BikePGH Executive Director Pens Op-ed: On the bike path to safer city streets

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published an op-ed by BikePGH Executive Director, Scott Bricker in their Sunday June 6, 2021 edition.

BikePGH has been advocating for safer streets throughout four different Pittsburgh mayoral administrations, and we are now about to work with our fifth. Each mayor focused on different elements of better biking and walking facilities in Pittsburgh. Tom Murphy reclaimed riverfronts and rail lines to put in a nearly complete trail system. Luke Ravenstahl made real headway with on-street bike lanes and bike racks in business districts. Bill Peduto is leaving his mark with a host of accomplishments — policies like Complete Streets, new plans like Bike(+) and the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, updated infrastructure like protected bike lanes and traffic-calmed Neighborways, and the new Department of Mobility and Infrastructure to plan and implement safe streets. All of these efforts build on one another and together have helped make it safer and easier for Pittsburghers to travel without a car.

No one knows yet exactly what’s in store with a potential Gainey Administration, but we are hopeful based on his answers to our pre-election survey and his mobility platform that he will continue to build out a safe, equitable multimodal transportation system for all. Read the op-ed to find out about how we intend to work with the incoming Gainey Administration to continue this important work.

“Over the past decade, we have come a long way toward making Pittsburgh a safe, affordable and accessible place to get around. While we still have a lot of work ahead, we are on the right path with the publishing of our 10-year Bike(+) Plan in 2020 and installation of miles of bike lanes, paths and traffic-calming measures throughout the city. We are very excited to continue the work of increasing the connectivity of our city with Ed Gainey as the likely next mayor of Pittsburgh.”

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