Curvilinear footpaths
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There was an public event scheduled for the evening, at a sports ball stadium occupied by the Pittsburgh River Hounds soccer team, so there were scores of their fans gathered in the parking facilities of that institution. Many of them were tailgating, and the BBQ smelled pretty enticing as I exited the pedestrian/bike path of the Fort Pitt bridge onto the enigmatically named ‘West Carson Street.’ This is a wide and fairly high speed local arterial street, one which stitches several important bits of transit infrastructure together. The West End Bridge and a primary arterial road called Saw Mill Run Blvd. are to the west, the funicular inclines and Fort Pitt Bridge in the midst, and the T’s ‘Station Square’ light rail junction as well as the Liberty Bridge and tunnels are found along its length. After crossing under the T’s Panhandle Bridge approach ramps, this via publica becomes East Carson Street, which leads into what’s essentially a nightlife district. Lots of stuff along its path, many of which are interesting to one such as myself.
Ain’t exactly pedestrian friendly though, West Carson, and although I normally cross this interval on the parallel rail trail found along the waterfront, one figured on daring the sidewalk (or scare walk). Kind of a weird place to scuttle, I’d offer, but you never know how something tastes until you try a bite of it.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The goal for this scuttle, beyond scouting with the camera and learning the foot paths, was to get in some exercise. My goal for a longish walk like this one is to hit about 10,000 steps, which I did. I can actually walk 5-6 miles, which is more or less what those steps equate to, standing on my head. Lately, I’ve started incorporating the altitudinal side of Pittsburgh into the calculation, so my phone’s health app told me that I had also walked something like 12 flights of steps as well. Cardio, lords and ladies, cardio.
Saying that, I was fashvitzed by this point, and just wanted to get back to HQ for a shower. I negotiated my way back to the T station, at Station Square, and waited for my chariot to arrive.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Based on the frequent mentions offered about the service, you’ve probably guessed that I’m a fan. One of the factors which made Our Lady of the Pentacle and I choose Pittsburgh as a home base, and Dormont in particular, was the availability of mass transit. I like having the car available, mind you, but I also like leaving it at home and scuttling about on foot. I still haven’t taken a bus anywhere.
Back tomorrow with something I’d been looking forward to shooting for a couple of months.
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