I would love to see this changed, this is one of the stupidest rules going. What about people with kids, are they supposed to leave a minor at one end to fend for themselves while they make the trip up?
Last summer I took an out-of-town friend of mine and his son on a bike tour of town, and I thought the incline would be a great thing to do, so we packed four bikes, two adults, and 2 13 year olds into the top seat of the car. There were 2 people in each of the other 2 seats, there was no-one else waiting. At the last minute, 2 people came running up and CHOSE not to get in one of the other seats with ONLY 2 OTHER PEOPLE. When we got to the top the operator said we shouldn't have done that and not to do it again. Fine. So the operator was an ass, the people who wouldn't get in the car were asses, the rule is an ass. Stupidity.
Bikes & Monongahela Incline
Is there something that we can do as a cycling community to get the "1 bike allowed at a time" rule for the Mon incline changed to something more civilized like two at a time?
It seems like its very unfair to cyclists that don't would like to come up Mt. Washington to be forced to wait sometimes an upwards of 30 minutes to get up the side of the mountain.
Meanwhile anyone else, no matter what cargo they are carrying (multiple baby strollers, groceries, wheelchairs) can pile into any car they want, exceeding the passenger limit, has no issues what so ever with transportation.
I feel that the current restriction is very inconvenient and needs to be revisited. Especially when I am waiting to get on the incline, but cant because of another cyclist riding up. Even if that top car which we have to ride in only has that one cyclist occupying it.
The restriction becomes even more confusing depending on who is operating it at the top. I have had some operators come over the loudspeaker and tell me to even ride in other compartments before.
Thoughts?
I say they either change the rule or put a legit bike rack at both ends. I hate locking my bike to the sidewalk railing that butts up right against W. Carson St. traffic.
Yeah.. when I bring people from out of town, we generally lock up to the rusted fence railing, which I dont liek doing since it blocks the sidewalk a bit, but there is not other place to lock.
I think if they installed some vertical hanging hooks in one of the cars, that would accommodate 3-4 bikes easy and get them more out of the way.
I guess if something liek that was done, I would understand the restriction of bikes only in one row of the car or something.
Just for the record.. I have rode up with 6 bikes in the top car before.
I just moved off of the mountain there so hopefully I will never have to take the incline again. During the last two years of living up there I have become a expert on riding the incline. My advice, go to the other incline. They are much nicer and will let multiple bike on. Hell they will even hold the door open for you and ask people to let the bikes board first sometimes. If you do have to take the mon incline just try to avoid Saturday afternoons. Randy the port authorities employee of the year is the biggest douche you have ever met. I have been dealing with this guy since I moved to Pittsburgh 3 years ago. No kidding he has called me stupid, asshole, and so on. Ive called and complained about him multiple times. He has even told my girlfriend that I better watch out or he will have the port authority police arrest me for disorderly next time we try to bring more then one bike up the incline. I feel we have really bonded during my time here. I may even have to put him on my Xmas card mailing list. Besides dealing with that jerk I have been pretty lucky on the incline. I have takes many trips up with anywhere from 2 to 5 bikes. Then you have the tourists that stand in front of the door while you are trying to unload but thats a different story.
It all depends on the time of day or if they are busy. The guys who operate the incline are very cool and don't always enforce the 1 bike rule. If they don't have a line of people waiting they will let more then one bike on at a time. If they have a long line of people waiting they enforce the rule so they can fill each car to capacity.
It shouldn't have to depend on who is operating the incline or how many people are in line.
This should be something that is reevaluated, adjusted, and enforced no matter what.
@ anthony -
So you think they should enforce the "1 bike per trip" rule even if the car is otherwise empty?
@ Mick -
No. What I believe they should to is allow the rule to be "2 bikes per trip" and enforce that rule.
I have lived on Mt. Washington for about 5 years. I ride the Duquesne incline all the time but honestly I have only taken my bike on it once (due to an injury). The one bike at a time rule does not bother me. The operators are only doing their job and if it’s not busy they will look the other way.
Proportionally one bike at a time is about right. A bus can carry more then twice as many passengers then an incline car and they can only put 2 bikes on a rack.
I think they should enforce the "operators are dealing with the general public and should have some degree of individual discretion, training, and interpersonal skills, and not be douches" rule.
"operators are dealing with the general public and should have some degree of individual discretion, training, and interpersonal skills, and not be douches"
+1
The Port Authority will most likely need to negotiate such a change with the Union in its next contract…
From what I'm hearing, even with two bikes in the top car of the M.I., there is space enough to put at least a couple of people beyond the owners of the bikes.
There is some sense in having two people ride together, esp. in adult/child pairings.
So, what I see as reasonable is a combination of anthony's allow the rule to be "2 bikes per trip" and Greasefoot's if it’s not busy they will look the other way.
My worry is that you're dealing with a union, a union contract, and Vogon adherence to rule enforcement on both the management and labor sides. Reason and common sense may be our friends, but they're not theirs. Good luck.
I can agree with what edmonds says.
Also it shouldn't matter how long the line for the incline is. If you wait in line like everyone else then why should it matter if 3 or 4 bikes ride up at the same time. Ok so 4 bikes would take up more room and that would cause less people to ride on that trip up, but its ok when a family has 2 or 3 kids and multiple strollers that they stuff in the car. They wouldn't dare tell them they could only bring one stroller at a time. Even tho I,m pretty sure there is a sign saying you have to fold strollers. I also like how someone mentioned about what do you do when you are trying to ride up with kids or a family. I did see a family of 4 turned away from the incline one Saturday afternoon. The operator came on the speaker and told them it was gonna take at least 2 hours to get all four of them up and that they might as well leave. Funny how PAT is almost broke but will turn away paying customers.
I cant say that all the operators are jerks tho. The lady at night was always very nice as well as joe the daytime guy. I rode up with 5 bikes many times during rush hour on his watch. He knows we where just trying to get home from work like everyone else was. Saturdays before 6 pm was the only time i really ever had any problems.
If the operator lets more then one bike on when it’s busy someone is going to complain about having to wait for another car. They have cameras that record everything and review the tapes after a complaint. Then the operator gets written up for not following the rules. Some of the people who live on Grandview are very pretentious and complain about everything…
Every business in the free world has to deal with complainers. Give them a coupon for a free dessert at the Grandview Saloon or something, shut em up. Don't clamp down on other potential paying customers.
By the way the just opened a cool new bar on Shiloh St called Havana. It’s right across the street from Red Beards where the pizza shop used to be. They have 2 large glass garage doors that open the front of the place up to a sidewalk café. Take a ride up the incline and check it out!
My wish list for the inclines would be 2 bikes minimum rule, the Mon should let cyclists on during peak periods, and the Duquesne should not charge an extra fare for bringing a cycle.
Also not to hijack this thread, but on the topic of making the Mt more bike friendly: PJ McArdle is the neighborhood bike thoroughfare for obvious reasons. The Jersey barriers on the sidewalk need to go. Right now the barriers are narrowing the sidewalk to the point of being a serious hazard. What is the point of those things anyway?
The city should designate the sidewalk as an uphill bike route and not put construction signs etc in the way. Also, the downhill road lane needs to be marked with Sharrows or a sign at the top instructing cyclists to take the road down. There are too many suicidal maniacs overtaking people at high speed on the sidewalk going downhill. If the sharrows continued down to 10th street and also to the Smithfield street bridge that would be awesome. Well I can dream anyway.
I think I will at least try to contact the district 2 counsel office to ask about the jersey barriers. That would be a huge fix.
I hate those jersey barriers!!!
In 2003 a 72-year-old lady (who probably should not have been driving) took her car 300 feet over the side of Mcardle Rd. After the accident the city put jersey barriers on the sidewalk because it was cheaper then replacing the rusted fence and installing guardrails. The City then request that PennDot place Mcardle on the state “wish list” of roads to be redesigned. The state engineers estimated to completely rebuild the road, guardrails, and retaining walls on both sides would cost more than $10 million dollars. The project was in financing limbo for several years and then Penn dot officially canceled it in 2009. After the state canceled the project the City then spent about $1M to redesign the drainage and repaved Mcardle. Unfortunately they did not fix the rusted fence or add guardrails so the barriers remain.
I ride up that sidewalk at least 4 times a week and almost always have to yell at some zombie wearing headphones ON YOUR LEFT!!! I understand why they need the barriers because I see where vehicles have hit them and they do provide protection for the people on the sidewalks. I wish they would move them all over to the edge of the curb, maybe another 8 inches. The extra room would be welcomed.
That rusted fence needs to be replaced soon.... I bike up there most mornings and since May there have been at least 2 gaps created in it.
One of my 'dream projects' would be widening the whole side walk so that it is big enough to support bicycles and pedestrians at the same time... with regions designated for pedestrians and bike traffic in both directions.
This dream occurred to me in a flash as I saw someone coming down on a mountain bike as I was headed up. I stopped and made myself as small as possible to let the guy through.
Yesterday, I tried going up in the road and no sir, I don't like it. Need to figure out what I'm going to do for going up/going down in the winter....