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Route 28 Trail Paving

A recent article this past week in the Tribune Review stated that the trail along route 28 from the Heinz plant to Milvale may be crushed limestone paved by the city of PGH. Since the early discussions on this trail section it has always been noted that this trail section would be asphalt paved. This would severely limit the users. Smaller, skinny tired users, scooters, strollers, etc would not be able to use this trail. And being in the flood plane along the river, there would be long disruptions after floods for cleanup, repairs and resurfacing if crushed limestone is used. And the dust that is inherent with this surface as well as washouts and rutting during rainstorms. The city needs to be made aware of the trail users needs and promises made. All users will be affected and limited. Please give 311 a call or email to let them know how we feel! it's important! Thanks!


skisk8r
2011-03-26 15:09:40

Link to the article. Tom Baxter of Friends of the Riverfront gives costs associated with stoning and paving options.


It seems as though the city is leaning on the non-profit to ante up the dough. So I guess if we want pavement, then we should donate to Friends of the Riverfront?


I believe the paving cost is suspect, because at that price we won't have an adequate base. The existing crushed limestone trail fails because the water sits in the stone and doesn't drain away quickly. So paving over that will result in cracking after 1 to 3 years depending on the thickness and quality of the pavement.


sloaps
2011-03-26 16:02:15

If this trail is like the others they will provide the proper compacted granular base required for asphalt paving. The section along most of Route 28 is torn up from the highway construction so they are going to have to do the subbase properly to make it work.


skisk8r
2011-03-26 20:05:12

The cheap way out is always a more expensive option. 1) You do it the cheap way. 2) It fails in short order. 3) See item 1.


Case in point: Liberty Avenue sharrows.


stuinmccandless
2011-03-26 22:47:18

Or the Penn Ave sharrows. I had to search for them today. Nice that the city sprung for thermoplastic for the lane dividing lines, those are nice and bright!


The bike symbols on the Greenfield Rd bike lane are non existent now. Not even a hint of them left.


dwillen
2011-03-26 23:02:14

Case in point: Liberty Avenue sharrows.


As long as sharrows are being put right on top of the old trolley track pothole corridor, I'd just as soon they not be irrevocably permanent.


ieverhart
2011-03-27 21:43:50

Reminder to call or email 311 to voice your concern about asphalt paving of the Route 28 trail to Milvale as originally promised. Get it right the first time or we all pay in poor trail surface forever! We deserve better if we want to be a gold bicycle friendly comunity.


skisk8r
2011-03-28 13:23:50

The Friends of the Riverfront Facebook page states, "Friends of the Riverfront to repave North Shore Trail between the Heinz Lofts and Millvale!"


Are we sure the Trib just didn't get their facts wrong?


rsprake
2011-03-28 13:40:43

+1 ian. They would last longer if they were placed between the left and right tire track, so they wouldn't get driven on as much.


lyle
2011-03-28 13:50:18

Do it nice, or do it twice.


Many, many people make their livings doing rework under the guise of "maintenance". Not all maintenance is rework, but all rework seems to be labeled maintenance.


ejwme
2011-03-28 15:57:36

"There's never enough [resources] to do the job right, but there's always enough to do it over."


stuinmccandless
2011-03-28 16:16:25

rsprake, The article is factual. I have been in contact with FOR. City DPW is reviewing the project based on 3-1-1 calls. Keep it up!!! There still is hope! City crews would do the work.


skisk8r
2011-03-29 18:07:49

I 3-1-1'ed that schiz!


I told them I would suggest this sort of thing for any new project...bike trail or otherwise. No brainer - do it right = do it once.


gimppac
2011-03-29 18:34:28

I frequently wonder if there's any plan to put an inch or so of asphalt on that concrete bridge thing. The Riverfront Trail? This: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10261/1088523-53.stm


Babump babump babump babump babump babump


nfranzen
2011-03-29 19:39:07

that's an excellent point.. is there a plan to fix the brand new millvale connector?


what would they say if they built a lane of interstate that bumpy?


nick
2011-03-30 04:56:29

i've heard no less than 5 people bring that up this week


erok
2011-03-30 14:35:24

nick - can you name a single paved road in PA, state, county, local, any size or location, that is NOT that bumpy during the course of a single year?


I was headed to Seneca Rocks one summer with a friend for a weekend, car shaking crazy - he was really worried that his steering or wheels were screwey, we stopped and he looked at everything and couldn't find any problems, continued on, were about to turn around to take it to a mechanic when we hit the WV line. Problem mysteriously dissappeared.


Can we get WV to make our bike trails?


ejwme
2011-03-30 14:52:26

potholes aside, most of our roads are less bumpy than that patch of trail.


nick
2011-03-30 17:23:15

ejwme Can we get WV to make our bike trails?


Oddly enough, the state of PA paid for the Gap trail through Maryland from the Savage tunnel down to Cumberland.


WV bike trails are also awesome.


mick
2011-03-30 22:43:09

Nice! MD ows us one, just get them to pave it. Quid Pro Quo?


ejwme
2011-03-31 00:49:07