Pittsburgh’s first on-street bike corral was officially unveiled today just outside Over the Bar Bicycle Cafe. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl was on hand to give the “bikes are good for the city” speech in front of the overflowing row of bikes.
On-street bicycle corrals have proven to increase parking capacity while encouraging people to bike. Bike corrals increase parking capacity from 1-2 cars to 12-24 bikes – significantly raising the customer capacity in neighborhood business districts.
Pittsburgh has been making great strides in an effort to be more bike friendly, thanks to the efforts of organizations like Bike Pittsburgh. In 2010, Pittsburgh earned the Friendly Community Bronze status from the League of American Bicyclists and was named one of “America’s top 50 bike-friendly cities” by Bicycle Magazine, after being derided as one of the nation’s worst only 20 years ago.
By the end of 2012, Pittsburgh will boast 600 new bike racks, 22 miles of scenic riverfront trails and almost 40 miles of on-street bike lanes. Other efforts include the city’s first ever comprehensive transportation plan – MOVEPGH - which will be comprised of three main components, including a bicycle/pedestrian plan.
