BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Cool. Not to go OT but I recently saw this and thought it was very interesting, from Senator Fontana's newsblast; "6K on the Busway The 2nd Annual 6K on the Busway Run & Walk is scheduled for Sunday, May 19th at 9 a.m. The race is open to runners and walkers of any age. Proceeds from the event benefit over 20,000 Special Olympic athletes in Pennsylvania. The race takes place on the West Busway, beginning in Carnegie, traveling to Pittsburgh and then returning to Carnegie. For more information and to register please visit " So closing the busways for special events is apparently do-able. It would be interesting to do this just to eyeball the busway. But I don't run.

That would be cool. Really Cool. It wouldn't be the cheapest change, since I'm sure they would have to figure out a new design for certain sections of the busway since the width varies a lot, but having a way to get out to swissvale from downtown basically traffic free would be HUGE. I'd also love to see a couple extra busway stations, like a strip district station (near 21st st) and bloomfield station (near millvale ave bridge) while they are at it.

It will be interesting to hear about where this came from - if it was just an off the cuff remark or if it's a real project they are considering. A bikeway would be a game changer.

Benzo wrote: I’d also love to see a couple extra busway stations, like a strip district station (near 21st st) and bloomfield station (near millvale ave bridge) while they are at it.

This! It's a real shame that there isn't one.

Rotsa ruck. It is damnably narrow in a couple of places, notably around Shadyside Hospital. This would not be a simple project, and my guess is it won't be particularly cheap, either. I agree on the adding stations idea. Frankly, I'd've added the South or West Busways before I did East. There might not be a lot of cyclists out either way, but boy, is it miserable trying to get into town from out those directions. East at least has streets you can use.

I've been told that that East Busway was completed for long time before it was opened and it was an incredible ride.

"Pittsburgh's East Busway rapid transit system ranks 'bronze'" The article mentions bike lanes too. http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/transportation/pittsburghs-east-busway-rapid-transit-system-ranks-bronze-685906/

It was closed on Sundays for a long time after it was open the other six days. Its last day of non-bus operation was Sunday, May 23, 1983; I think the whole thing opened in January. That day, a charity bike ride was held on the East Busway, its entire length, to raise $ for what was then called Association for Retarded Citizens, later ARC Allegheny. I was in charge of the ride at the Wilkinsburg end. (If you're relatively new to Pgh, the East Busway only went to Wilkinsburg from 1983 to 2003.)

There has been a concept floating around that allows for bikes from the Neville Ramp into Penn Station. There would be "safety" areas for passing buses/shared lane situations as beneath bridge structures. There are only a few pinch points along that stretch. I have no idea if that is the type of enhancement that is being referred to here. There was another group from Homewood that wanted to use excess right of way to connect to East Liberty along the Busway. That is not very far but I keep those things in mind when details are not known (in this crazy world).

@Stu - Awesome double contraction!!

Managing the speed differential is key. On a limited access highway with a posted speed limit greater than 50 mph, a stopped vehicle, a pedestrian and/or a vehicle traveling less than 45 mph is a hazard. Allowing bicycles to travel on a narrow shoulder of a limited access highway with buses, emergency vehicles and patronage bureaucrats traveling in excess of 35 mph is incredibly dangerous. Novice and intermediate bicyclists will be startled, at best, and freaked the fuck out, at worst, when a bus traveling the prevailing speed of +50mph passes within 10 feet and throttles them with the turbulent winds of their slipstream. For reference of "doin' it right", the British Columbia Transit Manual PDF see page 29 and 47.

I can understand why people think they want to ride the busway rather than take Liberty through Bloomfield. But personally I'd much rather ride with 2000 pound vehicles doing 35 than 40000 pound vehicles doing 65... If there were to be an actual segregated bike trail (Furnace North?), that'd be different, but AFAICT there just isn't room for that.

There's a set of streets that almost connect Bloomfield to the edge of downtown, and if they were put in good repair and fully connected, you would have your EFT North. I refer to Juniper, Lorigan, that unconnected bit of Neville, and Sassafrasses Street and Way.