Almost two years ago, the League of American Bicyclists awarded the City of Pittsburgh as a "Bronze Bicycle-Friendly Community (BFC)." In addition to the many great things you could do on a bike back in 2010, the Bronze level was achieved based on what the City and its partners were planning to do (e.g. author a new bike/ped plan, install more bike racks, work with the Port Authority to complete the fleet of buses with bike racks). As you can see, there's been a lot accomplished since then. 

The BFC award ceremony attracted over 200 people, and the Mayor delighted the crowd with the announcement that the City would be installing 25 miles of bike lanes and sharrows over the next two years, and getting everything in place to go for Silver and beyond.

By the end of 2011, progress had been made with the City having installed bike lanes and shared lane markings on Dallas, Wilkins, Hamilton, Millvale, Friendship and Highland Aves. We followed up this effort by delivering over 1,000 hand-written thank-you letters to the Mayor, collected over a few short months showing how much public support there was for this initiative. 

The City recently announced the good news that it will be repaving 60 miles of streets this year, making our rides a whole lot smoother. Are enough bike markings in the City's street improvement plans to get to the 25 miles? We only have reason to believe the answer is "yes" as Mayor Ravenstahl assures us he is committed to this effort.

June is approaching and we still have a ways to go to reach the 25 miles, but every time the paint hits the pavement in the coming weeks and months we will be updating the bike community so stay tuned! If you want to be the first to know, remember to read our blog or message board, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

An example of BRT and bike lane in Chicago

A series of community meetings will be held the week of April 23, 2012 to provide an opportunity for the public to review and comment on potential alternate alignments for the proposed bus rapid transit (BRT) system connecting Downtown Pittsburgh, Oakland, and other eastern neighborhoods.

BikePGH  is excited to announce the Pedal for Pints, Pittsburgh Bike Challenge Incentive Program!  Thanks to Over the Bar Bicycle Café, who steps up again to encourage Pittsburgh to get riding, it is now possible to pedal your way to free beer!

As you achieve the challenge's four medal levels (Bronze-50 points, Silver-150 points, Gold-500 points, Platinum-1500 points) you'll be met with a congratulatory beer at Over the Bar.  When you first hit the Bronze level, just go into OTB and prove you're progress on your smartphone or theirs, and they'll give you a punch card with the four medals on it.

Each time you hit the next medal level you'll get another punch and another free beer. Once you collect all four punches you'll put your card with name and phone number into the raffle jar. 

Challenge participants earn 20 points for every day they ride and a point for every mile. The point system is set up to reward people who ride every day and not just those who ride a lot of miles. This gives an edge to bike commuters. At the national level each medal level that you achieve gives you a better chance to win and an opportunity to earn bigger prizes.

After the Challenge concludes on August 31st, OTB will host a party to celebrate team Pittsburgh. At the party the punch card of one lucky winner will be drawn to bestow them with a not-yet-picked, but sure-to-be incredible, grand prize!

PedalPGH is moving to the sunny month of August to kickoff our eighth annual BikeFest. Because of strong community support BikeFest continues to grow. This year it will grow from 10 to 15 days of fun, community-based bicycling events. 

So, save your vacation days and invite your friends to Pittsburgh this summer for a great time. PedalPGH kicks off the Fest on August 5th as the largest bike ride in the state.  

We continue that momentum with the ridiculously fun BikeFest Party at the Pittsburgh Opera on Friday, August 10th. Community rides and events continue through the 19th. With nearly 100 events in the works, make sure your bike and your smile are in shape for the festivities.

Details and registration for the Party and PedalPGH will be online in the near future. So, keep your ear to the ground and your butt on a bike seat. This August is going to be fantastic.

• Add your voice to one of the fastest growing and most transformative organizations in Pittsburgh with nearly 2000 current dues-paying members
• Get discounts on great cycling events like tickets for BikeFest! 
• Demonstrate your support for our mission and vision
• Join the fun and exciting bicycling community in Pittsburgh
• Receive a receipt for a tax-deduction  
• Receive discounts from dozens of local bike shops and businesses that support a bicycle-friendly Pittsburgh