See what the City has in store for improving the safety of this high-crash corridor

The City has just posted their proposed changes to Penn Ave in the Strip to address this historically dangerous, high-crash corridor and to make sure that the business district is accessible for residents without a car.

It’s been a long time to get here. This upgrade would not have gotten this far without Councilman Bobby Wilson and Mayor Ed Gainey’s commitment to traffic safety.

However, nothing is totally secure.

**If you live or work in the Strip District, please contact Councilman Bobby Wilson TODAY**

You can email or call to share your thoughts on the plan and to thank him for his commitment to road safety.

And now, see what the City has in store for Penn Ave in the Strip:

In order to make this dangerous section of Penn Ave in the Strip District safer, the City has planned these traffic safety improvements:

•   Continuing the Penn Ave’s single inbound lane from 31st St to 22nd St
•   Installing several pedestrian improvements
•   Adding a parking protected bike lane

As you take a look at the final plan, here are some important things to note:

• The lane reduction is happening because drivers speed on this section of Penn Ave, which has led to a high number of crashes and dangerous conditions for pedestrians.
• Less lanes = less drivers speeding and shorter crossing distances for pedestrians.
• City staff have talked with the residents and businesses affected by the redesign in order to develop solutions to accommodate their needs.
• The section between 22nd and 16th will remain basically as-is.

—

Background

Thousands of Pittsburghers travel to and through the Strip every day on their commutes and for shopping and visiting. Yet roads in the Strip remain confusing, aggressive, and dangerous. A project to make the Strip easily and safely accessible for pedestrians and bicyclists began in 2014 but was never completed.

As the Strip and surrounding areas boom with new housing and office space, now is the time to finish the job and complete this crucial transportation infrastructure. If we only plan for cars, we’re only going to get more cars. And I think it’s safe to say we can all agree that more cars is not good for anyone.

Due to a car-oriented road design, speeding cars make walking and biking dangerous, limiting access for residents and neighbors who would like to get to and from the Strip District for fresh food, entertainment, shopping or work. Providing safe and connected bikeways and sidewalks will ensure that jobs, food, and amenities are available to all, regardless of if they drive a car.

After extensive traffic study and crash analysis, the City has proposed a design that reduces the number of through lanes on Penn to a single lane, while preserving just about all of the parking, while adding a parking protected bike lane on the right side of the road, between 31st St and 22nd St. Aside from some pedestrian-friendly interventions, they are proposing very little change between 22nd St and 16th St, maintaining the “share the road” condition for bicyclists to navigate over to the existing Penn Ave bike lanes that begin on the left side of the road at 16th St.

One of the problems with Penn Ave is that cars are currently able to drive too fast for conditions, especially considering the high number of pedestrians in the corridor, which is leading to the high number of crashes. In simple terms, speed kills, so cars need to slow down.

One of the reasons that Penn Ave sees so many crashes is because drivers are able to exceed the speed limit due to there being very little in their way. The existing two lanes with very little traffic, allow drivers to speed, pass dangerously, and drive the wrong way. The proposed changes will prevent that by slowing cars down to the speed limit, also giving drivers the chance to observe businesses along the corridor.

“In the five year period between 2018 and 2022 there were 115 accidents on Penn Ave. Of the 115 accidents, 45 resulted in injury and 13 involved pedestrians. To put this into the context of the other corridors in the Strip District, Penn Avenue has the highest ratio of crashes to traffic volume. It is the least travelled corridor, and second in crash volume.” – Penn Ave Rightsizing Engage Page

This is an unacceptable number of crashes. Period.

Follow along on our page dedicated to the Strip District and sign onto our campaign, Safe Trips in the Strip, to be the first to find out about upcoming meetings, Action Alerts, and developments.