Connor Mulvaney

The parts of the network that already exist are working wonderfully in my experience – They’re making people on bicycles more visible, giving them a safer ride and getting more people out on two wheels. However, down here in District 4, we’ve been consistently denied bike network expansion. The City had a chance to make huge strides in mobility with the redesigns of Broadway Avenue and Brookline Boulevard, but leadership chose to listen to a vocal minority over advocates who wanted safer streets, increased access and the economic benefits of complete streets. Now those two corridors are stuck between big overhauls without protections for people on bicycles or people getting around on foot. We can start to correct those mistakes with semi-permanent improvements now, but if we take our commitment to zero deaths on our streets seriously we have to put our money and effort where our mouth is. We’ve had success in Brookline with the slow streets program when neighbors are directly engaged with decision making. That program is a great proof of concept, but we need to take the next step and build permanent protections for people who want to use our neighborhood streets for something other than a speedway.

Anthony Coghill

I think one of the positives of the expanding bike lane network is how concentrated and focused it has been. We have not seen an expansion of bike lanes in the south hills yet because building out the network and making sure it functions well is a crucial step.

To improve the bike lane network we need a number of things to happen. Most importantly, allowing for protected bike lanes is a top priority. The state legislature desperately needs to pass reforms making protected lanes legal. Until then, motorists and cyclists will be left to “compete” for space in our already narrow streets. This competition or feeling of scarcity creates tension and hostility between motorists and cyclists that feeds into the negative stereotypes that accompany bike lanes and cyclists. In order for a real, lasting network of bike lanes and micro mobility options to exist in Pittsburgh the legislative infrastructure from the state down needs to support a sense of shared space and not a competition for already existing space.

South Pittsburgh has seen almost zero change to our streets to make things safer. I was born North of Detroit, Michigan, and I respect cars as the 2-thousand pound rockets they are; I have always been fascinated by cars and engines, and I have always felt strongly that cars, people, strollers, wheelchairs, and yes, bikes, should have lanes of travel that don’t interfere with car traffic. It’s just too dangerous to mix these modes, and we need to do a better job and make sure they don’t mix as often as possible.

In South Pittsburgh, we may not have as many brave souls willing to bike down these hills into town for work (or, more likely, not willing to bike back UP the hill on the way home), but we should look at that as an asset. We have the opportunity to innovate how we move people around, and the limitations in South Pittsburgh present opportunities unlike the rest of the city where we could test various modalities to see what works best for all of us who like South of the rivers!

Connor Mulvaney

Oh boy, I have two! The proposed transit hub in Overbrook is very exciting for District 4, as well as for me personally. That hub in particular and its neighborhood connections would make it a lot easier for me to get to my current job and see loved ones. The other is the still-forming idea of a bicycle/pedestrian connection through Seldom Seen Greenway and the Wabash Tunnel. This one has a lot of hurdles to clear, in addition to disinterest from current Councilperson Coghill, but there are a lot of advocates and neighbors that want to see this happen and I’m excited to help make it a reality.

Anthony Coghill

The continuing work on Broadway ave is one of the projects I am most excited about. We’ve been able to add public art and remove the dangerous slip lanes in previous years. Moving forward we will also see intersection improvements at the existing Broadway ave and Beechview ave intersection. Coupled with the economic development work I’ve done in the last 3 and a half years and Beechview’s main street has undergone a revival and the community is thriving as a result.

Bethani Cameron

I am delighted that talk of creating ADA accessible T stops in Beechiew has resurfaced. In 2017, a state grant was allocated to do just that, but instead was used for beautification and painting the streets. Beautification is great, but safety comes first. And we need a comprehensive safety review of all public transit in this district!

Connor Mulvaney

There are several stretches of sidewalks in my own part of Brookline that aren’t passable for people in wheelchairs, and folks will move into the road to get by them. That issue is particularly alarming, especially since ADA isn’t a new concept. This is also near the intersection of Brookline Boulevard and Pioneer Avenue, where Austin Fike was killed while on his bicycle about a year and a half ago. The only change at that intersection since that crash was to change a turning lane for cars, which does nothing to protect vulnerable users. I myself was hit on my bicycle a few blocks from there and walk or ride on Pioneer every day. So those corridors are very important to me, especially since children frequent those spaces on their way to school.

The dramatic crashes from Maytide Avenue seem to have slowed slightly but continue. That needs to be remedied proactively instead of waiting for someone else to get hurt. The same could be said for many neighborhood streets whose residents want slower traffic speeds. In fact, I recently asked DOMI if they have plans for expanding or making permanent their neighborhood slow streets program. I look forward to reading their response and sharing it with the folks in South Hills Safe Streets.

On top of all of this, this district is divided by state routes 19 and 51. Neither have great crossing points. 19 has some decent sidewalks but speed is a huge problem. I know there are discussions happening behind the scenes to make these routes safer for the neighborhoods they border, and I intend to be a part of those conversations to advocate for safety, especially for vulnerable street users.

Anthony Coghill

There are two locations that come to mind as particularly dangerous, the first is Maytide street and I am proud of the hard work done last year to improve the safety of this street. Before we installed speed tables on this street 99% of drivers reached speeds over the speed limit. After introducing the speed tables that number dropped by half.

The next location that I have been fighting for improved traffic calming measures is Brookline Boulevard. There are multiple hot spots that stretch the length of Brookline’s main street where we have several interventions in a planning stage. From intersection redesigns to changing stop light patterns we are working to make sure that we are able to make the boulevard safer for everyone.

Bethani Cameron

Where there are no sidewalks, a portion of the paved surface of the road should be separated at least with bollards to provide a safer area for walkers. Additionally, the city steps we have failed to maintain could help people (like my son and I) have a much safer walking commute to school. Safe routes to school is a huge priority for me and I feel just the same about those moving around in any way that’s not in a vehicle. We can do so much better and we need to in order to save lives.

Connor Mulvaney

I’ve been doing the work with South Hills Safe Streets. I want to bring everything we’ve advocated for alongside BikePGH directly into council chambers.

We can’t wait for others in power in city government to decide it’s time for District 4 to be given a little freedom of movement and basic safety while our own representative slows down measures that would benefit businesses as well as the health and safety of constituents. Indifference isn’t policy. A quarter of people who live in Pittsburgh don’t have a car, but how many council people could get around without one? We need council’s decisions to better reflect the needs of people who live in the city, and I intend to bring that to council.

Anthony Coghill

I believe that I should be the candidate of choice for individuals who advocate for bicycling and walking issues because as chair of the Public Works committee I meet regularly with DOMI and am able to advocate effectively for common sense changes. It is also no secret to residents of the South Hills that there is a lot of negative orientation towards bike lanes in our part of town. I am confident that I am the best candidate to address the concerns of all our residents and make sure that any changes are made with the full scope of the community’s mobility needs in mind. As a lifelong resident of District 4 I recognize and can speak to the ways that hesitancy emerges regarding mobility options. My commitment to safer streets for everyone guides the work of my office and is at the heart of our mobility projects.

Bethani Cameron

I may have cars in my blood (my great grandfather was the first man to work for Ford for 50 years), but that instilled in me a profound respect for the destructive potential of a self propelled several-thousand-pound metal box on wheels. Because I know so well the death and damage cars can inflict upon people, I know we need to get cars and people as far apart as possible, build safe routes for moving around the city, and ensure that no matter how people move around the city, we make it as safe as possible.