City gets nod for being bicycle-friendly
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Bicyclist Stephen Marlette, of Regent Square, left, rides behind Raionda Jemison, 10, of East Liberty, on Friday at the Washington Boulevard bike oval, which was repaved last week.
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It still takes some willpower to navigate what Stephen Patchan, city bicycle-pedestrian coordinator, called Pittsburgh's "spaghetti network" of roads.
But the ride is a lot smoother than it used to be, according to a national group that today will announce that the city is a "bicycle-friendly community."
In all, 140 communities nationwide have the designation, recognizing their efforts to make bicycling safer and more convenient. Pittsburgh is one of 16 cities new to the American League of Bicyclists program today. Others include Dayton, Ohio; Spokane, Wash.; and Roanoke, Va.
"I know Pittsburgh is definitely moving forward quite quickly," Meghan Cahill, spokeswoman for the Washington, D.C.-based league said.
Mr. Patchan said the designation raises Pittsburgh's profile; it tells prospective residents and tourists that the city is taking steps to reduce traffic congestion, tries to accommodate residents' varying interests and cares about healthy living and the environment.
In reviewing applications for bicycle-friendly community status, the league evaluates a community's engineering and construction; education and promotional efforts; enforcement of traffic laws and planning. Commuter routes and recreational trails also factor into the process, Ms. Cahill said.
Accompanied by bicycle enthusiasts, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Councilman Patrick Dowd announced plans to seek the bicycle-friendly designation in 2008.
Since then, Mr. Patchan said, achievements include increasing the number of bike-lane and shared-lane miles from six or seven to about 12 citywide; giving away 200 bicycle racks; and requiring bicycle racks at major new developments.
Shared lanes are marked so that motorists know to be on the lookout for bicyclists. Mr. Patchan said another 20 miles of bike-only and shared lanes may be completed by next year.
First Published May 1, 2010 12:00 am
