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by mgce 1273 days ago
I've done something similar - and less ambitious - on bike in NYC: I biked all Brooklyn and at this point 90% of Manhattan.

I bet Pittsburgh is next-level confusing. But I think the philosophical questions apply anywhere. I enjoyed that as much as the actual endurance, and I loved seeing him dedicate so much time to that. It's not obvious when you start how subtle these questions get.

Challenges I remember:

- what level of highway counts. Some surface road highways are clearly navigable. Interstates obviously aren't.

- on-ramps. When does a local road end and highway begin? What do you do when the ramp is a gradual transition from a local road?

- divided roads (i.e. parallel north/south roads separated by a median, highway service roads)

- roads that peter out into alleys, sort of go through peoples' property, may be fenced off, may be legal thoroughfares even if fenced off

- campus road networks with varying levels of gate access / accessibility

- access roads behind apartment complexes that only led to driveways

- housing project street grids

- park roads, bike paths, walking paths, trails

- intersections with distinct turn lanes, plazas in the middle, etc.

- highways / bridges only accessible once a year (i.e. dedicated bike tours)

1 comments

Examples:

- old beach lanes: https://shorturl.at/fty07

- apartment road network: https://shorturl.at/cikrR

- waste management access road: https://shorturl.at/bjM17

- one conceptual road; three physical roads and median bike path: https://shorturl.at/eJS68

- center lanes become a bridge: https://shorturl.at/tvxLU

- complex intersections: https://shorturl.at/fxAC4

- apartment entrance loop: https://shorturl.at/bgDKU

- technically a road: https://shorturl.at/eJNYZ

- checkpoint for an entire neighborhood: https://shorturl.at/vzLP1