Point Park University's Student-Run Newspaper

Point Park Globe

Point Park University's Student-Run Newspaper

Point Park Globe

Point Park University's Student-Run Newspaper

Point Park Globe

Bike lanes help city’s cycle of progress

                                                                                                                        photo by Matthew Nemeth
The next two years will see the addition of five miles of bike lanes throughout the city.

Bike lanes are becoming a norm in larger cities and Pittsburgh is ready to join cities like Seattle and New York. 

Because of a grant given to the city, five miles worth of bike lanes will be added to the city in the next two years. Included are lanes being added to three county-owned bridges around the city. The Andy Warhol Bridge received temporary lanes during the Pro Walk/Pro Bike/Pro Place conference at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, which were removed September 13th. Two other bridges, however, will receive permanent bike lanes. 

The Roberto Clemente Bridge at Sixth Street is one of the bridges to receive a permanent bike lane. This particular bridge will have two lanes, one towards the city and one towards the North Shore, and will reduce the vehicular lanes to one each way. On days where the bridge is closed to traffic during the Pittsburgh Pirate home games, bikes will still be allowed access. 

The final bridge to receive bike lanes is the 10th Street Bridge. Plans for this project have yet to be finalized, but it is assumed that they will be similar to the plans for the Roberto Clemente Bridge. The bike lanes should connect the South Side to the Eliza Furnace Trail. 

The addition of a bike lane along Penn Avenue between Sixth and Sixteenth Street caused confusion when it reduced two lanes to a one way street.  Police have had to issue warnings to people trying to use the bike lanes to go the opposite direction on Penn Avenue. The change is new, and like anything else, it’ll take time for drivers to get used to it. Bikers should use caution when riding in the lanes. 

Anyone who has ever traveled in the city by car during rush hour knows just how horrible the traffic can be. Reducing street congestion was one of the many topics at the Pro Walk/Pro Bike/Pro Place convention. The addition of the bike lanes gives city officials hope that more people will choose to ride their bikes to work, but not everyone was happy about the new addition to the city. They claim that adding these lanes and promoting more bike riding in the city, especially on streets without designated bike lanes, increases the risk for pedestrians. Police have stated that they will enforce the use of appropriate bike lanes. 

Pittsburgh building these bike lanes is a huge step towards the ultimate goal of a healthier city. Adding these lanes will not only be beneficial to the residents of the city, but also for the students of Point Park. The student center has bikes that students can rent, free of charge, to use at their leisure. Having access to these bikes and to the new routes will give students an easier way to explore and get around the city. 

I think these bike lanes are an excellent addition to our city. Making travel easier for bike riders makes people more apt to ride their bike to work and school. With the addition new of bike racks around the city as well, it just makes bike travel more convenient. Everyone that lives in or around the city should be excited for this new and healthy addition. 

 
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