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City of Pittsburgh installs bike lanes on popular streets

PITTSBURGH — The City of Pittsburgh began installing a new protected bike lane along Penn Avenue downtown on Wednesday.

The lane will run between Sixth and 16th streets, officials said. That means drivers won't be able to take Penn Avenue into the Strip District from downtown anymore.

Several bike riders told Channel 11’s Trisha Pittman Wednesday that they support the plan for new bike lanes.

“Safety, primarily. I like the fact that there’s a dedicated lane just for bicyclists,” said Roger Smith.

Thanks to $250,000 from the Green Lane Project and $88,000 from City Capital Funds, Schenley Plaza, Saline Street and Penn Avenue will now have clearly marked, two-way bike lanes with their own set of signs and rules.

“I bicycle from Oakland to Downtown Pittsburgh, and it’s always a hassle downtown,” Smith said. “You know, finding a place to ride my bike. So this is good news.”

Pittman reported drivers will lose about 20 parking spaces in Greenfield and Schenley Park for the installation of the bike lanes. There will be no loss of parking spaces on Penn Avenue.

“I own a car, but sometimes it’s a little bit easier to ride my bike within Oakland, East Liberty and Shadyside than driving my car. In the fall, spring and summer I ride my bike almost exclusively,” Smith said.

Mayor Bill Peduto said Pittsburgh is one of the top 30 cities in the United States for cycling. With the addition of the new bike lanes, Peduto said Pittsburgh could jump into the top 10.