In Pittsburgh’s late summer, Charles Carthorn and his son, Chuckie, rode their bikes over a favorite shortcut, a path sandwiched between the former Reizenstein Middle School and The Ellis School.
But he worried that 12-year-old Chuckie might be tempted to jump over a five-foot wide sinkhole on the path that looks as if it would gobble up about one-third of an adult bike. The surrounding streets, however, are an even greater gamble for cyclists.
Two fatal bike accidents recently occurred on Penn Avenue, less than two miles from Mellon Park where Chuckie plays football. As public officials urged cyclists to use side streets in light of the fatalities, the Carthorns’ shortcut -- known in the cycling community as the Great Northeast Passage -- may have become more important than ever.
Read the full story at our partner PubliSource’s website.
