South Pittsburgh to McKeesport Route (PA 837)

Anyone know if the section of PA 837 from S. Pittsburgh
to McKeesport is bike ridable within some semblance of
reason?

I'm planning on a tour from Pittsburgh to DC later this
summer and the bus or train ride from home to Pittsburgh
puts me a bit farther north of the route I actually want
to ride (Allegheny Alliance trail to C&O canal) which
starts in McKeesport.

I've read two fairly divergent reviews of riding PA 837
between the two cities: It's very ridable; It's ridable
if you have a death wish.

I Google Earth'ed the road a bit and it looked like some
sections had nice wide shoulders and other sections had
none, and the entire road was very "divided highway" looking
although maps called it a non-limited access road.

Doesn't seem to be much in the way of alternative side
roads between the two locations.

Thanks for any insights you may have.


SMH

On Sat, 16 Jun 2007 11:42:26 GMT, Stephen Harding
wrote:

Anyone know if the section of PA 837 from S. Pittsburgh
to McKeesport is bike ridable within some semblance of
reason?

I'm planning on a tour from Pittsburgh to DC later this
summer and the bus or train ride from home to Pittsburgh
puts me a bit farther north of the route I actually want
to ride (Allegheny Alliance trail to C&O canal) which
starts in McKeesport.

I've read two fairly divergent reviews of riding PA 837
between the two cities: It's very ridable; It's ridable
if you have a death wish.

I Google Earth'ed the road a bit and it looked like some
sections had nice wide shoulders and other sections had
none, and the entire road was very "divided highway" looking
although maps called it a non-limited access road.

Doesn't seem to be much in the way of alternative side
roads between the two locations.

Thanks for any insights you may have.


SMH

Isn't the trail now available all the way through? From the map it
looks like it runs parallel to 837:

http://www.atatrail.org/maps/map1.cfm

Stephen Harding wrote:
Anyone know if the section of PA 837 from S. Pittsburgh
to McKeesport is bike ridable within some semblance of
reason?

I'm planning on a tour from Pittsburgh to DC later this
summer and the bus or train ride from home to Pittsburgh
puts me a bit farther north of the route I actually want
to ride (Allegheny Alliance trail to C&O canal) which
starts in McKeesport.

I've read two fairly divergent reviews of riding PA 837
between the two cities: It's very ridable; It's ridable
if you have a death wish.

I Google Earth'ed the road a bit and it looked like some
sections had nice wide shoulders and other sections had
none, and the entire road was very "divided highway" looking
although maps called it a non-limited access road.

Doesn't seem to be much in the way of alternative side
roads between the two locations.

Thanks for any insights you may have.


SMH

Penn DOT is better at some things than they are at road maintenance.

http://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ividlog/video_locate.asp

http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Internet/...dDJVU?OpenForm

--
Leland Mayne
http://neighborhoodbikeworks.org

On Sun, 17 Jun 2007 01:11:38 GMT, Leland Mayne
wrote:

Stephen Harding wrote:
Anyone know if the section of PA 837 from S. Pittsburgh
to McKeesport is bike ridable within some semblance of
reason?

I'm planning on a tour from Pittsburgh to DC later this
summer and the bus or train ride from home to Pittsburgh
puts me a bit farther north of the route I actually want
to ride (Allegheny Alliance trail to C&O canal) which
starts in McKeesport.

I've read two fairly divergent reviews of riding PA 837
between the two cities: It's very ridable; It's ridable
if you have a death wish.

I Google Earth'ed the road a bit and it looked like some
sections had nice wide shoulders and other sections had
none, and the entire road was very "divided highway" looking
although maps called it a non-limited access road.

Doesn't seem to be much in the way of alternative side
roads between the two locations.

Thanks for any insights you may have.


SMH

Penn DOT is better at some things than they are at road maintenance.

http://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ividlog/video_locate.asp

http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Internet/...dDJVU?OpenForm

The vidlog is uber cool for bike route planning, a precursor of Google
Steet View. Thanks.

If you rode it early on Sunday morning you would have no problem. I
have rode it to Kennywood, and it was not too bad. I am not clear
where you are coming from. The trail is done only to the South Side or
on the other side of the river you get to Hazelwood on the jail trail,
and then through Hazelwood, and across the bridge near Sand Castle.
You can ride through Waterfront area, and connect afterwards.

Tom

On Jun 16, 7:42 am, Stephen Harding wrote:
Anyone know if the section of PA 837 from S. Pittsburgh
to McKeesport is bike ridable within some semblance of
reason?

I'm planning on a tour from Pittsburgh to DC later this
summer and the bus or train ride from home to Pittsburgh
puts me a bit farther north of the route I actually want
to ride (Allegheny Alliance trail to C&O canal) which
starts in McKeesport.

I've read two fairly divergent reviews of riding PA 837
between the two cities: It's very ridable; It's ridable
if you have a death wish.

I Google Earth'ed the road a bit and it looked like some
sections had nice wide shoulders and other sections had
none, and the entire road was very "divided highway" looking
although maps called it a non-limited access road.

Doesn't seem to be much in the way of alternative side
roads between the two locations.

Thanks for any insights you may have.

SMH

That route has overlap with this route, which tends to have more
detailed maps:

ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf...state_mapS.pdf (overview)
ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf.../Bike_S_04.PDF
ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf.../Bike_S_05.PDF

and this might be worth a look:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Allegheny_Passage

-bdbafh

wrote:

If you rode it early on Sunday morning you would have no problem. I
have rode it to Kennywood, and it was not too bad. I am not clear
where you are coming from. The trail is done only to the South Side or
on the other side of the river you get to Hazelwood on the jail trail,
and then through Hazelwood, and across the bridge near Sand Castle.
You can ride through Waterfront area, and connect afterwards.

South side of the city at the terminal on the River. Looks like 837
goes right by it although I'm not certain I'd actually arrive there.
Still planning on bus or train options.

The trail looked very intermittent between S. Pitt and McKeesport,
but there didn't look to be much in alternatives either. Didn't
consider the other side of the river. I'll look it over too.

Thanks to all for good sources of info on this route. Most state
DOT maps don't realize bicycles even exist and from past tours,
you never really know what that "nice looking back road" on a map
might really turn into!


SMH

In article UxOdi.3042$Sm5.850@trndny04, says...
wrote:

If you rode it early on Sunday morning you would have no problem. I
have rode it to Kennywood, and it was not too bad. I am not clear
where you are coming from. The trail is done only to the South Side or
on the other side of the river you get to Hazelwood on the jail trail,
and then through Hazelwood, and across the bridge near Sand Castle.
You can ride through Waterfront area, and connect afterwards.

South side of the city at the terminal on the River. Looks like 837
goes right by it although I'm not certain I'd actually arrive there.
Still planning on bus or train options.

The trail looked very intermittent between S. Pitt and McKeesport,
but there didn't look to be much in alternatives either. Didn't
consider the other side of the river. I'll look it over too.

Thanks to all for good sources of info on this route. Most state
DOT maps don't realize bicycles even exist and from past tours,
you never really know what that "nice looking back road" on a map
might really turn into!


SMH

This 2006 trip report has some Pittsburgh information:

http://www.thirdwave-websites.com/bi...sburgh-dc-c&o-
gap.cfm#new

RBrickston wrote:

This 2006 trip report has some Pittsburgh information:

http://www.thirdwave-websites.com/bi...sburgh-dc-c&o-
gap.cfm#new

Nice report!

Like your motivation: "days of great eating traveled on a bike"!

You should consider joining "Team Gourmet" during the RAGBRAI
(ride across Iowa). They apparently prepare multi-course,
gourmet evening meals for each of the 7 days of the ride,
sometimes pedaling in tuxedos (or partial tuxedos)!

It's looking like my bus isn't going to arrive in Pittsburgh
until about 2:30 in the morning, so riding 837 might not be
so much an issue. Lots of tail lighting and reflective-wear.

Sounds like a great ride. I probably won't be eating as well
as you guys did!


SMH

In article wk7ei.7713$Fw5.2587@trndny02, says...
RBrickston wrote:

This 2006 trip report has some Pittsburgh information:

http://www.thirdwave-websites.com/bi...sburgh-dc-c&o-
gap.cfm#new

Nice report!

Like your motivation: "days of great eating traveled on a bike"!

You should consider joining "Team Gourmet" during the RAGBRAI
(ride across Iowa). They apparently prepare multi-course,
gourmet evening meals for each of the 7 days of the ride,
sometimes pedaling in tuxedos (or partial tuxedos)!

It's looking like my bus isn't going to arrive in Pittsburgh
until about 2:30 in the morning, so riding 837 might not be
so much an issue. Lots of tail lighting and reflective-wear.

Sounds like a great ride. I probably won't be eating as well
as you guys did!


SMH


It wasn't my ride, but I'm sure the authors would appreciate your
comments.