Wheels round Pittsburgh / Pedal power might enhance the city's image

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | Tuesday, May 20, 2003 | editorial

[Willie Green]

Pittsburgh has long worried about how to keep and attract young people. The availability of good jobs (or lack thereof) is obviously central to such concerns, but lifestyle considerations also play an important part. What can the city do to make itself more attractive? Clearly, some wheels must turn to make it happen.

[Willie Green]

Bike lanes on the Parkway?

[Willie Green]

Lookit what them stoopid jagoffs are doin' now.

[Mr. Bird]

Why not horses, burros, scooters, or roller skates? As a formerly young working adult, I can guarantee you I did not choose my place of residence based on bike path accessibility.

And I can further assert that any young man who pedals to work in a suit will be rewarded with a mudstripe up his back after riding through the first puddle. And he'll have nice markings on the lower pantlegs from the chain. His hair will look wonderful too, helmet or not. And when those pesky summer showers spring up, just be glad that you'll get soaked on the way home rather than on your way to work.

[martin_fierro]

Bikin' it in the 'Burgh?? MAH'TIN bikin', maybe. More likely a V-twin-PAHR'd bike.

	It's a 'Burgh Thing.TM
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Learn Pittsburghese!

[widowithfoursons]

I understand that Station Square has been losing revenue. I also particularly liked the lovely river view prison nearby.

[RightWhale]

those pesky summer showers

No kidding. I used to park at Three Rivers Stadium and walk across to the office. Couple times a summer shower sprang up before I got there. I might as well have swum across.

[martin_fierro]

Willie Green gets carried away on day one.

[Willie Green]

Hey, that happened when I was only 14.
Where'd you get that picture?

[mountaineer]

The presence of bike-friendly thoroughfares is one of the keys to allowing Pittsburghers to view riding bikes not just as a pleasant pastime but a genuine transportation option.

Oh yes, if only there had been bike paths back when I was commuting from Pleasant Hills to the Koppers Building dahntahn. What we rilly need is "bikes only" tunnels - I think I might have been killed had I tried to commute via the Liberty Tubes!

[Lou L]

Perhaps they can construct an incomprehensible "Bike Belt" around the city, to go with the red, green, blue, etc. belts that already exist?

[Willie Green]

When I was a kid, two of my neighborhood friends did the Yellow Belt on their bikes.
It must've taken 'em 4~5 days.
KDKA sent someone out to interview them when they got back.
I was kinda glad Mom didn't let me go with 'em.
They had Schwinn 3-speeds while my bike was single speed and made out of cast iron. I would've killed myself pushing it up all those dang hills. I was much better off staying home and playing ball.

[Timm]

Bicycling is a cool way to get around. It's invigorating, in many cases it's efficient, you don't have to pay to park, and it builds strength, character, and health. The more, the better.

To those above who worry about the weather, "mud stripes", and what not, worry not. There are fenders. One can carry a suit bag in a pair of panniers and wear cycling clothes to work, then change. In the winter, wear warm clothes.

It's not for everyone. If you want to drive or cycling's not practical, well, whatever. But it's an option more people would be happier doing than they realize.

That said, apart from accommodation in law (which we have) and roads more or less as we have them, I don't think cities should do much to promote cycling as a transportation option. I cycle all the time, but I'm not a fan of expensive, dedicated bike facilities.

[Calvinist_Dark_Lord]

Pittsburgh has long worried about how to keep and attract young people. The availability of good jobs (or lack thereof) is obviously central to such concerns, but lifestyle considerations also play an important part. What can the city do to make itself more attractive? Clearly, some wheels must turn to make it happen.

Figuratively, in recent years, the wheels of progress have turned. Pittsburgh has built new stadiums to anchor major sports franchises here for the foreseeable future. Communities such as the South Side and the Strip District have become trendy, with clubs, bars and restaurants catering to a new crowd.

Kind of hard to worry about lifestyle concerns when you can't afford to eat or keep a warm, dry place to sleep.

When are these jagoffs going to admit that they don't got a #(%*!^& clue, and admit that we got to cut taxes an'at? It's just like the stadium arguments all over again, "build it and they will come". Well, they didn't come, and neither did the business. Same with Lazarus dantaun.

It's the scam of the year. Wonder what next year's scam is going to be?

hey Willie, do you think we'll ever get the democrats atta Grant Street n'at?

[Elsie]

Well, OUR Democrat mayor of Indianapolis, Bart Peterson, want to do the SAME thing - spend 15-20 mil to screw up traffic downtown even more than the 'HYPERFIX' will next week.

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Bikes are FAR in the future, but stay out of INDY this summer folks, for it WILL be total gridlock downtown as we shut down not one, but TWO Interstates, right in the middle of Indy.

The criss-cross merging of I-65 and I-70 traffic lanes has finally destroyed the pavement by so much traffic (designed for 60,000 vehicles a day; now running over 175,000!), so, to repair them we are actually going to block them BOTH off for 87 days (says so on the contract) and fix them safely.

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Have fun getting through THIS mess........

[Elsie]

Read all about it! ---> http://www.indystar.com/news/commuting/

[Baklava]

If ever there was a city unsuitable for biking, it's Pittsburgh--think steep hills and narrow bridges. I imagine what this all means is that we're getting some more scenic bike paths along the rivers.

[eno_]

I did one of those today, in slorcing mud.

[free from tyranny]

The tubes are a blast ! The north bound tunnel is fast very fast. The lanes are slightly downhill and there seems to be a directional breeze that helped to propel me to a 40 mph top speed. Awesome! Just watch the tunnel trolls and don't stop at the light at the end of the tunnel.

[Badray]

"Bike lanes on the Parkway?"

I'm for it if we can get points for each one we knock off for being in the fast lane.

Never mind. There is no fast lane on the Parkway.