Another cyclist hit on Penn Ave (Pittsburgh, Dormont: safety, horse, cars)

[groar]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

It boggles my mind that the city's response is "don't cycle on Penn Avenue". How about you show some real leadership skills, Mayor Ravenstahl, and team up with BikePGH and PennDOT to trim Penn Avenue into one lane in each direction, BAN PARKING on this stretch of Penn Avenue at ALL TIMES (let the morons who park in front of the Evergreen Cafe pull around the corner on Carnegie Place and park), and ramp up police enforcement? Bikes are LEGALLY PERMITTED to ride on public roadways. Advising cyclists to not bike on the streets simply because you're too afraid to raise taxes to pay for necessary quality-of-life infrastructural and safety improvements is asinine.

i'm not usually one to defend the mayor but actually, if you read the press release the mayor's office put out and not the atrocious p-g story based on it, using meade as an alternate route was only mentioned in passing and was meant as a temporary solution while penndot, bikepgh and the city work on a plan to make penn safer for cyclists. the press release was clearly written with input from bikepgh.

i do doubt that the plan will be quite as comprehensive as what you propose (for one thing i'm guessing they're going for shared lane markings rather than bike lanes), but the message of the press release was much more focused on the 4 foot rule, the responsibility of drivers, and the need to make changes to the way traffic works on penn ave than on telling cyclists to stay off of penn.

here's the press release:

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl*·*Press Release

i think the author of that p-g piece should be ashamed, that article is extremely misleading and just feeds into the blame the victim mentality that is so prevalent when something like this happens.

[groar]

by the way there is already one of those speed detector signs up on penn today.

[zip95]

Originally Posted by groar

zip95, the post just before yours is an answer to it. just asking nicely or changing the law generally doesn't help. but making physical changes to the road that encourage less aggressive driving can help.

like i said earlier, it's a balance - drivers need to get used to sharing the road with bikes, which can't happen unless bikes are on the road. but at the same time people on bikes need to consider their safety when choosing a route.

Sure... change the roads... Put this on a ballot and I will vote for it.

[zip95]

Originally Posted by CaptainPittsburgh

try applying this logic to post-segregation America. This type of reasoning would dictate that though black folks now have the right to enter into any establishment of their choosing, they should, for the good of the community, avoid going anywhere that white folks don't want them to go.

lol... This is a good analogy. Except imagine that white folks are made of solid steel and weigh two-and-a-half tons each, while black people weigh in at a buck-forty. Morally and philosophically every one should be able to go where ever they want... I'm not arguing that point. I'm saying that in reality any black person who takes their 140 pound butt down to the local Yinzer bar should not be surprised when a two-ton solid steel Yinzer sits on them. I for one would protest from a distance... as you should avoid Penn Ave.

[madg0at]

While not directly related to this incident I just passed through what looked like a bad collision on Penn at Lexington. Penn was closed on both sides between Braddock and Homewood and I haven't seen anything hit the news yet, but I hope no one else died on this stretch of road.

Edit: looks like it was SUV vs motorcycle officer:
http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2012/...ck-by-vehicle/

The officer's injuries are not life-threatening, thankfully, but the irony is he was there to monitor the area in light of the killed cyclists.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by madg0at

the officer's injuries are not life-threatening, thankfully, but the irony is he was there to monitor the area in light of the killed cyclists.

Wow. Coupled with how many near-misses I have when people nearly merge into my car without signaling trying to pass the idiots who park their vehicles in front of the Evergreen Cafe something NEEDS to be done to alter this corridor.

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

as they SHOULD love new revenue sources - is that so wrong? running this city is expensive, and people are constantly turned away with their concerns because of money.

So you're arguing in favor of requiring cyclists to pay for license & registration?

[Herodotus]

Originally Posted by UKyank

Just watch out for city council to propose bicycle licensing & registration as have been implemented elsewhere. I know it was discussed in a meeting, though there was no support then, this could bring the issue back up being that they love new revenue sources.

There is no need to do this. What they should do though, is while they are out there ticketing speeders, and reckless drivers, they also need to start ticketing the 10% of cyclers who think the rules of the road don't apply to them. A combination of this will reduce the problems greatly.

[szug-bot]

Originally Posted by UKyank

So you're arguing in favor of requiring cyclists to pay for license & registration?

yank, no, i think thats ridiculous and not necessary. i just spoke in defense of revenue - theres nothing evil or immoral in a city trying to get revenue from certain methods. there are operating costs to keep a city running.

someone mentioned the latest unecessary accident - the SUV 'turning into' the police motorcycle. there you have it - drivers, of SUVs especially, are just idiots with a mindset that everything and everyone else is merely an impediment purposely put there to case frustration.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Wow. Coupled with how many near-misses I have when people nearly merge into my car without signaling trying to pass the idiots who park their vehicles in front of the Evergreen Cafe something NEEDS to be done to alter this corridor.

The patrons of the Evergreen need to park somewhere, isn't it legal for them to do so?

It would be a real kick in the teeth to the owners of that taxpaying establishment if their customers had no place for their ride.