 806 trips per day since it was installed in mid April, and rising as the summer goes along. I'd be impressed if this average keeps up through the rest of the year, particularly if that Strip District trail ever opens up again.
chrishent
2015-08-14 07:54:45
We have a Strip Distric trail? Oh yeah, I forgot about that, it's been closed for so bleeding long.
ka_jun
2015-08-14 08:26:19
As a reminder, outbound the Penn lane can (virtually) continue onto Spring Lane (at 16th, jog up R 1/2 a block and L into the alley). Spring has good pavement and you can go up as far as you want, or if you prefer fewer stops cut to Smallman once past the shopping district. Real Bikers, of course, just go up Liberty. The Strip Trail of yore was nice, but you're forgetting the mayflies...
ahlir
2015-08-15 17:49:34
@Ahlir, for as long as I've lived in Pittsburgh, that trail has been closed so I honestly don't know if I'm missing out on anything special. Seems like it's a bit of a hassle to get to it, so I don't think I'd use it much
chrishent
2015-08-15 19:12:54
You could get from the 10th to the cork factory then you had to go up Railroad and into the high 30's, at which point it resumes along the river, for a while. For me the "nice" had to do with traveling through its post-industrial landscape, wondering what might have been there and how the world had grown over and around it since. It is not as yet an up-to-standards trail. It will be one once it's continuous to the zoo and heads up to the top of Heth's Run. Catch it now before it gets overrun by condos...
ahlir
2015-08-15 21:07:05
We have a Strip Distric trail? Oh yeah, I forgot about that, it’s been closed for so bleeding long.
Don't worry, the strip district trail should open by the end of august! https://twitter.com/kevinacklin/status/614597586289344512 I'm not even guessing whether that date is going to be met. Nobody seems to be able to say with certainty.
benzo
2015-08-17 14:34:39
I just started commuting to and from work (Polish Hill to North Side) via the Strip this month. After trying a few different routes and getting caught in wicked 5PM Downtown traffic (I'm not much of a filterer) I found that just GETTING TO the Penn Ave bike lane is hell in the evening rush. I might actually USE the Strip trail on the way home and Penn Ave in the AM rush. So, I'm anxiously awaiting the re-opening, but not holding my breath. For now, I'm using the Convention Center connector from the Point and then hopping on Smallman.
rustyred
2015-08-17 14:41:23
@Benzo They have four whole days to open it back up, waiting with bated breath for the announcement of the grand reopening! Or not.
ka_jun
2015-08-27 12:53:02
Saw today that the City has posted signs at Penn and 16th signaling Smallman St as the designated outbound bike route. The signs make you go right on 16th, then left on Spring Way, then left on 17th until you get to Smallman. I guess they got tired of seeing people riding the wrong way into Penn, either on the road or on the sidewalk
chrishent
2015-08-29 17:23:12
@chrisent: That sounds totally great. Up to now you had to decide whether to turn down 15th, or just continue out on Spring. Doing Spring meant some maneuvering around cars on 16th. I would hope that eventually there's bike-relevant signalling [bike-only right from Penn to beat the oncoming west-bound cars that turn], and one of those green carpet thingies marking a clear path for bikes. [On a personal note, before the Penn lanes I would regularly cut down 15th to Smallman (if not just use 10th). Once the lanes were installed I found myself continuing up and onto Spring: less hassle. I'm not sure if it isn't just me but Spring seems way more pleasant than it used to be some years ago; the pavement is in good shape (apart from a couple of really deep holes). And I've found that I don't really minding so much having to maybe slow down at each street. In any case, lanes rock.]
ahlir
2015-08-29 18:46:58
Spring got paved I think in 2012 or 2013. My preference is the far side 16th St sidewalk to Spring to 22nd to Smallman. I do not like the Smallman/21st corner from any direction.
stuinmccandless
2015-08-29 19:57:09
I like Liberty when passing through the strip or heading to the strip from downtown, but I'm not always up for it. For me, that part of Liberty could be an okay place to have some sort of cycle track, considering car speeds. Makes more sense in my opinion than Penn downtown where I don't feel a need for the cycle track because of slower traffic and higher density of intersections.
sixfist
2015-08-30 13:12:48
Extension to Stanwix coming very soon, apparently. From a BikePGH post: "Penn Avenue Protected Lane Extension: As promised, the Penn Avenue protected bike lane will be inching its way closer to Point State Park. Soon the lane – currently running from 16th Street to 6th Street – will be extended two blocks to Stanwix Street. This will be a continuation of the existing two-way protected cycletrack in the exact same style. The lane was first installed right around this time last year"
chrishent
2015-09-03 11:34:59
"Soon the lane – will be extended two blocks to Stanwix Street." I have a wager going with myself: I think this'll be finished before the Strip trail opens back up.
rustyred
2015-09-03 12:15:14
Penn Ave from 6th to Stanwix is still on the City's paving map, so the cycle track will probably not be put in until the end of this month at the earliest
chrishent
2015-09-03 12:33:13
Is there any breath of a timeline for when things go east? Both Smallman and Liberty are quite ride-able, but Liberty the motorists are clearly ticked at you even if cranking along at over 20mph, and Smallman is incredibly annoying.
byogman
2015-09-03 14:22:00
That section of Penn is slated to begin on the 10th I believe.
mjacobpgh
2015-09-04 19:41:38
Paving generally happens pretty closely to milling unless something complicates matters. For instance, in a lot of places paving is being done in conjunction with utility work so that DPW doesn't pave a street only to have PWSA tear it up and replace a 100 yr old pipe weeks later. I don't know why PennDOT has milled and taken a while to pave on both Butler and now seemingly Penn in East End(though I haven't been up to Penn recently).
mjacobpgh
2015-09-06 12:29:41
Port Authority evidently has been told to expect paving to happen tonight.
epanastrophe
2015-09-10 10:07:27
Anyone get down to Penn Avenue today to check on the progress?
jason-pgh
2015-09-10 16:58:36
The two blocks have been milled. Paving, I assume, will follow shortly after
chrishent
2015-09-10 19:46:50
Penn Ave does not show up in the City's paving list for this week, so one assumes it's going to be rough there for a while. They are probably waiting until the Pirates go out of town again (9/18-9/27) and after the first Steelers home game (9/20), in order to minimize traffic disruptions, and to not piss off Alco, who owns the 6th and Penn parking garage that greatly benefits from these games It's noteworthy that there has been virtually zero press about this extension, other than the little blurb on this site. It'd be helpful for the City to get the word out early, so that at least some road users are aware of this in advance. Otherwise, the popular claim that the City put the bike lanes in without telling anyone might actually be true, for once.
chrishent
2015-09-14 14:05:48
My wife called me to complain about the bike lanes on Penn. so,,,yay.
edmonds59
2015-09-17 13:26:46
drainspotting Someone has a sense of humor!
stuinmccandless
2015-09-29 13:06:44
^yeah, I loved that!
edmonds59
2015-09-29 14:32:31
Whoever manages the PWSA's Twitter account is pretty great to deal with. I usually get a quick, positive response from them
chrishent
2015-09-29 17:20:55
The aforementioned drain grates I also noticed that on the City's paving website they said that this week's work was "rail removal". I'm trying to picture Penn Ave with a tram. That would've been cool
chrishent
2015-10-02 07:28:40
Did you mean this drain grate
benzo
2015-10-02 08:15:57
jonawebb
2015-10-02 08:43:12
" I’m trying to picture Penn Ave with a tram. That would’ve been cool." Here's one at 4th and Smithfield: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_Railways#/media/File:PCC_1647_op_de_combinatielijn_77.54_BLOOMFIELD_in_Downtown_Pittsburgh.jpg A PittGirl article on Dahntahn's Streetcars n'at: http://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Best-of-the-Burgh-Blogs/Pitt-Girl/March-2012/Cruise-Down-Memory-Lane-With-Pittsburghs-Vintage-Street-Cars/ Looks like someone uploaded some old Super8 of trolleys on the Smithfield bridge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2bcSMVSOg4 Couldn't find anything on Penn, but it looks like Jon did! +1
rustyred
2015-10-02 08:48:12
Mine was labeled as 6th Avenue. I assume the cross street is Penn, but don't know the old landmarks well enough to tell.
jonawebb
2015-10-02 09:09:35
@benzo, yep, that's the one. Messed up the link @jonawebb and @rustyred, thanks for the pictures! It looks neat and far less polluting than buses, at least along the roadways, anyway. Power generally ain't clean. The downside of having electric street cars, and it's a big one for me, are all the overhead power lines. I prefer my urban environments to be without exposed wires. We can't have it all, can we?
chrishent
2015-10-02 09:17:21
Looks like Wood, at a guess. Based on the rise in the distance, pre-1912 (the year of the 'hump cut' that lowered the Grant Street area), though that could just be the odd perspective.
epanastrophe
2015-10-02 09:25:19
STREETCAR...trams are for limeys...'n'at....(maybe trolley if you are in Mr. Rodger's Neighborhood)...STREETCAR....
yalecohen
2015-10-02 09:26:06
Pretty sure the 1915-ish photo above is Penn Ave looking west from about 7th Street. The Lyceum Theater is clearly visible on the right. The current O'Reilly is on that site. Remember, though, that we had on-street trolleys downtown until July 5, 1985, the day the T opened.
stuinmccandless
2015-10-02 10:32:36
This just popped up on Facebook. Looking up Penn Ave at Sixth St, toward Seventh. The camera is about where Six Penn is now. Circa 1964. Current StreetView of about the same spot. The Roosevelt's overhang is pretty much unchanged in half a century.
stuinmccandless
2015-10-03 08:32:06
Sweet pic.
edmonds59
2015-10-03 09:33:19
You can still see the trolley rails some places. Most famously at the Braddock entrance of frick park by the parkway. I bet a lot of the bricks+rails were just paved over.
edronline
2015-10-04 21:37:57
Some Pgh curbs have a metal covering over them. Never knew what it was for but figured maybe for the trolleys so they didn't ruin the stone curbs?
edronline
2015-10-04 21:39:09
I always figured it was just to extend the life of the curb against normal wear and tear from trucks and buses and such running over it. Trolleys wouldn't touch the curb normally, would they?
steven
2015-10-05 02:10:46
No, trollies stay in the middle of the road where the tracks are. Using the tracks is not optional. :)
erink
2015-10-05 07:31:57
Penn Avenue is on the paving schedule for 10/9.
jason-pgh
2015-10-05 12:37:50
I've heard from one business owner downtown on Liberty Ave and 6th that Visit Pittsburgh went to his office to inform him of the upcoming cycle track installation on Penn. Presumably they've alerted other businesses in the area as well. At the very least, the tenants of the Highmark building should be well aware of this by now, given that Visit Pittsburgh has its offices there. I wish that the City would start putting up signs at the intersection of Stanwix and Penn (and really, anywhere in that vicinity) announcing the upcoming change in traffic pattern. That left turn from southbound Stanwix onto eastbound Penn is popular. Some advance warning would help reduce the confusion that will surely come with this change.
chrishent
2015-10-05 15:10:14
Also, I noticed a counter on the road, to presumably count cars, in the Strip District. Looks like the city will be comparing bikes to cars on that road.
jason-pgh
2015-10-05 16:33:43
PDP's weekly newsletter had an update on the bike lane today that is .... a little less optimistic than @jason-pgh.
Many of you have probably been wondering when the final block of the Penn Avenue Bike Lane between Sixth and Stanwix Streets will be completed. Last year when most of the bike lane was put in, PWSA discovered that one of the pipes running under that block needed to be repaired before the street could be milled and repaved. That work was done earlier this year. Recently, DPW milled the section from Sixth to Stanwix Streets and discovered trolley tracks near the surface. Unfortunately, the trolley tracks are so close to the road surface that, if they are paved over, the asphalt will easily erode from the wear and tear of car traffic. The solution? The trolley tracks have to be dug up and removed before the road can be paved and striped for the bike lane. When will the job be done? Hopefully, before winter.
/sigh. (via @downtownpitt twitter: https://twitter.com/DowntownPitt/status/651155180528930820)
epanastrophe
2015-10-05 17:05:47
This is at least the second time construction has, "uncovered" trolley tracks, the other one being the Penn Avenue fustercluck of a project in Garfield. I understand trolleys were removed quite quickly, but wouldn't there be some form of database where old trolley tracks were?
jason-pgh
2015-10-05 17:10:10
We have had a piece of technology known as a metal detector, capable of finding a single silver dime at a depth of two feet. You would think that PennDOT, or one of its contractors, would be able to find a 100-pound piece of iron rail at a depth of a few inches, by using such a device.
stuinmccandless
2015-10-05 17:14:31
Well, at least they are removing the rails and they're seemingly trying to do this the right way.
chrishent
2015-10-05 18:30:00
New DPW paving schedule lists Penn Avenue to be paved on the 15th starting at 6pm. Re: Trolley Rails On biking down S. Milvalle Avenue the other day, turning right onto the road from Liberty (headed towards oakland) there are trolley tracks exposed there. Bad news for the next time they pave this.
jason-pgh
2015-10-14 14:13:40
I wish the City would simply make Penn Ave one way now instead of waiting for the road to be repaved and for the cycle track to be put in. That way people can start getting used to this arrangement. FWIW, this change has been communicated to Google Maps. Right now, it will not allow you to plan a car route that makes you go eastbound on Penn on these last two blocks. It does allow you to plan such a route using a bike. Also worth noting is that Google Maps will also not allow you to plan a car route that goes northbound on 6th St between Liberty Ave and Penn, while allowing you to plan this using a bike. I seriously doubt that the City will make that short section of 6th St one way, so this is probably a mistake.
chrishent
2015-10-14 15:10:24
Paving began last night. It's far from over, though.
chrishent
2015-10-15 06:27:26
Anybody else find it odd that the map attached to the mayor's press release includes as 'existing bike infrastructure' a selection of unmarked paths through Point State Park, but not the posted Smithfield Street bridge and Fort Pitt Boulevard "shared use paths" ? https://twitter.com/envisiondwntwn/status/657652972076277760/photo/1
epanastrophe
2015-10-23 15:45:50
Well, other than the green bits of Penn and maybe 6th, the rest is all "shared" if you count the peds. (And if you do, there's way more green than shown.) Maybe there should have been three colors... (no, this is not an invitation to a discussion; just a musing).
ahlir
2015-10-23 17:50:40
Here's the work on the extension as of this morning: IMG_0312 IMG_0311
rustyred
2015-10-24 14:45:45
Looks beautiful. Does "Use vehicular signal" mean you shouldn't run over any peds? I could live with that (though a mindful biker would certainly respect their priority as they slowly make their way across the intersection, perhaps with a foot on the ground). I wonder how that parking garage entrance is going to work...
ahlir
2015-10-24 19:04:44
It appears that most, if not all, of the signs that indicate that this is now a one-way road for vehicles other than bicycles are in place. However, there are no bollards installed yet. There are also no temporary barriers preventing other vehicles from traveling east on these two blocks, so don't be surprised to see people turning into the cycle track area My guess is that the next few days are going to be confusing for a lot of drivers in this area, so be careful when riding on this stretch of road.
chrishent
2015-10-25 18:09:22
Rode it this morning, and I did see one car driving on the bike lane, but they were out of the way before I got there. I am concerned by the light stenciling at the Stanwix end, however, which tell bikes to merge into the main traffic lane before getting to the intersection. Why would they do that? and how are bikes supposed to get into the bike lane from Stanwix?
willb
2015-10-26 08:34:46
@willb I agree that the stencil at the end of the cycle track is a little concerning. I think they are trying for westbound cyclists to merge with traffic here to avoid getting left hooked. I've encountered many times drivers that fail to yield to me when I'm walking across Stanwix (with the walk sign on) when he/she is turning left from Penn onto Stanwix. If you are going straight towards PSP, the safest maneuver is to merge before you reach the intersection. Cyclists should have no issue making a right turn from northbound Stanwix onto eastbound Penn. A left turn from southbound Stanwix onto Penn might be trickier, especially considering that there is no proper turn lane here, though this is arguably a rare occurrence, as most of the traffic traveling southbound at this point is coming from the Parkway via Ft. Duquesne Blvd. That being said, if the bollards are not installed all the way up to Stanwix, there will be numerous drivers attempting to turn into Penn with no physical barrier to "prevent" them from doing this. Simply putting up signs won't be enough.
chrishent
2015-10-26 10:29:42
I found myself a bit flummoxed as I approached the Stanwix corner. True, not having paint or bollards does present the issue of "OK, now what?". * Going left, I would have to merge into motor traffic also turning left onto Stanwix, which is not intuitive; * Going straight toward Point State Park and the Ft Duq Bridge, I would have to cross motor traffic turning left, and then somehow merge into forward traffic, which if it is moving at all, is moving quickly, and if it isn't, then I would be faced with filtering. * Going right -- which admittedly is not going to be a lot of us, just people like me headed for an outbound O1 or O12, first boarded on Stanwix just before this corner -- looks very difficult. I did not encounter oncoming car traffic on my one pass. Neither did I stick around to count those who did. This was about noon.
stuinmccandless
2015-10-26 13:34:08
I rode the Penn Ave bike lane today. There were sawhorses blocking the lane for both bikes and cars - which is probably a great thing to do until all the markings/ wands are in place. I saw this sign at Penn and Sixth: and I double-taked it. Don't cyclists always use vehicular signals? Do they mean, the round lights and not the pedestrian signals? I'm really not sure what the desired message is. (seriously, not trolling)
vannever
2015-10-29 19:30:49
They mean, "don't ride through the Barnes Dance, wait for the green light."
epanastrophe
2015-10-29 19:36:05
I think they mean to say, cyclists should follow the signals for vehicles, not pedestrians. Which is what you do, and we all should, all the time. But not everyone does.
jonawebb
2015-10-29 19:37:43
thank you Jon and Jon, and especially for teaching me the Barnes Dance.
vannever
2015-10-29 21:20:41
@jonawebb writes, "cyclists should follow the signals for vehicles, not pedestrians." @me amends: unless otherwise directed, which one will find along the Penn Avenue--it IS a bit confusing; some signs direct cyclists to follow vehicular signals; other(s) to follow pedestrian signals
yalecohen
2015-10-30 00:04:19
thanks more!
vannever
2015-10-30 04:33:41
I regularly dismount and push my bike across Penn at 6th during the Barnes Dance part of the cycle. Hey, I'm a pedestrian, I can walk across the street, right? I'm just pushing a bicycle while doing that. I don't see anything wrong with that. I don't see how anyone else could find anything wrong with that, either.
stuinmccandless
2015-10-30 08:31:27
Multiple vehicles parked in the lane near the Convention Center, yesterday, at around 1PM. Would've taken pics, had I had my phone with me. U-Haul truck and some workers doing some type of cement work on the sidewalk, apparently.
ka_jun
2015-11-03 11:04:21
Heads up guys, if you try to enforce the law, you're the reason cars hate you, according to one guy in front of Heinz hall. I stopped to take a picture of an RV parked in the bike lane in front of Heinz hall. Then, a large man wearing a grey sweatshirt that said, "Pittsburgh Zombies" on the back came screaming at me that, "he had a permit to be there by the city" and that, "I'm wasting my time." I told him I'll just go ahead and report it to 311 to have the city check it instead. He told me that he bikes to work every day, is a member of BikePGH. (which I HIGHLY doubt) I should have called 911, but this guy was insane, so I grabbed a drink of water and waited for him to leave, as well as the RV to get out of the lane. This begs the question though, the city wouldn't be stupid enough to allow Heinz Hall to have a permit to park there would they?
jason-pgh
2015-11-03 14:17:25
Also, aside, there are ASL boxes being installed at Penn and 7th.
jason-pgh
2015-11-03 14:40:01
BTW, 311 is not a sort of mini-911. If you see somebody violating the law and you want the police to issue a ticket, call 911. 311 is for things like potholes you want filled, or bike lanes cleared of debris, etc. It is the way to access city maintenance. There's no point in calling 311 for illegal parking; it's only going to delay things, if it makes its way through the system at all.
jonawebb
2015-11-03 15:03:45
I was just informed of that today, which I subsequently called 911 about. I guess I was just a bit averse to using 911 for something like illegal parking, but I will for sure do that now. Thanks for the heads up @jonawebb P.S. Picture of the vehicle in question. https://twitter.com/FerranteJason/status/661593064159473668
jason-pgh
2015-11-03 15:16:15
I'm actually okay with Heinz Hall blocking the bike lane to load or unload...so long as they set up sawhorses (not just cones) to block the leftmost inbound lane of Penn and route the bike lane around the truck/bus/RV. If that's too much trouble, then they should probably just park elsewhere.
reddan
2015-11-03 15:24:01
They've removed the bike counters from the Penn Ave cycle track: https://twitter.com/envisiondwntwn/status/664495814346063872 Bummer. I was curious to see how much use it was getting during the winter. But I guess those counting strips wouldn't survive if a snow plow passes scraping the road. Or maybe the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership doesn't want to show the data?
chrishent
2015-11-13 16:11:56
Will the cameras still be running? Can we get some sort of automated counter to analyze camera footage?
stuinmccandless
2015-11-13 17:13:30
The City has installed at least 4 new bike racks along Penn Ave: 2 between 6th and 7th near Meat and Potatoes and the O'Reilly Theater, and the other two near Seviche/Sharp Edge/Sienna. As before, they were commissioned by the Cultural Trust (I think) so they don't look like your typical bike rack. In fact, I'm not sure the one in front of the O'Reilly is a bike rack. I bet you'll have a hard time putting a U-lock through it
chrishent
2015-11-14 17:47:26
Partly prompted by Stu's question, I asked Envision Downtown if they would continue to collect data by some other means (after business hours, probably, on Friday; at any rate, no answer yet). Will update when/if they respond. https://twitter.com/infinitebuffalo/status/665301300498722816
epanastrophe
2015-11-16 11:31:22
Some pictures of the new Penn Ave bike racks are up on the BikePGH Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bikepgh Of the six shown, five are new. The one in front of the O'Reilly Theater vexes me.
chrishent
2015-11-18 07:57:20
I hate these art racks, they dont' scream "I'm a bike rack, lock to me", and some of them are really terrible at the job of being a bike rack. What I want to see is pictures of these racks at capacity with bikes locked Properly with frame ulocked and at least a single wheel cable locked with an accessory cable.
benzo
2015-11-19 10:44:30
I think it would be nice to have a plaque on the ground that indicates the name of the artist, the name of the sculpture/rack (if there is one), and a little blurb that says "Cultural District Bike Racks". That would make their purpose more apparent. For example, I recently found out that an artist named Toby Fraley was responsible for one of the racks installed last year. It's called "Contrails": http://www.tobyfraley.com/exhibitions---public-art-installations.html http://www.tobyfraley.com/contrails.html But yeah, a couple of these are seriously lacking in functionality.
chrishent
2015-11-19 14:40:25
Thanks, @Vannevar!
chrishent
2015-11-19 22:11:43
Cool. Having signs that indicate them as bike racks, and identify the artist is a nice improvement. It makes them less ambiguous. Still not as enthusiastic about them, but I'll take it down from hate to dislike.
benzo
2015-11-23 10:07:47
I was in Montreal for a few days and snapped some bike infrastructure pics. Parking meters, as in Pittsburgh, were replaced by kiosks. But the meter posts were left. They already had a ring for locking bikes; so everywhere downtown there's bike parking. (The meter itself was replaced with info about parking hours and such; so you don't have to schlep to the kiosk to figure out what's up. Meter posts are next to buildings to make snow removal easier.) [*CENSORED*] http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0JqjCN8aMag/Vm9ivS24qLI/AAAAAAAAMqg/rXN-Yvu7oR4/s640-Ic42/20151212_124703.jpg Some streets have bike lanes separated from cars by a raised median. Safer than bollards. [*CENSORED*] http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BGR-W8vYrmk/Vm9i6FehqfI/AAAAAAAAMqo/zTwPW9Pko2I/s640-Ic42/20151212_124739.jpg Also, on the median, this: [*CENSORED*] http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-v6YmK00gzsY/Vm9kJUVYVQI/AAAAAAAAMq0/qiZh1ZY_Ong/s640-Ic42/20151213_130529.jpg
ahlir
2015-12-14 19:55:10
Essential Pittsburgh did a "Connecting Pittsburgh's Urban Landscape" discussion, 17 min audio: http://wesa.fm/post/connecting-pittsburghs-urban-landscape It includes discussion of bike lanes such as Penn Ave. At 4:40, Paul Guggenheimer says that Penn Ave cyclists are harder on pedestrians than motorists are; "they get very upset when you walk into their lane". [maybe he didn't try getting hit by a car vs. a bike] At 5:10, a caller from Healthy Ride points out that 20 bikes can park in the same space as 2 cars. At 8:15, a caller from Wexford says that most of her suburbanite friends "loathe Pittsburgh especially now that you have the bike lanes". [It sounds like she dislikes change - Penn Ave is one-way for cars now, OMG!]
paulheckbert
2016-01-06 00:50:14
The Wexford caller also complained about loss of parking around Phipps. I recall that some parking spots were removed, but there's still parking along Schenley Dr leading up to three-way intersection. I guess she wants all the parking! The last caller apparently has never heard of Google Maps...
chrishent
2016-01-06 08:27:20
People from Wexford loathing downtown EVEN MORE because of bike lanes = win/win for bike lanes.
edmonds59
2016-01-08 13:03:35
The bike-counting devices have been reinstalled, I noticed one this morning around 9th St.
rustyred
2016-04-01 08:54:53
Alright people! Once again, it's time for the ten of us that use this cycle track to dust off our bikes and make a minimum of 10 passes per day over each counter. We need to keep those daily counts high! ;-) Seriously though, judging by the number of bikes I see locked up on the newer art racks between Garrison Pl. and 10th St in the evenings, I'd say the bike lane is getting plenty of use.
chrishent
2016-04-01 09:18:35
The other two counters (600 block and 1200 block) are now in place as well. Make your trip count, yinz!
chrishent
2016-04-15 14:58:17
Penn Ave, including the bike lanes, is closed between Seventh & Ninth for the Children's Festival. Festival opens Thursday and runs through Sunday: http://pghkids.trustarts.org
epanastrophe
2016-05-10 18:39:50
Jagoff parked in the lane at 16th and Penn this morning, reported to 311.
kieran
2016-05-11 08:06:58
I think a 911 call would have been more appropriate.
helen-s
2016-05-11 08:25:21
My understanding is that merits a 911 call.
ka_jun
2016-05-11 08:25:44
yep, especially since they would've had to drive against the one-way to get there...
epanastrophe
2016-05-11 09:24:24
I called 911 about the Kia- HZT 0353 this morning FWIW. He said he would have someone come check it out.
tenplusone
2016-05-11 12:42:44
when i rode past this morning, it was getting towed
erok
2016-05-11 20:52:33
Maybe i'm twisted, but it would be fun to stick around and mock the driver when they came back for their car. Perhaps film their reaction to the missing car for everyone on facetube to enjoy. Such an excellent opportunity for schadenfreude.
dfiler
2016-05-12 09:20:10
when i went past, i just assumed there was a crash, and it was being towed. didn't realize that the car was parked there... I went past around 9:30 or so, wonder how long it was there. Kieren's post was from 8:06
erok
2016-05-12 09:33:00
That's pretty quick then. Probably shortly after I called. Wow.
tenplusone
2016-05-12 15:24:37
Tow companies don't waste time. If they're notified by the police, they're johnny on the spot. Once they're connected to your vehicle, it belongs to them.
dfiler
2016-05-12 15:31:07
The profit motive in action. See, capitalism isn't all bad.
jonawebb
2016-05-12 15:34:31
The plastic bollard in the middle of the lane was knocked down while they were towing. i was pleasantly surprised to see that someone had fixed it up by the time i was heading back east
erok
2016-05-13 09:04:19
The Penn Ave bike lane was discussed on the streetsblog podcast! Episode 98: Talking Headways Podcast: A Shared Space Revolution http://usa.streetsblog.org/2016/04/29/talking-headways-podcast-a-shared-space-revolution/ "On the podcast this week is Robert Ping, executive director of the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute, who tells us about Pittsburgh’s plans for the largest shared space in an American city. Robert also discusses why it’s so important to get public officials from different agencies in the same room together to talk about improving conditions for walking and biking. And we wonder why parents are being threatened with arrest just for walking their kids to school, and how getting driven around affects kids’ perceptions of where they live compared to walking."
dfiler
2016-05-25 09:14:33
"State Law Yield to Pedestrians" signs on Penn Avenue where bike lane is are somewhat protruding into the bike lane, moved a few of them out of the lane last night but I was unable to get all of them.
jason-pgh
2016-05-29 13:53:47
New counting strip at 14th St, on the downtown side of the intersection. The ones at 12th are still there.
stuinmccandless
2016-09-27 13:47:00
New crosswalk paint at corner of Penn Ave & 11th St. The green is faint and will just get fainter with time. But the white should help protect pedestrians a bit. https://flic.kr/p/Ma5jrF
paulheckbert
2016-10-11 19:44:45
They painted this on Sunday.  Hopefully they are doing other intersections on Penn too.
edronline
2016-10-11 21:05:51
Those painted crosswalks are part of a study and intended to be temporary. The paint is water soluble and will fade quickly. Sorry, can't remember where to find more info on this.  
dfiler
2016-10-17 09:46:34
I think it would have been prudent to patch the many cracks and potholes prior to this "fancy" painting since it essentially camouflages them (see above pic) and ironically creates its own safety hazard.
marko82
2016-10-17 09:59:24
they do intend to redo it with a more durable thermoplastic, however for the sake of getting it in, they went with paint. getting thermo installed for small projects is unusually complicated in the pittsburgh area
erok
2016-10-17 10:23:34
but that will fade really fast, especially since it's on concrete
erok
2016-10-17 10:24:31
they do intend to redo it with a more durable thermoplastic, however for the sake of getting it in, they went with paint.
Will they add sand to thermoplastic? Otherwise it's going to be "a skating ring" during rain/snow.  
mikhail
2016-10-17 10:50:25
they usually do
erok
2016-10-17 10:59:56
Here's how Envision Downtown describes the Penn & 11th crosswalk: http://www.envisiondowntown.com/graphic-crosswalks/ Google cached an earlier version of their page describing the project: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:9bKgQcrPk38J:www.envisiondowntown.com/penn-11th-street-graphic-crosswalks/+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us Their 90 page Public Action Plan is an interesting read as well! https://issuu.com/envisiondowntown/docs/prap_for_website_small/13?e=24155831/37057114
dfiler
2016-10-17 11:28:23
Ooooo. i like those before/after overhead shots  
erok
2016-10-17 12:13:16
I'd be interested in hearing from frequent users whether or not you've noticed the inbound improvements on Penn help cyclist priority at the crossing.  The intent was to utilize portions of protected intersection design (offset crossing and forward stop bar) to induce better driver behavior making left turns across the cycle track.  Thankfully the street has been calmed enough to bring speeds down in general, but I'm rather frequently - at least for my comfort - close to getting left-hooked by drivers either not seeing or not caring to pay attention to the left turns yield signage.
nmr
2016-10-17 17:36:51
No, I'm not seeing motorist behavior changing with the signage or the new paint and I gave the Envision Downtown folks feedback as requested: A: notably, the new green paint has camouflaged a few pre-existing potholes. Previously visible holes and cracks are now a greater danger to cyclists. Attention should have been paid to patching the holes before putting paint down. B: turning motorists almost always fail to yield to traffic proceeding straight in the bi-directional cycletrack. The concept of traffic passing on one's LEFT at an intersection while trying to turn left is a foreign concept and motorists do not expect to see traffic there, not do they feel that traffic proceeding straight has the right of way. People should not have to compete with impatient motorists who menace others with horn-honking and yelling to 'get out of the way'. How can these conflicts be avoided? Separate signals for motorists, pedestrians and bike traffic.  If the city chooses to allow these conflicts with one signal for all three road users, then please begin ticketing those who refuse to yield, intimidate pedestrians or block the crosswalks.
rustyred
2016-10-17 19:53:52
Agreed.  I always feel I need to start 3-5 seconds ahead of the left turning cars and be in the middle of the intersection so they see me. Agree with rustyred- they just don't even think to look.   This is a design problem and more signs won't help. They need to design their way out of it. It isn't as bad going outbound but problem still exists.
edronline
2016-11-03 21:48:05
It is far worse from 11th downward than the strip section I've noticed.
edronline
2016-11-03 21:48:50
I've been using the lanes every weekday, twice a day since they were installed. Outbound, I feel like inbound drivers are more used to seeing me coming now than when the lanes were first installed and maybe the drivers thought "great, cars can no longer come outbound so I can turn whenever I want" Inbound when stopped at a light, the staggered stopping lines are a big help and I feel less likely to be left hooked when the light turns green and both a driver and I move into the intersection, since I have a head start. Separate signals with the bike signal starting first would be ideal, but this was a non-starter when I asked for it back when these lanes were in the planning phase. Maybe the city would reconsider now? But when traveling inbound toward a light that's already green, I feel just as likely to be left hooked as ever. About half of drivers simply don't look. If someone is turning, I have to assume that they aren't paying attention. Just today a lady in a white SUV turned left across the bike lane, right into me, forcing me to stop so fast that I dropped my chain and almost skidded out. I screamed out! She which she stopped, looked at me with a blank face, and then drove off. The signs aren't cutting it-- we need some enforcement down here. A cop watching this corner could get guaranteed tickets any morning of the week.
ted
2016-11-03 23:44:57
With the pgh police chief resigning it'll be interesting to see how this changes things with bikers. My sense was that the former chief was fairly progressive and there was a ton of push back from the "good old boys" in the police force who didn't want to change.   In either case, I bet policing the bike lane and writing tickets for cutting off bikers is super low priority.
edronline
2016-11-05 19:53:25
Seems like there are still no bollards on the repaved section of penn between stanwix and 6th.  Last time I used it there were two cars attempting to drive in the bikeway both the section between stanwix and 6th and the section between 6th and 7th.
benzo
2016-11-07 09:48:32
Yes. I posted this in the fall conditions thread. It is scary with no bollards or markings. Cars will think Penn changed to 2 lanes there.
edronline
2016-11-07 19:00:46
Discussed this with the city.  they are supposed to be putting temporary cones out, which i think will help. the problem is that it was a utility that dug up and repaved, and are now responsible for replacement of everything, and there's hold ups when dealing with contractors. Ugh.
erok
2016-11-08 11:10:44
can confirm—cones were placed sometime between 7 and 10 last night.  there's also now a solid line there between the bike & general lanes.
epanastrophe
2016-11-08 11:41:19
Brief discussion on Facebook, follow-up here for posterity. Would you stop for a stopped school bus with its lights flashing while in the Penn Ave cycletrack? I did, but many others did not, either direction. video I creep up alongside the bus, making eye contact with the driver. He gave me the nod, clicked off the lights, the flashing stop sign folded back, so I proceeded. I mention this on the video, though the camera does not pick up the visual.
stuinmccandless
2017-04-29 03:51:45
I've never thought about that. I stop on a regular street, no matter what side of the street the bus is on. However, is the cycle track part of Penn considered more like a divided highway? If there's a barrier in the middle you don't need to stop if you're in a car and the bus is on the other side of the divided road.
edronline
2017-04-29 06:51:12
I think half of it goes to Darlene's smoke eating machine for her office and the other half goes to a private access highway directly from her house to said building.
edronline
2017-05-01 16:22:09
I think on the traffic lights at 11th, 10th, 9th, 7th, and 6th Streets, they should have a dedicated signal for bikes that turns green five seconds before the main vehicular light turns green. Also, keep the light for bikes green as well as a left and right arrow so turns can be executed safely for seven seconds after the main light turns red to prevent the right hook/left cross problem. If anyone driving doesn't want to deal with the delay, take Liberty Ave. instead.   A traffic light like this one:
zzwergel
2017-05-04 17:06:02
You might see those in your lifetime, but I doubt I'll see them in mine. We need 10x the bike density, maybe more like 50x, before an idea like that is viable. Sorry to say, of the 8x a week I cross the Penn at 9th corner, I see a bike visible approaching either direction barely a quarter of the time. The question, as ever, is why not? What's keeping us from increasing our bike population 50-fold? This has comparatively little to do with ignorant politicians, though that's a factor. There is no single, simple answer.
stuinmccandless
2017-05-06 10:22:11
I'm not sure it's worth $0.26 to play vigilante or advertise said activities: From https://www.expertlaw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=174944 Re: Is it Legal to Put Stickers on Illegally Parked Cars yes you would be breaking several laws and committing a tort or two on top of that. and you might get the crap beat out of you to boot. And from https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110401071621AATTHLY: Yes, that would be illegal. If there is damage, it would be vandalism. Without damage, it could be considered disorderly conduct and/or criminal mischief. ...
yalecohen
2017-07-02 01:03:32
You can't put a price on fun.   That 6th St bike lane has more car parking violators than anywhere else.
edronline
2017-07-02 09:12:20
I think that's the same attitude some of those drivers (drunk or sober) have that like to buzz close to bikers...and scream and throw things at them. I could be wrong.
yalecohen
2017-07-02 12:49:18
There was a U-Haul truck parked in the bike lanes today around 1:15 PM. I think it was between Garrison Pl. and Tenth St. No one was inside the truck but I yelled that they should not park there.
zzwergel
2017-07-02 16:40:16
Yesterday (Tuesday) there was a large truck (with blinkers on) in the bike lane near 7th--they were setting up for some event--appropriate and acceptable imho. Tonight I passed through that section and there were two cars parked there-no one was around...I continued toward the Strip hoping to find one of our Finest....and indeed, in a block-and-a-half two of Pittsburgh's Pedaling Patrolmen were coming towards me...as I pointed out the infraction, they acknowledged they saw it and on their way...I didn't stay around to see how they handled it (ticket, tow, etc.)--thirty minutes later the vehicles...were gone.
yalecohen
2017-09-06 22:41:08
I wish there was a more solid separation than plastic bollards. They're in invite for motorists to knock them down if they're in the way.  I see it on Penn Ave and on the north shore trail all the time.
edronline
2017-09-07 06:57:04
Call 911 to report parking violations, then they have a record, and data they can use to justify more enforcement.
benzo
2017-09-07 09:06:31
Two trucks were parked squarely in Penn Ave bike lanes between 10th & 11th Street this morning next to Westin.  USPS truck + plain white delivery truck.  Both trucks reported to 311.  Somewhat new to Penn Ave bike lanes.  Are there circumstances where this is allowed and/or is this normal?
bawenala
2018-01-29 12:31:11
They should put steel bollards along the edge of the cycle track along with collapsible bollards where deliveries night meed to be made and plastic bollards at intersections.
zzwergel
2018-01-29 12:48:32
Two trucks were parked squarely in Penn Ave bike lanes
I've had response when I've snapped a pic of a truck then sent it to the company, and received a nice reply. I believe the right approach is education, at least initially. I'm not sure these things are 311 issues, unless there's an infrastructure problem (e.g. missing bollards). But it might be a 911 issue if the trucks (or cars) create a hazard, for example forcing bikes into dangerous traffic.
ahlir
2018-01-29 15:23:33
311 can take days
edronline
2018-01-29 18:22:50
^^ In the past I've been told by police officers that reporting of cars blocking bike lanes or trails should go to 911 (not 311).  Please inform the operator early in the call that the call is not an emergency, but police are needed at such-and-such location.  Then they will handle it as priority allows. I know I always hesitate to use an emergency number for these things, but that's the system we have.        
marko82
2018-01-29 20:31:15
I can understand a 10-minute stop to off-load a box or two. Sitting there upwards of a half hour, let alone an entire afternoon or evening, is a whole different matter.
stuinmccandless
2018-01-29 21:17:29
A few years ago I was in San Francisco, in a van that was supposed to pick some people up near Union Square. They were late. I suggested to the driver that he pull over along this empty bit of curb just up the street. I will never forget the look of terror on his face. It was a bus stop, and apparently the penalty for blocking a bus was truly draconian. I didn't (dare) ask what it might be... Now, imagine a law in Pittsburgh that makes it next to unthinkable to park in a bike lane. Problem solved.
ahlir
2018-01-29 21:40:34
Not just a law but enforcement . There probably already is a law.
edronline
2018-01-30 06:29:44
The city's parking code, which substantially mirrors the state's with some additions, is online at https://library.municode.com/pa/pittsburgh/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_TITFIVETR_ARTVIIPA The word 'lane' does not seem to appear on that page; 'cycle' appears three times, once relating to motorcycles and twice in reference to parking bikes themselves... (There is, btw, an explicit prohibition on parking within 15' of a bus stop, as well as laws against parking on the sidewalk and in or near a crosswalk, not that any of those are ever enforced, either...)
epanastrophe
2018-01-30 08:20:10
And again today, two huge trucks with flatbed trailers parked in the cycle track between 8th and 9th.  One an 18-wheeler, the other a pickup with a big 5th-wheel trailer. Too big to be waiting or delivering.  I imagine they were associated with some nearby construction project.   We saw them twice, probably half an hour apart.  They must have driven in from the 9th St end, because bollards were still standing. Therefore they might be operating under some permit. I reported this to 311 rather than 911 because it needs a systemic solution.  A year and a half ago we had the same situation next to Heinz Hall, and it appeared to be related to an event permit.  If a permit is involved, a traffic plan is required, and it has to include a detour.    I noticed today that my 311 request from that incident is still "open" and also re-raised that one.
maryshaw
2018-04-15 00:11:45
Earlier today such trucks were parked on Ft. Duquesne... What looked like a Mercedes Sprinter, and a pickup, were parked next to Benedum. Is the Sprinter an eco-conscious tour bus? Or just down-market? I was too lazy to stop and take pictures (just hopped on the sidewalk and rode past). Ah well.
ahlir
2018-04-15 19:21:19
A sprinter is a delivery van. My guess is that Mercedes was selling these in Europe for years and found a niche here for a large delivery van for those that don't need a truck)
edronline
2018-04-15 20:40:10
Well, you're right, Sprinter is basically a commercial van. However they also come in a camper configuration. A friend in CA has one (they seem popular out there).
ahlir
2018-04-16 09:37:53
that's for when you want to camp with a TV set, I guess. :)
edronline
2018-04-16 15:02:27
Ironically, sprinters are popular among bikers who are doing races every weekend. There's enough room to pack bikes, tools and still sleep inside. Both privateers and sponsored riders use them. Sprinters are also commonly used by bike companies to travel to industry events. World cup pits are full of them. Also, check out behind the booths at dirt fest...
dfiler
2018-04-16 15:29:45
@dfiler: That's interesting. But I'm not sure that it licenses parking a Sprinter in a bike lane... :-)
ahlir
2018-04-16 21:07:03
i'd say that a quarter of the time i use the bike lane, which is mainly on weekends and sometimes mid-day on a week day, there's at least one truck parked in it, either by the post office or the theaters. the fix has to be systematic -- it has to come from the city. I hear that the city may have a peds/bike coordinator, but it is really unclear what this coordinator's job description is. Until the city pays attention issues like the penn ave bike lane being used as a parking spot and, say, bridge sidewalks not being cleaned will continue.
edronline
2018-04-17 09:05:15
The city bike ped coordinator is Kristin Saunders Bike Pgh has some influence on her.  So does a big pile of similar 311 complaints The way to make this higher priority with her is to make it clear that people care.  A single complaint can easily get lost in the noise.  A pile of similar complaints makes an issue.  It only takes tens, not hundreds. That means that we should all complain, every time.  Even if you don't do that, you can still file the general issue like, "People are still parking in the bike lanes, especially at XXX. This is a safety issue. I see this XXX times a week Please make them stop." The new 311 service actually does track service requests.  It's on the web at http://pittsburghpa.gov/innovation-performance/311.html or more conveniently on your cellphone as the MyBurgh app.  Filing with the app is easy -- you can take a photo within the app and send on the spot, and it will be tagged with GPS location.  There is centralized tracking, and a pileup of unresolved similar complaints will be noticed (plus you can go back every couple of months and add "why isn't this resolved" comments).  It's easier to complain through My Burgh than to post here. You'll be asked to select a type of issue.  There are several bland offerings under "Pedestrian/Bicycle Concerns", of which the only relevant one is (again) "Pedestrian/Bicycle Concerns". No other choice seems better.
maryshaw
2018-04-17 09:43:50
I also find twitter really helpful for reporting 311. they always respond to tweets. @pgh311 on twitter. This way you can send a a picture and don't have to worry about categorizing it. If they have a question about it they tweet back and you can clarify. I've found this much easier than the website.
edronline
2018-04-17 10:01:41
What @edronline said.
stuinmccandless
2018-04-18 13:00:28
Mary, I was thinking about what you said about 311. I'm not sure many 311 complaints will make any difference at all. It seems that 311 is a pretty scattered system and even though they have a central record of complaints I don't think anyone actually look through the data to see if there's any commonalities. Especially with something like parking in a bike lane. 311 will say that it is not their issue because they work on problems with much longer time frames. I think it'll just log that there's a complaint and close it immediately. Ditto with repeated 9-1-1 calls. I think we'll just get lost in all the noise at 911. I think this is better worked on at a politician level or a Peds bike coordinator level or it advocacy group such as bike Pittsburgh. I've emailed the Peds bike coordinator quite a few times over the years about different big picture issues such as cleaning Bridge sidewalks and never got a response back. Get that turns into either a learned helplessness situation like I have or motivated citizen situation such as the woman who has decided to take on cleaning of the 40th Street bridge on her own dime.
edronline
2018-04-18 13:54:57
@edronline My understanding of 311 is that the office that receives the requests  routes them to specific departments.  Those departments are then expected to address *and close* the reports, which allows for statistics and tracking. This was certainly the case a couple of bike/ped coordinators ago, when the then-incumbent asked me to file 311 reports so he could create a record.  Given the Mayor's emphasis on information, tracking, and data analysis, I would expect this to be even more true now. The online system gives you a reference number and the ability to track activity on the request. For example, my recent report on Penn Av, parking in bike lanes, has a note with status "routed" that says it was routed to police zone 6.  Others have been closed with comments that contain more information than a 311 operator would have. I don't know whether they track twitter reports in the same way as 311 reports -- do you get a reply with a service request that allows you to track the response? If a number of us accumulate a bunch of requests and still aren't getting response, Bike Pgh can bundle those and take them to the City (e.g., bike/ped coordinator) with the dual complaint of no action and no response.  But for them to do that, they'll need the list of service requests that were not handled satisfactorily.
maryshaw
2018-04-18 14:14:12
I guess the issue is the time frame. You 311 a parking in the bike lane and, at best, it gets looked at hours later. At worst days later. Also, departments in city government aren't all electronic. For some city depts 311 has to fax over a request. Also city depts don't regularly feed back to 311 what they did. That's why so many tickets are open. Or sometimes, say, 311 will send it to the dept and close the ticket without finding what happened. It's a super incomplete system. It is also unclear if our current peds bike coordinator actually looks at and of this data. I'm honestly not sure what she does but this may be my bone to pick with her not responding to emails and tweets (all polite) re issues that clearly should be in her wheelhouse.
edronline
2018-04-18 20:33:46
To get something done about the specific vehicle that is blocking the bike lane right now, call 911. To do something about the systemic problem requires documentation and getting the attention of someone who can actually do something.  We don't actually know what works.  I'm advocating 311 because it creates a paper trail that will serve as evidence when the problem does make someone's agenda, and it may help get the issue onto someone's agenda. There are several problems here, which will require different solutions: (a) random people parking just because (this requires the usual illegal parking enforcement) (b) delivery drivers (I think they get more tolerance, though they might disagree) (c) event permits that allow blocking the bike lanes without providing a detour (this requires process changes in the events office to be sure they treat bike lanes like other travel lanes) (d) there may be others  
maryshaw
2018-04-18 22:38:09
My 311 was processed and closed, with the comment "Overtime beat/bicycle/patrol detail assigned to the central business district has been directed to monitor illegal parking in the bike lanes on a daily basis. Contractor accepting deliveries will be contacted." In addition, I received email from a Zone 3 Sergeant: Your 311 complaint regarding trucks in the bike lane was recently shared with me.  I wanted to inform you that I've been receiving some of the other complaints referenced in the comments, and give you some insight into our response and plans for a permanent resolution. In regards to the other complaints, they typically reference delivery trucks in the 800 or 900 block of Penn Ave., and the trucks are always gone by the time we get there.  If the process hasn't been explained to you, the 311 complaint system is not monitored 24/7 by Police.  Therefore, it might take until the next day or longer until 311 complaints are addressed. In the past few months, I have directed beat and bicycle officers assigned to the central business district to check the bike lanes regularly during their patrols, and I have personally checked the area while working out of the Cultural District Substation.  My recommendation, when violations are observed, is to call 911 as opposed to using 311, as this will prompt a faster Police response. As far as your complaint is concerned, the photos are unfortunately not going to be enough to issue citations.  Before doing so, I would not only have to check for a variance, but I would also have to know if the variance signs were properly displayed several hours prior to the violation.  However, the photos do give me a good idea of who I need to talk to about those trucks, and I'll be paying the jobsite a visit tomorrow.  If their response is not sufficient, I'll reach out to our commercial vehicle enforcement officers as they can issue far more that a $100 parking ticket.  Now that I know of your issue in the 800 Block, I'll also pass the information on to Zone 2 Officers and encourage strict enforcement.
maryshaw
2018-05-11 00:07:35
^WOW!
marko82
2018-05-11 09:40:46
Rode the Penn ave bike lane last week. From the Greyhound station in there are barely any bollards anymore. Even the mounts are gone. It was a bit scary- cars would swerve into the totally unprotected/unseparated bike lane in front of me to pass cars that were stopped or slowing down but not fully pulled over to the right. In short the bike lane is going to shit. Can anything be done about this? Any thoughts?
edronline
2018-12-19 22:07:59
Please file a 311 report.
  1. Bring up the web page http://pittsburghpa.gov/311/form On the first page, fill in location information.  If you have a 311 account, log in
  2. On the second page ("Details") select type of issue "Pedestrian/Bicycle Concerns" and the same thing as the subtopic.  This will make sure the request is routed to the right place (in the bike part of DOMI).  Then put your comments in the comment box.
  3. On the third page fill in contact information and click "create request"  (if you already have an account and logged in on the first page you won't see this page
The more people who report the problem (this or any other problem), the more likely it is to get fixed.
maryshaw
2018-12-19 22:58:12
Mary, I don't think it is a problem to be fixed. I think the city just cleared whole blocks of the bollards as the black support pieces are gone too. It's not the hit or miss knocked down bollards of the past. Seems like a purposeful decision.
edronline
2018-12-20 05:44:52
Maybe they're removed for the winter so the lanes can be plowed more quickly? Or maybe the city is replacing them with something else (hopefully something better)?
steven
2018-12-20 09:05:39
@Steven, this is my hope. Maybe the city has plans to install a more permanent barrier and, in the interest of cost savings and ease of winter maintenance, has decided to not replace the bollards. It would be nice to get some info from DOMI on this.
chrishent
2018-12-20 09:45:26
Filing a 311 service request that asks what the plans are would (a) pose the question to someone who might know the answer and (b) show that someone actually cares  
maryshaw
2018-12-20 09:53:38
The city removed the bollards so that PWSA could repave. the repaving didn't happen yet, and left hand-right hand. We've been trying (unsuccessfully) to get them to at least put some cones out. They are supposed to put more permanent and solid barriers out next spring, but the current thing is due to PWSA and the city's poor communication
erok
2018-12-20 10:19:01
A few days ago, USPS was parked in the 3rd ave contraflow lane.  Driver wasn't delivering, was in the back of the truck sorting mail.  Reported problem. Meanwhile, in the spirit of the season, here's a holiday jingle from the Streetsblog Carolers called "Here comes UPS (parked in my bike lane)"   https://player.vimeo.com/video/306327101?color=9086c0 See more at https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2018/12/17/the-streetsblog-carolers-serenade-mayor-de-blasio-at-er-outside-gracie-mansion/
maryshaw
2018-12-21 14:58:04
To protect bike lanes from encroachment of motor vehicles, we could try the Catclaw device, which punctures the tires of heavy vehicles, but perhaps this is going too far. https://youtu.be/0moP21omQXc
paulheckbert
2018-12-31 16:46:05
No, that’s going too far. We already have undeserved bad publicity for having the bike lanes at all. That would ensure that the bad publicity is indeed deserved.
stuinmccandless
2018-12-31 17:37:48
I think the Catclaw spikes would be of use to stop illegal parking on sidewalks like this. Someone with a wheelchair cannot fit between the truck and the traffic light pole.
zzwergel
2019-01-12 17:38:12
 
rustyred
2019-05-08 11:35:23
When i went down penn the other day, there were 7 cars parked in the bike lane all along penn. That bike lane has been an utter mess lately.  The whole 700 block, with all the bollards missing is dangerous because of the cars driving in it to get around loading busses. Almost been hit 3 times now. Has this happened to anyone else or do i just have bad luck?
davedoom
2019-05-08 16:26:30
As 311 said to @RustyRed, call 911 every time.  Especially if it creates a dangerous situation for you, and then tell 911 about the danger as well as the parking.  If you have time, send the photos to 311 as well, perhaps mentioning the 911 call.  But it will be the volume of complaints that actually gets action.
maryshaw
2019-05-08 16:48:45
To help improve cycling in The Strip, even if you missed their workshops this week, you can comment on DOMI's Strip District transportation plans at http://pittsburghpa.gov/domi/stripmobility. Click "contact" to get an email address for comments. I emailed them this: I’d recommend, for Penn Ave between 16th St and 24th St:
  • take out one lane of car parking
  • widen at least one of the sidewalks a lot (double its width, to encourage sidewalk cafes and sidewalk vendors and to add space for HealthyRide bikeshare stations)
  • add many bike racks
  • put speed bumps or speed tables at every intersection, to slow cars on Penn Ave and make walking, cycling, and shopping safer
  • one day a month, close this section of Penn Ave to all car traffic
paulheckbert
2019-06-08 14:27:58
I bet the strip would survive and even thrive if Penn was closed from 16th to about grandpa Joe's candy shop and turned into a peds mall. There'd be terrible outcry but it would be awesome when done.
edronline
2019-06-08 14:34:24
Not sure where to put this comment, but this thread looks acceptable. Topic: Clearing snow from bike lanes. Are we about to go another winter without a single municipal finger being lifted to clear snow from even one bike lane or path, even one block long, even once? If Bike-Pgh isn’t pressing to keep them useable year round, IMHO they’re not doing their job. Anti-bike forces would be justifiably upset that no cyclists will use the space taken from motorists six months out of the year. Again, we can mow the grass in every park and on every golf course all summer. Why is the manpower not reassigned when the snow flies?
stuinmccandless
2020-01-05 14:08:06
@paulheckbert, What about to 26th St? That's where all Strip District buses leave Penn Ave. and continue on Liberty Ave. Since 26th St. is so wide, it can also be striped for two lanes southbound and one lane northbound. The one northbound lane can be for continuing straight across Penn Ave. Both southbound lanes can turn right onto Liberty Ave. since it is two lanes each way already. The rightmost southbound lane can also be used for buses crossing Liberty Ave. to the Busway, and the leftmost southbound lane can be used for left turns onto Liberty Ave. Both lanes on Penn Ave. can turn onto 26th St. and the right lane can also turn right onto 26th St. Bike traffic lights should be installed facing both ways on Penn Ave. with an exclusive interval to allow bikes to travel through the intersection in what ever direction they want.
zzwergel
2020-01-06 19:58:35
I encountered a delivery vehicle parked in the Penn Ave bike lane this morning on the corner of Fifth Ave.  I ended up being harassed by several individuals while attempting to obtain license plate information: https://youtu.be/EshD22kf9Cg I got a photo of the inspection sticker, but not the license plate.  They ended up driving off with the rear door wide open while I was on the phone with 911.  They got out at the next intersection to close the door. I ended the 911 call after they drove off, so I opened a 311 service request and included the relevant detail.
miscuser123
2020-03-02 15:22:52
911 = I have an immediate problem that needs addressed. Pittsburgh has an integrated system. So non-life-threatening situations go to 911. 311 = there is a longer term issue here that someone should come by sometime to fix. If you see someone breaking the law, for example parking where they're not supposed to park, report it to 911. 311 can at best forward the issue to 911. You are slowing things down by talking with them. 311 is for things like a blocked sewer grate, or a sign knocked down.  
jonawebb
2020-03-02 17:18:36
I've heard it both ways.  Got any sources to cite?
miscuser123
2020-03-02 17:54:59
Is the question about 311 vs 911? Here's a source -- I 311'ed a truck parked in the Penn Av bike lanes.  I got a helpful, informative response from a Zone 2 Sergeant.  The key sentence from his message is " My recommendation, when violations are observed, is to call 911 as opposed to using 311, as this will prompt a faster Police response." My takeaway is: 1. Call 911 about the immediate problem.  Maybe they have someone nearby who can deal with it, but even if not, they have another complaint recorded.  More complaints means more encouragement for them to pay attention as they patrol. 2. Also file a 311, noting that I called 911 about this incident but the City should know that the problem persists.  I use the MyBurgh app on my cell phone, so it's easy to include a photo or two with the 311.  This also generates a ticket number to follow up with.
maryshaw
2020-03-02 18:53:53
I'm curious what the optimal solution is for the situation depicted in your video miscuser123. It looks like a box truck had some large items to deliver but nowhere to park. Is there a better location for the truck to park? Perhaps a rear loading dock in an alley? Is there parking further away? I'm curious about this exact scenario as well as the more abstract dilema at hand. How do buildings with no access to parking take delivery of large items? Or even small items? Perhaps there's a solution that's apparent to those with experience living in dense cities. From my memory though, places like NYC rely on illegal and double parking for delivery trucks. Is there a solution?  
dfiler
2020-03-06 14:40:18
First, look back up in this thread to 5/8/2019, where the same problem in the 900 block of Penn elicited a 311 response explaining where nearby loading zones actually exist of Fifth and Sixth.  This incident was near Fifth and Penn, so it looks like there may have actually been a legal alternative.  (That 311 response also recommends calling 911) Building managers systematically plan away their loading docks, thereby externalizing their own delivery problems on the public.    Why does city allows this in new construction? Some cities manage the curb space systematically, including by time-slicing the usage (NYC does this).  This often involved permitting the lane near the curb to be used for deliveries only during off hours, like 2am to 6am.  This could be done with parking zones -- deliveries midnight to 6am, use lane for traffic during rush hour (6am-9am, 4pm-6pm), parking during the day and evening (9am-4pm, 6pm-2am). The problem isn't restricted to bike lanes. The south (right-hand) lane of Forbes in Oakland is often referred to as the "loading-dock lane" in discussions about improving traffic in that area.  I think the bike lanes may take a bigger hit, though, because delivery truck drivers have less respect for "don't block the bike lane" than for "don't block a motor vehicle lane"
maryshaw
2020-03-06 15:28:18
I think some contrition on the part of the guys making the delivery could have mitigated the situation somewhat.   Instead of acting like it is a big joke that a cyclist expects to be able to use a designated bike lane,  they could have apologized, moved a bit faster in their work, perhaps even step out into the vehicle lane to hold up traffic so the cyclist could get around.  What they did was harass the guy and all but encouraged others to do the same.  Courtesy and manners are in short supply today...
kolo-jezdec
2020-03-06 15:40:27
There are two westbound lanes on Penn Ave. so if they're going to take their chances parking illegally, they should do it there where it is less of a danger.  Plus there are alleys and side streets available near most downtown buildings including this one.  A few blocks away in the cultural district, the illegal parking was so common that they put those parking lot curb things along the side of the bike lane to prevent it.  Looks like we need more of those.
alleghenian
2020-03-06 15:50:24