You’re walking to your 2:00 PM chemistry lecture and see a bike zip effortlessly down the street. You think, “Wouldn't it be nice to have a faster way to get to class.” Many have had the same revelation, but surprisingly, biking might be worse than walking to class for most Pitt students. Here are the 4 main reasons why:
Foot Traffic at Rush Hour
Forbes and Fifth Avenue
Small Campus Size
Unique Infrastructure
Problem 1: Foot Traffic
At the top of every hour, people begin to transition to their next class. Pitt is a dense urban campus, so the main streets and sidewalks start to flood with people. While crowds are easy to navigate on foot, they become impossible on a bike. You’ll end up walking with your bike until you get to class.
Fifth Avenue foot traffic at rush hour.
Problem 2: Forbes and Fifth Avenue
One solution to the packed sidewalks is to bike on the street. Unfortunately, the two streets that connect most of the campus (Forbes and Fifth Avenue) are not bike friendly. Though they have dedicated bike lanes, they are not at the busiest parts of the streets. They are both also one-way streets. Rather than taking shorter routes on Forbes and Fifth, multiple detours slow down your commute. All these detours make biking almost as slow as walking.
Fifth Avenue (top) and Forbes Avenue (bottom) the central roads of Pitt campus in red.
Problem 3: Pitt Campus is Small
Pitt is a small campus. Compare Pitt to a school like Stony Brook, which has a similar student population, but 10 times the campus area. Everything is close together at Pitt. You can walk from one side of campus to the other in less than 10 minutes. Most classes are within a 5-10 minute walk of each other. Walking commutes just aren't that long because the campus is so small. Most people have around 15-30 minutes between classes, so a 10-minute walk fits perfectly.
Problem 4: Pitt’s Unique Infrastructure
Pitt has a great shuttle system, and the Port Authority bus network is robust in the Oakland area. If you live off campus, there is likely a bus nearby that will take you directly to campus. Good public transport and free bus cards mean that taking a bus down Fifth directly to BIO 150 might make sense. It also means that biking to campus just isn't as attractive.
Pittsburgh is known for its hills. It holds the record for the steepest public road in the US. Many steep hills like the one at Chevron, or the famous Cardiac Hill, are impractical to bike up. This may make your commute have much more walking than riding.
Canton Avenue in Pittsburgh. The steepest road in the US.
Though having a bike is impractical for the average student, there are some valid use cases. You may only have 10 minutes between classes or have somewhere to go off campus after class, so biking may be helpful. For many, the enjoyment that comes from biking outweighs any impracticalities.
How do you get to class? Do you walk, bike, or use a scooter? Are you thinking about getting a bike to go to class? Make sure to comment with your thoughts below!
QuizMaker More Info
I enjoyed the level of detail about transportation in Pittsburgh, and as someone who exclusively walks or takes the bus, I think this content is applicable to a variety of Pittsburgh citizens. The informative visuals, bold text, and seamlessly integrated links break up this information into readable chunks, making it easier to learn from. This content is concise and clear, and it taught me more about my options navigating Pitt campus, as well as the city we live in.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Im glad you enjoyed the info and learned from it.
DeleteI enjoyed your title, it is catchy and helps draw the reader's attention. Also, I like how you list the points that you are going to be making in your opening, it gave me an idea of what I was about to read. The photos that you included gave a nice visual effect that helped me understand what you were talking about, like how busy 5th ave is during rush hour. The poll at the end was a great interactive activity for the reader.
ReplyDeleteHi Imogene. I'm happy you liked the poll at the end and were able to understand the points I was making. 5th Avenue really does become hectic at rush hour.
DeleteI really enjoyed this blog! I thought you did a great job talking about a practical and realistic situation that most people in our class could deal with. I thought you also did well making sure the points were clearly defined and understood as to why you should not use a bike to get around. I appreciate the interactive part of the blog you included as well. I think that helps to engage with the reader, and made us aware of other options of transportation. Overall, very helpful and informative which I appreciated!
ReplyDeleteHello Ellie. I'm pleased that you enjoyed the blog and the poll. I am also glad that you understand the points from the perspective of a student who has to walk between classes every day.
DeleteI really like the idea behind your blog and how it turned out. I have noticed around campus how many times bikers have to stop due to large crowds of people crossing the street. You made it very easy for someone not from Pittsburgh to understand the campus. The bolded headings and images are what stand out to me the most. I love the poll at the end of the blog. It is very interactive and makes the readers feel involved. The list at the beginning is very helpful and gives a nice overview of the blog. Overall, great job and a nice read!
ReplyDeleteIm glad you could also see the issues with biking on campus that I see. Im happy you enjoyed the poll as well!
DeleteThe blog is formatted perfectly; The use of headers is effective at organizing your ideas and the visual aids help contextualize the difficulties of biking in Pittsburgh. The content is informational but concise, it adequately explains the topic without being redundant and drawn out. Perhaps my favorite part of the blog is your inclusion of the survey. Integrating interactive features in your blog encourages the reader to engage with the content on a personal level. Well done!
ReplyDeleteHi Dennis. I'm pleased that you thought the blog was well formatted. I'm also happy that you participated in the poll. Thank you for reading!
DeleteAs someone who skateboards around campus, I really enjoyed your blog! I've tried biking at Pitt and the reasons you've given deterred me from continuing. I still use my longboard during busy hours to navigate the sidewalks. However, Pittsburgh's hilly infrastructure makes it hard to do that for long distances - I usually take the bus if I need to go far. The blog itself was well organized and straightforward: Good use of bold text and the hyperlinks were nice too! I thought it was funny that we had the steepest road in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteI think things like electric skateboards and e-scooters are a lot better for getting around campus as well. They don't have the same agility problems that a bike would have.
DeleteThe hills really are what makes it so hard to get around. Though all the downhills are fun, you have to get up it first. I am really glad you enjoyed the blog. Thank you Niam.
The formatting of the blog is excellent. The blog is divided into four main sections with headings, each discussing the main problems with biking on the Pitt campus. The use of images to illustrate the main points is also helpful and engaging. I also enjoyed your use of the questions at the end of the blog, encouraging readers to engage with the content. Overall, the post is informative and engaging.
ReplyDeleteIm glad you found the post easily engaging and informative. Thank you Joseph.
DeleteI enjoyed how the post started with a story to catch my attention. I personally have taken the bus down fifth to make it to Clapp hall on time. I liked how you added a poll at the end of the post as well. It engages the audience and is interesting to see the results. I wouldn't bike anywhere on campus because of the sidewalks being crowded and the streets staying busy. After visiting other college campuses, I realized how small Pitt actually is as well. Great job!
ReplyDeleteThat story came from my own personal experience on campus. I'm happy you agreed with a lot of the points I made. Pitt really is a small campus, and it changes how you go about getting around it.
DeleteI enjoyed reading this blog as it related to me and the whole population of Pitt students. I have never tried riding a bike on campus, but I now understand the tradeoffs of doing so, such as detours when using bike lanes on the main roads. The blog structure was easy to follow and the four reasons to not bike were listed at the beginning of the blog. Your use of images of the map of central campus and the steepest road was crucial for allowing readers to visualize your content. Including accessible and relevant links within the blog were also beneficial for those curious about more information! Nice job on this blog, it was a great read!
ReplyDelete