test
2009-09-11 22:31:47
16
Converting some of Pittsburgh's alleys to bike boulevards?
First off, hi everyone. I've been a lurker here for a while but haven't actually broken down to post until now.
I had this idea the other day. Someone has probably done it already but whatever. Pittsburgh has all these alleyways in a lot of it's denser city neighborhoods like the South Side, Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, etc. My house is actually on one, and I know that personally I think it's a waste. It's a bad idea to park in these streets and they really only seem to get used by assholes driving too fast and for trash/emergency reasons.
So what if we actually closed some of these to car traffic and made them pedestrian/bicycle only? We could use retractable bollards at the ends of each block for emergency access, and also place recycling/trash bins at the ends so that residents would still be able to drop their trash easily.
If we really wanted to go all out with it, we could green up the alleys as well and at the intersections paint a unique/brightly colored crossing to connect to the next block.
I figure this would be beneficial for a couple reasons:
1) Possibly increase property values along them through beautification.
2) Get more bikes off the main roads
3) Could be used in strategic locations to close gaps in the current trail/bike lane system we've got.
I figure this would technically be Pittsburgh's version of a bike boulevard, since our streets are so narrow and it's not really possible to build those easily.
Obviously I don't think this idea will work in every neighborhood and would possibly run into some serious community push back. I'm also not sure how expensive this would be. I figure it could be done cheaper if necessary, just as a test run. Still figured I'd throw it out there. Seems like Pittsburgh's bike community has really been able to flex their muscles lately so who knows?
2009-09-10 20:30:59
hmm i was just riding on wharton today and was thinking it could be a bike blvd contender.
alleys tho. i guess they'd have to be appealing enough and not look dank
2009-09-11 22:38:56
Stop signs every 200 feet are a pain in the neck, and so is crossing significant side streets. Nor are they particularly safe. I posted a while back here about nearly creaming a kid on Comrie Way (parallels Penn in the Garfield area) who was invisible to me because of a large hedge. A quarter of a second difference is all that kept one of us from T-boning the other.
Yeah, there might be something to the idea, but I'm not convinced, yet. I say we put our efforts into trail development, driver awareness and encouraging more bike commuters.
We might get more traction trying to make something like Market and Sixth Streets, Downtown, ped/bike only.
2009-09-11 23:31:58
I like this idea very much, especially the notion that it could be uniquely Pittsburgh.
I agree with Stu, though, that the frequent stopping could be a deterrent for many people. Although it's short and connects to another major trail and it's awesome, then maybe it wouldn't be.
2009-09-11 23:59:00
i always thought reynolds would be a great one too, but i know that's not an alley
2009-09-12 00:24:26
Yeah, the constant stopping would be an issue. There'd have to be some sort of solution to that.
Glad my posts aren't spam anymore! Allllright!
2009-09-12 13:58:49
I think it's a great idea. Even if it isn't completely viable for biking (stop signs) it would surely raise property values and make things safer. I think the trails along the river are great but the connect points to city streets are few and far between. I suppose because there is a busy railway adjacent to it. Perhaps the city needs to take into account mapping out specific bike routes in every neighborhood then properly marking the road with bike lanes and signage. Oh wait, that's too much to ask isn't it.
2009-09-12 17:37:47
benny, we're actually working with the city to find money to do that very thing. it's not quite as easy as it sounds.
2009-09-12 17:39:31
I know, I was being sardonic. I should have worded it differently.
2009-09-12 17:45:40
I am with stu on this one. The alleys / low traffic side streets are just too slow and are usually filled with stop signs. I generally just go the quickest route possible.
2009-09-14 01:22:54
Would placing stop signs on the vehicle side streets with an extra sign below it calling attention to a bike crossing - while removing stop signs from the bike boulevard side help take care of that speed issue? Also, maybe combine that with a special bike crossing specific painting of the intersection?
2009-09-14 14:34:31
Changing the priority would be great, though politically difficult. Visibility into the alleys could still be an issue to be careful about.
The priority is the biggest deal, I doubt that painting the intersection a different color would make much difference.
2009-09-14 15:50:15
Cars would roll through the stops and cyclist would be put in danger with the low FOV leading up to the intersection.
2009-09-14 15:55:06
the people of hays and baywood st in east liberty requested grant funding for something sort of similar that was being called a "green alley". mostly because this particular alley was a mess and floods during rain events. i think the design was mostly to install all sorts of storm water remediation items along it--swaths of rain gardens and the like. the bike part would be cool to add--though i dont know if that would be a good place for it since stanton is right there and a lot of cyclists already use that.
2009-09-14 21:21:36
The idea of putting stop signs on the cross streets would make the alleys way cool. There would still be some danger for bikers, of course, but a STOP sign with a "Yeild to bicyclists" sign underneath it might help.
Even as it is, I often will take Spring Way (putatively pgh's longest alley) through the Strip. It would be totally cool if that were made a Bike Blvd with stops for cars. This might not be realistic, of course - the alley is used for some specific vehicular traffic and people live on it.
Mick
2009-09-17 16:51:33