Oakland bike lane installation set for next week

After discussing plans throughout the summer, the City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Works will begin installing the first phase of its project to bring more bike lanes to Oakland next week.

The Department will install the first lanes along portions of Schenley Drive and along the O’Hara Street, Bigelow Boulevard and Bayard Street corridor, along with left-turn boxes at intersections, the City said in a release Friday. Weather permitting, the Department will complete installation of the lanes by Sept. 25. According to Bicycle-Pedestrian Coordinator Kristin Saunders, the first phase of the project will cost the city $104,500.

The lane along Schenley Drive will connect the already installed lanes through Schenley Park. The lane along the O’Hara, Bigelow and Bayard corridor will run from the Petersen Events Center to the intersection of Bayard Street and Neville Street, according to a map of the plan. At that intersection, the lane will narrow into a “sharrow,” meaning the Department will paint arrows on the road to indicate to drivers that they should share the existing lane with cyclists.

The Department will also install left turn boxes at all intersections along the O’Hara, Bigelow, Bayard corridor. The planned left turn boxes will allow cyclists turning left a space to line up in front of cars.

The lanes the Department will begin installing next week are the first of several planned for Oakland. Other lanes and sharrows, which the City plans to install throughout the fall, will provide space along Atwood Street, Meyran Avenue, Louisa Street, Coltart Avenue and Bouquet Street for cyclists to ride safely.

The Department first released plans for the Oakland bike lanes in April. In June, Saunders began presenting the plans at public meetings. In July, Saunders held the final meeting in Oakland where she heard feedback and comments from Oakland residents about the plan.

At that final meeting, Saunders said the project, when finished, would eliminate 85 parking spaces in Oakland, a point of contention for some residents.

The lanes, sharrows and boxes “will lead to a safer, more predictable street for all,” the release said.