While every attempt has been made to ensure the greatest degree of accuracy of the contents within, 20 States on Wheels makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of this book and expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in the contents of this book. No warranty of any kind, implied, expressed or statutory, including but not limited to the warranties of non-infringement of third party rights, title, contents of this book or its URLs to other Internet resources. Reference in this the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by 20 States on Wheels. Many of the photographs used in this book were taken directly by team members of 20 States on Wheels. All photographs not taken by our team members were posted online under Creative Commons 2.0 copyright licensing, and an attribution to the photographer is listed.
for Haley Rue, fellow adventurer, whose spirit lives on.
Pittsburgh, PA by Brad
Back when we were planning for the trip, one of the ways we made the funding possible was to organize sponsorships with certain hotels. One very kind woman named Heather was so gracious in organizing a sponsorship for us at a local Pittsburgh Hampton Inn. Heather was so excited about our mission that she determined to help show us around Pittsburgh as much as she could, including offering to make arrangements for us to see a Pirates baseball game! Unfortunately, we were unable to make the timing with the baseball game work out after some unforeseen delays, but sponsorships like hers helped us enormously with budgeting for the trip. Even though she was not in Pittsburgh the weekend we were there, we left her a t-shirt from our trip and a thank-you letter. She also was very helpful to us in another way, by giving us great suggestions on what to see! One of my favorite sights was an observation deck from which we could see the whole city. You could see all across the downtown area and all of the bridges, which gleamed in the fading sun. It was beautiful to see. Inside, there were a couple pictures and paragraphs showing the history of the city. Some of them showed Pittsburgh about two hundred years ago, back when it was much smaller, when many of the bridges we could see had not been built. Others showed how bad the pollution used to be here, when even in the middle of the day the streets were foggy and black with soot. We stood looking over the city and I wondered aloud what this place would look like in another two hundred years.
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Basics Weather Pittsburgh sees four distinct seasons, but the weather can be highly variable from day to day. Here are some basic guidelines: Spring Highs in the 60s, lows in the 40s, with plenty of rain. Bring a jacket and umbrella.
Autumn Highs in the 50s and 60s, lows in the 40s. Bring a sweater.
Summer Highs in the 80s, lows in the 60s. Bring comfortable clothing.
Winter Highs in the 30s, lows in the 20s; be prepared for snow. Bring a winter jacket.
Parking with a Disability Placard Pennsylvania DOES recognize disability placards from other states. With a disabled parking placard in Pittsburgh, you still must pay regular metered parking fees, but you are allowed to park your vehicle for 1 hour in excess of the posted time limit.
Accessible Taxi The following are some companies in Pittsburgh that provide wheelchair accessible taxis: Yellow Cab Company www.pghtrans.com/yellow_cab.cfm (412) 321-8100 Reserve one day in advance to ensure timely service, as Yellow Cab has a limited number of accessible taxis. VETaxi www.vetaxi.com (412) 481-8387 Call at least one hour in advance to secure an accessible cab.
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Accessible Van Rental The following are some companies in the Pittsburgh area that rent wheelchair accessible vans: Wheelers of Pennsylvania - Pittsburgh Toll-Free: (866) 575-8444 Local: (412) 833-1918 4786 Library Rd, Bethel Park, PA 15102 Wheelers rents wheelchair accessible vans and does offer vehicles with hand controls. Reserve at least a couple weeks in advance. There is a $150 fee for delivery to and pick up from the airport. Mobility Works of Pittsburgh, PA Toll-Free: (877) 659-1465 Local: (412) 253-7893 1090 Mosside Blvd, Wall, PA 15148 Mobility Works rents wheelchair accessible vans but does not offer vehicles with hand controls.
Public Transportation Pittsburgh Port Authority public transit fares vary depending on the length of your journey and how many regional transit “zones” you cross.
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Wheelchair users who present Medicare cards are eligible for half price on all fares. Bus All Pittsburgh Port Authority buses are wheelchair accessible and equipped with lifts and/or ramps. ‘T’ Light Rail The Light Rail has several accessible stations, but there are a few inaccessible stops. See the following map for details.
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Attractions
There is a spectacular view of the whole city from the top.
Courtesy of Derek Cashman
Duquesne Incline 1197 West Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 (412) 381-1665 www.duquesneincline.org Entrance Bathroom Parking Price Hours
main entrance not accessible; accessible entrance on 1220 Grandview Ave upper station none street parking $2.50 Mon-Sat 5:30 a.m. - 12:45 a.m. Sun 7:00 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
The Duquesne Incline offers an observation deck with a clear view of Pittsburgh from the top of Mount Washington. The station also has a gift shop and a small exhibition room, and a tram service that runs to the bottom which is unfortunately not wheelchair accessible. To access the observation deck, ask the staff to open the gate blocking the accessible path. 290
20 States on Wheels Pittsburgh, PA
The tram service is unfortunately not accessible.
Courtesy of Suckindiesel
Pittsburgh, PA
Cathedral of Learning 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (412) 624-4141 www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu Entrance Bathroom Parking Price Hours
main entrance not accessible; accessible side entrance on Bigelow Ave towards Forbes Av lot with designated handicap parking available free admission; self-guided audio tour: $4.00 Daily 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
The Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh houses several dozen special rooms featuring various styles of classrooms from all over the world. Though most areas of the building are accessible, this old building lacks clear directions from inaccessible areas to the accessible ceptionist at the information desk can let you know which areas are accomposed of stone tiles that can be slightly bumpy. The main entrance is not accessible and you will need to enter through an accessible side The Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh.
Courtesy of Michael G. White
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Attractions Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History 4400 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (412) 622-3131 www.cmoa.org
Entrance Bathroom Parking Price
Hours
fully accessible main entrance lot with designated handicap parking available Adults: $17.95 Seniors (65+): $14.95 Students/Children (3-18): $11.95 Members/Children under 3: Free Mon,Wed,Fri,Sat 10:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m. Tues Closed Sun 12:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
The Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History are two museums from the Carnegie Institute housed in the same building. Paying the entrance fee for one museum includes access to the other. Both museums are largely -
Courtesy of Chloe Fan
An aerial view of the Carnegie Museums.
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Courtesy of Jared Benedict
The main entrance to the Andy Warhol Museum is accessible by ramp.
Andy Warhol Museum 117 Sandusky St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 (412) 237-8300 www.warhol.org Entrance Bathroom Parking Price Hours
main entrance accessible by ramp lot with designated handicap parking available Adults: $20.00 Children (under 18)/Students: $10.00 Daily except Fridays 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Fri 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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The Andy Warhol Museum celebrates the life and works of the Wheelchairs are available for rent for free at the information desk. The museum offers an escort from parking to the museum entrance with a 24 hour advance reservation. 20 States on Wheels Pittsburgh, PA
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Hotels
in Pittsburgh
This randomly compiled list displays some of the hotels with accessible rooms in Pittsburgh.
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Hotel Name
Star Rating
Address
Phone
Hampton Inn Pittsburgh University/Medical Center
2
3315 Hamlet St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213
(412) 681-1000
Days Inn Pittsburgh
2
Quality Suites
2
15205
(412) 279-6300
Motel 6 Beecham Drive
2
211 Beecham Dr, Pittsburgh, PA 15205
(412) 922-9400
Motel 6 Banksville Road
2
2834 Banksville Rd, Pittsburgh, PA (412) 343-3000 15216
Red Roof Plus Pittsburgh South
2
6404 Steubenville Pike, Pittsburgh, (412) 787-7870 PA 15205
Residence Inn Pittsburgh North Shore
3
574 W General Robinson St, Pitts- (412) 321-2099 burgh, PA 15212
Hampton Inn & Suites Pittsburgh-Downtown
3
1247 Smallman St, Pittsburgh, PA (412) 288-4350 15222
The Priory Hotel
3
614 Pressley St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
(412) 231-3338
Cambria hotel & suites Pittsburgh at CONSOL Energy Center
3
1320 Centre Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
(412) 381-6687
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Pittsburgh Downtown
3
One Bigelow Square, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
(412) 281-5800
Hyatt House Pittsburgh-South Side
3
2795 S Water St, Pittsburgh, PA 15203
(412) 390-2477
The Westin Convention Center, Pittsburgh
4
1000 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 281-3700
Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel
4
107 6th St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 562-1200
20 States on Wheels Pittsburgh, PA
1150 Banksville Rd, Pittsburgh, PA (412) 531-8900 15216
# Accessible # with Roll-in Shower Designated Distance to Rooms Showers Accommodations Handicap Parking Downtown (miles) 6
2
built-in bench
yes
2.7
3
3
chair by request
yes
2.7
2
0
bathtub with grab bars
yes
4.9
5
5
built-in bench
yes
10
2
2
built-in bench
yes
4
6
2
built-in bench
yes
10.6
9
2
built-in bench
yes
0.6
6
3
built-in bench
yes
0.6
3
1
chair by request
parking not included
1
7
3
none
yes
0.7
8
4
built-in bench
yes
0.4
8
4
built-in bench
valet parking
3.2
8
1
chair by request
yes
0.3
28
28
chair by request
valet parking
0.2
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