Recap of Allegheny County Executive-elect Sara Innamorato’s responses to the BikePGH Candidate Survey
Congratulations to our new Allegheny County Executive-elect!
With yesterday’s win for Sara Innamorato, for the first time in over a decade, Allegheny County will have new Executive leadership. From supporting Parking Protected Bike Lane legislation to attending our OpenStreetsPGH events, Innamorato has long been a streets-for-all advocate.
While the County doesn’t control too many roads, they do play a significant part in what happens on many bridges, and most significantly, the ever-expanding trail system. The County is also responsible for regional air quality and public health, and hold a huge role in working with municipalities on policy and planning initiatives that affect development, road building, and Complete Streets initiatives.
Below are County Executive-elect Sara Innamorato’s answers to our candidate survey during the primary in May.
We are looking forward to working with the new County Executive’s team to help make sure Allegheny County is safe and accessible for all, no matter how you get around.
1. What do you see as the Allegheny County Executive’s primary role in making sure walking and biking is safe and convenient for residents and visitors?
There are several critical roles for the Allegheny County Executive to play in these matters. First is to use the power of the seat on the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission Executive Committee and the appointments to the board to advocate for smarter multi-modal transportation funding that prioritizes safety, convenience, and physical mobility for users of all transportation modes. SPC directs billions of dollars of state and federal funding and sets policy and vision. I will play an active role in ensuring that the funding matches that vision.
The second is to use the power and influence of Allegheny County Economic Development to incentivize municipalities to implement modern zoning and planning processes that properly balance the needs of single-occupancy vehicle drivers, transit riders, cyclists, and pedestrians through complete street ordinances. While Allegheny County does not directly zone or plan, it does direct funding toward infrastructure projects and improvements, creating an opportunity for progress. Further, Allegheny County is responsible for over 400 miles of roads and can implement complete streets standards in the construction and upkeep process of those roadways. Many municipalities in our county are already leaders. For example, the CONNECT communities have been working together, an effort I have been involved in as a State Representative, to develop transit-oriented development plans, Climate Action Plans, and other reforms that the County government could and should be playing a much more active role in. Complete Streets make it easy to cross the street, walk to shops, and bicycle to work. They can help buses to run on time and make it safe for people to walk to and from stops and stations. This is an easy way for us to ensure more walkable, transit-friendly communities through our County owned roads
Third, as a member of the Transportation Committee as a State Representative, I will use my connections and experience to take on a much more active advocacy role with PennDOT and the General Assembly to ensure collaboration across regional projects and passage of smart policy that makes safer streets, like parking-protected bike lanes. I will also use my relationships with our federal elected leaders to work with US DOT to make our priorities for better and safer modern transportation infrastructure clear and to advocate for new investments from the IIJA and IRA to move on major projects in this region.
2. Emissions from light-duty trucks and cars make up approximately 57% of transportation sector and 22% of overall climate change emissions. A sizeable portion of these emissions contribute to poor air quality. Please share your ideas to address our poor air quality and climate change related to the transportation sector
We need to acknowledge the reality that those who have been impacted most by transit route changes have not had a seat at the table under the status quo leadership. An immediate first step I will take is to start a new, more collaborative relationship with Pittsburgh Regional Transit and appoint transit advocates to the board of directors. PRT was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, facing both large ridership losses and large staff losses that must be swiftly addressed to get the organization back to full capacity. The best and most equitable way to reduce emissions in the transportation sector is to build a stronger, more reliable, and more extensive public transportation system that offers everyone in the county an affordable, car-free option that includes micro-mobility options. I will also work with PRT and the county Department of Human Services to expand and make permanent the current discounted fare pilot program to provide free or very low-cost transit rides to low-income residents. I will also look for opportunities to expand Bus Rapid Transit and the T line to new communities and look to leverage new federal dollars from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to do so. We cannot expect people to shift transportation modes until we have an affordable, reliable, and easily accessible public transit system and I am committed to working with PRT to get there.
As a champion for housing, I know that equitable housing requires access to affordable, reliable, and convenient transportation options. That’s why, as your County Executive, I will encourage equitable transit-oriented development (TOD) that is mixed-use and mixed-income housing that will reduce dependency on motor vehicles. Equity must be at the root of these developments to ensure individuals are not displaced by new development and can benefit from the new investments.
Additionally, I will work with advocates and municipal leaders, as noted above, to prioritize complete streets and create safer and more robust pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure to provide better options for people interested and able to pursue those modes.
While I understand electric vehicles are not the panacea to reducing emissions from the transportation sector, they are superior to gasoline-powered vehicles, so I will also look for opportunities to draw down new federal resources to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure and work with municipalities to offer new electric charging opportunities. However, my primary focus will be on public transit and bike/ped opportunities, not on single occupancy vehicles
3. Allegheny County recently invested an historic $22 million into trail development projects, accelerating trail development by years, if not decades. In what specific ways will your Administration continue this strong momentum to ensure that the trail network continues to expand and connect to even more communities in Allegheny County? (Question presented in coordination with Friends of the Riverfront)
As one huge early opportunity, I will continue the work I have already started as a State Representative to collaborate with Friends of the Riverfront. Last year, I worked with state and local officials to secure a $5 million investment in Allegheny Shores development and the Brilliant Line in Sharpsburg and Aspinwall, which will be the newest high-quality trail connection in our region. This project is an incredible opportunity to level up our system and set the stage for future expansions of the network. I will build new capacity within Allegheny County Economic Development to begin to think about our trail system as a new economic development opportunity akin to what we have seen with the GAP Trail and other investments around the country. These systems have enormous potential to attract eco-tourism, recreational transportation businesses, small shops and restaurants, and hospitality such as small bed and breakfasts along the system. And all of these things have a multiplier effect that helps keep trail systems well-funded and maintained, create jobs, and add to the tax base of communities along the network. I have strong relationships with Friends of the Riverfront, Riverlife, Bike Pittsburgh, and many other organizations that have been leading this work for decades and you will have a partner and champion in the County Executive’s office.
4. The concept of “Complete Streets” include designing our roads/streets to be safe for all ages and abilities regardless of what mode of transportation one is using. How can Allegheny County work with local municipalities to work toward this vision?
As I noted in my first answer I will incentivize all municipalities in Allegheny County to draft and pass complete streets plans and to adjust their zoning accordingly. Additionally, we need to incentivize municipalities to work with their local school districts to create Safe Routes to School. Every child in Allegheny County should have the option to safely walk, ride, or drive to get to their school. This is not simply a good opportunity to increase outdoor recreation, but a change to pursue policies of disability justice by increasing accessibility, ensuring safe sidewalks with curb cuts, and improving mobility in our neighborhoods. Many municipalities are already starting this work, but they need and deserve a strong partner to help get these policies implemented and over the finish line. I’ll put real technical assistance resources behind this effort to ensure that not only the wealthy, well-connected municipalities can take advantage of the incentives but that we also approach this from a strong equity standpoint and prioritize investments in municipalities that need the most help. This year is on track to be one of the deadliest years for pedestrians in Allegheny County and this condition is preventable. It takes focus and resources and I commit that I will provide both. CONNECT is already well on the way to helping their member communities take this new approach and I will provide direct assistance to help them realize their vision. Additionally, we also need to invest in other structures like the various Councils of Government around our county that haven’t seen the direct investment they need from county government and could benefit from a more active partner.
5. Why should people who care about safe streets for biking and walking vote for you?
My track record on these issues as a State Representative speaks for itself. As County Executive, I will be the same community-focused coalition-builder that I always have been. I don’t just talk about the issues, I vote on them, I direct real resources toward them, and I use my bully pulpit to advocate for change well beyond any individual district that I represent. I worked with Bike Pittsburgh to create a demo project for parking-protected bike lanes, so people could see first-hand how they would be impacted by the policy change. I have been a proud member of Bike Pittsburgh and I share your values and your sense of urgency for change. I need your votes and I need you to continue to push me and hold me accountable when I’m in office. The Allegheny County Executive is one of the most powerful positions in Pennsylvania, and together we can use this position to pursue transportation justice and more walkable communities. Public transportation is a human right and a critical lifeline for many people in Allegheny County. At a time when we face multiple crises — disproportionately impacting low-income and Black residents, as well as people with disabilities — we should be expanding service. Investment in public transit is a driver for local economies and can revive regional industries. Coming from the General Assembly, I understand the limitations of funding streams, but we should be thinking creatively about how to expand and improve transit, not cutting it. As we do this work to improve transportation service, we also must ensure that we improve the built environment — and we do that with complete streets policies. Together, we can build a more equitable, safer, and accessible transportation ecosystem in our region.
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