The Great Allegheny Passage

This weekend I headed down to Ohiopyle State Park to enjoy the great weather. While I was down there, I explored about 10 miles of The Great Allegheny Passage. This 135 mile trail connects Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland. From Cumberland, you can connect to the C&O Canal Towpath and head all the way to Washington, DC. After this weekend's visit, I'm inspired to do the whole thing. I figure if this self-proclaimed wonk can do it, so can I.



Of course, we're still waiting for the trail to be finished. There's a one-mile section in Pittsburgh that is waiting on an agreement with the owners of Sandcastle. I can't wait for the day when I can ride from my house to Washington, DC on a bike. Of course, since negotiations with Sandcastle have been on-going since the 90s, it may be my grandchildren that complete the ride.

A Good Month For Biking

As if the freedom of the open road and saving money on a gym membership weren't enough reasons to hop on a bike this Spring, we have 3 new reasons in Pittsburgh:

1) Bike Parking.

In a 9-0 vote, council approved a measure that the planning commission approved last September. It would require developers to provide one bicycle parking space for every new project that is between 6,001 and 20,000 square feet and another space for every additional 10,000 square feet.

2) Google Bike Directions. Ever wondered the best way to get from Shadyside to Oakland on a bike? Now Google does the math for you, taking into account bike lanes, trails, and even hills.

3) Ray LaHood. The US Secretary of Transportation (and former Republican member of the House of Representatives) announced the following at the National Bike Summit:

"Today, I want to announce a sea change. People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning. This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized."

What's next? Pressure on Sand Castle to relinquish the last mile of the Great Allegheny Passage? Significant Federal funding for bike trails and lanes?

Happy New Green Year Pittsburgh

Is this the year Pittsburgh makes it onto a top green cities list or gains us a major bike-friendly nod? We're getting off to an auspicious start.

First, a landmark study commissioned by the city was released this week which affirmed that LED street lights are the most efficient, green and money-saving option. The results of this study should kick the Pittsburgh streetlight conversion process into high gear.

Second, Pittsburgh unveiled new secure and bright green bike parking. For a mere $100 per year, you can have a reserved biking space downtown. With the impending lease of Pittsburgh Parking Authority parking garages (and resulting car parking price increases), I expect these will only get more valuable.

Third, even Newsweek is getting in on the Sandcastle-bashing, with an article on how the international amusement park company is holding up the last one mile of the Great Allegheny Passage. Maybe this is the year the trail is finally completed?

Bike Racks for Small Businesses

One of the first things I fell in love with about the city of Pittsburgh was the prevalence of small businesses lining the streets from Carson Street to Butler Street to Penn Ave. What better fit in this big city with a small town feel than a small business bike rack program? Today, Mayor Ravenstahl and BikePGH announced the program with 200 bike racks available to small businesses. Apply here.

It's vital to maintain our community of small businesses. They have the flexibility to make these small changes to improve the lives of city residents so much more quickly than a corporation like Walmart. Plus, the owners tend to live in the city (or even directly above their businesses), so they have an added bonus to improve the city. Kudos to Mayor Ravenstahl's administration for jumping aboard the small business bandwagon.

Next up, a small business solar panel program, right Lindsay?

Congrats to Bike-PGH

Yesterday, Bike-PGH and their partners in biking scored a minor victory in the battle for bicycle commuting.

"The city planning commission yesterday approved requiring bicycle parking at commercial developments of more than 6,000 square feet and residential developments of more than 12 units."

This is on top of the recent successful initiatives of Car-Free Fridays and ever more bike markings on traffic roads. Additionally, according to twitter, Bike-PGH is partnering with the city on a small business bike rack program. Congratulations to Bike-PGH for making a difference in the biking situation in the city of Pittsburgh.

Bike parking ordinance in City

If you've tried to ride your bike around the city of Pittsburgh recently, you've probably noticed one thing. You're not alone. You're also not alone when looking for parking. It's great to see lots of interest in biking, and the city is starting to step up and accommodate these bikers.

For decades, there have been rules on the books that you need ample parking when building a new office building. But that parking has always applied to cars. Now city council has introduced a bike parking ordinance where new construction will need to accommodate bikers. Bike racks are a lot cheaper than parking spaces, and require very little real estate, but as I've noticed on recent bike rides, they're becoming indispensable in the city. This spring Philadelphia introduced a similar ordinance. Kudos to Pittsburgh City Council for following suit.

Read all about it at Bike-PGH. For a comprehensive look at where the city currently stands on biking, see their website. You can even apply to be a bike intern.

5 Green Projects Happening Right Now

For my first post on "Green is Good," I wanted to highlight some of the good things that are going on in Pittsburgh. I'm a firm believer that "Green is Good" and that we can spur the economy while saving the planet with the right planning and investment. As a country and a region, we've spent more than enough money investing in projects that are anti-Green. It's time for Green.

5 Exciting Projects Happening Right Now:

1. Dan Onorato has pledged to use his millions of green stimulus money on weatherizing buildings throughout the county.
   
2. Car-Free Fridays and in general a biking renaissance in the city of Pittsburgh spear-headed by bike-pgh
3. A great focus on our rivers with new docks planned and more interconnecting river-side trails.
   
4. Construction of the first LEED-certified Gold Sports Arena - even if it has a bad name.
   
5. Green Innovators. This long-term pet project of Senator Jim Ferlo is set to teach high school graduates to become "green collar" and work in the abundant green projects throughout the region.
   

That's a healthy list of things to be proud of in the Pittsburgh area. We have a long ways to go (which I'll be sure to point out in future posts) but there's a lot going on here. Anything you're excited about that I missed?

How has $4 gas impacted your life?

I am a firm believer that we've finally reached a tipping point now that $4 gas is here. Here in Pittsburgh, a region that hates things like car pooling and public transportation, more people are more willing to sacrifice the comfort of their vehicles and morning radio shows for a ride on the bus or light rail. More people think twice about making a trip across town - and making a 2 to 3 hour trip to visit friends or family requires one to consider the fuel implications of doing so.

How have you changed your driving behavior now that gas is $4 a gallon? Below are my observations and some of the things we are doing at the Schultz household.

1. The T station lots in the South Hills are booked to capacity. Finding an open space at 8am is near impossible. When its not too hot out I try to walk to a nearby T station, which is almost 3/4 a mile from my doorstep. The lot there is tiny and its impossible to find a space there after 7:30am so when I can't walk I drive about a mile to the Castle Shannon station which has a much larger surface lot.

2. Do you still fill up while at the tank? Since filling up once a week now eats up about half of my monthly disposable income I only pump enough gas to get me around to where I need to go, so I'm now only putting in $20 to $25 in the gas tank each week. Since the mpg of my car sucks that means I can drive about 100 to 120 miles a week, and hopefully I can stretch that into the next week but when I have to drive to and from the airport each week that's not likely.

3. I am considering buying a bike instead of a car when my lease is up. My wife just took a job in downtown Pittsburgh so during the week she won't need to drive. When I work in town I take the T, but often I work either out of town or somewhere that is not accessible by the T (most of Pittsburgh unfortunately!). We need at least one car, but owning two is now a waste. A bike will allow me to take short trips around town when my wife needs the car on weekends. Again - this will force us to drive less and it will save us a ton of money.

4. When will we start to see real plans for a comprehensive rail system in the Pittsburgh region? I am lucky to live in the South Hills and be within 1 mile from two T stops, but all Pittsburghers - those to the north, east, west, should have access to the T along with those of us who live south of Pittsburgh.

Bike the vote

Bike riders and fans of alternative transportation out West are rallying behind Senator Barack Obama's position on their issue:

“As president, Barack Obama will re-evaluate the transportation funding process to ensure that smart growth considerations are taken into account. Obama will build upon his efforts in the Senate to ensure that more Metropolitan Planning Organizations create policies to incentivize greater bicycle and pedestrian usage of roads and sidewalks, and he will also re-commit federal resources to public mass transportation projects across the country. Building more livable and sustainable communities will not only reduce the amount of time individuals spent commuting, but will also have significant benefits to air quality, public health and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

While their numbers are not huge, it is significant that they recognized Senator Obama's commitment to making funding for bikes paths and alternative forms of commuting a priority for his administration's transportation program, especially after Bush's Transportation Secretary said last summer that bikes and their infrastructure should not be part of federal transportation funding.