Biking vs. Driving in the City (Pittsburgh, Reading: insurance, calculated, tax)

[doo dah]

Bike riders and drivers united in their hatred and disdain for pedestrians.

[Tominftl]

Lots of cities aren't bike friendly. You could get yourself killed or crippled riding in some super crowded areas. Be safe when passing parked cars. You never know when that door is going to fly open....

[RonSantoRules]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I find pedestrians to be the worst lawbreakers in this city. They expect everyone---buses, cars, trucks, taxis, scooters, bikes, unicycles, etc. to yield to them when THEY cross streets illegally. I'm glad the cyclist didn't yield to him. I wouldn't have either. This isn't suburbia. This is a city with marked crosswalks and signalized intersections. If you're going to jaywalk, then fine. Do what I do, though, and make sure you won't be impeding anyone else's flow and then hoof it like you're outrunning Godzilla!

I imagine this is directly related to the fact that Pittsburgh drivers treat crosswalks as an invitation to mow down pedestrians who walk in them. When I first moved to downtown Pittsburgh, I would always wait until I had a walk signal to cross the street and cross at a marked intersection. After about one week of nearly being mowed down by a steady stream of lefthand turning drivers who seek and destroy anyone who would dare cross a street with the walk signal, and drivers making righthand turns who think that because they have a green light, everyone should get the hell out of their way, I decided that I would cross streets when and where I damn well pleased.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by airwave09

Traveling in my car I don't meet anyone... except for a few exchanges of a finger when I get cut off. People seem to become actual humans again when I'm on a bike.

I think part of the reason I don't find Pittsburghers "friendly" anymore is because I drive for a living and always feel like I'm one unjustified horn-honk away from putting my car in park, walking to the driver behind me, and shouting at the top of my lungs in their face "I HAVE TO YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS BEFORE I TURN, YOU IGNORANT MOTHER-F*@&@& PIECE OF GARBAGE!!!" Drivers here are just wretched, horrible, and unskilled, to say the least. I have people behind me honking at me because I won't drive in the bike lane to veer in/out around people who are turning left onto side streets from Liberty in Bloomfield. The bike lane isn't a passing lane. The bike lane is for BIKES. Do you see me driving on the sidewalk? No. Why? It's for pedestrians. Then why the hell would I drive up and down the bike lane if it's for bikes?

I love Pittsburgh when I have a day off and just spend it walking around the city for hours on end. I hate Pittsburgh when I have to drive through it because despite our population continuing to free fall traffic congestion only seems to be worsening because more people are moving to exurbs like Murrysville or Cranberry Township to have more grass to look at/evade taxes/"better schools" (i.e. less black kids) and then driving their cars back into the city. You'd never guess we were one of the most educated cities in the country judging by the way people here drive.

Originally Posted by norcider

I was out last weekend on a family ride, along the river trails. I am not a roadie, but I ride all over on my MTB bike. Roadies for those not in the know, are the lycra crowd on svelte road bikes. The roadies on the river trails on average were riding at a much faster pace than is safe. I don't get this, if you are out to get a work out, there are miles and miles of city streets to get it on. Please, if anybody reading this is a person like that; slow down before you hurt yourself or another person. The river trails are multi use, it's not your personal velodrome.

Thank you! I run on the North Shore Trail often between either Washington's Landing and the North Shore or Millvale and the North Shore, and while I keep firmly to the right berm of the trail I can't tell you how often I nearly wet myself when cyclists suddenly whiz by doing 20 miles per hour inches from me without shouting an "ON YOUR LEFT" from behind to warn me as they approach. I always glance over my left shoulder before "merging" left while running to avoid a puddle, dog (human?) feces, or an angry Mother Goose; however, some pedestrians are indeed stupid and will be so distracted listening to their awesome Selena Gomez music on their iPhones that they'll possibly just step to the left around the puddle right into the path of a speeding cyclist. Maybe a warning shout could help?

Originally Posted by gortonator

Yep - the golden rule of staying alive cycling is to assume everyone on the road is dangerous, and even if you have the right of way, somebody else's mistake could hurt you as you are on a bike and they are not. for example, always be very carefully when cars are turning left across you. My danger intersection is Beacon/Hobart as I head down the hill. It's amazing how often cars only see you at the last second. I'm always ready to brake/swerve ... always. I never trust them to stop.

And wear bike shorts/tights. Your butt will hurt less

I hate that Beacon/Hobart intersection with a passion, and that's just behind the wheel. I couldn't imagine almost broadsiding a car turning left in front of me from Hobart onto Beacon as I was cycling down the hill on Hobart. So many intersections in this town are crying out desperately for roundabouts (that new 3-way stop by Phipps is another as people routinely go out of turn, eliciting massive horn-honking and expletive-laced screaming out the window from me), but the powers-that-be are too stupid to take action.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by RonSantoRules

I imagine this is directly related to the fact that Pittsburgh drivers treat crosswalks as an invitation to mow down pedestrians who walk in them. When I first moved to downtown Pittsburgh, I would always wait until I had a walk signal to cross the street and cross at a marked intersection. After about one week of nearly being mowed down by a steady stream of lefthand turning drivers who seek and destroy anyone who would dare cross a street with the walk signal, and drivers making righthand turns who think that because they have a green light, everyone should get the hell out of their way, I decided that I would cross streets when and where I damn well pleased.

Good. You go ahead and jaywalk. Just don't give me lip service the way some jaywalkers Downtown do when I blare my horn at them, especially when I have a left-turn arrow to turn from Grant onto Seventh by the U.S. Steel Tower and then find myself "beached" in front of oncoming traffic as the arrow dissipates because throngs of pedestrians are crossing Seventh at rush-hour without the walk signal. Those horn-honks are epic when people do that.

[gg]

I really don't like to drive a car around the city and avoid it any time I can. I ride my bike all the time and love it. For the most part Pittsburgh is pretty good for cyclists. There are always going to be a moron here or there, but that is the case with everything. I love riding in the winter months. Less people in general. When I see cyclists in the city, I see smiles most of the time. When I see people in cars, they look miserable and stressed. It amazes me the difference. I feel bad for those that drive themselves to some gym, and all over the place, when they could just ride a bike or walk and feel great. Strange.

There is a lot of aggression on the roadways, but usually it is motorists against motorist. People in a hurry to get to another red light.

I do want to point out, if I am on a sidewalk, which is legal if not in a business district, I give pedestrians the right of way. I am on their path, so they get full respect as they should.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by doo dah

Bike riders and drivers united in their hatred and disdain for pedestrians.

I have equivalent disdain for cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers (or in the case of the East End also Segways, pedicabs, and unicycles) who break the rules. If everyone did what they were supposed to do---no jaywalking; no excessive speeding; no jaywalking; no driving in bike lanes; no jaywalking; no cycling down crowded sidewalks; no jaywalking; no box-blocking (looking at you, Downtown slinky buses); no jaywalking; no turning without signaling; no jaywalking; no riding bikes against traffic; no jaywalking; no using bike lanes as "passing lanes"; no jaywalking; no tailgating when the person in front of you is already in a line of traffic; no jaywalking; etc. then this city would be MUCH less congested than it already is for a city of just 306,000.

[gg]

Originally Posted by RonSantoRules

I imagine this is directly related to the fact that Pittsburgh drivers treat crosswalks as an invitation to mow down pedestrians who walk in them. When I first moved to downtown Pittsburgh, I would always wait until I had a walk signal to cross the street and cross at a marked intersection. After about one week of nearly being mowed down by a steady stream of lefthand turning drivers who seek and destroy anyone who would dare cross a street with the walk signal, and drivers making righthand turns who think that because they have a green light, everyone should get the hell out of their way, I decided that I would cross streets when and where I damn well pleased.

I think this is pretty common and in a way I don't blame you in the least. Jaywalking is more than safe, so long as you look both ways. I actually feel safer crossing in the middle of the block because of exactly what you describe.

[norcider]

Reading everybody's input makes one thing clear, it's all about the loss of respect for others. The rise of selfishness permeates everything, nobody gives the other guy a break anymore. To think of others before yourself is a true virtue that is all but gone. The headphones, the smart phones, the driver going 35 in a 25, the helmet-less cyclist weaving in and out of traffic and ignoring traffic laws, it's all about me, me, me.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by gg

There is a lot of aggression on the roadways, but usually it is motorists against motorist. People in a hurry to get to another red light.

In defense of fellow motorists the traffic lights in the East End especially are very poorly-synchronized. For example, let's say I want to get from Forbes & Craig to the GetGo at Morewood & Baum. I'll head eastbound on Forbes after waiting at the red light at Craig only to often hit a red light at the CMU parking lot across from Hamburg Hall while there's nobody waiting to exit the parking lot. Once I get through that light I'll often miss the left-turn arrow onto Morewood Avenue from Forbes, which means another red light due to the volume of opposing traffic. I then successfully turn left onto Morewood only to hit the next red light at Morewood & Fifth (sometimes having to wait through a few light cycles there if a bus turning right from outbound Fifth onto Morewood can't make the swing because of some jagoff on Morewood pulled up too far ahead of the limit line). I'll then hit the red light at Morewood & Ellsworth. THEN, believe it or not, if I literally put the pedal to the metal I WILL make it through the green light at Morewood & Bayard, but if you're doing the speed limit, as you're supposed to, you'll hit that red light at Morewood & Bayard no matter what. Then whether I'm flying or crawling after making that green light at Morewood & Bayard I'll always hit the red light at Morewood & Centre, followed by another red light at Morewood & Baum. A drive that should take under five minutes can often take closer to 15 due to poor light timing. It's extremely frustrating.

I thought CMU was being paid by the city to fix the traffic lights in the East End?

Originally Posted by gg

I do want to point out, if I am on a sidewalk, which is legal if not in a business district, I give pedestrians the right of way. I am on their path, so they get full respect as they should.

Well, sir, I tip my hat to you! I hope you receive the same courtesy from runners I see who RUN in the bike lanes for some odd reason (they are allergic to sidewalks?)