WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

BY JAMIE WIGGAN // JAMIE@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

Do I need to bring my own bags when I go shopping?

When the ban takes effect, shoppers will be allowed to use bags they’ve brought into the store, although retailers will also be permitted to distribute paper bags at a minimum cost of 10 cents. Shoppers taking home minimal items are encouraged to skip a bag altogether.

Are there restrictions on what bags I can bring?

The ordinance does not prohibit shoppers from using any kind of bag — including non-recycled plastic — provided they have brought them into the store.

Will the city distribute reusable bags?

In passing the ban last spring, council also committed to a pilot program that would allow for “purchase, donation, and distribution of reusable bags by individuals and organizations.” Strassburger said this will be led by the program coordinator and likely will focus on communities and neighborhoods with the greatest needs.

I own a small business. How do I comply?

Before the ban takes effect, the Department of Public Works will launch a website with information and resources for shoppers and retailers. A dedicated program coordinator will also be available to answer questions and offer solutions. • cramped and clammy conditions of modern air travel, why extend the misery beforehand by holing up in your car, waiting for traffic to inch along the Parkway West? Especially when you could be rolling along the scenic, rush hour-immune back roads and enjoying a smidge of justified schadenfreude.

Ttalking about Pittsburgh, honestly, she could have been. That’s the typical driving experience when you venture off the obvious routes like the Parkway, 28, and 279. You frequently find yourself on curvy streetscapes that twist and turn, ascend and plummet, like a roller coaster, and some of them are faster and much more enjoyable than the straight shot your navigation app is likely suggesting.

To that end, here are some of Pittsburgh City Paper’s favorite alternate routes that will take you off the beaten path and onto the (usually more scenic) road less traveled.

Starting from the Fort Pitt Bridge, veer right onto Route 51 North instead of heading through the tunnels. Stay on 51 as it ushers you through the shaggy remnants of downtown McKees Rocks, then follow Chartiers Avenue all the way up the hill to Kennedy, where you can join Clever Road heading west. Enjoy the ride as Clever momentarily transports you out of the suburbs and into the rolling woodlands of you back out on Montour Run Road at the edge of Robinson’s sprawling retail center.

From here, rejoin I-376 West and continue as you would for the final stretch to Pittsburgh International Airport. Take this route during peak traffic times and you’re bound to shave off a few minutes. If the interstate’s clear, take this route anyway, if you prefer trees and rivers to asphalt and aluminum.

BONUS: This route also works to access the Mall at Robinson, Ikea, Costco and the surrounding retail outlets. Just take a left onto Costco Drive from Montour Run right before the turn for the interstate.

— Jamie Wiggan

is also part of the state road offers an enjoyable and usually not-too-congested ride through some of the physical remnants of Pittsburgh’s industrial past.

The highway begins (or ends, depending on your perspective) under the West End Bridge runs through the South Side, then flanks the southern bank of the Monongahela River all the way through to the road’s southern terminus in Washington County.

Besides the loveliness of having the Mon accompany you on your drive, going south on 837 will take you through several Mon Valley communities that are simultaneously rusty and richly green, and severely underappreciated by citydwellers who refuse to venture out.

— Jordana Rosenfeld

Where the streets have no (consistent) name

Skip the most commercial stretch of Liberty Avenue by taking Sassafras Street, a backroad skirting the southern edge of Bloomfield with the amusing Pittsburgh quality of being a contiguous street whose name changes several times while you drive on uninterrupted.

This unique road has a real middleof-nowhere vibe for an urban street, taking you where few roads go — both parallel to the East Busway and under the Bloomfield Bridge. It may be worth trying for the novelty, alone.

Heading east, Sassafras eventually turns into Neville Street, and then Lorigan Street, which spits you out at the deadends of some of Bloomfield’s one-way streets. Turn left on Cedarville Street if you plan to cross Liberty and keep north to Friendship Avenue, or you can turn left onto State Way if you just need to get back to Liberty. Lorigan Street doesn’t offer access to any destinations south of Bloomfield, however, so it’s best used for lateral East End travel.

Allegheny River Boulevard Boulevard hack

If you’re one of the unlucky Pittsburghers who, at least in theory, has to take the Parkway through the Squirrel Hill tunnels at peak traffic hours, then this shortcut is for you. (Well, let’s be honest, even at off-peak times that tunnel is a messy bitch who loves chaos, so avoiding her any time of day is never a bad call.)

Instead, there’s a detour that takes drivers to the eastern suburbs, and to the Monroeville Mall and surrounding shopping destinations with a lot less aggravation. Simply take Allegheny River Boulevard, and then turn right on Sandy Creek Road. Stay on this route until it eventually becomes Beulah Road. It will wind you to an intersection where you can turn left onto 376 heading east toward Monroeville, probably wearing a smirk on your face because you’re smarter than everyone else around you.

— Amanda Waltz

The Bigelow the better

Pittsburgh may be the City of Bridges, but that doesn’t mean those of us who live here want to cross them for what feels like just the hell of it. Someone please tell that to Waze and Google Maps, which will not infrequently instruct you to cross a river only to have to cross it back to get where you’re going. Case in point: If you’re headed from the northern part of the East End to downtown, the South Side, or pretty much anywhere due southwest, crossing the Allegheny to Route 28 is always the navigation app’s preferred path. Screw that. Bigelow Boulevard is the better way.

Bigelow generally isn’t considered a scenic route, but if you drive it wearing your rose-colored sunglasses, you can appreciate the beauty it contains. While zooming towards Downtown, you find yourself at eye-level with the U.S. Steel Tower, and as you descend towards it, you can catch a few stunning vistas, especially over Polish Hill and the Strip, with just a few quick glances to your right.

In some cases, Bigelow is not, in fact, a shortcut. Taking the Parkway or 28 might actually be speedier, depending on where you’re ultimately headed. But they won’t serve you the same stellar views of our town’s unique topography that are so unmistakably Pittsburgh, and that alone makes it worth the drive.

Ali Trachta

Autism Society of Pgh

SPEAK is the region’s premier extended school year and summer recreation program for students ages 5-21 with autism. We provide social and educational instruction to ensure a smooth transition into the upcoming school year. SPEAK will be held from June 29th - July 28th at Saint Therese of Lisieux School. www.autismpittsburgh. org/SPEAK

Camp Fitch

Camp Fitch’s century-old classic sleep-away summer camp provides kids, ages 6-17, with a holistically safe, values-driven community where they discover friendship and achievement. Kids feel like they belong among the camp’s carefully vetted, committed and caring staff, who create transformative experienc es on the shore of Lake Erie. North Springfield, Pa., 814-922-3219, www.campfitchymca.org

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Camp Invention

Spark your child’s creativity and confidence with our new Camp Invention® program, Wonder! Children in grades K-6 will team up and take on fun, hands-on STEM challenges. They’ll build their own mini skate park, turn a robot into a stuffie and more! Visit invent.org/local to secure your spot!

Pittsburgh Botanic Garden

Enjoy 4 days of fun and exploration in the various habitats of Pittsburgh Botanic Garden! Ecosystems investigated include the Lotus Pond, Dogwood Meadow, Allegheny Plateau Woodlands, and Carbon Cycle: An Earth Art Exhibit. Kids will have fun pond dipping, bird watching, insect collecting, tree identification, nature continues on page 14 continued from page 13 journaling and time for free play. www.pittsburghbotanicgarden. org/camps

Pittsburgh Center for the Arts

Each summer, Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media welcomes young artists (aged 6-17)

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to their Shadyside campus for ten weeks of outstanding, art-focused camps. Taught by talented, experienced teachers, summer art camps are perfect place for budding artists to explore their creativity and create new masterpieces!