I am seeking some route guidance for biking to a weekly after school art program I teach. (I teach in 3 locations throughout the week and have been biking to the other two certainly in part thanks to very helpful suggestions from some folks on the board here a while back!). I would like to bike to this third location... preferably without threatening cardiac arrest upon my relatively young heart. The school is Minadeo Elementary (6502 Lilac Street, Squirrel Hill) and I'd be coming from Highland Park/EL. Feed back greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!
South of 5th Ave, Beechwood is less steep of a climb than Shady: it might be worth cutting over. Put your bike in the easiest gear and plan to take your time going up. I've found that it gets easier after a few times and that there's a psychological as well as a physical aspect to tackling hills.
+1 for Beechwood. You can take ELB over to Bakery Square, cut through Mellon Park, and Beechwood where it begins at Fifth.
+2 for Beechwood. And then look at Ebdy and Caton to get to/from Minadeo.
(And if this comes up as from OhioJeff, well, until January I was JeffinPgh.)
I think you're at a greater risk of knee injury than cardiac arrest...
I'd suggest Beechwood to Monitor and Saline (and come in at the lower end of Lilac) instead of Ebdy and Caton. Plus that's an easier way to get home.
Great! Thank you!
I agree beechwood is a really nice ride all the way from 5th and around to Murray.
Although depending on the time of year it can be annoying... those spiky nut things that fall from the trees are no fun. (are they beechwood nuts?)
I got them embedded in both my front tire and forearm in the last year. Fortunately(?) on two different rides.
Taking 5th->Wilkins->Beechwood (or shady) is also fun... although th first 1/3 mile of Wilkins has a bit of incline... but for Pittsburgh its not bad. (Especially compared to nearby Negley which haunts my personal nightmares.)
If you can do S Neville coming up from Panther Hallow to 5th then Wilkins, Shady or Beechwood are all good options.
Dallas might be doable also, but I've not tried it.
the worse part of wilkins is from beeler to shady - uphill, lots of cars, and that awful intersection with murray.
i'd definitely take beechwood the whole way especially from HP - ELB to the end, cross penn, wiggle past the school, and you're there.
Holy cow look who's in this! How do I watch the full episode? How?
http://www.fntv.com/episodes/s1e1/
Thanks again, everyone! I took Beechwood nearly the entire way and the whole journey was about a thousand times easier than I had anticipated. Maybe two.
Two side notes: I realized that Saline is a one way, so when I got to it, I just walked my bike on the sidewalk up the last short hill, which honestly I was thankful for- a good cool down before heading in. I took Saline to Monitor for the return trip, too. Rad.
Secondly, I am really wishing that some lights would be installed in the park area/ pathway by Ellis. How can I make this request? I could hardly see anything on my return trip (around 7ish) and I have lights on my ride and helmet (though I'm realizing that the one on my helmet is seemingly puny).
Anyway, the trip was great. I guess I didn't realize Beechwood went quite that far as my travels on that road usually end at Frick Park. I really appreciate everyone's input!
@edmonds, as far as the episode, it used to be viewable online. I think they may have taken it off because it is set to air again this Friday on WGN (but not until at 3am). It may be posted online again after that, but I'm not sure.
which way did you cut through by the school? i take this little path (where the green arrow is):
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=40.454764,-79.915935&z=18
it's definitely dark but short. i did get a new really bright light for xmas which helps. but, if you find someone to talk to about adding lights, i'd definitely be interested. i'd also like to talk to them about plowing it when there's snow.
That's the same pathway I take. I am not sure who to address with this issue, but am assuming that would be something to take up with the city. Note sure. I will see if I can find out who I would look to contact. I bet Ellis would be able to point us in the right direction if no one else. I'll check in with a contact there and will let you know what amounts. Glad you're interested in this as well! Totally agree about the winter issue...s.
Is the opposite pathway any better lit, i.e. that goes from Penn to the right side of the parking lot? I've only ridden there once or twice, there's a light pole clearly visible on google maps but I have no idea if it's lit or if it helps. oh, i see there's also a pole on the path we were talking about so I guess not.
I wonder what the "official" way to go through there is? are you supposed to go all the way down to penn/5th and circle around?
i really should explore more. i take the same route every day, and obviously i'm not very observant. 
haha well it is hard to be observant when there is no light by which to see. I called Ellis just now and they informed me that it is city property. The woman I spoke with said that they do indeed have lights in the park, but that they have to schedule with the city for times to turn the lights on (for events, etc.)... so yes, lights do exist there. I called the Mayor's office who patched me to 311 and I spoke with someone who told me that because the lights are not street lights they won't keep them on regularly throughout the night. She still noted my request and said she would send it on to the engineers or something, but I am not sure anything will amount.
If by some remote chance the city does get back to you, recommend strongly that they install motion detectors on the lights, if someone is in the park, lights on, if not, lights off. Nobody has to go out to turn them on, and if no one is there, they're not using any power. Simple. Stress the safety aspect, gets people moving.
It also pays to remember that our days are staying light longer. In a couple of weeks, 7ish will be light enough that your bandlebar light and your "puny" helmet light will be sufficient for the short distance involvec.
I have a new television and haven't quite got it figured out. Can anyone tape the Belong show that Edmonds referenced? I'd really like to see the whole thing. Maybe it should be the first official contribution to the Bike Pittsburgh lending library cooperative.
".....@edmonds, as far as the episode, it used to be viewable online. I think they may have taken it off because it is set to air again this Friday on WGN (but not until at 3am). It may be posted online again after that, but I'm not sure....."
I'll DVR it, although how to get it off the DVR and onto some media would require some A/V club skills on my part. I'm a nerd but not that kind of nerd.
Hey, the full episode "Belong" by fntv is viewable online now, I guess since it ran the other night! EXCELLENT show, all Pittsburgh. I highly recommend watching it. The whole show is good, Steph is great.
http://www.fntv.com/episodes/s1e1/
The lights in the ball field are on in the summer from what I remember.
Thanks, edmonds Glad you enjoyed it. 3 cheers for banjos- always.
Hmm.. there may be lights on in the field, but that doesn't really illuminate the path so much or perhaps at all. Motion detectors would indeed be a good solution, but I certainly won't hold my breath to hear back from anyone... O well. It's a nice thought anyway.
