11.14.2008

The Looming Strike

The big news in the Burgh right now is the possible Port Authority strike that will shut down bus service around the county.

PAT has been plagued by problems for years, one of which, in my opinion, is their really terrible website. Critics of PAT claim that ridership has decreased in recent years, as fares have increased to one of the highest in the nation. Last year, I occasionally commuted to my job in McKeesport, and paid $6.50 each day for the convenience. Well, convenience is a bit of a stretch. I left home at 5:30am, walked two miles to the 61C bus stop, rode for 45 minutes, and then walked another half mile up a giant hill.

I'm not sure where ridership has decreased...the 54C is packed every time it goes by. So is the 71A. So is every bus, for that matter, that runs between Bloomfield, Downtown, Oakland, Shadyside and Squirrel Hill. Since agreements between the universities and PAT were forged several years ago, thousands of students have come to rely on this mode of transportation to get to class.

I already ride the bus far less than I used to. When I lived in Pittsburgh before, Bloomfield seemed like it was too far away to be convenient to Oakland. Now, I either walk the 2 1/2 miles (30 minutes) or ride my bike (10 minutes).

However, this summer, when I was hanging out with my three-year-old buddies, I learned quickly that walking is definitely out of the realm of possibility for busy parents. Kids walk slow, have to go to the bathroom at all kinds of random times, and stop to look at every dog/twig/crack in the sidewalk. While this is highly entertaining, forget about it, if you're actually trying to get somewhere.

Lots of people are talking about biking to work...they can take advantage of Bike PGH's new street map, to plan their routes. I've even heard about people who will plan to meet up and ride with others. I personally, have purchased a new jacket and gloves to get ready for the winter season. Once we move over to Point Breeze, it will be a little too far to walk (about 4 miles), so I'll probably be biking every day, especially if the buses aren't running.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

i've always wondered how people do the bike thing in the winter time. are you planning on biking all winter? if so, two questions. how do you protect yourself again the teary eyes and snotty nose thing that happens when you bike in the cold? how do you ride safely when its snowy/icy out? --kj

k said...

To answer your question...yes, we plan to bike this winter.

I like to deal with my snotty nose by blowing snot rockets at drivers who cut me off. As for the teary eyes...M and I are nearsighted, and usually wear glasses, this cuts down on that effect somewhat.

As for the safety thing...Pittsburgh gets some snow, but the majority of the winter is just gray and cloudy. To bike safely in the winter, one should wear blinking rear lights and use a headlight whenever the visibility is low, and avoid braking hard. Apparently you can buy snow tires for your bike, but I don't have those.

To bike comfortably, I will need to get some warmer shoes, and find a pair of gloves that fit, as the ones that I just got from Nashbar are too long. I also will switch from riding in my work clothes, to changing into those clothes once I get to work...that way if I get wet and dirty, it's not a big deal.