Will more people each year commute on bicycles? (Pittsburgh, Carnegie: 2014, credit)

[gg]

A couple of things that seem to be consistanly mentioned.

1. Weather: A change of clothes at work or some waterproof clothes. One of the problems with waterproof clothes is they can be hot no matter how good they are and you may sweat. Even if people didn't ride on rainy days, that wouldn't be that big of a deal. I don't mind riding home in the rain. Sometimes it is kind of nice, but to work can be a drag. It is amazing how few days that I can't ride due to weather and that includes winter.

2. Hills: I can understand for someone starting out they are intimidated by a large hill they would need to deal with on the way or return to work. I wouldn't be happy to live in the East End and have a flat commute, so there are some of us that really love to ride up a hill to or from work because it feels good. You get used to it after a month of riding even if you aren't in the best of shape. Some folks ride bikes with no gears or fixed up and down the hills which is super fun once you get used to it. I am thankful for the hills, but I know I am in the minority.

3. Dangerous cycling: This is a problem of course, but it is getting better and better. Sometimes there are actually really safe quiet routes you can take that people may not know about. Ask a cyclist what is the best way from home to work and see if there is some really nice ride. You might be surprised. On my way to work I am on three sidewalks that are rarely used and one is due to a one way street. Two are legal, but one isn't. I give pedestrians the full right of way and will even ride behind them if I have to, so they don't have to deal with me. As far as I am concerned they own that sidewalk and I am to yield to them.

I don't know the future of cycling in Pittsburgh. I know for a fact that bike commuting is WAY higher than it has ever been. That probably is due to a number of reasons, but one of them is student debt and that debt seems to be something that will be here for a very long time, so cycling might be more of a have to than a want to. Hopefully the folks that can't afford a car enjoy riding a bike. I would be unhappy to have to drive a car to and from work.

[gg]

Originally Posted by ferraris

I think the larger issue with that statement is the implication that people only want to bike to work if they can't afford other options.

My stating Sharpsburg and Etna was in response to someone saying the East End is priced out. There is affordable housing right across the river and you can ride a sidewalk on the Highland Park Bridge or the 62nd (w/stairs lol), so it isn't that big of a deal.

Also, just because someone doesn't have a car and prefers a bicycle, doesn't mean that has to do with money, but sometimes it does with the young folks with a TON of student debt.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

My stating Sharpsburg and Etna was in response to someone saying the East End is priced out. There is affordable housing right across the river and you can ride a sidewalk on the Highland Park Bridge or the 62nd (w/stairs lol), so it isn't that big of a deal.

Also, just because someone doesn't have a car and prefers a bicycle, doesn't mean that has to do with money, but sometimes it does with the young folks with a TON of student debt.

I was referring to TechCom's statement that you were responding to. There's definitely inexpensive and bikeable places. I agree with your last sentence; the decision to bike commute can be financial, but it doesn't have to be.

[selltheburgh]

I'll chime in.

I've been bike commuting or bike errand running in the East End since the 90s. It is getting better and better - as far as respect from drivers, bike lanes, infrastructure, bike racks, bike shops, etc.

Scott from Bike Pittsburgh was just in Europe with Fitzgerald and Peduto on a transit and bike research trip. They are going to bring those ideas back to the burgh and the county - which I think is great.

I think that people who bike commute are a wide mix. I forget bike-pgh's stat, but the majority of their members own at least 1 car. Many are multiple car families, yet they CHOOSE to bike commute.

I personally know a number of couples / families that have a combined income well over 100k with just 1 car and rely on bikes plus their feet and the bus to get around.

Another thing that is going to change all of this is the Bike Share that is going to start up this Fall. Pittsburgh Bike Share

Regarding being priced out - the person who coined EAST END HOUSING CRISIS on here posted his budget once and I noted that he spends much more on car / gas / insurance than he does on his housing. Step back and think about that for a minute. Yes, he uses his car for work, but he didn't when he worked his previous job and his expenses were likely similar.

Then again, biking is really only going to be popular in Pgh for 7 or 8 months per year. But after each winter there are more and more people riding bikes in the city.

[BarqCider]

I think this question should be broken up into several parts because I don't think there's a definite yes or no for the city itself.

[captainmidnight]

I wonder if it would be smart to utilize Uber/Lyft in order to commute more via bicycle? For example, in the summer you don't want to bike the ten miles to work in scorching heat but maybe only halfway? Maybe get to a stopping point, get a drink, and request a ride in the AC (request a ride closer to your work place in order to minimize the charge). Or if you are only comfortable riding on trails you can request a ride at a later point because you don't feel comfortable riding on Liberty Ave. Or if you live in the East End and you want to visit your parents in a Monroeville subdivision you can utilize Uber or Lyft to take you the last leg to your parents house.

There would be costs to this and I'm not sure if you can request a bigger car since you have a bike but I would imagine you could save a bit compared to owning a car and, for example, driving to and from Monroeville once a week. Gas, maintenance, insurance, etc.

[bluecarebear]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

Is commuting by bicycle in Pittsburghers' future? | Local News - WTAE Home

I think it is pretty clear that this is a direction most cities will eventually go. It is a pretty big, but simple puzzle if you think about it. Why will we see an increase in bicycle commuters?

1. College debt of young workers will play a factor with parking/driving expenses.
2. Young people seem to be more "green" minded.
3. Due to the Internet and people laying around a lot just watching a screen much of the time, people will want to get exercise in at some point and commuting is a way to do that.
4. Organizations like Bike Pgh and others are pushing for more safe ways to cycle around the city.
5. It is healthy and more fun than sitting in traffic.

I don't know the future, but whatever happens, I think it will be VERY slow and I will be dead before there is any real huge changes. I do hope people get more healthy and ride more. It is all positive and really nothing negative about it, other than some folks whining about cyclists on the roads.

In other cities, yes. Pittsburgh, no. The weather is horrid even for motorcycle riders. Take this week, a possibility of showers off an on every day.

[CaptainPittsburgh]

Weather ain't a big deal here. Our absolute worst winters give us two or three weeks worth of unbikeable days. The rest of the year is A-OK.

I wish it would be raining more this week. I'm so frickin' hot going home from work that I would pay the man up stairs to turn the sprinklers on for at least the back half of my ride.

[Buckeye Burgher]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

2. Hills: I can understand for someone starting out they are intimidated by a large hill they would need to deal with on the way or return to work. I wouldn't be happy to live in the East End and have a flat commute, so there are some of us that really love to ride up a hill to or from work because it feels good. You get used to it after a month of riding even if you aren't in the best of shape. Some folks ride bikes with no gears or fixed up and down the hills which is super fun once you get used to it. I am thankful for the hills, but I know I am in the minority.

You must be one of the dedicated few who ride Canton Ave. in Beechview.

[gortonator]

Originally Posted by bluecarebear

In other cities, yes. Pittsburgh, no. The weather is horrid even for motorcycle riders. Take this week, a possibility of showers off an on every day.

Yep - so horrible that in the city/East End that possibility of rain has actually materialized as one 3 minute downpour, the first since Saturday or Sunday (I forget exactly), around 9.02am this morning - ironically 3 of the 6 minutes it takes me to ride to work

Do you ever go outside, bluecarebear? I guess summers are a little warm for furry beasts such as yourself.