From Smallman to Butler St: Shop, bike, and explore two unique Pittsburgh neighborhoods on 3.5 miles of car-free streets

Celebrate active transportation and community connection on Sunday, July 27th from 10am – 2pm in Lawrenceville and the Strip District!

Hosted by BikePGH and presented by UPMC Health Plan, OpenStreetsPGH is Pittsburgh’s favorite active event series that opens miles of streets for people of all ages and abilities to explore our neighborhoods while biking, walking, and rolling.

Ride through the lively streets of the Strip via Smallman Street, where historic buildings, delicious food vendors, and specialty shops line your path. Connect all the way through Upper Lawrenceville via Butler Street– a vibrant hub of colorful murals, local businesses, and creative energy await you.

See the Schedule, Route, Getting Here, Safety Info, and FAQ at openstreetspgh.org

Walk, run, bike, skate, roll, dance, and enjoy the road at your own pace. Enjoy music from local artists at the Community Hub, jump into a free fitness class and learn how to bike at our Kids & Family Hub, grab food from local shops, and enjoy activities hosted by local organizations.

Inspired by the global open streets movement, OpenStreetsPGH is a FREE community event that temporarily closes streets to car traffic and invites Pittsburghers to reimagine their streets as places for people, not just cars. Hundreds of cities around the globe celebrate open streets to promote car-free transportation, healthy outdoor activity, and community engagement using city streets.

This event series is organized by Bike Pittsburgh, a non-profit organization who works on behalf of the Pittsburgh community to transform our streets and communities into vibrant, healthy places by making them safe and accessible for everyone to bike and walk.

What to Expect on July 27

• While you really can enjoy the event from anywhere on the route, the “Activity Hubs” are a great place to stop and connect with the community.
  • Duquesne Light Kids & Family Hub at 52nd + Butler in Lawrenceville, complete with a Learn to Ride course from BikePGH’s Education Department and obstacle course from the new Woods Room Bike Park. Hop into a free fitness class with the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, experiment with the Carnegie Science Center, gear up on reflective gear or fill your tires with Ike’s Basement Bike Shop, and snack on a Smiley Cookie from Eat ‘n Park. Batteries running low? Look for the DLC Charging Stations and charge up with solar power!
  • McCaffery Strip District Terminal Community Hub at 17th and Smallman in the Strip District with lively musical performances from local artists, UPMC’s cooling station, the magic of Squonk Opera’s larger than life purple hands, BikePGH’s off the course banana-themed Side Quest, and more from dozens of activity partners. Even more offerings are brought to the Strip District Terminal this OpenStreetsPGH with the Women Who Rock Babes x Bubbles Market happening in the Hub too from 10A-3P!
• Along the Route: You’ll see it all! Pop-up kid’s activities, street yoga, food trucks, fitness classes and dance parties! Check out the listing on the schedule page, or just explore when you arrive.
• Get summer-ready with giveaways and sun-smart tips from presenting sponsor UPMC Heath Plan – look for the big purple bus at the Strip District Terminal.
• Stop by Ube Fest hosted by Lola’s Eatery, just one block off the route at 34th + Penn Ave! Try all things ube, as well as other Filipino eats. While you’re there, stop into the Roberto Clemente Museum‘s open house.
• Eat, drink, and shop your way across the route with specials from local businesses along the route, plus get a special prize when you complete a brand new “Side Quest” from BikePGH!

Safety & Accessibility

At OpenStreetsPGH, the safety of our event participants is always our number one priority. We work to continuously update and improve event security procedures in partnership with Pittsburgh Public Safety, Pittsburgh Police, Homeland Security and others to ensure that all necessary precautions are being taken to keep our event routes safe and fun for all ages. We remind all attendees that in the event of any emergency situation, to please be sure to call 911 immediately so that emergency response can be initiated as soon as possible.

• The route is closed to motor vehicle traffic. However, vehicles may cross at specified intersections. View the route at openstreetspgh.org/route to view the designated vehicle crossing points.
• Public safety officials and volunteers will help to guide traffic in these areas.
  • When at an open intersection, don’t proceed unless your light is green or you have been directed to by public safety officials. 
• While on the main roadway, follow the rules of the road! Ride predictably and safely; faster moving traffic (bikes, scooters, roller blades) MUST yield to pedestrians, wheelchair users, and slower moving traffic. Please maintain the course speed limit of 10 mph. If you need to pass, do so on the LEFT and let people in front of you know that you are coming by calling out “on your left” or “passing on the left”.
• Both Activity Hubs are equipped with: Porta-potties (ADA-compliant units available), Water refill stations (bring a reusable bottle!), and First Aid and EMS ambulances.
• OpenStreetsPGH attracts over 10,000 attendees! Be prepared for crowds and noise.
• All abilities can join a Slow Roll Group Ride with Adaptive POGOH fleet, Three Rivers Adaptive Sports and Joy Riders PGH. Meet at 10AM at 23rd and Smallman in the Strip District to join the ride. Check out Adaptive POGOH on social media for all the details.
• Want a snack or treat? Support the local businesses along the route! There are lots of great restaurants and spots to stop in the Strip District and Lawrenceville.
• Need help on the day of the event? Ask public safety officials or BikePGH staff. For questions ahead of the event check out our FAQ page, or feel free to email us at info@bikepgh.org

Getting to OpenStreetsPGH

We strongly suggest walking, riding a bike, or taking public transit. Attendees can enter/exit the route at any point – no need to start at any particular location! Check out details, parking, and directions on the Getting Here page.

Traffic Crossings and Road Closures

This is a car-free event, but vehicle drivers can still get around! Drivers may cross the route using the following intersections managed by safety officers:

• Smallman St & 21st St
• Smallman St & 26th St
• Smallman St & 30th St
• Smallman St & 33rd St
• Butler St/34th St/Penn Ave
• Butler St & 37th St
• Butler St & 39th St
• Butler St & 40th St
• Butler St & 44th St
• Butler St & Stanton Ave

It is recommended to use Waze or Google Maps to help navigate road closures.

I live along the route. What do I need to know?

Join the fun right outside your doorstep! Note that this is a CAR-FREE event! That means, please be sure to move your vehicles off the route before 3 a.m. on Sunday, July 27th. In order to keep participants safe, we do tow away any vehicles that are left parked along the event route during set up starting at 6 a.m. Please make sure to obey all posted No Parking signs! Streets will CLOSE TO ALL CARS on Sunday, July 27th at 8 a.m. and will reopen by 3 p.m.

I have a business/organization along the route. What do I need to know?

This is a great time to get some new customers and provide special offers for event participants! OpenStreetsPGH draws thousands of people to your doorstep, so why not welcome them in to show everything you have to offer? We encourage establishments located directly along the OpenStreetsPGH route to extend their storefronts outside during event hours. Businesses typically like to offer a fun activity, discounts, pop-up parklets, and everything in between.

Please also see the road closures/no parking information above and let your staff and customers know about the event and towing.

ABOUT OPENSTREETSPGH

This event is organized by Bike Pittsburgh and is made possible through major support from UPMC Health Plan, Edgar Snyder & Associates, Duquesne Light Company, and the Katherine Mabis-McKenna Foundation. Additional support is provided by Zero Fossil, Allegheny County Economic Development, McCaffery Inc., Eat’n Park, Alcosan, Walnut Capital, Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, Stage AE, and Rivers Casino.

MEDIA

Media and the public are encouraged to visit openstreetspgh.org/media, or follow @OpenStreetsPGH on Facebook and Instagram for updates and details on event happenings.