I see the improvement of infrastructure in this city as a branch with three streams: physical improvements, education, and enforcement. One example of a step that we have taken is the creation of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure.  The first of its kind, this department has a charge on moving PEOPLE efficiently rather than focusing solely on vehicles in order to provide city residents with accessible, sustainable, and efficient transportation options.

The City, through the office of Mayor, can invest more in beautifying and fortifying the walking and bike trails in our parks through the Parks Conservancy. It would also be important to partner with Highmark and UPMC in promoting healthy living which includes walking and cycling. But most importantly, we need to communicate about safe walking and cycling. Walkers and cyclists are often distracted because they walk and cycle with earbuds not noticing the traffic or other pedestrians around them.

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When it comes to maintaining our infrastructure to increase the safety and transportation efficiency for everyone in the City, there is always room to do more. By coordinating strategically with partners like the utility companies and PennDot, we will be able to better implement complete street construction.

It depends. The budget will grow as the awareness and needs grow.

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We are creating a systems-wide approach to simultaneously improve transit- transportation and bike-pedestrian networks. This includes improvements to city steps as well as access to schools, critical amenities, and transit stops.  

This data must first be analyzed and dissected on the basis of affordability. There are residents who while they can afford a car, desire not to have a car and prefer walking and cycling. There are others who desire a car but cannot afford a car and must rely on public transportation because of the distance between where they live and where they work. And lastly, there are those who do not desire a car and cannot afford one as well and so they are either dependent on public transportation, walking or cycling. There will always be, and rightly so, public transportation. Making it affordable is the current challenge. I worked to move statewide legislation to dedicate funding for mass transit. That was a 5-year battle.

If we are going to create a vision for non-motorized transportation it cannot be disintegrated from the vision of creating more jobs with family sustaining wages that are accessible. We have an affordability issue in this city and region because we have a jobs issue.

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I believe that we must build an appropriate engagement process that allows all perspectives to be heard. We need to build complete networks while coordinating to accommodate people all over the entire City. Ensuring residents, business owners, and guest that we are not just focused on individual intersections or curbs.

There will always be decisions that will not garner unanimous consensus. The first thing anyone should do, and especially the head of a city or company, is employ a consequentialist analysis in the decision-making and you so this by considering all of the stakeholders affected. Scholars in business ethics also suggest that it is best to get ahead of a potential societal/environmental issue by also consulting that constituency before making the decision. Pittsburgh is a city with very narrow roadways and dense housing thereby limiting parking to the streets. All of this must be taken into consideration; otherwise, there will be an “us and them” debate.

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We have been supportive of the expansions of healthy rides. We were happy to write a letter of support that ultimately led to gaining a state grant, and we are interested in seeing the system expand to spaces beyond the public right of way by negotiating with private property owners to get more opportunities in more neighborhoods throughout the city. I have used the program and I have led a ventures outdoors program to introduce others to it.

I have not used this service. Understand that lower income neighborhoods in most cases are also food deserts. Bike sharing will not help someone who has to travel 2-3 miles to get fresh produce or other groceries. This is not a “chicken and egg” issue. We must first build the infrastructure in low income communities by restoring “Main street” businesses that will not only address the accessibility of necessities to residents but also restore neighborhood character. Once this is done, then extending a ride share program in these communities will make sense.

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The City has been actively involved in the planning of the community engagement for the BRT to address community concerns. This would create a downtown-to-Oakland corridor, including bicycling infrastructure. The BRT would be treated as part of a mass transit system and not a one-off project.

The BRT project makes sense on many levels but again, it has to also make sense to all of the stakeholders, not just the riders on public transit. It’s obvious business owners on the Forbes Ave corridor did not appreciate the option that put the BRT on Fifth because it would effectively dislocate many of their customers. The use of electric vehicles surely will help the environment. One must still ask whether or not this is how we should be investing $240million dollars and are their other priorities. Also, will this then lead to an increased cost for public transit? We already have some of the highest public transit rates in the country. As for cyclists and pedestrians, they are also part of the affordable mobility calculus. Could $240million dollars be used to create safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists rather than convenient transportation? That’s still to be answered.

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We will continue to work and support OpenStreetsPGH as we have in the past. We (along with CitiParks) have helped in the facilitation of street closures and route selection. I have personally participated and have been joined by the County Executive, as well.

OpenStreetsPGH is a wonderful and exciting event and I believe the city should take a bigger role to enhance it because this speaks to the character of Pittsburgh. I would like to see every community host its version of OpenStreets much like what is done with the different arts festivals.

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We are continuing to move in the direction of making physical investments into safer infrastructure for both bikes and vehicles. Increasing public safety requires more enforcement. We are also working with community partners to identify the biggest problem areas and identify solutions.

First, we need to re-examine the efficacy of the current bike infrastructure even with its improvements.

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I biked Copenhagen with Bricker – bonus points.

I was an avid cyclist in my earlier years until my bike was stolen. I biked from my home in East Hills to Carnegie Mellon U daily to class when I moved off campus. Navigating Penn Avenue, Wilkins Avenue, Fifth Avenue and Forbes was fun, but back then we didn’t have drivers texting. When I became a father, the biggest thrill I had was teaching all four of my children to ride a bicycle, not driving a car.

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I have done more than any other Mayor since David Lawrence in reshaping the transportation within the City of Pittsburgh. Including bringing BikePGH in at every stage in the process–holding monthly meetings with the administration around these projects. It is a core component of our values as an administration to keep a critical eye towards safety and safety-related improvements for everyone in Pittsburgh. I added a seat for Bike Pittsburgh at the Southwest PA Commission.

One of the pillars in my campaign is making Pittsburgh a Safe City. This is a comprehensive view of safety through a public health lens. It includes clean air, clean drinking water, gun violence and healthy lifestyles. As a PhD in bioethics/healthcare ethics, quality of life is important to me, but most important, insuring quality of life for all, not just for those privileged with choices others cannot benefit from. A fair and just city is one that protects and cares for its vulnerable. As President Kennedy said, “A rising tide lifts all boats,” but that’s assuming the boat isn’t anchored to the bottom of the sea. My work and my credentials are emblematic of the fact that I am the fairest and more just candidate in this race.

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