Exploring Safe Local Streets for Riding and Walking - Part IV
Brief Re-cap of Our Journey So Far
In the first 3 chapters, we have been exploring a potential route for non-motorized travel into the city from deep within the Southern suburbs and neighborhoods of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania). In Part IV, our journey continues through the municipality of Mount Lebanon, the Borough of Dormont, and into the Pittsburgh City Neighborhood of Beechview.. The link below is a map of the entire route.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35143046
Route Description - The Poplar Trolley Stop in Mount Lebanon to Tropical Park in Beechview
Of course, you could take the trolley to get close to either of these two locations and avoid all of the muss, fuss, and slush but where is the fun in that?
Shady Drive E has several apartment buildings on one side and multi-family homes on the other. On the "homes" side, there is on street parking that is usually occupied to capacity. This has the effect of narrowing the road for a bicyclist. If walking, there are sidewalks on both sides of the street.
In approximately 2/10ths of a mile, Shady makes a bend to the right and Alfred Drive is slightly to the left. If walking, simply continue on Alfred, cross the tracks, and make a right onto Parse Way (more below).
On a bicycle, you would have to bear right on Shady and then make a U-turn (more like a V-turn) to reach Alfred. Making such a maneuver is currently not permitted. There is signage to that effect. So, if biking, stay on Shady. It has steady traffic but speed limits are usually observed because the police station is visible and only a short distance ahead. On Shady, the Mount Lebanon trolley station is on the left. It has a bike rack so you can lock up and get on the "T" or you can board with your bike on the high platform.
If walking or riding from the other direction, Parse Way is an alley with access to the trolley station, bicycle parking, an automobile parking garage, and businesses on Washington Road, in Mount Lebanon's Uptown district. It has the added benefits of very little traffic in the alley and a direct continuation onto Alfred Drive.
Walkers turn left at the far end of Parse Way, and head up the last part of the small hill, on Shady Drive E, to the intersection with the busy Washington Road (bicyclists have continued on Shady to this point).
There is a traffic light if on a bicycle and there are crossing signal lights, if walking. If riding, get into the right lane before the light because when it changes, we are heading straight across the intersection. If not comfortable being stopped in the middle of the hill and between cars, get on the sidewalk, walk the bike to the signals, and cross like a pedestrian. Within about 100 feet on the other side of Washington Road, we will turn right and into Lilac Alley.
Lilac Alley is generally free of traffic but it can have some vehicles coming from nearby business and pulling out of parking garages that exit onto it. It's a great little passageway but I don't believe there are actually Lilacs on it anymore. Certainly not at this time of year. At the far end of the alley, we turn left onto Florence Place. Our next cue is a right hand turn and there are two options, depending upon whether you are walking or riding. Both turns will run all the way to Dell Avenue.
The first right is Kenmont Avenue and can be used by all transportation modes until the intersection with Bower Hill Road is reached. At that point, walkers can continue on Kenmont after crossing the intersection. Bicyclists must turn left onto Bower Hill and then right onto Meadowcroft Avenue. This is because Kenmont becomes a one way street on the other side of Bower Hill and it ain't goin' our way. If using the sidewalk on Kenmont, it is generally shoveled by adjacent property owners but there may be a stray vehicle or two with rear ends hanging out over the sidewalk and blocking the way.
The 2nd right is Meadowcroft Avenue. Like Kenmont, travel is in both directions until Bower Hill Road is reached. On the other side, the sidewalk continues on Meadowcroft but travel is only in the direction toward Dell Avenue. If riding, I prefer to take the 2nd right off of Florence Place onto Meadowcroft and continue in the same direction all the way to Dell Avenue.
At Dell Avenue, there is a stop sign. Dell has a little tail that goes down to the light at Beverly Road. Here we turn right. Beverly has a sidewalk, so pedestrians are in good shape. For bicyclists, there is traffic but we will not be on this road for more than 1/10th of a mile, where a right turn onto Arden Road is made. From there, we turn left onto Layton and then right onto Parker.
Parker leads up a small hill to McFarland, where we jog left and then right onto Annapolis. We are now in the Borough of Dormont, Pennsylvania. Annapolis runs uphill, past the elementary school, the borough park, and residential homes on the opposite side of the street. We follow it as far as we can and then turn left onto Kelton Avenue. This is basically another jog because a right onto the Windermere Avenue hill comes almost immediately afterward turning onto Kelton.
At Hillsdale Avenue, we cross over and continue in an alley known as 16th. I used to call it Windermere Alley because it is a direct continuation but I stand corrected because it apparently has its own name. Traffic is light there but I was riding in the alley one time when The Intimidator, Dale Earnhart (not really but the dude was going awfully fast), came rolling through. So be forewarned.
The alley ends at Potomac Avenue, which can be busy. Our route requires a careful jog to the right onto Potomac and then left onto Voelkel Avenue. If you want to bail at this point, a the Potomac Trolley Station is about 2/10th of a mile beyond Voelkel.
Assuming you decided to continue, there are different choices for walkers and bicyclists for getting to the next part of the route. Our next road, Broadway, is a street divided by the trolley tracks with one way traffic, in opposite directions, on each side of the split. Bicyclists can turn right and go up a short but steep hill on the bricked LaSalle Avenue because it crosses the tracks. The crossing allows for a right turn to be made to get onto the correct side of Broadway. Bicyclists can then continue Northward until the intersection with Wenzell Avenue is reached.
Pedestrians can continue to Ordinance Avenue, where a right turn is made and a short uphill walk leads to Broadway. Walkers then turn left onto Broadway and head North via the sidewalk. Continue then, on the Southward side of Broadway until reaching the intersection with Wenzell Avenue.
On the other side of Wenzell, Broadway is still divided by the trolley tracks, which are elevated above it. Walkers continue straight up another small hill on one side of the tracks while bicyclists do the same on the other side. Once again, walkers have some protection from traffic via the sidewalk. The bicyclist will be sharing the road with 4000 pound plus hunks of speeding metal. The onus should be on "the hunks" but the reality is that the onus is on us. Maybe that will change someday.
The good news is that at the top of the little rise, the tracks still run down the middle of Broadway but the road lives up to its name by widening out significantly. With the recent Port Authority modifications and roadway safety features added, a bicyclist has some breathing room. Sidewalks are present for pedestrians.
We follow Broadway all the way through the Beechview neighborhood (section of) the City of Pittsburgh. At Hampshire Avenue, bicyclists turn left and head downhill to the first right, which is Methyl Street. Pedestrians may continue onto Beechview Avenue because it has sidewalks.
If there seems to be the mention of many hills, it is because Beechview has quite a few of them and they are some of the steepest you might find anywhere. There is an annual bicycle race in Pittsburgh called the Dirty Dozen. It features 13 of the steepest hills in the area. Three of those are in Beechview, including Canton Avenue. With a 37% grade, Canton Avenue is the steepest street in the United States and the 2nd steepest in the world. Don't worry, it is not on our route but it is nearby. If you are curious, simply continue down Hampshire and you'll end up at the top of it. To me, the thought of going down it is more frightening than going up. It is quite a spectacle on race day to watch hundreds of cyclists trying to scale that monster. Many actually succeed! The ride back up Hampshire may not qualify as a Dirty Dozen hill but it is no joke. Several other side streets off of Broadway are quite steep, so be forewarned.
If walking, Beechview Avenue may have small roller along its course. but the grade is not too bad If bicycling, we are now traveling on the residential Methyl Street, which is realtively level. During the many times I have walked or ridden on Methyl, very little traffic was encountered. However, because residents park on both sides, when a vehicle comes along, it can be tight. Shortly before reaching Sebring Avenue, look for the steps in the photo below. They are on the left, if heading Northward.
City steps lead from Methyl Street down to or up from Rutherford Avenue. One of the great things about Pittsburgh are the many sets of steps that climb the big hills into the various city neighborhoods.
Methyl makes a T with Wentworth Avenue and we turn right. At Beechview Avenue, we turn left and go the the light at Crane Avenue. When it turns green, we jog left on Crane and then right onto Tropical Avenue. The park with the same name is on the right near the end of the road. Once in the park, to the left, there are 3 ball courts. Near the woods line side of the last court, look for a trail leading into the trees. This is the beginning of the Seldom Seen Greenway, which will be the subject of the next blog post and chapter of our journey.
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