Wins

For practical advice about how to combine Bikes and Transit, see our Bikes on Transit page or the PRT website

It wasn’t always so easy to combine a bike trip with a bus trip

People who ride bikes are multimodal. Making it convenient to ride a bike around town requires more than just better bike lanes and trails.

In Pittsburgh, it’s important that bicyclists can seamlessly transition from their bike to transit and back again. Some people may ride their bikes down a hill, then put their bike on the bus to get home. Others may ride to a T-stop to use the train to get through Mt Washington, then hop back on their bike to complete their trip. And then of course, combining transit with your bike helps avoid Pittsburgh’s unpredictable weather or help you get home in the event of a random mechanical without leaving your bike on the side of the road somewhere.

And sometimes, you just simply don’t feel like pedaling.

Needless to say, transit is an integral part of getting around town, even for bicyclists. However, it wasn’t always so easy to combine the two. Many of the things we now take for granted took years of BikePGH’s advocacy to become reality.

Bikes on buses

Making sure every bus in the PRT fleet has a bike rack on the front didn’t happen overnight. In fact it took a decade, with many different folks working to better the program. When it all came down to it, though, it was all about advocacy and transit leadership that made it happen.

Previous to 2011, riders frequently waited for a bus that may show up without a rack. Or, maybe the bus had a rack, but wasn’t on a designated route that was supposed to have one, so the driver wouldn’t let you board.

The T and Inclines

While still a work in progress, there have been many policy changes over the years to make it easier to bring your bike aboard the T. For instance, bicyclists used to be prohibited from using the T and inclines during rush hour, which is precisely the time when most people need to get to work with their bike.

We are confident that when it comes time to purchase new T trains, they will have designated bike parking locations while onboard.

Bike Parking at transit hubs and stops

You may not need to bring your bike along with you for your whole trip, but you may still need it to access transit. BikePGH has advocated to ensure that all transit hubs such as T stops, bus stations, park and ride lots, and popular stops have secure bike parking nearby.

Our advocacy to pass the 2010 Bike Parking ordinance that requires bike parking at all new construction has helped when new stations were built. But our work to normalize bike parking in Pittsburgh has helped make it easier to ensure this critical transit amenity is present.

New Operator Training

We’ve developed a great relationship with the PRT. Over the past several years, we’ve attended the training program for new bus drivers and operators to educate these new employees on the rules of road for bicycling, give some insight into bicycling behavior, provide some tips on sharing the road with riders, and help explain what all the new symbols and markings on the street mean.