How will the City Connect the Penn Ave bike lanes to the eastern neighborhoods?

Recently, the City proposed a redesigned Smallman Street that turns the the ultra-wide section (16th to 21st Streets) into two through lanes and four parking lanes. It is “not a bike facility,” according to its planners.

While the City says that the addition of stop signs and narrow lanes will slow down drivers, the proposal has received wide criticism and does not address the concerns that we have been raising in our #ExtendPenn campaign, and may have even taken one of the few options for a connection off the table (see photo).

Our campaign, called #ExtendPenn, seeks to connect the popular Penn Ave bike lanes that abruptly end at 16th Street, to the eastern neighborhoods, using any of the available streets. These options could include Penn itself, as well as Smallman, or the Allegheny River Green Boulevard, a plan that creates a trail from the Strip District to the Pittsburgh Zoo. To date, we’ve collected over 2,000 signatures in less than two months in support of the campaign.

As anyone can tell you, riding through the Strip District is a stressful and dangerous experience with speeding cars, tourists, and trucks. On top of that, multiple housing developments, new offices, and autonomous vehicle testing have increased the motorized traffic in this same corridor. While job and residential growth can be positive, there has been no plan to manage this increased traffic demand on our streets.

This should be an easy commute.

To help address this issue, the City has agreed to host a meeting focused on bikes and pedestrian to discuss their Smallman Street plan and their ideas on reaching the eastern neighborhoods in a safe, comfortable, and convenient way.

We recognize that we call many public meetings “important.” But, this one is truly important.

A connection from Downtown, to The Strip, Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, and points east will be a truly transformative project that will ensure Pittsburghers have an affordable, safe, and environmentally friendly option to access Pennsylvania’s largest employment and cultural areas outside of Philadelphia.

The CIty of Pittsburgh’s Rendering of the proposed Smallman Street redesign

Public Meeting: Wednesday, August 22

The City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) is conducting a public meeting to discuss the proposed Smallman Street Improvements project located in the Strip District neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County. 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.

Details

Date: Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Time: 5:30 pm-7:30 pm
Location: Society for Contemporary Craft,
Address: 2100 Smallman St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

RSVP on Facebook: Facebook Event Page

For more information contact:
Project Manager: Emily Jo Gaspich, P.E.
Emily.gaspich@pittsburghpa.gov
412-255-2472