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According to Bike Pittsburgh (Bike PGH), “Pittsburgh City Council unanimously passed the Bike Parking Ordinance this week.  The ordinance is an amendment to the zoning code that requires all new and “change-in-use” buildings to install bicycle parking, just like they already must do for cars.  There is also an incentive component to the ordinance, whereby a developer can replace up to 30% of their car parking requirement with bicycle parking. Basically, it makes sure that bikes are considered during the planning process, instead of trying to retrofit for them afterward.

Councilman Patrick Dowd connected the dots and discussed how this ordinance is just a piece of the broader concept of what ‘we really have to do’ to turn Pittsburgh into a bicycle-friendly city.  He cited the four-E’s commitment from the city: enforcement, education, economic incentives, and engineering.”

For over two years, BikePGH has been working on this measure, with the planning department and the mayor’s bike/ped coordinator, researching best practices from other cities, getting input from architects and developers in order to get this piece of code written, and encouraging cyclists and other members of the public to participate in the process. This is a big win for BikePGH and a milestone for bicycling in the city of Pittsburgh. 

To view the full ordinance and find out more about BikePGH click here.

After the city of Pittsburgh launched its new bike rack request program, BikePGH is welcoming hundreds of newly installed bike racks on Pittsburgh streets. 

Upon announcing the program in October of 2009, Bike PGH secured funding for 100 racks, which were all donated to the city, and further matched with another 100 racks through the Mayor’s Taking Care of Business Districts program. With 200 racks available, the city has been taking online requests for the new racks’ designated locations throughout Pittsburgh. Most of the 200 racks are now populating the city’s streets, yet there are still many locations in need of bike parking facilities. The success of the online requests has been so overwhelming that BikePGH is actively looking at options to expand the program and continue their mission of making Pittsburgh a safer and more enjoyable place to live and ride.

To find out more about the bike rack program visit http://www.bikepgh.org. “> http://www.bikepgh.org.

The City of Pittsburgh installed the first of 200 new bike racks in front of Enrico’s Biscotti Co in the Strip District this morning.  The racks, in the iconic Three Rivers Bike rack design, are to go to business districts and small businesses as part of the Mayor’s Taking Care of Business Districts program.  BikePGH donated one hundred of the racks to the city (for small businesses, made possible through the Richard King Mellon Foundation and William Benter Foundation), while the City matched them with another 100 that will go into business districts.

The event drew an impressive crowd of cyclists, media and movers and shakers who were greeted with delicious baked goods from Enrico’s.  Mayor Luke Ravenstahl introduced the program, followed by speeches from BikePGH’s Scott Bricker, State Senator Jim Ferlo, State Senator Wayne Fontana, and Councilman Patrick Dowd.

The next step is placing the racks around town.  Many businesses throughout the city have already requested racks, and will get first dibs.  The rest of the racks will be distributed using a new online request form.  Once a business requests a rack, the location will be assessed to make sure it complies with ADA and other right-of-way standards.  If the site is in compliance, public works will then install a rack.  As they are in the public right-of-way, the City assumes liability on the racks thereafter.

For more information, visit http://bike-pgh.org/2009/10/city-launches-bike-rack-program-rack-request-form-now-live/

Sure Bike Pittsburgh (Bike PGH) had a great Bike-to-Work Day with over a hundred commuters stopping in for their biker breakfasts, and with many more on the streets. The real celebrations, however, were after work at the Bike PGH Bike-FROM-Work Day Party in conjunction with a local brewery.  Over 500 participated and help haul kegs of “Pale Ale by Bike” to the shindig.

For more information, click here…