Bike lanes to go in on Forbes and Bigelow in Oakland

Traffic on Forbes Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard in Pittsburgh’s North Oakland neighborhood will become more complex — and more bike-friendly — beginning next Tuesday, when designated bike lanes will be installed on the busy thoroughfares.

The lane installation is expected to last one to two weeks and is weather-dependent, according to a press release from Mayor Bill Peduto’s office. Streets will remain open to traffic during the installation, but road users should expect changing traffic patterns, it said.

Port Authority bus stops will remain-active through the work area.

Forbes Avenue — currently a four-lane, one-way road with heavy traffic — lacks a safe route for cyclists commuting through the university campuses, according to the mayor’s office. The project will add bike lanes in both directions on Forbes Avenue from Bigelow Boulevard to Craig Street, connecting the University of Pittsburgh, Schenley Plaza, the Bayard Street bike lanes and Oakland’s two business districts.

Bigelow Boulevard between Fifth Avenue and Forbes Avenue is a block-long gap in the existing bicycle network.

The total cost for both projects is about $45,000, and is included in the 2017 City of Pittsburgh Capital Budget funds, according to the mayor’s office, which noted that bicycle signals are included in the project but will be installed at a later date.

“The Oakland neighborhood, Pittsburgh’s second largest job center, has a high concentration of people riding bicycles due to its job density, high student population and density of destinations,” according to the press release.