The Atlantic heralds Peduto leadership in transforming Pittsburgh into bikeable city

Another great story on Pittsburgh’s transformation from The Atlantic!

By John Tierney | The Atlantic

Becoming more bikeable: That seems to be a must for any self-respecting major American city these days. But what does it take to achieve that goal? Resources, of course—the funds to create the infrastructure for safe and comfortable bikeways. But the most important thing is political will. It takes real political leadership to overcome opposition to change.

Just ask people in Pittsburgh, which is making great progress on its goals to become more bikeable. It’s happening partly because of long-term, purposeful advocacy from organizations like BikePGH. But the most important factor in Pittsburgh’s success is the political leadership of Bill Peduto, the city’s mayor of only eleven months.

Peduto, a former longtime city councilor, won the mayoral election in 2013 with a campaign that called for a more bikeable and walkable Pittsburgh. And within two months of taking office in January, he moved quickly to start making his vision a reality. Looking ahead to September when Pittsburgh would be hosting a big national conference on walkable/bikeable cities, Peduto in March announced the start of planning to have downtown’s first dedicated, protected bike lane in place by the conference. And it was.

Read the full story on the Atlantic website.

Not a member of BikePGH? Join today! We need you to add your voice! Bike Pittsburgh works to protect cyclist’s rights and promote the vision of making Pittsburgh a safer and more enjoyable place to live and to ride. For more info, check out: www.bikepgh.org/membership