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46

Petition to extend penn ave bike lane into the strip.

dmtroyer
2018-06-08 13:22:52
I'd rather that they reopen the closed part of the strip trail and extend that to at least 40th St...
edronline
2018-06-08 14:21:55
Be careful-. If you sign the petition then bikepgh tries to add you to its email listserv... That's kinda crummy on bikepgh's part. One second after signing the petition I got a thank you email and then a second email asking me to confirm that I want to be on their email list. This should be opt-in...
edronline
2018-06-08 14:25:14
Go nuts and take it all the way to Doughboy Square. And while we are it, close Penn Ave to cars between 16th and 22nd St on weekends.
chrishent
2018-06-08 21:35:39
Kudos to BikePGH for finally pushing this issue. The only part they left out is that the Penn Ave cycle track must be extended in both directions. It's an embarrassment that neither Lawrenceville nor Point State Park is accessible by the cycle track they've allowed to crumble over the last four years. There's been no less than three planning/design studies looking at both extensions; all that's needed is action from the Mayor's office. In general, it's an embarrassment that a city who boasts of progressive, multimodal policy hasn't built a permanent protected bike facility in four years.
nmr
2018-06-11 13:52:39
I agree with Eric.  The trail from the Point State Park along the river would be a much better alternative.
durishange
2018-06-12 14:10:05
Be careful-. If you sign the petition then bikepgh tries to add you to its email listserv… That’s kinda crummy on bikepgh’s part. One second after signing the petition I got a thank you email and then a second email asking me to confirm that I want to be on their email list. This should be opt-in… It is opt in. it says that you need to click to confirm. if you don't click you don't get added. It's a list to keep you up-to-date on any developments with the campaign
erok
2018-06-12 15:44:16
Thanks for posting DMT!
erok
2018-06-12 15:44:47
Also to be clear, there's lots of ways to Extend Penn that aren't just sending the bike lanes up Penn Ave. This includes possibly: The Green Blvd plan (that would create a trail along Railroad St), bike lanes on Smallman and Penn, or maybe even reworking Smallman into a one-way outbound pair to Penn Ave. All of those options are on the table, the point is that the City needs to figure this out.
erok
2018-06-12 15:53:46
@erok - -I must have missed it. I signed the petition and then I got an email asking me to confirm whether I wanted to be on the email list. I didn't see an option for me not to be added at all. Either I missed it, or the confirmation is used as the opt in. If it's the former, then shame on me. If it's the latter, than bikepgh should change the system so it is a hard opt in. Thanks.
edronline
2018-06-13 06:53:29
I guess I'll throw in my .02. I'm happy BikePGH is pushing for this, it must happen. But I cringe at the thought of how it would be abused through this section of Penn. Jersey barriers are probably necessary.
dmtroyer
2018-06-13 09:56:40
@ Eric - I've edited it to make it more clear.
erok
2018-06-13 10:30:59
Is there a related effort to push the city to do a better job of maintaining the existing Penn Ave bike lane? It seems half the time there are cars parked in some portion of the lane and I'd guess that a quarter of the bollards are totally flattened. 311 requests seem to fall flat in regard to enforcement and maintenance of the existing lane.
kieran
2018-06-13 13:08:44
Kieran- This article just came out. Also, the City is looking to pilot some new delineators on the problem spots. Will know more soon.
erok
2018-06-14 12:16:13
15 mph speed limit on Penn from 25th to 16th St, would be a good start, bike lane or not. There is a LOT of pedestrian traffic. If you can win that battle, the bike lane should be a lot easier. The short version to all this is, you should not be taking a car down Penn Ave in the first place if all you're doing is driving from one end to the other. At least not if you want to get somewhere in a hurry.
stuinmccandless
2018-06-16 22:07:29
I would love for the penn ave bike lane to be extended but it is dangerous to mix arguments haphazardly as a defeater of the weak arguments can appear to also defeat the good arguments. Autonomous vehicles and their effect on air quality are not particularly effective angles to approach the extension of the penn ave bike lane.
andyc
2018-06-21 14:12:12
Also, off topic, but I've never been afraid of the Argo cars when biking or running. They seem to drive more slowly and in pairs. Also don't have Uber on the side.
edronline
2018-06-21 15:33:04
I think Penn Ave. should be made one-way eastbound from 16th St. to 25th St. and make 25th St. one-way southbound with a contraflow bike lane from Smallman St. to Liberty Ave. traffic lights should be installed on 25th st at Smallman St. and Penn Ave. This will force car and truck traffic onto Liberty Ave. where it belongs.
zzwergel
2018-06-21 19:48:17
andyc: good feedback. we didn't concentrate too much on this. we also plan to talk about the general air quality of the strip/lawrenceville which is particularly bad and seems to follow Liberty/Penn/Smallman. sorry/not sorry for the pun.
erok
2018-06-22 14:12:48
Z’s idea has merit. Divert all inbound through car traffic to Liberty, using 25th. Anyone truly needing to drive to a spot on Penn will be able to, but only accessed from 16th. Meanwhile, maintain two-way bike traffic on Penn, using the same lane configuration as between 16th and 11th. None of this will be easy politically, but here’s an outside-the-lines way to address one major objection.
stuinmccandless
2018-06-23 02:32:33
@Stu, What are your thoughts on the traffic lights mentioned in my post above?
zzwergel
2018-06-24 21:21:18
I would not add a light unless it’s really necessary, and 25th at Smallman doesn't warrant it. We already have a light at 26th and Penn, so divert traffic there.
stuinmccandless
2018-06-25 07:16:45
The reason I thought 25th st would be better is because it is located closer to the section we want to make safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Also, there is a traffic light on Liberty Ave. at 25th St. so I thought adding an extra traffic light to Penn Ave. would be a better idea that installing more traffic lights on Liberty Ave. since there is no traffic lights on 24th St. West of 24th St. is where pedestrian safety becomes a concern so 25th St is a good compromise. Slightly off topic, but it applies to the Strip District. It appears the speed limit on Liberty Ave. through the Strip District and Lawrenceville was reduced to 25 MPH from 35 MPH. Now we just need a road diet consisting of wider sidewalks, one lane each way as well as a turning lane in the middle. Installing a a protected bike lane eastbound from 31st St. to Harron Ave. would a be of benefit to cyclists climbing the hill. Supposedly, The speed limit posted on Liberty Ave east of the Bloomfield Bridge was always 25 MPH.
zzwergel
2018-06-25 18:56:43
We’re getting a little off topic here, and worrying the details of things we have little control over. But 26th is also a bus-only entrance to the East Busway, so it actually makes more sense to have a light there rather than 25th, to facilitate bus movement. To the main concern, though, yes, you need to connect eastbound Penn beyond 16th with already legal eastbound beyond 31st. However we get there, fine.
stuinmccandless
2018-06-25 19:37:58
There already is a traffic light on Liberty Ave. at 25th St., but not on Penn Ave. Wound a roundabout on 25th St. at Smallman St. be a good idea.
zzwergel
2018-06-26 18:16:59
I'd guess it wouldn't fit. The roundabout at Reynolds and Homewood by the Frick is around 70 feet in diameter, not counting sidewalks. It looks like there's about 50 feet between buildings at that Smallman intersection.
steven
2018-06-27 01:46:59
FYI.  Friends of the Riverfront posted this. https://www.facebook.com/fotr.pgh/posts/10156677810749025 TRAIL ALERT COMING SOON: STRIP DISTRICT TRAIL OPENING! Construction crews are currently paving the section of the Strip District trail between 19th and 21st street in preparation to reopen the trail! Friends will be working to clear overgrowth between 16th and 19th to complete the connection. However, trail users should be advised NOT to attempt to use this section of trail until it is officially opened and construction crews do not need to access the area anymore. This is for everyone’s safety.
benzo
2018-09-01 09:48:15
Yay!  I mean, I know it was a short closure and all... I am glad that in return for not being able to use the trail for about 2 years it is getting a new surface. (Although it's probably more than they destroyed it and probably less out of the goodness of their hearts) Hopefully this is the last time it'll be closed? And maybe extending the trail to the section under 40th could be pushed along with the penn ave bike lane extension?  (though I know dealing with land rights is different than restriping the streets)
edronline
2018-09-01 16:01:49
Is there ever going to be any public meetings on a Saturday or Sunday before 4:00 PM or weekday before 3:00 PM? Any public meeting later than this or before 11:00 AM on any day I cannot attend as I am rarely awake before 9:30AM and do not like getting stuck in rush hour traffic and/or crowded buses. I have severe claustrophobia.
zzwergel
2018-09-06 18:54:47
Weekend- never. People who work in these jobs work M to F. So meetings never on the weekends. As for daytime hours, probably not either. Most people work daylight and they're trying to catch the most people the most efficiently they can. You can still give input even if you can't attend a meeting. There is a PR point person for every project. You can get all the PowerPoints and handouts and give them feedback.
edronline
2018-09-06 20:38:35
@Eric, How can I give feedback?
zzwergel
2018-09-07 16:50:31
My best guess is that you'll need to Google each project and find the penndot page for it and then look over them mateirals and see who you need to send feedback too. Alternatively you can contact your state rep and or senator and leave feedback.
edronline
2018-09-07 22:40:13
The Strip District Riverfront Trail is not a substitute for Extending Penn, but would compliment bike lanes through the strip. With a little work, just cleanup, the trail could be open from 27th to the Convention Center. Buncher is going to say that they need to keep it closed during their ongoing apartment construction, but in all likelihood they will just be using it to store materials and park trailers and construction vehicles. With some planning and little inconvenience to the project, the trail could be made safe from the construction area and could be opened and kept open. There is more work to be done to extend trail beyond 27th, but City Planning should stick their foot in that door and keep it open and safe from the contractors. Please, every chance you get, ask the City to get the trail opened and keep it open.
jdgpgh
2018-09-20 14:32:21
@jdgPGH - I Agree, it's not a substitute (esp due to flooding near the rivers and no winter maintinance), but more options are good. If you look above at my last post, you'll see that they are currently paving the trail and then friends of the riverfront is planning to assist in cleaning it up / pruning overgrowth to re-open it soon, but currently it's closed. Reference: https://www.facebook.com/fotr.pgh/posts/10156677810749025 This is good news, hope it's open soon!
benzo
2018-09-20 16:31:22
Just for good measure, sharrows should be painter on Railroad St.
zzwergel
2018-09-20 19:33:58
I rode the new paving earlier today, and most likely I'll be there with tools to help clear the jungle if FOTR is allowed to do that. I worry about Karina guessing that the trail could be opened by the end of the year when asked about it at the Smallman St. meeting. Not a stretch goal. I worry that when Buncher starts on the next apartment building in the Spring, the trail could close again for a couple more years. My point is that we should press for a firm stand on maximizing trail access. It's especially important with Smallman under construction. Flooding, yes it prevents the trail from replacing the on-street lanes. Right now there is 2-3 inches of muck on the trail under the bridges, from the last flood.  
jdgpgh
2018-09-20 23:46:15
In the Strip District along Railroad St., there is a crossbuck above the westbound stop sign at 25th St. and 26th St. Railroad St. dose not cross the track at either of these intersections. Why is there a crossbuck on westbound Railroad St. at these intersections? The crossbucks on 25th St. and 26th St. make sense because they actually cross the track. https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4553891,-79.9813611,3a,75y,223.12h,80.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1szaIR2LXvZ7jGRiMvJ-EgNQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
zzwergel
2018-09-27 23:37:57
I don’t know that I can explain it. Either for historical reasons - maybe there used to be a crossing? - or that some obscure bit of traffic law requires one, even if the actual crossing is around the corner. Also, I never knew those were called crossbucks, so thank you for increasing my vocabulary today.
stuinmccandless
2018-09-30 17:41:25
Also, there are no crossbucks on the outbound approaches to any of the intersections or where the tracks cross  Railroad St. between 21st St. and 22nd St.
zzwergel
2018-09-30 19:04:19