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Community Engagement

1. 

   Swalfoort
   

   bossanova
   

   
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   Posted 3 months ago
   

   By now I assume you have all read the posting about the nice shout out from the USDOT to Bike Pittsburgh for their Commuting 101 guide.

   Another shout out in that article went to the Washington Nationals "baseball club"

   ....I want to thank the Washington Nationals for being such great supporters of the DC area's bicyclists. They continue to host the Bike To Work Day pit stop that many DOT bicyclists check in at this morning. They have plenty of bike racks available for stadium-goers--accommodating up to 286 riders. They even offer free valet bike parking! I think that's something. And this weekend, they're honoring Bike Month and the signature Bike DC event with discounted tickets for fans who bike to Sunday's game.

   What does it take to encourage the Pirates (and others) to consider something similar here in Pittsburgh?

   Link to blogpost: http://fastlane.dot.gov/2010/05/nation-dot-take-to-the-streetswith-helmets-onfor-national-bike-to-work-day.html

2. 

   rsprake
   

   bossanova
   

   
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   Posted 3 months ago
   

   Apparently they just need to add more racks!

3. 

   Mick
   

   bossanova
   

   
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   Posted 3 months ago
   

   accommodating up to 286 riders

   I look forward to the day when 286 bike rack spaces for a multi-thousand capacity stadium will be viewed as laughably inadequate by everyone.

4. 

   dwillen
   

   bossanova
   

   
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   Posted 3 months ago
   

   Like us, the brand new Twins stadium is right on a bike path, and from what I could find online has 40 or so racks (that hold two bikes each, with u-locks).

   Heres a photo I found: http://img.ly/SlV (seems like they could use more space too)

   My brother lives 4-5 miles away, but rides to all the games (and back home!) completely free of traffic. Sounds like a pretty sweet setup.

5. 

   StuInMcCandless
   

   bossanova
   

   
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   Posted 3 months ago
   

   Commute-to-game Choice #1: Spend an hour in traffic to get there, pay $20 to warehouse the car for a couple hours, walk another 15 minutes getting from the parking lot to the stadium, then spend another hour in traffic getting out.

   Choice #2: Park for free a couple miles away (e.g., Millvale or Beaver Ave), bike almost up to the door in minutes, tie up bikes for free, and sail away in a matter of minutes.

   People don't know this yet?!?

6. 

   mustion
   

   frequenter
   

   
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   Posted 3 months ago
   

   I look forward to the day when the Nats attract 286 fans (and I don't mean new DC 'residents' decked out in Red Sox gear).

7. 

   JZ
   

   frequenter
   

   
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   Posted 3 months ago
   

   I work up there, and I wouldn't lock up my bike on Beaver and walk away if I wanted to see the bike again.

8. 

   nicholas
   

   freewheeler
   

   
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   Posted 3 months ago
   

   There is another hurdle at PNC park. My coworker, who attends games regularly, has been refused entry at least three times with his helmet. One of the times, the security manager told him to put the helmet in his car. I've got tickets to a game next month and I am not interested in leaving my bike helmet snapped to my frame, but I'm also not interested in a stressful conflict with a security guard that will end up going nowhere. Any ideas?

9. 

   edmonds59
   

   bossanova
   

   
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   Posted 3 months ago
   

   My son and I have ridden around DC, going to the museums and such, and I take a 6 ft cable lock, put it around a rack, through 2 bikes, and through the vent holes in the helmets, easy.
   BTW, that's the best possible way to see DC. You can find a rack within about 100 feet of every building on the mall.

10. 

    sloaps
    

    bossanova
    

    
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    Posted 3 months ago
    

    As far as the helmet issue, I have a U-Lock long enough to lock up my bike and helmet.

    I'll post a pic later to illustrate: The U couples a post or rack with the rear wheel/down tube, then before I connect the locking bar to the U I thread one of the U tips through a hole in the temple of my helmet.

    Kinda like this:

11. 

    erok
    

    Staff
    

    
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    Posted 3 months ago
    

    do people still go to pirates games?

12. 

    ejwme
    

    bossanova
    

    
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    Posted 3 months ago
    

    am I missing something?

    Is a bike helmet a weapon? Can it not pass through a metal detector or be wanded? Is it outside food or beverage? Is it alcoholic? If the answer is yes to any of those, I've got the wrong helmet.

    Being a girl, I'd sew up some arty straps for it and call it my purse. It's see through (the holes, like a mesh bag kind of), it's small-ish, it'll sit on my lap, I see no problem. I've seen women with some way more vicious and ugly looking purses out there. Besides (sorry fellas), most boys are dumb enough about women's fashions to believe it I bet. Or is there a ban on purses as well?

13. 

    HiddenVariable
    

    bossanova
    

    
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    Posted 3 months ago
    

    pnc park is actually pretty liberal about what they let you bring in. i've brought dinner the last few times i've gone to games.

    i've also definitely brought my helmet in before.

14. 

    sloaps
    

    bossanova
    

    
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    Posted 3 months ago
    

    I recall last week on the Flock of Cycles ride seeing a bunch of the three rivers-type bike racks along the riverfront, below the stadium. Not a single bike was locked to them. The mooring bollards and bitts were occupied, though.

15. 

    dwillen
    

    bossanova
    

    
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    Posted 3 months ago
    

    "One of the times, the security manager told him to put the helmet in his car."

    I like that. Go stick this bike helmet in your car. It really reveals the level of intelligence you're dealing with.

    Just wear the thing in, tell them you are narcoleptic or something and fall down and hit your head a lot.

16. 

    sloaps
    

    bossanova
    

    
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    Posted 3 months ago
    

    tell them you are narcoleptic or something and fall down and hit your head a lot

    Or tell them you've had an aneurysm like John Olerud.

17. 

    BradQ
    

    bossanova
    

    
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    Posted 3 months ago
    

    I've not had much trouble getting into PNC park with stuff. If one security guard gives you trouble, just go to the next gate and put whatever they were harshing on you about in your pocket or something.

    I and a group of other folks were told to throw our messenger bags and their contents away at Heinz Field once when they wouldn't let us in. I asked for a supervisor, gave him some colorful language to share with his friends, reminded him that as a resident of the city I actually paid for the stadium he's working at, and told him to have a nice day. None of us got in, had to sell our tickets to scalpers at a huge loss. Have never been back.

18. 

    erok
    

    Staff
    

    
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    Posted 3 months ago
    

    well at least they handed out green hats on earth day to show how green they were

19. 

    StuInMcCandless
    

    bossanova
    

    
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    Posted 3 months ago
    

    +1 ejwme

    Sounds like another "take names and kick ass" situation. Someone, somewhere up the chain, will give us a positive response, and make sure all below that level get the memo. Problem solved.

    If we get high enough up and still don't have a positive response, we go to {gov't | media | stadium authority | all of the above} and raise hell. Problem solved, I think.

    This is stupidity, plain and simple.

20. 

    netviln
    

    bossanova
    

    
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    Posted 3 months ago
    

    the whole helmet restriction thing doesnt even make sense to me(as many things that stupid people do dont make sense to me) but a helmet is just a hat. Hats are allowed. so why not helmets?

    As a note on heinz field:
    http://www.steelers.com/tickets-and-stadium/security-guide.html

    nothing in there about helmets, but bags are prohibited.

    Also the pnc park policy does not prohibit helmets:
    http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/pit/ballpark/pit_ballpark_food.jsp

    perhaps when attending an event at one of the locations, take a copy of the policy with you.

21. 

    Lyle
    

    bossanova
    

    
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    Posted 3 months ago
    

    I think I posted elsewhere about the security guard that balked at letting me take an empty water bottle into PNC park. Eventually, the fact that it was empty did sink in. I can't remember if I took the helmet in -- I might have left it with my bike.

22. 

    mustion
    

    frequenter
    

    
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    Posted 3 months ago
    

    When I went to the game last week they allowed my helmet. The guard did squeeze the foam to, I assume, make sure I wasn't hiding a shiv. Only danger was to him, though - I profusely apologized as he wiped my headsweat off his hand and onto his pants...

23. 

    nicholas
    

    freewheeler
    

    
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    Posted 3 months ago
    

    Oh man, I accrue some major head sweat in my helmet pads... "Would you like to squeeze the foam sir?"

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