Letter to the editor: Bicycle takeover in Pittsburgh

Regarding Bob Bauder’s article “Draft plan calls for more bike lanes in Pittsburgh” (Feb. 11 TribLIVE): Dogs pee on trees and those alert bicycle enthusiasts and their clever strategists here in Pittsburgh have copied this primal territorial approach. They got hold of some white paint and cute abstract stencils of a bike, and sort of peed all over the city.

You know those roads and bridges where pesky motorists have created daily traffic jams? Well, bicycle artists have painted that magic symbol, and abracadabra, roadways are now imitating human constricted arteries.

Parking spaces that are as scarce as hen’s teeth have been usurped by 113 bike rental locations that always have lots of bikes available, especially during our super-sized Pittsburgh winters. Would it be possible to repurpose some of those rental locations in the winter?

And have you noticed how some bike lanes end suddenly into traffic? I ride a bicycle, but I haven’t yet learned how to do a Bruce Willis under a speeding 16-wheeler.

The mayor says that our carbon footprints should be reduced by 50% in the next 10 years. Well, in that time frame, electric vehicles might do that all by themselves, without giving motorists conniptions.

Was this growing bike lane takeover passed by executive order when city council was dahn at Primanti’s? This is a perfect storm, a combination of eminent domain and private interest entitlement.

Tom Mitrakos

Fox Chapel