Exploring Safe Local Streets for Riding and Walking - Part I

Introduction

The first link below is to a map (Ride with GPS) of a proposed routing through a congested suburban area, known as the South Hills of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  The roughly 8-mile route passes through 4 suburban communities and some City of Pittsburgh neighborhoods.  It avoids some heavily used roads and ultimately leads to the base of an imposing ridge.  

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35143046  

The ridge, aka Mount Washington, is a formidable barrier for non-motorized travelers, effectively separating "Pittsburgh proper" from some of its Southern neighborhoods and suburban communities.   Currently, the hill can be ascended by one of several roads. There is also a network of walking trails, in what is known as Emerald View Park (2nd link below), that meander up the face of the ridge.  From its Northern side, there is an inclined train car that climbs on a track via a heavy gauge pulley system.  You are allowed to take a bicycle on "The Incline," as it is called locally.  Going around the "mountain" can only be accomplished by using SR-51, which is decidedly unfriendly and dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists at this time.

https://pittsburghparks.org/explore-your-parks/regional-parks/emerald-view-park/

The Wabash Tunnel currently used for mass transportation (busses) and minimal automobile traffic, runs through the base of the hill and would be a perfect solution for getting pedestrians and bicyclists into the city proper.  However, it is currently off limits to non-motorized vehicles.  Some serious advocacy measures, changes in its federal designation, and funding will be needed to make it accessible for other than automobiles.

The Wabash Tunnel (South Portal) connects Route 51 (Beechview-Overbrook) to West Carson Street (South Side) for motor vehicles only.  

A potential pedestrian/bicycle friendly route to connect "Pittsburgh Proper" with its Southern Neighborhoods and several suburbs would begin (or end) in Bethel Park.  This community of approximately 32,000 was founded in 1886.  Its transportation needs are served by a light rail system, two major North-South roadways, a network of residential streets, and several pedestrial walkways.  

Neither major road (US-19 and SR-88) is well-suited for walking or bicycling.  Unlike some other parts of the USA, a network of parallel roads does not reliably exist in Greater Pittsburgh.  This is largely due to geography.  Penn's Woods West, aka Western Pennsylvania, is a series of hills, vales, and stream beds that seem to run in a rambling and random configuration.  Getting off a major roadway usually means increasing distances, climbing some seriously steep hills, and becoming lost if not intimately familiar with the area.  The net negative effect can be exponentially compounded if walking or riding a bicycle.

Despite all of this, some viable possibilities for pedestrians and bicyclists do exist but it will take some work to turn them into a connected and universally recognized bike-ped corridor through the South Hills.  In this blog post and in those to come, I'll take you on a tour of the proposed route (map link above) with some of the photos, descriptions, and challenges required to make it a reality.

Description of the Route - Bethel Park

Close-up of the route from Bethel Green to Mollyhill Park

Although not set in stone, an initial proposal is to begin (or end) at a place called Bethel Green.  Comprising roughly 40 acres, the newly designated green space is on the site of a tailings depository from a coal mine that operated some 80 years ago on the opposite side of Route 88.  Today, the former mining waste dump has grown-up with vegetation, is inhabited by local wildlife, and has a network of trails where local residents can take a peaceful walk in the woods to escape the hustle and bustle of suburban life.

A trail leading into Bethel Green can be seen from Valley Drive (in Bethel Park) where there is also a new (Fall 2020) parking lot.

From the map, one can see where access to Bethel Green lies in relation to the transit station on the other side of Route 88 and adjacent to Mollyhill Park.

Flanked by Valley Drive and Route 88, the green space lies across SR-88 from a major stop on the light rail transit line that is operated by the Port Authority of Allegheny County.  The stop is called Washington Junction.

Covering the relatively short distance to the train station requires one to be very careful.  Valley Drive has a sidewalk that does not run all the way to Route 88.  It also passes under a narrow railroad overpass where there is no sidewalk at all.  I find this section to be easier to negotiate on a bicycle than on foot.  If seriously considered as a bike-ped route at some point in time, either safety improvements on Valley Drive and/or a trail from within Bethel Green to the crosswalk at Milford Drive and Route 88 are needed.  The crosswalk itself needs some serious safety improvements.

Upon reaching Route 88, a right turn onto it, followed by a left turn onto Milford Drive, are necessary to reach the trolley station.  The previously mentioned crosswalk can be found near the parking lot of an automotive establishment called "The Garage."  Theoretically, the crosswalk would allow someone to get safely to the other side of Route 88.  In practice, it is rarely used and seems not to lead to any sort of safe pedestrian infrastructure on the Milford Drive side of the roadway.  This is definitely a dangerous place for walkers and bicyclists that would need to be improved, not only for "our" proposed route but also to allow non-motorized travelers to reach the train station.

The sub-optimal crosswalk for traversing busy Route 88 leads to a grassy area (on the left side) without a continuation of infrastructure to allow for safe pedestrian travel.

The entrance driveway of Washington Junction is located on the right, shortly after proceeding onto Milford Drive.  

If one has "run the gauntlet" described above and has arrived to the station relatively intact, it can be argued that the most dangerous part of this proposed route has been successfully navigated! 

Hopefully, the area will be made more safe in the future.  Before the Pandemic, the station parking lot was usually filled with automobiles.  This is because most every approach to it is too dangerous for walkers or bicyclists.  Making safer approaches for non-motorized travel would undoubtedly encourage many light rail users who live nearby to leave their cars at home, thereby reducing traffic volumes at morning and evening rush times.

The Washington Junction Station is where the light rail line branches toward two termini, thereby connecting Southern Suburban commuters to the City of Pittsburgh.  There is a concrete walkway, behind the sign, that crosses the tracks and allows commuters to catch trains running in the opposite direction or to get to their cars when heading home.

 Washington Junction is a major stop on the transit line and is where the rail system branches to separate termini.  One is at the South Hills Village Mall complex and the other is the Library Station at the Southernmost point on the line.  At the junction, one can board a trolley car either on foot or with a bicycle.  If our proposed route were a reality a walker or a bicyclist could choose to continue safely onward toward Pittsburgh.

Assuming none of us got on the train at Washington Junction, we will continue on our route by looking both ways and carefully crossing the tracks on the walkway that is visible behind the sign in the photo above.  Once on the side of the tracks opposite the parking lot, we turn left again onto a asphalt walkway that does not have a smooth surface at this time.  The walkway leads to a short set of concrete steps that signal the entrance to Mollyhill Park.  If on foot, there are a few steps to climb.  If riding and unless you are related to Danny McCaskill, the bike will need to be shouldered while ascending the few stairs.  

This is a look at the pedestrian pathway that leads from the train station into a municipal park.  The photo is from 2014 and I can verify the asphalt surface has become worse since that time.

This is a view, from Mollyhill Park, of the short set of concrete steps that lead into it from the trolley station and the pedestrian pathway.

I will end the blog post here and pick up next time as the route continues through Mollyhill Park and toward Pittsburgh.