How To Bike in Pittsburgh

0:00Today's show is supported by Liberty Magic, Pittsburgh's premier Speakeasy Theatre dedicated to the art of elevating magic. This time they are presenting David Williamson in Ridiculous, a family-friendly show where magic and comedy collide. David's signature magic is filled with jaw-dropping illusions and a very distinct sense of humor. Yes, he is a magician, but he's also been called a clown and even an anarchist. So get ready for a show with a lot of laughter. Ridiculous runs from April 2nd to May 3rd. Get your tickets at Trustarts.org slash magic before they disappear. This is CityCast, Pittsburgh. I'm Megan Harris and here's what Pittsburgh's talking about. Executive producer Mallory Falk here. I am so excited about the warmer weather because it means I'm finally busting out my bike.

1:02I will admit I am a baby who doesn't really ride when it's below 40 degrees. If the nice weather has you wanting to get on a bike too, but you're a little nervous about riding in the city, maybe you're intimidated by the hills or afraid of car traffic, then you are in luck because we're bringing back my conversation with a certified biking expert. He's got advice for cyclists and drivers alike about navigating the city safely and knowing the rules of the road. I'm with Ted King Smith, Education Manager at Bike Pittsburgh. Hey, Ted. Hello. So just to start us off here, do you think that Pittsburgh is a bike-friendly city? I think it is and I was just on a bike ride with a friend of mine right before recording this and she said she was told that someone who used to live in Portland said that Pittsburgh's an even better place to buy from Portland these days. So I can't confirm or deny that. Wow. That's the ultimate stamp of approval.

2:03But you know, anecdotally, I feel like every year, I bike in Pittsburgh, it seems more relaxing. It seems more enjoyable. I see more people doing it. There's more infrastructure. It's easier to navigate. It's easier to get from point A to point B. And we just have such amazing amenities for biking here. The network of river trails to the on-street bike infrastructure. You can have an amazing bike ride anywhere in the city. It's a great place to bike. And so, yes, bike-friendly, absolutely. So why should people who haven't taken up biking in the city at like, why should they consider biking here? Both for fun, but also for commuting, getting to work to the grocery store, just to like all the daily places you need to hit up. You know, it's more fun than driving is. You get some exercise. You get your heart rate up a little bit. You get to breathe some fresh air. You get to see the sights. You get to smell the smells. You get to hear the sounds of the things around you. You can be really engaged with the world around you.

3:04If you see someone, if you see a friend on the side of the road, you can pull over and you can say hi and chat for a little bit if you want. If you can stop in and grab a cup of coffee on your commute and pop back on your bike and keep going, you can stop by the grocery store on the way home, right? To me, once you bike commuted, you realize it's easier than you think it will be. It's more fun than you think it would have been. And it just opens up opportunities that something that is a chore, that's drudgery sometimes when you're driving, you're trying to find a parking space or you're running late or you're having to fill up your gas tank again, right? When you're biking, you're freed from a lot of this stuff. In a lot of ways, it's a much more simple and a much more elegant and can be a less stressful way to get around. That stressful piece is interesting because I definitely have friends who have said it seems like such a nice way to take in the scenery and be in the fresh air, but the thought of riding alongside cars stresses me out.

4:05Or I have no idea if I can actually make it up the hills here. The city has just such intense terrain. So what do you just say to people who are curious about biking, but are a little bit nervous to get on the road? Try it out on the weekend. Try it out with your friends. Just go for a casual bike ride without the stakes of having to arrive at work and just test it out. See if it works. See how you feel on that hill, right? Often there's a route that's going to be less steep that will get you to the same place. It might be a little bit longer and then you factor that in. Just be busy on yourself. Give yourself a lot of time. Find a day with a good forecast to try it out. And if you like it, then figure out how you can work into your routine and do it more often. Paying attention to what hill you might encounter makes a lot of sense. The first time I tried bike commuting here, I went up Stanton and realized that was very ambitious and I wasn't quite ready for it all that steep yet. So that's very smart. But I'm curious like your recommendations for how to even go about planning your route.

5:06Like what resources should you use? Is Google Maps a reliable way to find the best route? How should people go about doing that? That's a great question. So I'll call out some of our resources at Bike Pittsburgh. We just released the 10th version of our Pittsburgh bike map this past May. And that map shows where all of the on-street bike infrastructure is in the city. Also, crucially, it points out some places where there is not bike infrastructure. But our roads that you really might need to use to connect like one neighborhood to another. So we call those cautionary bike routes. So we want people to know that you can use those roads. Really, you can use all the roads, unless they're limited access highways. But we want people to be aware of places where they might need to use a little bit extra caution and then show people where a good bike infrastructure is so that they can really prioritize those routes when they're moving around. And looking at that map is a great way to do it. Google map bicycling directions.

6:07Don't use the car directions if you're bicycling. Use the bicycling directions. Crucial advice here. But double check your Google map directions with the Pittsburgh bike map. And just do a comparison and see, okay, Google might be sending me on the fastest route, but are they sending me on the route with the most bike infrastructure? If you want a more relaxed route, try and maybe go a block out of the way to find the on-street bike lanes, protected bike lanes. We have a type of infrastructure in Pittsburgh called a neighborway, which is like a traffic calmed back street. It's like an alleyway, but nicer. And those are amazing commuting thoroughfares in the city of Pittsburgh. So the coral street neighborway gets you across friendship. The Reynolds street neighborway gets you across point breeze instead of taking pen avenue, which is both of those streets avoid pen avenue. And in the last resource that I would point out is that we have a very active reddit community

7:07around biking in Pittsburgh. So it's called biking 412. And that is a really great place to ask questions and get really hyper local answers about your commute and your neighborhood. You're going to get a lot of opinions. But a consensus will emerge. Usually people have figured out the best way through a certain neighborhood to get to another neighborhood. And I think that's a really great resource to get some really tailored information. Just for you or for, you know, where you live or where you're going. Yeah, that's great to know about because it does seem like sometimes you'll be in one neighborhood that has really great bite infrastructure. And then it just drops off and you're on your own. And so figuring out how to get across the city and not just from one side of the neighborhood to another can be tricky. And you might also find that the safest, best most comfortable way to do that commute could be to take a bus for part of the commute. If it's a very long commute, every PRT bus has a rack for two bikes on it.

8:09So you might find that I used to commute to the Keysport for instance, right? So I was biking to the busway and then I'd rack up my bike. And I could take the bus and then I was actually able to, if I fell up to it, I could ride the gap all the way back. So there are things you could do to be multimodal and get even further or make that commute as relaxing as possible. If somebody wants to get comfortable on their bike, are there any routes or neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, you think are especially good for beginners like somewhere with really good protected bike lanes, for example? I mean, I really think that the Forbes app protected bike lanes that were implemented across the Fern Hall of Ridge have made what used to be a fairly scary road to ride on into a very comfortable one. So you can bike, and this is a great place to practice climbing hills as well. It's a steady uphill, it's a steady downhill. It's all under protected bike lane that gets you from Squirrel Hill to Regent Square and back.

9:12So, and it's straight. So I think that's a good road to connect you to the kind of original Pittsburgh bike lane, which is the Beachwood Boulevard bikeway. That's the OG. Yeah, so the three ritual ones, we can call these all out too, because these are great places to bike, is the Beachwood Boulevard bikeway, the Riverview Park Loop, where there's bike lanes around the entire park, and then also the Highland Park Loop. So I'd say all three of those are great places to just go out. And then another good option is the Negly Run Boulevard. Protected bike lane can take you from the East Liberty Boulevard bike lanes, all the way down to the Washington Boulevard bike track, the Bud Harris cycling track, and then you can ride around that track too, which is a great place to just practice, and there's a large infield in practice too. Yeah, that's removed from all the traffic, yeah. So there's a lot of great amenities.

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11:17Today's show is supported by Quantum Theater. We appreciate a good name knows. Here at CityCast Pittsburgh, and if you like, if you enjoy a look behind the scenes, you're not going to want to miss the new comedy 10 out of 12. The play is all about the technical rehearsal that happens before a play's opening night, and the audience will get a glimpse of how lighting and sound and scenery and special effects all come together and the chaos that can come along the way. And Quantum is really taking this experience to the next level. It's really what they're known for. As an audience member, you are going to wear a headset. So one of the staples of a stage manager, which means you get to listen in on all the backstage drama in addition to the actors as they're doing their thing on stage. 10 out of 12 is written by Ann Washburn, directed by Andrew Williams-Smith, and it's staged in the Mellon Institute's Gorgeous Art Deco Theater. The show runs from April 3rd through the 26th. Learn more and purchase tickets at quantumtheatre.com slash 10-12.

12:24Today's show is supported by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Think about the last time you walk into a library. Maybe you were picking up your next great read, bringing your childhood story time, studying for a test, or just looking for a quiet place to focus. In Pittsburgh, a lot of great stories start at the library. At Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, people of all ages come to read, learn, and discover something new. And April 1st is Library Giving Day, a nationwide day to support the libraries that help our communities grow. Your GIF keeps books, programs, and essential library services free for everyone. From early literacy to tutoring, job resources, and engaging learning opportunities that spark curiosity. So mark your calendar for April 1st. Donate at CarnegieLibrary.org slash give. That's CarnegieLibrary.org slash give to support Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh on Library Giving Day. Now you've decided you're going to give this a try.

13:25You're going to get on the road. What are the main rules of the road? Like do you need to follow the same rules that cars do? Are there times when you're more of a pedestrian? What's like the big overview that people should know? So that's a very good question. And something that there is a lot of misunderstanding about what are the rules of the road regarding a bicycle. And there is actually a Pennsylvania state bicycle drivers manual that Penda produces. Or at least has produced that you can find if you look it up online on the Penda website. But there is a vehicle code which governs bicycles. And essentially most of the same rules of the road for cars bikes have to follow as well. With a couple exceptions. So for the most part you're driving in the same direction as traffic. You're driving on the road. Not on the sidewalk, yeah. Not the sidewalk. But generally sidewalk riding is illegal in business districts where it's indicated.

14:26But outside of that it's a gray area, it's it's legal. But importantly you have a right to the road. So this is something that a bike Pittsburgh road and Amicus brief in a recent P.A. state Supreme Court case defending the cyclist's right to be on the road and stay on the road. Even if there are drivers behind them that feel inconvenienced, right? You still have a right to the road. So. So there's not the not like driver supremacy here necessarily? There is not. You're following the same traffic controls the cars do, stopping at stop signs, stopping at red lights. Now we would like to see different laws in Idaho. There is what's called Idaho stop where a cyclist can treat a stop sign as a yield. So yielding the right of way if necessary and then going. Treating treating red lights as stop signs. So stopping and then if you have the right way

15:29because the intersection is clear, you can continue. Which I think a lot of people kind of do informally here even if it's not legal. Correct. It is not legal. You can get ticketed for running a red light for running a stop sign. So we would like those laws to be changed to make cycling just just easier and also to formalize and legalize something that a lot of cyclists already do. Also, you know, you're using the turning lane for the turn that you're making. So if you're making a right turn, you should be in the right lane. If you're going straight, you should be in a straight facing lane. If you're making a left turn, you need to be over to the left with the exception that you can also make a two-stage turn which means you go straight through an intersection and then you reorient yourself and you go straight again as opposed to merging over to a left turning lane. And then where the laws are different is there is bicycle-only facilities. So bike lanes were allowed to bike and bike lanes, cars are not allowed to drive them bike lanes.

16:29We're allowed to be on bike paths, cars are not allowed to be on the bike paths. So we have a couple of additional, let's say, rights to use some infrastructure and some facilities that cars are not allowed to use, which is great. Go bikes. That's why we ride them right so that we have access to things. And then as far as being treated as a pedestrian, when you dismount your bike to walk it across an intersection, you become a pedestrian, right? So that's kind of the gray area there. So for instance, technically when there is an all-walk at an intersection where both sides get to walk, you are not allowed to bike through that all-walk condition. Technically, I know people- Uh-oh, I've definitely checked that before. Many people do, and I know people who've been ticketed for that. But that's technically the law. So to be very safe about that, if you dismount your bike, you can walk through that all-walk condition and then re-mount your bike. That's technically legal. Just some things to some legal minutia to be mindful of.

17:33But the best way in a busy business district, for instance, back to sidewalks, the best way to be on the sidewalk is to be walking your bike. You could be ticketed if you're riding. And also, it's just, it's unfriendly, it's dangerous, it's blocking people who might need that space in that sidewalk. So something else that we teach people is if you're on a sidewalk that you're allowed to be on, it's a pedestrian place, it's pedestrian space. So go a pedestrian pace. So you're walking, or you're going at a walking speed. Well, let's talk about the rule that cars and drivers play. What should drivers be doing or be aware of when it comes to the rights that bikers have and how they can be more conscientious on the road? I mean, first of all, just be friendly. Share the road. You know, everyone who's using the road is just trying to get from point A to point B and to do it safely. And to do it in a way where they're not being, you know,

18:33endangered by others, right? Or feeling like they're being like attacked by other people, right? So just be mindful of other people and be courteous. And I think that our city is getting getting better in this regard. And also just operate under the assumption that other road users have the same right to the road that you do. Because they do. So when there's a bike in front of you and they're going a little bit slower than you are, it's okay. Just wait. So you have an opportunity to pass them and pass them with at least four feet because that is the law. And if not, just wait. And I think that's that's like the real key thing. It's just that sort of mutual understanding and appreciating each other's right to the road. And I would add to that as well, just to also be be extra aware as a car driver. I know cars are full of even more distractions than they used to be. And people are often looking at their phones,

19:34which is illegal to be holding your phone while you're driving. So don't do it. But really, just have that extra duty of care. Be very mindful. Pay attention. You know, to the other road users around. You can respect the right to be on the road. When you're on a street where there isn't a bike lane and you are sharing with a car, do you recommend like taking the lane where you kind of drive where the cars are going? You're taking up that full lane or sharing the lanes so that you're to the right and cars can go past you? I always recommend that, you know, bike riders should do what makes them comfortable. And taking the lane is often the thing that will make you safer and also make you feel comfortable for a variety of reasons. So one is, if you push over to the right, you're against park cars and the park car opens their car door, you're going to go into it or you're swarving around that car door and you might be swarving into the path of an approaching car behind you.

20:34Whereas if you take the lane, you already kind of control that space in the middle of the lane. Also, if you get close past by a car to your left, if you're already against the park car, you're squeezed in, whereas if you have a bit of a buffer space to your right, you have some room to swarve over to the right in that instance. So taking the lane, it's a very, it's a very safe strategy that said, you know, being a good neighbor on the road means also recognizing that like if you can let a car pass you, like let them pass you, you know, if you want, if it's safe for you to do so, you don't need to endanger yourself for the convenience of others. But, you know, it's up to you. If there's, if it seems like it's safe to let a car around you, then, you know, there's no reason not to do that. And then something, you know, a little bit more unique to Pittsburgh is biking across bridges, using bridges on your commute. Is there anything special to know related to biking on bridges? So first of all,

21:35everything I said about not riding on sidewalks is like no longer the case on a bridge. On a bridge, you can use the sidewalk. It's often the safest place to get across a bridge unless that bridge has like wide shoulders or bike lanes on it. So, yeah, don't think that you have to ride on the deck of the bridge, like you can ride on the sidewalk on like pretty much every bridge in Pittsburgh. So, for many of our bridges, 40th Street Bridge, which is right by us in Lawrenceville, that's a really good bridge to take the sidewalk on 31st Street Bridge, the good bridge to do that 16th Street Bridge, and so on and so forth. And then the last bridge I'm going to call out that we're really excited about is the Davis Ave Bridge, which was installed last winter, I believe. And that is a bike and pedestrian only bridge and it's beautiful. And really hats off to the city of Pittsburgh for trading such a nice amenity, just for pedestrians and bike riders.

22:37Yeah, I really hope to see more of that in the city. Me too. Is there anything else you think it's important for people to know in order to be conscientious bikers and stay safe on the road? Wear a helmet. So, as an adult, there is no law in Pennsylvania that says you have to wear a helmet. If you're over, I think it's over 12 years of age, technically you don't have to wear a helmet, but you still have a brain that's very vulnerable and you should protect yourself and it's a very easy thing that you can do, which will make an enormous difference. And there's some very fashionable ones now. Absolutely. They're fashionable, they're aerodynamic, they sometimes they can let the, they can suck the air in in ways that'll cool your head off better than like not wearing a helmet can, so they say. But I would highly recommend it. Like Pittsburgh, we'll give you a free helmet

23:38at our Operation Illumination Events. Those have been a couple times a year, so stay tuned to the bike Pittsburgh social media for more information about that. And also, we're given out bike lights and that's something else you need. So, after dark, it is extremely dangerous and against the law to be riding without front rear bike lights. So, if you stop by one's events, we'll give you a free set. You can also contact me, Ted at bikepgh.org, your range of time. I will give you a set of bike lights or a bike helmet. I just want to make sure that you have those pieces of safety equipment. Also in Pittsburgh, it gets very dark here sometimes. Like there are certain neighborhoods, you're, you know, you're almost like next to a park, or you're in the woods, it gets super dark. It's really important that you have some kind of lights on. Ted, thank you so much for all of these great tips. I really appreciate it. Yeah, you're welcome. And don't go anywhere because in just a second,

24:39we've got a segment sponsored by TaskRabbit. I'm chatting with Chelsea Kovac from TaskRabbit about how Pittsburghers are using the app to get help with everything from furniture assembly to spring cleaning. Plus how locals could even sign up to earn money as taskers. I am here with Chelsea Kovac, the head of talent at TaskRabbit. Hi, Chelsea. Hi, Mallory. Thanks so much for having me on today. Yeah, thanks for being here. So TaskRabbit, of course, is this great app where you can essentially find a neighbor to come help out with a household task. Or you can sign up to be that neighbor and get that help. For anyone who hasn't used the app yet, Chelsea, what are the go-to tasks for people in Pittsburgh? Yeah, great question. Those bigger tasks that we typically see on the platform are usually around like furniture assembly and TV mounting. Those are two huge categories, especially with so many people moving in and out of the city. You know, you've got a ton of universities there in everything, of course. So, but we also handle more than just those two categories.

25:41We also handle things like house cleaning services, moving help, and just general home repairs that you can use. And really the goal is just ease and quality on the platforms. So essentially what Pittsburghers will do is go on and browse local profiles of the taskers. They'll then see kind of real reviews from other, you know, local neighbors of theirs in the area. And you pick the person or the tasker, rather, that fits your budget and your schedule. And I mean, TaskRabbit has been a staple in Pittsburgh for a while now. You are from here. I tried and true Pittsburgh. How have you seen the platform grow in our city? Yeah, it's been really incredible to watch the growth in Pittsburgh in particular. And so we've actually helped complete more than 15,000 tasks in Pittsburgh over the last few years for the local community. And so from, you know, the north side to the south side, we've become really the reliable neighbor to neighbor resource for when life gets busy. And we grew from a simple idea about 16 years ago

26:43when our founder just simply needed dog food on a snowy night, now turned into the number one platform out there for home services. So really excited to continue building our Pittsburgh network here. Needing emergency dog food is so relatable, but incredible what it's grown into. Yes, absolutely. So let's talk about the people who are actually doing the work here. How does TaskRabbit support local workers in Pittsburgh? This is actually a huge part of our mission. We aren't just a service. We're essentially an engine for micro entrepreneurs. So on average, Taskers in Pittsburgh earn about $54 per hour, which is huge. And so it's truly a fantastic way to build a business or even just make some extra money on the side. And Taskers are their own bosses, really. They set their own rates, schedules, and work areas. But when we talk about our commitment to this side of the platform here, Taskers also take home 100% of their hourly rate and 100% of their tips.

27:45And so upholding that integrity to that side of the marketplace is something really, really important to us as a company and to our Tasker community as well. So if somebody is looking to join that community to sign up as a Tasker today, what's important for them to know? If someone's looking to sign up as a Tasker on the platform, really if you're over 18 and you have a skill is what we're looking for. So whether that's something like painting, mounting TVs, or even just simply being handy, we want to hear from you. And so what's great is we handle the backend logistics so that our Taskers can focus on the work for the customers. And we also take safety really seriously. So one other thing to note is that every Tasker goes through a multi-step vetting process, including identity verification and background checks as well. You know, I think everybody in Pittsburgh right now is so excited for spring. This winter was pretty brutal. And so part of that process, of course, is spring cleaning. When I think about spring cleaning, I think about going through my clothes

28:45and seeing what's worth keeping or donating. But what are some of the household tasks that people should be thinking about as we're all getting ready for spring? Yes, well, being from here, I know exactly what a Pittsburgh winner does to a house and let alone this winner we had to no doubt that was a brutal one, right? So right now, truly, is the perfect time for your pre-spring maintenance. We'll call it. But we're seeing a lot of residents booking Taskers to check for things around the house like drafty windows or cleaning out those winter clogged gutters to prevent ice stems or even just simply getting help with what you mentioned, Mallory, indoor organization projects while we're stuck inside with some of the rainy weather as we transition here. And don't forget, with the weather you're starting to shift, it's also a great time to like beat the spring rush for things like mounting new TVs for baseball season or perhaps if you're not going to the NFL draft, maybe you'll be watching it on your brand new mounted TV as well. But overall, I'd say, whatever that's asked, you've got a neighbor that is ready there to help you.

29:48Sounds like also maybe if someone's renting out their house for the draft, this would be perfect to get it clean and sparkly. Now you're talking and to clean it after the fact, right? Oh, even more critical. Well, Chelsea, thank you so much for joining us. Absolutely. It was such a pleasure and always happy to represent Pittsburgh and TaskRabbit. But thank you so much for having us on. And we hope to see everyone engaging with the platform soon. And again, you can check out taskrabbit.com to learn more. We will have that link for you in our show notes so that you are just a click away. That's all for today here on CityCast Pittsburgh. If you learned something new from today's show, consider telling a friend about us or becoming a CityCast Pittsburgh neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. We'll be back tomorrow morning with more from around the city. Talk to you then. I think I'm always nervous about holding up the bus, annoying people,

30:56with the time it takes me to kind of maneuver that bike rack. It's fine. People can deal.