Amtrak Pittsburgh Station

Will be doing the GAP Cum-Pit in a few days and have some time after getting to Pit before catching the N bound train. Would like to walk about the area and was wondering if anyone has any experience (or advice) on locking my bike near (or at) the Pit Amtrak station. Seems the Pit garages - and there's one nearby - have bike racks - just not sure of the safety. Thanks in advance for any tips.

The Pgh Amtrak station is tucked in off the street (Liberty Avenue) with not much pedestrian traffic other tha train riders. So, locking a bike up there is not the worst option to avert theft. Perhaps a better/safer option might be to lock the bike up at one of the nearby hotels assuming they had a bike rack in front of them. I’ll try to ride through that area of town tomorrow and see if there my be better options. I’ll let you know.

If you are departing Pgh by train, you might even be able to look/leave you bike inside the train station itself if you speak to the agents there.

I’d be hesitant to leave my bike in one of the parking garages.

The Pgh Amtrak station is tucked in off the street (Liberty Avenue) with not much pedestrian traffic other tha train riders. So, locking a bike up there is not the worst option to avert theft. Perhaps a better/safer option might be to lock the bike up at one of the nearby hotels assuming they had a bike rack in front of them. I’ll try to ride through that area of town tomorrow and see if there my be better options. I’ll let you know.

If you are departing Pgh by train, you might even be able to look/leave you bike inside the train station itself if you speak to the agents there.

I’d be hesitant to leave my bike in one of the parking garages.

So, I rode into Pgh today in and around the area of the Amtrak Station looking for potential places to lock up your bike for a few hours after arriving in Pgh and before taking the train northward.

First, the thought of parking your bike inside the Amtrak station isn't feasible as the waiting area at the station is only open from 6:00pm until 7:45am. So if you arrive before 6:00pm the station is not open. That said, there is a bike rack in the parking area just beyond the waiting area entry door. It is under roof so not susceptible to rain. There is little, if any, pedestrian traffic there albeit some construction workmen nearby. There was a bike locked there today.

Another option would be to lock your bike up on the south side of Penn Avenue west of Tenth Street. (See Google Maps of downtown Pgh area.) There are several outdoor restaurants and bars along the street in that area where you can lock your bike with a fair amount of people dining there.

Of the hotel entrances, there is a place to lock a bike near the entry to the AC Hotel by Mariott on Smallman Street just a couple of blocks from the train station.

Assuming you remove your bags with their contents from the bike, I think the first two options above are your best bets for leaving your bike for a few daylight hours.

Perhaps other forum lurkers familiar with the downtown area will have some other suggestions.

Hello All,
We are planning a GAP ride in the fall 2022. We're planning on taking the train to Cumberland to start our ride back to Pittsburgh. Can you give any info on your experience if you've done this and also where did you park your car in Pittsburgh? Thanks so much! Enjoy the ride!??

I have taken the Amtrak Capital Limited from Pittsburgh to DC via Cumberland. The train leaves Pittsburgh at 5:20 AM if it is on schedule and arrives in Cumberland 4 hours later at 9:20. This arrival time would allow you to start your bike trip back to Pittsburgh and get a full day of riding depending on your travel date and the time of sunset at that time. If your dates are firm and you are bringing your bikes to take on the train, you need to get your train reservations early so you can get the requisite add-on reservations for your bikes. Bike capacity on the train is limited so bike reservations can be hard to get on short notice.

The train station in Pittsburgh is in close proximity to several downtown hotels. If you are staying at one of those hotels the night before your departure, the hotel often will allow you to park there for free until you return to Pittsburgh. Aside from that there is little free parking near the train station. There is a parking garage direct across from the train station but you may find it a little expensive for your taste.

Fellow cyclists, I'm looking for current conditions on the GAP/C&O trials after Ida passed through.
Are the trails open or closed? Are there any detours due to washouts of trail or bridges?
Any changes to the camping facilities or other utilities that are on the trial that may have been changed or altered to Ida.

Thank you,
SpinDan

Fellow cyclists, I'm looking for current conditions on the GAP/C&O trials after Ida passed through.
Are the trails open or closed? Are there any detours due to washouts of trail or bridges?
Any changes to the camping facilities or other utilities that are on the trial that may have been changed or altered to Ida.

Thank you,
SpinDan

We booked our Amtrak back in May for October 17th from Pittsburgh to Cumberland Got an email today stating that the daily train is now only traveling Sun, Tues, and Friday. Oh well...we will rent a one way car instead. Wanted to post to let others know just in case this news will affect your travel plans, too.

Jennifer R. - yeah it seems Amtrak has clawed back service to the bare minimum. I spoke to an agent when the same thing happened to me when my bike ticket got cancelled back in June. It’s all Covid related and they are expecting to go back to normal once it’s deemed safe to do so (whenever that is remains to be seen).

Thanks for the heads up to this forum.

John

John...yeah I remember your post about the bike ticket being cancelled. I called to confirm our reservations with 2 bike tickets back in June and all was good. They said our bikes had a spot...so whew! But...then today...the whole reservation was cancellation. They said we could switch to the 16th or the 18th, but of course, there were no bike spots available AND...we have airline tickets flying into Pittsburgh that can't be changed without penalty. Changing the train date created a huge domino effect on EVERYTHING...we have B&Bs reserved all along the trail for specific nights. Oh well...the one way car is only about $30 more anyway.

Bummer..... Yeah, I did the rental from Pittsburgh airport to Reagan airport, no issues at all. I did miss being able to take a nap on the train and not have to concentrate on the drive. But it wasn’t that bad looking back now. Just glad I had that option allowing me to do my bike tour!