Bike lanes on Penn Avenue to receive upgrades
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Love them or hate them, bike lanes are here to stay in Downtown Pittsburgh.
The city announced its plan to improve bike lanes, in particular the ones on Penn Avenue.
From 11th Street near the David L. Lawrence Convention Center to The Point is what will be changed. Some of that will include removing plastic poles and putting in more permanent barriers like concrete curbs. The idea is to make it safer for everyone riding and driving by.
The Penn Avenue bike lanes have been around for about a decade, and people are finding ways to bend the rules, with drivers of cars and trucks parking in them.
"Over the past couple of years, it seems it's really gotten worse and worse," said Eric Borer, Bike Pittsburgh advocacy director.
This forces bikers out of the marked lanes and into traffic.
"Roads are really free reign for people to do whatever they want with their cars," Gary Kristan of Pittsburgh said.
Bike Pittsburgh has been advocating for safer lanes and stronger barriers.
"Bicyclists riding through there don't feel secure riding through those areas. Now we're making sure they do feel safe," Mayor Ed Gainey's press secretary Olga George said.
The $150,000 project will put precast concrete curbs between driving and biking lanes. Metal poles will also be installed to prevent vehicles from getting into the bike lanes.
"That would probably do it, to keep people from driving over it," Kristan said.
To deal with deliveries for businesses, there will be loading zones by reallocating some long-term parking spots into more short-term or delivery spots.
"Providing people with options allows for people of all different types to get around," Borer said.
The city said the work will be done overnight, so it is not planning on any detours. No date has been given for when all the work is expected to be done.
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