Pittsburgh Newbie: Should I Buy Snow Tires, Or Just Take the Bus This Winter? (Oliver: 2013, how much)

[apples2applesdust2dust]

I am a brand-new Pittsburgh transplant. Being from the Southeast, I haven't driven much in snow before. With winter around the bend, I'm trying to decide whether it's worth it for me to buy snow tires, given my specific situation:

1. I was lucky enough to receive a brand-new 2013 Honda Accord before I moved up here, so the tires have pretty good tread--Not sure if that makes a difference, but somebody asked me about that when I was asking him whether he used snow tires (His answer was no).

2. I live in Squirrel Hill, so public transit's pretty good.

3. As a young and naive twentysomething, I moved without realizing how much my monthly expenses would be, so the cost is a concern. Tirerack.com is quoting around $400 for just the tires, $600 for tires+wheels. Are there any cheaper options? If so, do they perform just as well? On the one hand, I don't want to shell out too much money. On the other, I come from a place where people freak out when it snows, so I want to make sure I have good tires if I do decide to buy them.

4. I've realized that I may want to go back to school sometime within the next two years. Of course, this might change, but I'm hesitant to spend so much money on snow tires when I may not use them enough to justify the cost.



Any thoughts?

[Moby Hick]

There is no reason to use snow tires if you have a front wheel drive car and live in the city. There are plenty of reasons to take transit if you live in Squirrel Hill regardless of snow, but it is especially nice to take the bus when the weather is bad because there is an increased risk of getting crashed into. Also, if the snow happens to fall at 4:30 or something, it will slow things down tremendously. If you were on the bus, you can get out and walk home more quickly than anybody driving.

[jay5835]

In which part of town do you work?

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

There are plenty of reasons to take transit if you live in Squirrel Hill regardless of snow, but it is especially nice to take the bus when the weather is bad because there is an increased risk of getting crashed into.

I would like to reinforce this part more than anything else. As a delivery driver I typically drive very conscientiously during wintry weather, yet I've nearly had numerous vehicles slide into me when their drivers were traveling too quickly for adverse weather conditions. I believe member PreservationPioneer had his car totaled a couple of winters ago when someone else lost control on a snowy road and crashed into him.

[apples2applesdust2dust]

Originally Posted by jay5835

In which part of town do you work?

I'm temping in South Side.

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by apples2applesdust2dust

I'm temping in South Side.

Keep the car. That's two buses, unless there's some SH/SS express I don't know about. OTOH, if you get a job in Oakland, Shadyside, East Liberty, or downtown, you can live very easily without a car.

[fleetiebelle]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

There is no reason to use snow tires if you have a front wheel drive car and live in the city. There are plenty of reasons to take transit if you live in Squirrel Hill regardless of snow, but it is especially nice to take the bus when the weather is bad because there is an increased risk of getting crashed into. Also, if the snow happens to fall at 4:30 or something, it will slow things down tremendously. If you were on the bus, you can get out and walk home more quickly than anybody driving.

This, and you'll probably be able to count the times per winter that you'd need to use public transport because of snow on one hand. There may be a couple of times that snow will fall fast enough and heavy enough to be a problem, but usually it's not so bad. Just keep an eye on the weather reports.

[bradjl2009]

Snow tires are absolutely not needed in Allegheny County. An average winter season usually see 35 to 45 inches of snow in increaments of 4 or 5 inches (usually) at most a time with one storm or 6 inches of more each winter usually (this is usually enough to close things down or to make calling off work not that big of a deal). Despite complaints, the roads are hardly ever not clear enough to be able to drive with all season tires.

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by jay5835

Keep the car. That's two buses, unless there's some SH/SS express I don't know about.

There used to be a Oakland/Squirrel Hill/South Side bus, but it died in the cuts before the cuts before the last set. I can't even remember the number except that it was fifty something. Depending on where you are in the Southside and Squirrel Hill, I think you could transfer in either Oakland or downtown, but it would be a pain.

You could also walk across one of the bridges if you wanted. Google says to walk the Birmingham bridge, which I've never done and don't like the idea of doing. The walking path has no physical separation from traffic. But walking the bridges downtown is fine if you're going to that end.

[steindle]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

Google says to walk the Birmingham bridge, which I've never done and don't like the idea of doing. The walking path has no physical separation from traffic.

There is definitely a physical barrier between pedestrians and traffic on the Birmingham Bridge, as there is on virtually any bridge in the city. Lots of people walk on the "wrong" side (to the left if you are heading toward the South Side), but the other side absolutely has a standard pedestrian sidewalk, separated by a concrete barrier (if I recall -- it's been a few years since I've used it).

Also, re: the snow tire question: no way will these be necessary. I've lived in Pittsburgh for 12 years of my driving life and have never needed them -- and I've lived on hills literally everywhere I've lived! (Mt. Oliver, top of 44th in Lawrenceville, Troy Hill.)