A view of the incredibly wide Smallman Street
Make sure bikes are included in the Strip District
Apologies for the late notice on this public meeting, but we just found out about it.
The City’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) announced a plan to redesign Smallman St, from 16th St to 21st St.
The Penn Ave bike lanes end at 16th St, and since the City has yet to create a plan to extend them into the eastern neighborhoods, this segment could be key.
We need your help to connect the Penn Ave bike lanes and make sure bikes are included in the future Strip District.
Questions to ask:
- What is the plan to extend the Penn Ave bike lanes to the eastern neighborhoods?
- Will bikes be accommodated on or left out of a Smallman St redesign? If not on Smallman St, then where?
- Will Smallman St be a Complete Street?
- When will the Strip District Trail reopen?
- What is the plan to manage the increased Strip District traffic due to development and autonomous vehicles?
Attend this meeting TUESDAY JULY 31
SMALLMAN STREET IMPROVEMENTS
The purpose of this meeting is to present the proposed project scope and schedule. Further, DOMI and its consultants will be available to answer questions about the project. This project will consist of roadway resurfacing and reconfiguration as well as traffic calming and streetscaping. The project limits extend from 16th Street to 21st Street.
Tuesday, July 31, 2018, 5:30 pm-7:00 pm
Society for Contemporary Craft, 2100 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
For more information contact:
Project Manager: Emily Jo Gaspich, P.E.
Emily.gaspich@pittsburghpa.gov
412-255-2472
Background and #EXTENDPENN
Since the City installed the Penn Ave Bike Lane in 2014, they have been calling this bike lane “just an on-ramp” to a larger network that will expand eastward into the Strip District, Lawrenceville, and possibly beyond. The bike lane ends at 16th St, and this expansion is touted as necessary in order for the bike lane to see it’s true value and potential.
The City, PWSA, and McCaffery Development are working on a plan to completely redesign Smallman St from 16th St to 21st St as part of a fix to the water infrastructure running under Smallman, in tandem with the proposed Produce Terminal redevelopment project. This segment is a notoriously wide stretch of road, with ambiguous lane markings, parking, and a lack of sidewalks that create a chaotic and speedy traffic pattern with bikes and pedestrians all sharing the roadway.
This should be an easy bike commute, however, without bike lanes, riding through the Strip District is notoriously stressful, and getting worse, with no plan to address the issue. Namely, a large number of autonomous vehicles, the increasing popularity of the Strip District as a destination for out-of-towners, a huge influx of residential units (and parking lots), combined with the constant closure of the Strip District Trail have created a downright hostile environment for people on bikes.
It’s been four years, and the City has yet to create a plan or a proposal to connect the Penn Ave bike lanes into the neighborhoods – something that could have a dramatic effect on reducing congestion and parking demand by getting more people riding into downtown, not to mention the safety benefits.
In June, we launched a Campaign to extend the Penn Ave Bike Lanes. In less than two months, we have collected over 2000 signatures on our petition from residents who agree that we need to connect the bike lanes into the neighborhoods.
NEWSLETTER