District 7: Councilperson Deb Gross Responds to BikePGH Candidate Survey
District 7 Councilperson Deb Gross
1. Do you use a bicycle (or walk) in the city? If so, for what purposes (commuting, recreation, errands, exercise) and how often? Do you have any favorite places to ride or walk?
I walk as much as possible, and am still sometimes pushing a baby stroller while doing so. Frequently, I walk downtown and in Highland Park, but I am walking to destinations in all of the District 7 neighborhoods to attend events, businesses, or community projects. Moreover, my Council office keeps a database of constituent issues and feedback across the district that monitors sites, for example: icy sidewalks, faded crosswalk paint, stop sign suggestions, sidewalk improvements, crosswalk light timing, etc. We track these requests through the Department of Public Works and assist in making funding and implementation requests.
2. What roles do you think city council can play in making cities safe, accessible and friendly for biking and/or walking?
City Council has the responsibility to plan for the future when approving infrastructure projects. The future of urban transit in the City of Pittsburgh will necessitate better cooperation between infrastructure and bikers, bus riders, and walkers. To that end, it is imperative that City Council continues to bring in transit experts and partner with organizations like Bike Pittsburgh to make sure that those who know these issues best have a hand in the process. I recently hosted a meeting with nonprofit leaders, elected officials, and heads of government departments about the Heth’s Run Ecological Restoration Project, which has the potential to connect hilltop neighborhoods to the Allegheny River and future riverfront trail. I have been hard at work investigating traffic calming strategies that will make our residential neighborhoods safer for daily travel. Also, I have been vocal with major developers to grant riverfront easement for bike trail and public use along the Allegheny River. I am proud to say that after 16 months in office, we have over a mile of new easements signed with developers to create a riverfront park and trail from 11th St to 29th St in the Strip District.
3. How can improved biking and/or walking benefit your district? Are there any specific projects that you would like to see accomplished or are in the works that you’re excited about?
Certainly there are the big projects: Allegheny Riverfront Trail, Heth’s Run Trail, Separated Bike Lanes, and Bike Share Stations among others. But there are also dozens of small improvements all across the district.
All neighborhoods in District 7 – from Stanton Heights to the Strip District – can benefit from increased pedestrian safety. One of the most notable changes in a neighborhood like Lawrenceville over the last few years has been increased pedestrian traffic. Working on improving infrastructure – re-drawn crossing lines, sidewalk repair, bumpouts, and bike lanes are all ways that I have and will continue to work for to make our neighborhoods are more biker and pedestrian friendly. These neighborhoods were initially built for pedestrians; that is why people love to live there and that is how the neighborhoods will continue to thrive.
Also, I am very excited about the grassroots concept and project development occurring in Bike-Pedestrian committees across District 7: Bloomfield, Morningside, Polish Hill, Highland Park, Friendship, and Lawrenceville all have individual committees that are in the process of drafting a list of 5-10 projects that they would like to see occur across the district to improve bike and pedestrian infrastructure. I have supported this kind of neighborhood-led development throughout District 7 during my 16 months in office.
4. In your district, what particular problem spots for pedestrians and/or people on bikes that you’d like to see addressed?
In District 7, more than most areas of the City, in the last decade we have re-arranged where people are working, living, and playing. There are businesses where empty storefront stood, new housing, and new employment districts. The foot and vehicle traffic patterns have changed, and the infrastructure needs to change to meet new needs. One of the biggest immediate dangers to both bikers and pedestrians in District 7 is high vehicle traffic areas. Streets like Baum Boulevard, Liberty Avenue, and Butler Street, and many others have sections of road that are not engineered for pedestrians and allow for dangerously fast driving involving large numbers of cars, specifically in high-transit periods (morning and evening rush hours, specifically).
5. Do you have any ideas on how the city can better maintain, fund, and fix our public steps, an important piece of our pedestrian infrastructure?
Yes! I love our City Steps and I see them as valuable non-car connections, both between and within neighborhoods. In 2014, I submitted Steps of District 7 as a District 7 request for the 2015 City Capital Budget, but was unsuccessful in getting my specific request allocated. I recommend that we rally Step advocates city-wide to lobby very soon for the 2016 Capital Budget for infrastructure improvements. I supported the borrowing (for the first time in over 10 years) of $25 million in 2015 and 2016 each, for street improvements. Half of the City Steps are City Streets. We have the capital if we have the political will.
6. Aggressive and drunk driving seem to be problematic throughout the city. What steps can Council take or advocate for to address these life-threatening issues?
Better communication with the Department of Public Safety, and in particular the Zone branches that fall within each Council district, is imperative to address issues of dangerous driving.
A significant part of the solution can be approached through the Nighttime Economy initiatives that involve Responsible Hospitality, Parking, and Transit. Bar owners and managers can take better control of their establishments, and I support the Responsible Hospitality initiative that is making improvements on that front. In addition, there are promising parking reforms that have already been initiated in Lawrenceville and other Council districts, like South Side. By introducing dynamic pricing, along with complementary services like shuttles and increased valet parking, there is both less competition for parking spaces for residents and fewer late night weekend drivers, which will mean fewer drunk and dangerous drivers. Finally, improved transit options, which itself entails multiple options such as sharing services, working with Port Authority, and with creating new shuttle routes, will also create viable alternative to drinking and driving.
Dealing with life-threatening automobile issues will be a multi-pronged effort, and will require cooperation between elected officials, residents, community leaders, and city departments to find creative and sustainable ways to reduce danger on our roads.
7. In conclusion, why do you think people, who care about issues involving biking, walking, and the built environment, should vote for you?
I have been an advocate for walkable neighborhoods and the built environment for many years. This issue informed my choice of dissertation topic in the early 1990s, my consulting practice in the 2000’s, and my running for office in the 2010’s. Along the way, I have forged positive working relationships with stakeholders in grassroots groups, in large institutions, and in elective office. In just 16 months on the job in City Council, I have been able to deliver results for issues ranging from a major overhaul of the City’s approach to vacant properties, to creating a a City initiative to improve the quantity and quality of child care, to new funding streams for green infrastructure. I am currently supportive of the Peduto administration’s efforts toward creating Complete Streets and have been talking with opinion leaders in key neighborhoods to take measure of concerns and to garner support. I believe that my wide-ranging experience and proven leadership ability are key assets to the cause of creating a bikeable, walkable Pittsburgh for the 21st century.
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