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West End Branch (P&WV/W&LE) rail trail

As has been discussed on this forum (here, and here) and elsewhere before, there is an unused rail line in the city which could be made into a trail. This rail segment is known as the P&WV/W&LE West End Branch, and was known in the past as the West Side Belt, and prior to that as the Little Saw Mill Run Railroad. The sections which I know to be currently unused are the ones from the CSX Pittsburgh Sub in the far West End to the western side of West End Circle, and from the eastern side of West End Circle to by the Wabash Tunnel entrance and the historic Wabash Tunnel connection. Perhaps other sections are also disused and can be potentially made into trails (the line or connecting segments run until near the Monongahela by Clairton); if you know this to be the case, please speak up. In 2012, an important bridge on this railroad branch was demolished, as part of the PennDOT work on West End Circle, since it posed clearance issues to automobile traffic passing under it. While the missing bridge might seem like a disadvantage, it is an advantage in a way, since by demolishing it, the chances that this rail would be reactivated were marginalized (while a trail user can cross the street nearby at just a minor inconvenience, a train cannot easily do so with no bridge, and the only use for a rail line connected to other rails on one side only is to serve local endpoints, of which there seem not to be much/any). At least a portion of the rails was formally abandoned prior to the 2012 demolition. As far as land ownership goes, according to the Allegheny County parcel infomation (see here), most of the land which the rail traverses is owned by railroads; some other parcels are owned by the city, some near the Wabash Tunnel are owned by Port Authority of Allegheny County, and two, in the area of the bridge over Rt51/SawMillRunBlvd, are owned by "Wabash Properties LLC". This route would be useful for commuting and recreation alike, for commuting because it provides an easier route between multiple parts of the city than the current ones, and for recreation since it connects recreation destinations (Emerald View Park, Seldom Seen Greenway, the riverfront trails) to connector routes (the "T", potentially the Wabash tunnel). The infrastructure of the railroad is a tremendous asset, since it already has bridges, a subsurface, and a right-of-way provided, and since it bypasses many potential obstructions (traffic lights, automobile traffic, dangerous roads for walking/cycling, streams). In the future, this right-of-way can be used as a springboard from which to connect to the Montour Trail via the Bethel Park spur, the South Park connector, or Clairton, and to the Panhandle Trail in Carnegie, perhaps via the Clearview Park Trail (a former trolley right-of-way) in Crafton and potential extensions thereof. It can also be used for connecting to many more South Hills destinations.
abf
2015-06-17 22:14:00
huh, I was just talking with someone about this the other day. (the section near clairton is supposedly being reactivated, by the way.)
shadow
2015-06-17 22:52:38
I added a cross-reference in the WT thread to this thread. The topics are inextricably related. While I'm at it, how about a link to the South Hills commuting thread. Separate but related, so let's make sure we can get from one to the other.
stuinmccandless
2015-06-18 11:48:21
Now this is a good idea. It would be a relatively short diversion to get to the foot of this route at the West End and be able to travel up Saw Mill Run to the south. Although it would put one more highlight on how much of a clusterfk the 1/4 mile stretch of West Carson from the Station Square drive to the West End Circle, and how that little crappy piece isolates so much geography to biking. Penndot.
edmonds59
2015-06-18 12:14:15
I think Friends of the Riverfront looked into this a couple of years ago. I don't know what came of their investigation....
swalfoort
2015-06-18 20:42:35
@paulheckbert It is the red line on the map from @bennyh except for the segment over west end circle (in the satellite view one can tell that there is no longer a bridge there).
abf
2015-06-19 09:25:21
@abf. Last year a few of us (me, Dino & Adam) met with Natalia Rudiak who is the city council person for Beechview concerning putting a bike trail through Seldom Seen. We also made contact with the folks from Mt. Washington who are putting in the Emerald Park trails (who would also like a trail in this area). While everyone has been very supportive and thinks that this a great idea, nothing concrete has happened yet. We also have brought this to the EDS South Hills bike/ped committee, but unfortunately that committee is going through some change right now (and this was not really part of their original geographic focus). We are currently trying to get some money appropriated through the city capital budget for an initial engineering assessment of the hillside through Seldom Seen, but that's not a given either. Hopefully there will be a new South Hills bike/ped committee structure soon, and I would encourage you or anyone else interested to attend.
marko82
2015-06-19 10:04:51
Referring to bennyh's map, looked at the red line and wow, that would be nice. The little orange spur on bennyh's map also caught my eye, I didn't realize there was something already there to bring you over 51 to the seldom seen greenway, that's huge. It hurts to see so much potential for relief from awfulness, so much seemingly within grasp, but stalled for so long. Hopefully the new committee gets together soon and works this out with the city, with the port authority and with the other stakeholders.
byogman
2015-06-19 11:34:03
A thing that is forgotten, there was a trolley right of way from McCartney St and Wabash in the West End (in easy connecting distance of this) up and over the hill to Crafton. The route lays fallow. An additional right of way takes you down from Crafton to Idlewood busway station. If you want to build a trail west, here's a great route to start.
shadow
2015-06-19 12:45:20
Is that McCartney St itself? I see a cadastral line extending farther up the hill beyond the end of the street, and what looks like something might have peeled off of Noblestown between Obey and Hartwell Streets. That? Second possibility, what is that line connecting Kearns Ave with Kearns Ave? Trail? Staircase? I will confess to not knowing beans about this part of town, but it's little bits and pieces like this that give me hope that the whole thing can be connected to a line along the old railbed. Separately, what was the cost of building that structure along the Allegheny between 40th and 31st Street bridges? That's what we need along Saw Mill Run where the railbed is degraded.
stuinmccandless
2015-06-19 14:01:37
^Wow that McCartney route looks like it would be really easy to put through & it would get you off of cars-go-too-fast Nobles, at least up to the 50/60 split. Of course the folks living down there might not be so agreeable, but has anyone pursued the feasibility this?
marko82
2015-06-19 14:08:45
And then there's that Clearview Park Trail that starts up, just a couple hundred yards west of that, seemingly atop the same old trolley r.o.w. Much as I'd like to go on a field trip to explore this, I'm not going to fit it in anytime soon. Can someone who knows this area better please go on a scouting mission? Back in 2010, when I worked at FedEx in Moon and regularly got a ride from a co-worker through the western 'burbs and edge of the city, I remember thinking, y'know, I NEVER see a bicycle in this part of town. Maybe a 10-year-old kid scooting around the edge of a playground, but never a commuter or any adult. Maybe things have changed in five years, but I got the strong impression at the time that this part of town doesn't know what a bicycle is. This was at the exact same time that we formed Flock (April-May 2010), and the East End was already crawling with bikes. Not having anywhere to actually ride a bike? Naw, couldn't have anything to do with it. [/snark]
stuinmccandless
2015-06-19 16:08:20
Looks like the two parts of Kearns Ave were still connected in 1994. In Streetview, the road was barricaded by 2007, but I didn't find any newspaper reports of its closure. That trail bridge near 31st Street cost about $6 million.
steven
2015-06-19 16:42:55
Thank Geek Jesus for the internet, now I know what a cadastral is.
edmonds59
2015-06-19 22:28:03
I think "cadastral" is the adjectival form. The noun is cadastre. ("An official register of the quantity, value, and ownership of real estate used in apportioning taxes".)
steven
2015-06-19 22:46:52
Pretty sure Kearns connects via now-closed street. And McCartney, the tracks were technically beside the street once you started up the hill but in the street by Wabash.
shadow
2015-06-19 23:28:14
I've ridden down Kearns a couple times. It still exists, but is barricaded at both ends with jersey barriers (there are gaps just wide enough for a bike), because hillside erosion has undermined or flat out destroyed the eastern third or more of the roadbed. In places it's as narrow as a bike trail--and the vegetation is attempting to reclaim the uphill side as well.
epanastrophe
2015-06-22 11:45:30
Any chance of "Pocusset"-izing this?
stuinmccandless
2015-06-22 12:50:40
Literally just had that discussion with my friend Hart, he points out unlike Pocusset the grade is bad and suspects that makes it less likely to happen since only people like us will make use of it.
shadow
2015-06-22 12:56:19
A few years ago we looked at going up Kearns Street as part of the neighborhood ride. I recall it being extremely steep at the bottom, and the pavement was in horrible shape, so we found another route. "Hopefully there will be a new South Hills bike/ped committee structure soon, and I would encourage you or anyone else interested to attend." John, please resurrect one of the old threads about this when the new committe is up and running. I will try to get involved, or at least attend.
jmccrea
2015-06-22 13:37:02
I felt like it was about the same as Greentree Road but it had been months. Hart pointed out the grade was worse. a Quick look at a map says he is right
shadow
2015-06-22 13:59:30
Would a staircase with a runnel help? Would a switchback structure help? Is the grade on this road, apart from the broken part, so steep anyway that there's no point in trying to make it appealing for cyclists?
stuinmccandless
2015-06-22 14:29:40
Oh, I think there is absolutely a point, but as you can gather I am not the person to ask.
shadow
2015-06-22 14:38:21
No, no and yes. I think the initial grade was like Eleanor Street on the Slopes, but the pavement looked like it was carpet-bombed. Unless you live at the top of the hill, the time and money are better spent elsewhere. If a resident wanted to keep it cleared on their own time and their own dime, more power to them.
jmccrea
2015-06-22 14:38:53
Well, given my regular use of Eleanor, I am disqualified from further comment :)
shadow
2015-06-22 14:40:16
How comparable is it to another spot that actually is getting some serious attention, the steps between Joncaire St & Frick Fine Arts? Imagine that as a poorly paved street to start with.
stuinmccandless
2015-06-22 15:49:37
Not the same. You can just bike up Joncaire or the sidewalk on Joncaire if cobbles are too much and it's not like Greentree Rd in terms of traffic.
shadow
2015-06-22 15:51:58
It's not as steep as the Joncaire stairs, nor is it directly down the hillside. In steepness (and crossing connections) it's similar to the McArdle Roadway or Swinburne St in Oakland -- it's a long road descending across, not directly down, the hill face. Only in this case there's a better-maintained road on each side; Greentree and Noblestown (50/60) are both roughly parallel to Kearns.
epanastrophe
2015-06-22 15:55:37
My own personal broken record, Noblestown is a good road for biking, and could be outstanding with a few very simple moves. You could connect many things with some bike friendly mods, the west, Carnegie, the Panhandle trail, eventually the Montour trail, you could even squiggle through Greentree to get to Mt Lebo without too much effort. You have to get from town to the WEC, tho. :(
edmonds59
2015-06-22 16:29:06
<- bikes through West End Circle. And up Noblestown, so I guess I still don't count.
shadow
2015-06-22 16:31:19
+1 on Noblestown. Gentle grade, mostly wide and with good sightlines, not terribly windy. As others have said, improving the West End Circle is the key here if you want more cyclists coming to and from the West End. I would guess that there's been more than a few potential cycling commuters who have taken a single look at that arrangement and said, "fuck that". A trail along lower Mt. Washington is probably the best way to solve this.
chrishent
2015-06-22 17:32:29
A trail along lower Mt. Washington is probably the best way to solve this. ...in other words, Wabash Tunnel and that rail bed.
stuinmccandless
2015-06-23 06:15:55
Actually, I was thinking of something shorter but ultimately more complex near the WEC itself. Like a trail that goes along the northern face of Mt Washington and along Carson that allows you to avoid the merging point of West Carson and WEC traffic going inbound. This area, to me, is more troublesome for cycling than the split point for West Carson and the ramp to the bridge going outbound, but I probably feel this way because I've never experienced that area with West Carson fully open.
chrishent
2015-06-23 06:42:53
Recently I have explored out the section from WEC to near Corliss Tunnel (from off-site -- that is, checking it out from adjacent roads etc. without actually entering the rail right-of-way), and it seems like it would make a good, useful trail. Starting from Steuben and heading west (outbound), there is a short section, after where the RR used to cross Steuben (there is still at least one RR XING sign for this in the vicinity!), which seems very overgrown from Steuben and kind of just blends in with the rest of the brush, and you'd likely only see something different about this area if you are looking for it. The next place the rail right-of-way is visible, is (what must be) a short distance further where one can spot an archway tunnel/bridge in the Norfolk Southern railroad embankment that the right-of-way passes under. Right after this, the ROW continues onto a bridge which passes over W Carson . This bridge looks to my untrained eye to be in decent shape, although I may well be totally mistaken in that :-). (It seems like there are no clearance issues which this bridge presents to W Carson below (the West Busway-Downtown buses pass under here, and they require more than) 10 feet of clearance (clearance issues are what caused the bridge over WEC to be demolished, splitting the line in two, and presumably causing the line to be abandoned in the first place), so hopefully PennDOT has no plans to dispose of this bridge.) Continuing from the bridge, the ROW begins on a slow descent, at first passing over the W Carson Street sidewalk, then continuing next to it, until when one gets to where the handrail starts on the river side of the W Carson sidewalk, the RR grade is around 3 to 4 feet below the sidewalk level. The takeaway from all this is as follows: The railroad ROW presents a relatively easy way to leave the WEC, and a very good way to circumvent crossing W Carson at the WEC. It presents a wonderful alternative to PennDOT's lack of separate planned bicycle infrastructure on W Carson, for part of the W Carson corridor (and perhaps the section with the least space for good alternatives). It can easily connect to the main W Carson either at hte point where the grades of the two are the same, or by a short ramp if it is desired to continue as far as possible to the end of the railroad grade before it merges with the CSX tracks. Perhaps this can also be an antidote for PennDOT's lack of reasonable infrastructure in the W Carson project). Shortly after the end of the ROW, the West Busway flyover begins on the south flank of W Carson; there is no longer a cliff on this side, and perhaps an extension to the ROW can be made using this or other existing old rights-of-way and/or streets on from here, until reaching Chartiers Creek. All that being said, this may be able to serve as part of the Ohio River Trail, and/or the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, so perhaps those involved in these efforts may be able to help bring this to fruition.
abf
2015-08-23 16:09:38
A few more notes... There is an empty lot by the southwestern corner of the West End Bridge that is seemingly owned by P&WV/W&LE; perhaps this can be used for trailhead parking. Also, a tunnel could be ran under the W Carson "viaduct" (it is like a bridge on one side) to the W Busway side of Carson if a trail can be built on/near the Busway property.
abf
2015-08-23 16:25:16
Here is a map illustrating some of what is stated in my above post.
abf
2015-08-23 16:29:14
I don't really have much to add here, but I'd just like to say that, as a West Ender who is a fairly inexperienced cyclist (only 4ish years of riding-in-traffic cycling), thank you so much for your efforts. The route from Downtown to my neck of the woods (Crafton/Ingram) is so intimidating that, although I WANT to be able to commute Downtown, I've resorted to rack 'n rolling only. Honestly, my biggest concern is that, as a cyclist, I'll be an unfamiliar sight for motorists. I see VERY few cyclists around these parts, especially headed towards Downtown, and even heading south and west in the very bikeable Crafton-to-Carnegie corridor.
doublestraps
2015-08-24 09:16:17
Welcome to the crew, @DoubleStraps. You'll find good company among fellow southwest-siders @pinky and @edmonds59, and a few others who stop in from time to time. I'm north, but I travel to Crafton, Dormont and Brookline, so my personal interest is S, SW and W is as a destination, not origin. But I see the need to get to/from those areas as a major weak spot in regional bike travel. As to riding in traffic, the more of us who do, the more that people will get used to seeing us. I may sound like a broken record here (wow, that metaphor is getting old), but take the lane, and go ahead and piss off a few people. If you're getting horns, that means they're seeing you. Better that than to get clipped hugging the edge when they think they can get past you.
stuinmccandless
2015-08-24 10:19:01
I travel to the West End as part of my commute and I can't tell you how much I despise coming onto Carson toward town from the West End Circle. I frequently get buzzed at the merge point of Carson and the bottom of the ramp, a few times by Pat buses. I take the steps up to the Circle and use the crosswalk in the morning but tend to forget to do so in the afternoon. A decent connection through the West End would remove a lot of fear from my commute.
eddie
2015-08-24 10:37:12
I FINALLY biked into work today for the first time since we moved to our new Uptown location (6 months ago!). It was fabulous. I have to give west Pittsburgh drivers A+ and a gold star for their performance today, 100% perfect passes, 0 bitchnmoanin'. I stopped for a drink at the foot of the Steuben Street hill in Crafton before climbing, and a middle aged white beard guy in a green Howard Hannah work van headed the other way rolled down his window and said jovially "that's a hell of a workout you got there! Have a good day!". Good stuff. If anyone cares to know how I have found to be ways to deal with the West End Passage, let me know, I can share details. That's about as straight of a shot as you get 'round here.
edmonds59
2015-08-28 09:34:53
By the way... The western portion of this trail would make an excellent, if circuitous, bypass around the troublesome parts of the West End Circle. The theory behind this is that the ramps from Carson level (West Carson Street heading northwest and southeast) to Circle level (West End Circle area, West End Bridge, and roads to points southwest) are the dangerous parts. The "keystone" of this bypass would be the old bridge which connects the Circle with the railroad tracks at Carson level. Together with the West Carson sidewalks (northwest of the WEC) to connect at Carson level, and the Circle sidewalk and crosswalk network to connect at Circle level, the bridge would connect these levels, without having to walk/bike across busy West Carson Street. (Tip: currently, the northwest ramp of West Carson up to Circle level can be used instead of the bridge, for those who need such a connection now). (See map here to see the trail route). For example, if someone would like to get from the Station Square Trail to South Main Street, they would take the West Carson sidewalk under the WECircle until the old railroad coming down from the bridge is nearly at sidewalk level. Then turn right and right again to go up the railroad grade and over the bridge, and under archway of the Mon Line tracks, and then onto the sidewalk of Steuben Street. Turn right on the sidewalk, and take the crosswalk and sidewalk of the bridge over Saw Mill Run to get across the Circle to South Main Street. (NOTE: the rail grade etc. may not be passable. This is a proposed route, not something I have done or which I think others should attempt before this becomes an actual trail!) To get to the West End Bridge from the Station Square trail one would do the same as above until reaching the Steuben Street sidewalk. Then one would head left on the sidewalk, and use crosswalks to go over the bridge.
abf
2015-10-18 21:19:12
If you could make crosswalks and connections better from woodruf to bausman, you could create another great connection up the hill. Bausman has a wide shoulder on the climbing side. There is a master plan now for McKinley park here, which may affect the street layout. I commented that they should avoid removing the shoulder, and should consider having a bike lane on the climbing side of the street as it's not a bad way to get up the hill and has the width to support a bike lane. http://www.sopghreporter.com/story/2015/07/07/front-page/mckinley-park-master-plan-outlined/15725.html
benzo
2015-10-19 09:06:45
I proposed something similar in the Wabash Tunnel thread. The topics really are interlinked. Taking it up a notch, we were also talking about it for the botched West Carson Street project back in 2011-12. We really need to be talking about the whole corridor from Bethel Park to McKees Rocks, with the centerpiece being biking through the Wabash Tunnel.
stuinmccandless
2015-10-19 22:06:43
The abandoned P&WV railroad bridge near west end circle over west carson is slated for demolition as part of the PennDOT West Carson Viaduct project.See this page at PGHbridges and a Google Maps sattelite view for more information on what seems is the relevant bridge. See the last paragraph here for more information. By the way, this was not originally included in the project scope. I am not sure what the purpose of tearing down that bridge is; to the best of my knowledge, there are no height restrictions which it imposes, and no impending dangers which the bridge is likely to cause to west carson. When passing by today, I asked some workers who were working on the road near that bridge why the bridge is set to be torn down, for it seems there are no height restrictions? They answered that it is no longer in use so is being torn down. So it seems that it is being demolished for no other reason aside from that it is no longer carries railroad traffic. (Aside: PennDOT has demolished abandoned railroad bridges which imposed height problems in the past, for example a nearby bridge (which was torn down because of insufficient height below it during the West End Circle project), and two Montour Railroad bridges -- here, pdf and here. Does anyone know, however, if they previously have torn down any unused railroad bridges which did not impose height restrictions?) This bridge, together with nearby abandoned railroad grade, would make a great way to navigate the West End Circle for bicyclists and pedestrians. Why should it be torn down if it can be of good use? Perhaps the previously unplanned demolition of this bridge can be canceled, or at least postponed, and be made into an off-road connection, perhaps eventually tying into nearby bicycle and pedestrian amenities!
abf
2016-01-29 01:18:17
This really grinds my gears. We talked about this as far back as December 2011 when they were planning the West Carson work, and April 2010 when I started the Wabash Tunnel thread. TL;DR version, I want to connect River Ave in McKees Rocks with Transport Street in Brookline with a bike trail, and this bridge is part of it.
stuinmccandless
2016-01-29 04:48:31
My only guess as to why they would want to demolish the bridge is to widen the road in the place where some bridge supports were between the old sidewalk and road. If this is the case, erhaps the can demolish only the parts of the bridge which those supports are supporting? As the Venice (PA50/980) bridge on the montour trail has shown, even part of a bridge (a span) is worth reusing. (the old span over the creek was used there, while the rest of the bridge was rebuilt; PennDOT had demolished most of it years earlier due to clearance problems). This trail in its entirety, especially with a new bridge where the old one was, over the Saw Mill Run area, can really be an attraction in and of itself, kind of like the Highline in new york, due to all its long bridges, aside from all the connections to surrounding areas it would create.
abf
2016-03-22 14:30:49
http://www.penndot.gov/RegionalOffices/district-11/Pages/details.aspx?newsid=1201
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 2, 2016 Northbound West Carson Street Traffic Shift begins Monday in Pittsburgh Work begins to remove railroad bridge Pittsburgh – PennDOT is announcing work to remove a railroad bridge over West Carson Street (Route 51) in the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, will begin Monday, December 5 weather permitting. Crews from the Lane Construction Company will begin work on Monday to remove the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad Bridge that runs over and parallel to West Carson Street near the West End Circle. To allow the work to occur, traffic from the northbound Route 837 ramp to West Carson Street will be shifted into the center lane. A stop condition will be implemented at the intersection of the ramp and West Carson Street. Traffic will be shifted back into the normal configuration north of the railroad bridge. The restriction will begin at 7 a.m. Monday morning and remain in place through Friday, December 23. Additionally, a long-term closure of the ramp from northbound Route 837 to West Carson Street will occur in mid-December. Additional details will be provided before the closure begins. Motorists are advised to use caution and allow extra time when traveling through the area. Visit 511pa.com or call 511 from any phone to check traffic conditions on major roadways before traveling. To help keep motorists informed as work progresses, PennDOT has created an email distribution list for West Carson Street traffic advisories and construction updates. Enroll by sending email addresses to stcowan@pa.gov. Please write “Subscribe – West Carson Street” in the subject line. MEDIA CONTACT: Steve Cowan, 412-429-5010 # # #
:-( But this too is for the best. It is a challenge to overcome, and not an insurmountable obstacle. As part of a bigger West Carson street trail, and in a bigger view the Ohio River trail; perhaps something which will work out for bigger good in the end can come out of this :-)
abf
2016-12-03 22:55:55
And on a more positive note, it was wonderful to see that the trail was on a list of potential projects by BikePgh! Thank you everyone! :-) And, as for the demolition of the railroad bridge, as I think I have mentioned previously, while a big disappointment, this definitely would not take away the worthiness and awesomeness of having trail segments which are (for the time being) separate trails on their own :-) On the north/river section, perhaps the West Carson sidewalk could be connected to the former rail ROW(right of way) up until where the bridge would have been (as a little park/trail/lookout or something like that), while the parts south of Carson would be the larger section of trail. (While working on it, perhaps it may be a nice idea to build a bridge over South Main street connecting the rail corridor along Saw Mill Run, to the sidewalk with the old railing by the big culvert over Saw Mill Run  between Steuben and South Main, and to the little section of wide sidewalk/trail north of South Main. Continuing north, the trail could maybe cross Steuben at grade, since it it not nearly as busy, and continue to the tunnel by the Norfolk Southern rail tracks, ending in a lookout to the river and a potential continuation via new bridge.) On another related note: There is an old rail bridge all the way at the northwest of West Carson, just before Chartiers Creek, connecting to an area where there previously was tracks. Along with an empty area immediately northeast of the adjacent active CSX tracks, there was a proposal years ago to have a greenway/trailhead here. Perhaps Riverlife would be interested in something akin to this? Also, concerning the extension of the trolley trail into the west end proper, it can potentially link into this trail. On the Seldom Seen Greenway (south) end of this trail, where the abandoned railway meets the active one, if the trail will be allowed to continue and extend over the second track of the active rail until the Liberty Tunnel, this trail can connect to the Saw Mill Run watershed trail between Liberty Bridge and 51/88 intersection.
abf
2016-12-03 23:17:18
Updated the map of some ideas posted earlier.
abf
2016-12-04 01:23:45
I'm hopeful that, at the very least, PennDOT will now clean up the sidewalk on West Carson from the Pacific Pride gas station going towards the Corliss Tunnel. I thought that that was part of the entire West Carson St. project in the first place. It currently gets pretty war zone-y in parts, but the new stuff is quite nice and bikeable. Personally, I still consider biking West Carson to be suicidal and will stick to the sidewalk until corrected.
doublestraps
2016-12-04 12:19:02
Hi everyone, Just wanted to call attention to a tangent (literally), a 1994 proposal for a bikeway across the West End. This porposal is to be found in an Environmental Impact Statement for the West Busway... https://books.google.com/books?id=bx43AQAAMAAJ&pg=SA2-PA7 (section "Bikeway Enhancement") The proposed bikeway starts in Downtown Pittsburgh, and follows the Station Square Trail until its end. It then would connect to the West End Circle. It then connects to the corner of Wabash Street and McCartney Street, either via local roads or through the proposed P&WV/W&LE rail trail. It then follows McCartney Street and then the proposed and existing sections of the West End Trolley Trail, and then follows Crafton Boulevard for a bit until it passes over the West Busway. Then it turns south and follows the trail/track (also former trolley right-of-way) until Idlewood Station. It then parallels the West Busway alignment until Carnegie Station. Since 1994, the Panhandle Trail has been developed, starting at Walkers Mill. Also, the train tracks on the Panhandle Route right-of-way past Carnegie Station are said to have fallen out of use. Therefore, perhaps the right-of-way those tracks are on can form a rail-with-trail or rail-to-trail connecting the proposed bikeway to the Panhandle Trail. This would form an almost completely off-road route between Downtown Pittsburgh and the Panhandle Trail, and from there to West Virginia or the Montour Trail. The portion from West End Circle to Carnegie Station is not always flat; perhaps one day a trail following West Carson Street and Chartiers Creek can provide a flatter alternative. Feel free to comment :-)
abf
2020-01-13 18:44:03
Thank you for digging that up! In 1994 I was still relatively new to advocacy, and was more interested in the transit project than the bikeway, but I knew about it. Much of the West Busway was built in 1997, but disputes over the WCarson connector, and ultimate cancellation of a new Wabash Bridge, also sidelined the trail. It would take three years to open the new Busway but the bikeway was lost to all that dissension.
stuinmccandless
2020-01-13 22:12:08
Anyone go to this and has a summary of what was presented?  
chrishent
2020-01-16 14:34:47
The link works. Four images, right?
stuinmccandless
2020-01-25 12:06:28
Recently I discovered that there used to be a road know as Independence Street, which went from the bottom of McCartney Street (at the four-way intersection of Wabash, McCartney, and Greentree Road), over Saw Mill Run, and gradually going uphill to the West End Branch, and crossing it at a grade crossing (see map here, adjacent map tiles here). This bridge (and also the Plank Street bridge a bit downstream on Saw Mill Run) seems to have been removed during a Saw Mill Run flood control project. The project is described here and here (interestingly, those links also propose a "green area" with a little trail and benches on the east side of Saw Mill Run, across from Wabash Playground; this does not seem to have been implemented). Adding a bicycle/pedestrian bridge where the Independence Street Bridge used to be, and making the old road into a trail, and using the western end of the West End Branch alignment, would create an almost completely off-road route from the West End Bridge to Crafton via the West End Trolley Trail (see here). By opening the Wabash Tunnel to bikes and peds, and connecting it to the West End Branch trail and to the Seldom Seen Greenway, it would be possible to go from Downtown Pittsburgh to West End, Crafton, Brookline, Beechview and more places in a safe manner. All this is now in the map I posted previously (https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/west-end-branch_50698).
abf
2020-01-27 17:14:46
Kudos on that map.
stuinmccandless
2020-01-27 19:50:39
Yeah abf, great map and great proposal for that connection.
benzo
2020-01-31 14:14:10
Thanks @StuInMcCandless and @Benzo! :-)
abf
2020-01-31 15:03:32