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Hi,
My husband and I are debating on whether we should move to Glenshaw. I really do want to make the move since the house we are looking at comes under the Fox Chapel School District. However, my husband works at downtown and dreads having to commute via 28. Looking at the posts here, it seems like it isn't too bad. Could someone provide information on
1. How long does it take to commute (best and worst case)?
2. What is the best time to travel to avoid traffic (inbound and outbound) and what is the peak traffic time?
I work at Shadyside, so I'm not sure as to how the commute would turn out for me.
You can avoid that stuff largely. One can always cross the 62nd St bridge (Route 8 south) or Highland Park Bridge and take Butler St toward downtown; thats slower during traffic-free times but could work as an alternate.
To Shadyside, 28 wouldn't be part of the drive (or at least not for long). Again you would cross over the river on 62nd or Highland Park bridge and catch "One Wild Way", which will evolve into Negley and drop you right in Shadyside.
It already is pretty nice with the 31st St. bridge closed and that dumb pig hill road that dumps onto 28 that lets two cars go through. I cannot wait for that construction to be done.
For those who commute 28 now, I suggest you drive to Millvale and park and ride your bike in at the park. It takes about 6 minutes to get into the city that way on a flat bike path. Only about 10 people do it now, which is surprising, but I guess people just can't understand how easy the bike ride is.
I really wish the trail went at least to Sharpsburg. I know people use the railroad-owned service road adjacent to the tracks along the stretch, but come on, completing a trail there should be a no-brainer. Heck it might even convince more people to bike commute along the Allegheny.
Hi,
My husband and I are debating on whether we should move to Glenshaw. I really do want to make the move since the house we are looking at comes under the Fox Chapel School District. However, my husband works at downtown and dreads having to commute via 28. Looking at the posts here, it seems like it isn't too bad.
It has never really been bad. I think people hated most that there was no divider in the highway (which will change when the construction is complete. The two lights for the bridges caused a short wait, but traffic moved fairly fast. It's actually worse to deal with tunnel traffic IMO. It seems to take longer for traffic to get through the tunnels than to get through the lights. Why? Because people are slowing down for the tunnels. Once the lights turn green, everyone moves at full speed on Rt 28. The good news is that these two lights are being eliminated after the construction too. Well, they've already been eliminated with the temporary bypasses. We are havin a faster commute during this construction than we had prior to construction. Once the construction is complete, it's going to be a super quick commute.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mishibaba
1. How long does it take to commute (best and worst case)?
For RUSH hour: BEST: 15 minutes WORST: 45 (peak rush hour in a snow storm with an accident blocking one lane. LOL)
Quote:
Originally Posted by mishibaba
2. What is the best time to travel to avoid traffic (inbound and outbound) and what is the peak traffic time?
Morning rush hour is 7am to 9am. Afternoon rush hour is 3pm to 5:45pm. There are windows of speed. You can leave at one time and it will take 30 minutes. You can leave 10 minutes later or earlier and it will take 20 minutes. You can adjust your time by just a few minutes and it will make a difference. It's strange.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mishibaba
I work at Shadyside, so I'm not sure as to how the commute would turn out for me.
Just as fast as for your husband. Glenshaw, especially the Fox Chapel part, is extremely convenient to Shadyside and Downtown. Glenshaw is one of the most convenient suruban zip codes for commuting to Shadyside AND Downtown. To give you an idea of how close they are, you can be in either place in under 10 minutes when there is zero traffic. Late at night, I've left my house in Glenshaw (when I lived there) and drove to Children's Hopsital when it was in Oakland in 10 minutes and to downtown in 7 minutes.
I really wish the trail went at least to Sharpsburg. I know people use the railroad-owned service road adjacent to the tracks along the stretch, but come on, completing a trail there should be a no-brainer. Heck it might even convince more people to bike commute along the Allegheny.
That service road is pretty rough at many spots, so a mountain bike is best.
I have looked at that area between the 62nd St. bridge and the end of the trail a little past Millvale and I think the problem is there needs to be a service road and a place for bikes to pass that isn't on the road. There are places that are too narrow for both, so I think that is the stumbling block.
The best commute to the city from Aspinwall is crossing the Highland Park Bridge and down Butler Street. Once in Lawrenceville take a right on about any street and take the back roads. I can get to downtown going through a couple of parking lots and getting on some little street next to Smallman. It is a really nice commute, but not a trail.
With the Aspinwall Marina project starting, there might be a push to get the trail down through there, but that scrap yard is not passible, so that will always be an issue.
I do agree that when done that commute (driving) will improve greatly. Perhaps I will look to live in Aspinwall by then.
When infrastructure is put in place property values go up. As expensive as Aspinwall is right now, I have a feeling it will move up even higher.
I drive on 28 at all hours and the current traffic seems better now than it was when there was no construction. Imagine when they are done how nice it will be. Pretty exciting for those of us that live along 28. From Aspinwall it takes about 8-11 minutes to get to the city without traffic and with the two lights. I have a feeling the commute is going to be a breeze! I just hope urban sprawl doesn't take off too much in the Allegheny Valley due to the great commute. Of course with fuel prices going up and up, it is becoming less fashionable to be too far from cities.
There's not really any more room in there for any sprawl, is there? More than there is already I mean. Seems like as you go up through that area it had earlier sprawl anyway (like Natrona Heights). I just don't see a ton of additional room for more close-in sprawl than what's already in place, short of knocking established stuff down, that is, and I don't see that happening.
Although, I suppose the even farther out places could entice some sprawl as the commute gets shorter all the way down. I haven't been out that way in a while. Buffalo Township, since it's in Butler County, that's a prime suspect I guess.
There's not really any more room in there for any sprawl, is there? More than there is already I mean. Seems like as you go up through that area it had earlier sprawl anyway (like Natrona Heights). I just don't see a ton of additional room for more close-in sprawl than what's already in place, short of knocking established stuff down, that is, and I don't see that happening.
Although, I suppose the even farther out places could entice some sprawl as the commute gets shorter all the way down. I haven't been out that way in a while. Buffalo Township, since it's in Butler County, that's a prime suspect I guess.
West Deer is mostly raw land and is in a good location, but taxes are stupidly high and that will probably limit growth. Over the boarder in Butler County is already pretty pricey. It is also a very long way out and with fuel prices moving towards $5, I don't think long commutes will be very fashionable.
The more I think about it, I would agree. There is not all that much room for growth which is a good thing.
Too bad that everytime it rains, the single northbound lane floods and traffic gets totally hosed up.
It is amazing. Looking at the weather for the next several days, it will be flooded most of the time. I don't know how it fills up so fast, but it does.
There's not really any more room in there for any sprawl, is there? More than there is already I mean. Seems like as you go up through that area it had earlier sprawl anyway (like Natrona Heights). I just don't see a ton of additional room for more close-in sprawl than what's already in place, short of knocking established stuff down, that is, and I don't see that happening.
OMGoodness! There's plenty of room for sprawl. It's downright rural as close as Harmarville. And Natrona Heights is basically a small town in the woods. There's enough room from Harmarville to Natrona Heights for a whole new Cranberry type sprawl in Harmar, Indiana, Springdale, Frazier, Fawn, Harrison. All have have considerable room for houses. It's extremely rural up there.
Look at the map:
Thankfully, the business district will be better than Cranberry's because there won't be lights on Route 28 like there are on Route 19 in Cranberry. The 28 corridor could truly end up being the place to live.
Quote:
Originally Posted by greg42
Although, I suppose the even farther out places could entice some sprawl as the commute gets shorter all the way down. I haven't been out that way in a while. Buffalo Township, since it's in Butler County, that's a prime suspect I guess.
I think it will happen much closer first. There's plenty of room in Allegheny County along 28 for new housing. Whoever thought to build that Pittsburgh Mills turned out to be smart. Here I thought it was the stupidest place to build a mall. Eventually people will hop the border into Butler County, but not until Allegheny County is developed first.
Quote:
Originally Posted by h_curtis
West Deer is mostly raw land and is in a good location, but taxes are stupidly high and that will probably limit growth.
West Deer as strict zoning requirements. It has always been cheaper for developers to build elsewhere. West Deer requires large property sizes and deciduous trees. A developer can't just go into West Deer and plow down everything to build a bunch of houses close together. If they plow down everything, they need to replant trees.
Since they are running out of places to build, developers will eventually build in West Deer. Considering the larger property size requirement, West Deer could end up being the future Fox Chapel, especially if taxes are lowered to accomodate extremely expensive homes.
IMO the main problem is the location. I lived in West Deer back during my renting days (yeah, yeah, I know, I've lived everywhere) and it takes about 15 minutes just to get to routes 8 and 28. But the Red Belt is nice heading through the 28 side and it could easily handle increased traffic flow without increasing travel time. Now that there is a business park and an airport, West Deer is very likely to be developed because the improvements on 28 will make the area even more desirable.
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Imagine when they are done how nice it will be. Pretty exciting for those of us that live along 28. From Aspinwall it takes about 8-11 minutes to get to the city without traffic and with the two lights. I have a feeling the commute is going to be a breeze! I just hope urban sprawl doesn't take off too much in the Allegheny Valley due to the great commute. Of course with fuel prices going up and up, it is becoming less fashionable to be too far from cities.
