In partnership with QCares Foundation, the memorial walk audit brought together family, friends, and McKeesport community members to assess street safety
This Monday morning, November 17, BikePGH joined community members and the QCares Foundation for an impactful World Day of Remembrance event along Lysle Blvd in McKeesport. Participants gathered at 8:30am to honor friends, family, and neighbors who have been killed while walking or biking in McKeesport and throughout the region. The centerpiece of the event was a memorial tree decorated with the names of traffic violence victims in the Greater Pittsburgh area and beyond.
The event was organized in partnership with QCares Foundation, founded by McKeesport resident Courtney Thompkins after the tragic loss of her daughter, Quanisha Lashay Ball, who was struck and killed by a speeding driver in 2022 in Atlanta. Her story shows us why the need for safe streets is both widespread and urgent.
We were also grateful to hear from the family of Taylor Mehalcik, who was killed in McKeesport while riding her bike this past summer, and friends of Bobby Paige, a McKeesport resident who was killed while walking in Oakland last month.
After the memorial, attendees set out for a walk audit of Lysle Blvd during the busiest part of rush hour, to showcase the challenges along this corridor from Coursin St to Sinclair St. Participants observed the many ways the current street design fails people walking, using mobility devices, and biking to work, medical appointments, the Senior Plaza, daycare, stores, and the many nearby bus stops. High-speed traffic, wide crossings, broken and malfunctioning pedestrian signals, and limited pedestrian infrastructure were among the glaring issues highlighted.
McKeesport residents and community leaders also learned that change is possible. PennDOT is recommending a “road diet” for Lysle Blvd because, as we saw on our walk, there are more driving lanes than necessary. This unnecessary width combined with other factors like signal timing causes drivers to speed and takes up space that could be used for wider sidewalks, bike lanes, and bus lanes.
Thank you to everyone who joined us to remember, reflect, and push for safer streets in McKeesport and beyond.
See event coverage from WTAE here
Our area is home to some of the most dangerous intersections and streets in the state, especially for people who bike and walk
According to PennDOT Crash Facts & Statistics, from 2020 to 2024, Allegheny County reported 258 pedestrian injuries and 74 pedestrian fatalities. We also know there were 7 bicyclist deaths due to roadway-related incidents across the County in that time.
In the City of Pittsburgh, pedestrians and cyclists suffer a disproportionate number of serious injuries and fatalities, with pedestrians and bicyclists accounting for about one-third of all traffic deaths. Over the same 5-year period within the City of Pittsburgh, traffic violence claimed the lives of 107 Pittsburghers, including 27 pedestrians and 5 bicyclists, with another 107 pedestrians seriously injured (see the data here). There are likely many more crashes that result in serious injuries because many go unreported.
The official data doesn’t include 2025. This year we are aware of these pedestrians and bicyclists who were killed by drivers on our streets:
- Jeremy Leval, pedestrian killed at Forbes & Pride in Uptown
- Andre Reynolds, pedestrian killed ar Vine & Fifth in Uptown
- Dana Fountain, pedestrian killed at Rhine & Buente in Spring Hill
- Yvonne May, pedestrian killed at 28th and Sidney in South Side
- Indipile Shea, pedestrian killed on McKnight Rd in Ross
- Taylor Mehalcik, bicyclist killed on Eden Park Blvd in McKeesport
- Bobby Paige, pedestrian killed at Forbes & Oakland Ave in Oakland
And we expect there are more who were not reported on.
No matter how many tools are out there and analysis done, it doesn’t bring back a life that is lost, nor the toll that each death has on a community. It is important that we use this World Day of Remembrance to call on us to pay attention to this public health crisis that roadways bring to a community.
What you can do in Pittsburgh to make our streets safer
Get involved locally. BikePGH helps local bike and pedestrian neighborhood groups work on making their streets safer for people who are biking and walking. These groups learn how to organize and advocate for their communities. Email advocacy@bikepgh.org to get connected with your local group, and sign up for our Outspoken Newsletter to get the latest advocacy opportunities in your inbox each month!
Learn about policies and laws that can improve roadways. Many traffic engineers, designers, advocates, and policy makers believe that well designed streets can encourage safer driving behavior. Unfortunately, there are a lot of policies out there that dictate what engineers, planners and local government agencies can legally design for a street. Learning more about advantageous policies that give flexibility and tools to the designers, engineers, planners, and government to fund projects can help give more control to those who want to improve and update outdated policies and design guidelines. Advocating and encouraging things like Complete Street Policies and Vision Zero Policies in your area is one place to get started.
Join the movement! Starting local and getting involved are two great places to get started. Reaching out to organizations like BikePGH and getting involved with our work is another way to get involved. We’ll be happy to put you in touch with other organizations who are doing similar work in the City and of the greater Pittsburgh area.
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