so, with the June again?

5.31 Sunday 11m
6.02 Tues 41m
6.06 Sat 14m

Sunday I got to ride with a group from Iteris which is a company developing software to optimize traffic lights (the red-yellow-green kind). Their software "tags" cyclists and pedestrians and allows the smart system to modify the sequence to optimize car, cyclist, and pedestrian flows. We had a nice ride around town, 11 miles. We got rained on and they all rolled with it, good group.



Double-bonus because I got to see Charlie F and grandson on a tandem. The stoker looked like he was having a lot of fun.


Tuesday I rode with a group of cyclists, 3 Brits and a Virginia along with R. We met at their Waterfront Hotel, and they wanted to ride into Pittsburgh and then out again to West Newton. I was so pleased at that, too often (imo) folks don't want to add the extra miles in to the city (and then back out) but this gang was up for it.

In Point State Park, we saw an installation of beds and blankets and dogs titled "Confluence", by Fernando Orellana.


The beds invoke the military and force by representing an Army field hospital. The grass represents a cemetery plot, and a deceased person unlikely to return home. The blankets refer to the smallpox blankets distributed by the US. The dogs are waiting for their humans. It's a homage to people killed in conflict.

After we came out of Point State Park, I had the inspiration to stop at the Steelworkers Building to check out the interactive diorama of the Battle of Homestead.



Unfortunately, it was repositioned for some lobby work and unplugged, but it still served as a good reference for the events. We reversed back to the Waterfront, and rode out to Boston PA where we sent them on their way. Very nice folks.


Thursday I attended an open house for Ohio River Trail Council. Good presentation, friendly room.

Saturday I rode with a Pittsburgh expat (left in '82) now living in Sacramento. They were amazed at the changes in the city. Saw this crew at Fred's statue in the former Manchester Bridge arch, busting out the Captain Morgan moves.