BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I tried to ride up the south side trail today. Most of it was not ride able. No snow had been cleaned off of it at this point. Some was packed down but not enough to make a smooth ride. I got on it at station square and even with my knobbys all I did was spin and slip. When I got to the concrete plant I just went out to bingham, and even that had snow across most of it after passing tenth street. I'm sure by Wednesday the trail will be beaten down enough that it will be more ride able, but if it snows id try to go before it all freezes up and gets hard how it was today.

Btw those T tracks coming down arlington ave are really slick. I found out the hard way this afternoon.

There's a Twitter, umm, thing that several of us to share trail conditions.

The Hot Metal Bridge is the absolute last thing to be cleared, and is generally a mess in the winter, particularly during freeze-thaw-freeze cycles. The city did an okay with the Jail Trail last year, though I haven't been on it since the snowfall. Based on Twitter updates, it looked to be snow-covered this past weekend.

Everyone should send a message to http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/mayor/html/311_request_form.html or call 311 to lodge a complaint about the trail not being cleared. Even a single pass with a plow goes a long way towards making the Eliza Furnace Trail safer. I sent my message as soon as I got into the office.

The Birmingham Bridge is in pretty poor condition, too--just a single lane cleared, really, and the bike lane is buried under a mess of frozen, rutted snow and ice.

my guess is that the trail will be pretty jacked and unridable

I live directly on Liberty Ave and I can't say I've seen nor heard a snowplow or salt truck yet.

As of this morning, the Jail Trail was barely passable. I wouldn't try it without studs or a Pugsley, though. Those with better winter handling skillz than I may well disagree.

(Speaking of which, was anyone out there with a Pugsley or some such? I saw some honkin' huge smooth tracks this morning...)

Has anyone seen a city plow? I'm pretty sure the roads are only somewhat passable because of traffic and busses pushing the snow to the side.

of all places, there was a plow on my street last night at like 2am. there are all of 6 houses on my street

Maybe someone important lives near you.

The PennDOT traffic cam shows that the Eliza Furnace has been plowed.

http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Penndot/Districts/district11.nsf/TCID330?OpenPage

And while I was watching, they made a second pass with the plow in the opposite direction.

next will be hot metal bridge?

Anybody have an update on Junction Hollow? This morning it was apparently unplow-ed.

On the way back this evening I saw that someone had, in fact, plowed the Hot Metal Bridge. It looks like the machine that did so started on the South Side and made a pass out and back. Could it have been American Outfitters? Whoever it was, thanks.

Well, yeah, they plowed it, but basically the plow-job turned the snow into an icy track. I suppose it's better than ruts, so, yeah, thanks.

The Jail Trail parking lot was a mess. Why don't they plow that, too?

Junction Hollow was untouched, and will likely become more unride-able until the end o' week thaw. Even a 311 call might now help--without salt, a plow will just make things worse, I think.

Jail trail was pretty unridable this morning- heavily rutted ice, and the few cleared spots had slick ice from the small melting that takes place during the day. I hate riding in on Second Avenue- cars coming past at 55 mph and often treating it like it is two lanes. i will take a few inches of snow any day over that.

I was able to manage the Eliza Furnace Trail this morning. It was slow going and a bit tricky but it was good enough that I didn't have to resort to Second Avenue.

I haven't even attempted Junction Hollow.

I took the Jail Trail to Panther Hollow yesterday afternoon, and the plowing was spotty--some stretches were untouched, and some were completely covered with snow (and rutted from previous bikers). I was ignorant or foolhardy enough to head to Oakland from by Big Jim's, and went slowly enough that I didn't have any problems (except the slowness). I have mountain bike tires, though, so I don't know how it would play with skinny tires.

Has anyone been on the southside trail today? I am trying to head out to the waterfront today. My usual route is up the SS trail then along the railroad tracks at the end of the trail that lead to the back side of sandcastle. After that i cut thru sandcastle if the gate is open or up those stairs to the road. Has anyone been over that way today? Should I try it or will the bus actually get me somewhere faster than my bike today?

Looking down on the trail from the Birmingham Bridge today, it looked pretty snow covered.

The junction hollow was finally getting a plowjob around noon today. It's still covered in snow and ice but most of the ruts are gone and I was able to go much faster than the past four days

Good to know about Junction Hollow--thanks!

I am updating the PGH Trail Conditions Twitter stream with these reports btw.

willie, i doubt the gate will be open

Sandcastle gate was open when I went about a week ago, but that, of course, was a week ago.

Last time I rode that route was early September and it was closed. But then a few days later I rode that way and it was open. Has anyone ever tried cutting under the bridge on the right side of the railroad tracks and then instead of going up the stairs following the road that goes under it and through the factory? It seem like you can get out to 837 that way with out lugging your bike up the stairs. I have never tried it tho so im not sure if its possible. Either way I took the bus out there today and it sucked. Next time I will probably just brave the snow.

Getting to Homestead sucks just about any way you go. They really need to get the damn trail done through Sandcastle.

Getting to Homestead sucks just about any way you go. They really need to get the damn trail done through Sandcastle.

Yeah, but until they do, the least painful on-road way I've found is Second Ave/Irvine St-Glenwood Bridge-837. Significantly less pucker factor than 837 up from the South Side, IMHO.

The death spiral 885/837/Baldwin/Glass Run junction at the end of the bridge sucks, though.

Junction hollow update if anyone cares.

Mostly clear but there are spots ( mostly on bends ) that are very slick with ice that is covered with a light dusting of snow especially near where the porta potty used to reside.

I will say that the last time it was plowed they did a really great job.

Thanks for that update! Now I know what I'll be facing on the commute tomorrow.