Pittsburgh is quite progressive in changing, which is not easy for a city with older infrastructure to do. I'm proud of your progress, Pittsburgh. You're setting a cutting edge example for other cities to follow suit.
These are among the first separated bike lanes that I’ve seen in America. Good Job, Pittsburgh! You’re doing a lot better than most American cities and you’re leading the way. Don’t worry about trying to be Amsterdam right away. Start by trying to be Montreal, then work your way up to Copenhagen. Eventually you’ll get there. Even though it’s an uphill battle, videos like this show that there are many North Americans that do want to embrace alternative modes of transportation.
I’m happy that these issues are finally getting talked about, and some steps taken. Still it feels like Pittsburgh streets will never be ‘complete’, until the streetcars return.
Ignore the lip service. The aerial picture at 1:11 says it all. Compare the single-bike width portion of the Great Allegheny Passage that you probably can't find in the shot if you don't know it's there to the number of car lanes. Note that the Great Allegheny Passage is a destination trail rated as a top 10 bike tour in the nation. And we can't take out a single one of those freeway lanes to allow two bikes to pass each other. That's exactly as far as this city prioritizes non-drivers.
If Pittsburgh is an example of "complete streets" then I am completely blackpilled when it comes to American city planning. Protected bike lanes are virtually nonexistent and the ones that exist are almost all "protected" by so-called flexposts. These are bollard-like structures that do not actually prevent cars from running through them. Bigelow is literally the only protected bike lane I have seen. The vast majority of bike lanes in this city are painted bike gutters that are right next to fast traffic, or "sharrows" which don't do anything. Hell, I've seen sharrows on roads so wide that they can accommodate two lanes of traffic and two lanes of parking. I have looked at the future plans for bike infrastructure, and these issues are basically not addressed. While Paris is overhauling their streets in a decade to benefit pedestrians and cyclists, Pittsburghers can only hope for some flexposts here and there. As for public transit... there are bus lanes here and there. It could use a lot of improvement but I won't say it's nearly as dire as the cycling infrastructure. Anyway, Americans need to realize that even their ambitious street plans are nothing compared to other places in the world. Look at the Netherlands and weep.
@@bloops9188 Unfortunately you have to start somewhere. Amsterdam was not the way it is not 40 years ago and places that are not as rich as Paris can't overhaul their infrastructure overnight. Painfully it will require gradual change. At least Pittsburgh is bought into the idea and just needs to make it happen. In so many places there's no buy in yet :( With that said I do look at the Netherlands and weep
@@worstedwoolens I am saying America continues to profit off of imperial blood money to this day. No different than other 1st world nations but arguably at a bigger scale. If we’re going to continue imperialism, might as well use that cash to help out sovereign citizens. Ideally we’d divest from imperialism altogether, but the US war machine has both historically and present day decided to balloon for ever
I grew up in the burgh. I left in 2010 and came back in 2021 (because no one ever stays gone for long) and I returned to a completely different city. I love it and wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the US. It's a progressive place with a proud and hardworking community.
I’m surprised to see Steubenville mentioned here, I grew up nearby! There’s a lot of potential in Steubenville, especially Downtown. Hopefully more people start to reinvest there.
That cityhealth logo supported by those companies gave me chills. I think the people in that initiative are most likely doing great work. The fact this country is at a point where the government takes on sponsorship deals like a football stadium though? We deserve a government for the people by the people, that doesn't rely on corporations Public Relations campaigns. If we can fund trillion dollar wars and bailouts why do we need to rely on advertisements to fund public safety?
i wonder what surrounding villages and towns ('the burbs of the burgh') have done in changing their own planning policies vis a vis complete streets. can anyone comment on specific examples of what's happened there since pittsburgh made changes in 2015 to it's planning policy?
Steel mills and similar heavy industries started going out of business in the 1980's. Took a long time for the city to come back. A lot of the surrounding towns are still pretty depressed.
@@dennycatlett3581 The City itself only had the J&L plant, the "bigger" plants were all in the various "Mill Towns" along the Monongahela River (with some on the Ohio River and elsewhere in Western Pennsylvania, the panhandle of West Virginia and in Ohio along the Ohio River). Thus the City of Pittsburgh was not hit that hard directly by the collapse of the steel Industry. The old "Mill Towns" were hit hard, for all of them they main source of wealth was those old steel mills. The decline of those old "Mill Towns" hit Pittsburgh hard, for the City was the Center of the Steel Industry and the Bituminous Coal mines that feed those mills. Pittsburgh had Government offices, Universities and Hospitals to help it survive (all three tended to be non taxable, but the people who worked in those sections of the economy did pay taxes as did suppliers to those sections of the economy). The United Mine Workers and the United Steel Workers were both headquarter in Pittsburgh and that helped Pittsburgh survive. Even today, Pittsburgh is known to be the center of trade in steel, coal and minerals world wide (the Contracts trading such goods are negotiated in Pittsburgh even as the goods themselves never ever enters the US). All of the above kept Pittsburgh alive and well, even as it was hurting (unlike the old "Mill Towns" that really went into decline). The sad fact is Pittsburgh is doing well, not great but well, unlike the old "Mill Towns" and "Coal Patches" that have seen radical decline.
Pittsburgh is quite progressive in changing, which is not easy for a city with older infrastructure to do. I'm proud of your progress, Pittsburgh. You're setting a cutting edge example for other cities to follow suit.
These are among the first separated bike lanes that I’ve seen in America. Good Job, Pittsburgh! You’re doing a lot better than most American cities and you’re leading the way.
Don’t worry about trying to be Amsterdam right away. Start by trying to be Montreal, then work your way up to Copenhagen. Eventually you’ll get there.
Even though it’s an uphill battle, videos like this show that there are many North Americans that do want to embrace alternative modes of transportation.
I’m happy that these issues are finally getting talked about, and some steps taken. Still it feels like Pittsburgh streets will never be ‘complete’, until the streetcars return.
I agree 100%. Electric cars are not the answer. increased density, walkability, bikeability, and improved & increased transit are the answers.
Ignore the lip service.
The aerial picture at 1:11 says it all.
Compare the single-bike width portion of the Great Allegheny Passage that you probably can't find in the shot if you don't know it's there to the number of car lanes.
Note that the Great Allegheny Passage is a destination trail rated as a top 10 bike tour in the nation. And we can't take out a single one of those freeway lanes to allow two bikes to pass each other. That's exactly as far as this city prioritizes non-drivers.
If Pittsburgh is an example of "complete streets" then I am completely blackpilled when it comes to American city planning. Protected bike lanes are virtually nonexistent and the ones that exist are almost all "protected" by so-called flexposts. These are bollard-like structures that do not actually prevent cars from running through them. Bigelow is literally the only protected bike lane I have seen. The vast majority of bike lanes in this city are painted bike gutters that are right next to fast traffic, or "sharrows" which don't do anything. Hell, I've seen sharrows on roads so wide that they can accommodate two lanes of traffic and two lanes of parking. I have looked at the future plans for bike infrastructure, and these issues are basically not addressed. While Paris is overhauling their streets in a decade to benefit pedestrians and cyclists, Pittsburghers can only hope for some flexposts here and there. As for public transit... there are bus lanes here and there. It could use a lot of improvement but I won't say it's nearly as dire as the cycling infrastructure.
Anyway, Americans need to realize that even their ambitious street plans are nothing compared to other places in the world. Look at the Netherlands and weep.
@@bloops9188 Unfortunately you have to start somewhere. Amsterdam was not the way it is not 40 years ago and places that are not as rich as Paris can't overhaul their infrastructure overnight. Painfully it will require gradual change. At least Pittsburgh is bought into the idea and just needs to make it happen. In so many places there's no buy in yet :(
With that said I do look at the Netherlands and weep
Let's hope they don't take inspiration from Philly bike lanes
@@worstedwoolens curious if you’ve ever learned about American history?
@@worstedwoolens I am saying America continues to profit off of imperial blood money to this day. No different than other 1st world nations but arguably at a bigger scale.
If we’re going to continue imperialism, might as well use that cash to help out sovereign citizens.
Ideally we’d divest from imperialism altogether, but the US war machine has both historically and present day decided to balloon for ever
I grew up in the burgh. I left in 2010 and came back in 2021 (because no one ever stays gone for long) and I returned to a completely different city. I love it and wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the US. It's a progressive place with a proud and hardworking community.
This is a great vision. Hopefully the project can continue help all. And other cities will catch up.
Good video, would love to see us adopt a similar policy here in Steubenville Ohio.
I’m surprised to see Steubenville mentioned here, I grew up nearby! There’s a lot of potential in Steubenville, especially Downtown. Hopefully more people start to reinvest there.
@@zachperkins688 SAME! OH MY GOD, I LIVE IN STEUBENVILLE
Oh I'm sure Ohio state legislature is working to ban bike lanes as you mention this...
That cityhealth logo supported by those companies gave me chills. I think the people in that initiative are most likely doing great work. The fact this country is at a point where the government takes on sponsorship deals like a football stadium though?
We deserve a government for the people by the people, that doesn't rely on corporations Public Relations campaigns. If we can fund trillion dollar wars and bailouts why do we need to rely on advertisements to fund public safety?
well, there's plenty of room for improvement when it comes to accessibility for wheelchair users.
Hopefully the public transit improves for this progress to succeed. Its becoming very infrquent and unreliable for the ones even on the schedule
i wonder what surrounding villages and towns ('the burbs of the burgh') have done in changing their own planning policies vis a vis complete streets. can anyone comment on specific examples of what's happened there since pittsburgh made changes in 2015 to it's planning policy?
Pittsburgh has a lot of plans and they talk about what to do, but they never do it.
“Then the City died.”?!?!?
Steel mills and similar heavy industries started going out of business in the 1980's. Took a long time for the city to come back. A lot of the surrounding towns are still pretty depressed.
The entire economy collapsed when the steel mills closed. I remember entire prosperous communities becoming desolate almost overnight.
@@dennycatlett3581 The City itself only had the J&L plant, the "bigger" plants were all in the various "Mill Towns" along the Monongahela River (with some on the Ohio River and elsewhere in Western Pennsylvania, the panhandle of West Virginia and in Ohio along the Ohio River). Thus the City of Pittsburgh was not hit that hard directly by the collapse of the steel Industry. The old "Mill Towns" were hit hard, for all of them they main source of wealth was those old steel mills. The decline of those old "Mill Towns" hit Pittsburgh hard, for the City was the Center of the Steel Industry and the Bituminous Coal mines that feed those mills.
Pittsburgh had Government offices, Universities and Hospitals to help it survive (all three tended to be non taxable, but the people who worked in those sections of the economy did pay taxes as did suppliers to those sections of the economy). The United Mine Workers and the United Steel Workers were both headquarter in Pittsburgh and that helped Pittsburgh survive. Even today, Pittsburgh is known to be the center of trade in steel, coal and minerals world wide (the Contracts trading such goods are negotiated in Pittsburgh even as the goods themselves never ever enters the US). All of the above kept Pittsburgh alive and well, even as it was hurting (unlike the old "Mill Towns" that really went into decline).
The sad fact is Pittsburgh is doing well, not great but well, unlike the old "Mill Towns" and "Coal Patches" that have seen radical decline.
"Gives Vocabulary" Oh please!!!!! That has to be one of the most condensending things that I have ever heard soming out of someone's mouth.
Equity? Oh you mean, envious retribution.
Yes by all means allowing people to walk or bike safely in a city is about envious retribution.