BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

This is really great!

I can pick it up as a blog, but is there a video element too? It says it has had 22 plays, but I can't seem to find a play option for the video stream.

It's posted to vimeo. See if this link works any better for you:

Pittsburgh Walk & Bike

And people said to not show off Market Square! Look at all those people eating outside and enjoying themselves!

Town looks great! The guy did a nice job.

market square does look pretty hoppin'

sweet, unfortunately I over-exaggerated about the number of lanes on 5th (there are 4 inbound lanes, not 5), but still... not necessary for a non-highway, IMO.

second link doesn't seem to have a play option either...

Are you having trouble on Internet Explorer? The play button should appear at the bottom left hand corner of what looks like a photograph.

The link works for me fine....

The city and its people DO LOOK AWESOME!

I also recognize several faces in there, specially at the Bike Pittsburgh Breakfast.

BTW, that was Edmonds being interviewed, right?

And yes, Market Square looks fantastic!

Treehugger has posted the Streetfilms video! Getting some pretty awesome national coverage!

"There are 446 Bridges, Many with Pedestrian Sidewalks!

This great video by our friend Clarence over at StreetFilms gives an excellent overview of Pittsburgh's bike culture and infrastructure. Having never been, and because Pittsburgh isn't as well covered by the national media, I had no idea that it was so vibrant and healthy. It's a nice surprise! If you are in the area, make sure to check out Bike Pittsburgh (become a member, or at least say "hello" on the message board). Readers from Pittsburgh, please share your experience in the comments below. Thanks!"

treehugger is the best.

The first time I saw their site was this article: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/05/new-york-city-dragonfly-a-locavore-wet-dream.php

and I've been smitten ever since.

did you guys notice the el camino at around 2:14

As the grumpy old pessimistic...

This is a glass half full kind of video

and why the censoring of the Hilton in the opening at :10?

I think the "censoring" is just a moiré effect, due to the pattern on the side of the Hilton.

Hell, yeah, el camino! I noticed that too. Ha!

This is one comment on Treehugger:

Everyone I talk to who has moved here recently has the same experience... It goes like this:

1) Accepts a job or grad school appointment in Pittsburgh, thinking "meh... Pittsburgh. Well at least the job/program I'm getting into is really good."

2) Friends / coworkers hear that said person is moving to Pittsburgh, and say "Wow - Pittsburgh is fantastic..." Person assumes such responses are sarcastic.

3) Person moves to Pittsburgh and is shocked by the character, thriving cultural scene, topography, affordability, diversity, sports teams, and general positive vibe about town.

4) Person begins to wax poetic about Pittsburgh's virtues to anyone who will listed. (as in #2)

5) Person buys an awesome house in a great neighborhood for well less than $200k, then gives up subscriptions to NY-based publications and calls Pittsburgh "home".

An optional step that might well happen: Person, who never gave a darn about football, slowly falls into watching religiously and caring if the steelers win. (Mostly because of Polamalu - who plays football like a soccer-midfielder)

That person must only talk to middle class college graduates.

I want to meet somebody "shocked" by topography, ha

I sent this to my friend in Portland who showed me streetfilms from there, and he had this to say:

"I love the Pittsburgh Bike Film! It looks just like Portland. The last ED of our Bike Nonprofit was also named Scott Bricker! I feel like we are getting passed by you guys. I like the shipping containers and the bridges are beautiful. Is there a backlash against bikes? We are hearing that in PDX - too much tax payer $$ spent on bikes. I'm guessing it's coming from the 'burbs, but it's always in the media... sad"

did you see that?! He said HE THINKS THAT PITTSBURGH IS PASSING PORTLAND

The magic of film!

@Pierce- shocked is exactly the reaction my friends from Wisconsin and Illinois have reacted to the topography when they visit me here. I've tried to take people on friendly Pgh tours and they freak out driving around Mt. Washington or refuse to ride the incline.

I went XC skiing last weekend with folks who claimed that while living in the midwest they felt like they were going to fall off the edge of the earth - too flat, too much horizon. I had the opposite feeling when I moved to Pgh from the midwest -- mild claustrophia from the hills and perpetual low clouds. But, Lolly's comments also reveal how much has already changed about Pittsburgh. When I told friends I was moving here the reaction was "PITTSBURGH???" as in "are you crazy?" or "what a disgusting place." They've since changed their tune.

Unfortunately, there is a #6 to Lolly's list, or can be. That's the person who came to Pgh from elsewhere, and a few years later finds themselves suddenly jobless due to a lack of redundancy in some of our economic sectors, and are forced to find work elsewere. I call them the Ambassadors for Pittsburgh, because while they are away, they are the ones Lolly references in #2, but they are sincere. And, they continue to look for work that will bring them back. In some cases, it works. That's always a cause for celebration.

Just a note, those weren't my comments, I posted them from a commenter on Treehugger.

But I am a transplant from DC and have had similar experiences. People were shocked when I said I was moving here. I wonder if part of this has to do with the name of the city? The "Pit" sound is just not very aesthetically pleasing.

I know a number of people that fit that list Lolly, right down to turning into football fans after hating sports for their entire lives. I for one have resisted the Steeler borg.

This was picked up by Eco Velo too.

Lolly, this is great. I've sent it to various cycling friends in both Pittsburgh and elsewhere. Thanks for pulling this together.

"I want to meet somebody "shocked" by topography, ha"

-- I'm still shocked by the topography, especially so at that point where I think I'm 3/4 of the way up, only to turn a bend and discover i'm only 1/4 of the way up.

"I wonder if part of this has to do with the name of the city? The "Pit" sound is just not very aesthetically pleasing."

-- Oxnard, California is lovely as well, so as far as crappy-sounding names goes, we're in good company. On the other hand, "Cleveland" is a shitty name for a shitty town (sorry, low fruit.).

If the name were such a factor, it seems like Intercourse, PA would be a city of several million.

Ironically, Intercourse is near Blue Ball.

Just sayin.'

fairly close to Bird-in-Hand PA as well

I think intercourse is a pretty repugnant name for towns and acts.

Threadjack:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhFHqNKnfes

I've always had a soft spot for Home, PA. It's on the way to Punxatawny, I think. You can actually go back (to) Home, again.

Pittsburgh seems to be an acquired taste. I hated it passionately growing up, only in the past year have I come to look at living here less as a personal punishment and more just as where I am right now. I'm not sure I've got it in me to become a "lifer" as Lolly describes them. But I'm no longer one of those "Pittsburgh - ew!" people.

Every time I cross a bridge on a bicycle, I like Pittsburgh a little more. Not sure what it is, but it just feels fantastic.

Clarence (who made the long Streetfilms video) also made this 24 second video of himself riding the inline: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDXHyxtu32g

@Lolly: back in Ye Olde Days, 'intercourse' was a synonym for "connection" or "communication".

Hence, the old joke: "What's a four-letter word for intercourse? [Pause, let 'em squirm for a bit...] Talk!"

We now release you from this foray into irrelevant linguistic trivia...

thank you for posting to the BikePGH Intercourse Board

@rsprake I for one have resisted the Steeler borg.

It is a good thing to resist: Pittsburgh does not own a football team.

The billionaire owners will shake us down for another couple of hundred million in few years.

The City (and residents) of Green Bay are the primary owners of the Green Bay Packers, also of the NFL. Strangely, the NFL has since banned this sort of "community ownership" of a professional franchise.

Cool video. Streetfilms always does a good job showing what is going good for pedestrians / cyclists.

And the message board got a nice plug.

I for one have resisted the Steeler borg.

Yep. Go Browns!

@swalfoort The City (and residents) of Green Bay are the primary owners of the Green Bay Packers, also of the NFL. Strangely, the NFL has since banned this sort of "community ownership" of a professional franchise.

Go Green Bay!

I didn't know the NFL was anything other than the association of teams.

To me, community ownership is the only way to go. Until they get it in football, I'll just watch Ultimate Frisbee. Should be criminal to outlaw community ownership.

When a team starts the odd shake down dance where they look for buyers, a coalition of season ticket holders should be top on the list.

So a corporation has first amendment rights to buy political advertising, according to the supreme court, but it doesn't have the right to be a majority shareholder of an NFL team? I'm not a lawyer, but I thought that there was not supposed to be that kind of distinction between corporations and natural persons when it comes to ownership of property.

You and your friends are welcome to own a football team, you just might not be allowed to join the National Football League with it as there are any number of restrictions imposed by that league.

Wasn't the city itself part owners of the Pirates a few years back?

If you haven't seen this yet, check out Pittsburgh's Streetfilms video.

There are 4700 views in just a couple of weeks! If you have a minute, leave a comment on the Streetfilms site.

It's gotten a good amount of local and national press for Pittsburgh.

From Treehugger "

This great video by our friend Clarence over at StreetFilms gives an excellent overview of Pittsburgh's bike culture and infrastructure. Having never been, and because Pittsburgh isn't as well covered by the national media, I had no idea that it was so vibrant and healthy. It's a nice surprise! If you are in the area, make sure to check out Bike Pittsburgh (become a member, or at least say "hello" on the message board)."

From the Post-Gazette "

Just watched the video. It's better than a Christmas present. It's also fun to read all the comments below it and comments on Treehugger, which has also weighed in, helping further to dispel outdated and ignorant attitudes about our ‘burgh."

From Rust-wire: "I am especially intrigued by Pittsburgh’s membership-funded bike advocacy group Bike PGH and pedestrian only Market Square.

Cleveland and other cities in our region can learn a few things from Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh deserves this national recognition."

From PA Walks and Bikes: "Active transportation has really taken off in the city, and its nice to see the city get more attention.

The census number back it up too! The American Community Survey results released earlier this year showed that 13.8% of the city’s residents walk or bike their commute. This is the second highest active commuting population among the nation’s largest cities!"

I like this one too from MTLCCC "Gives you hope for cycling in Pittsburgh I feel warm and fuzzy all over."

I like this one too from MTLCCC "Gives you hope for cycling in Pittsburgh I feel warm and fuzzy all over."