PITTSBURGH — East Liberty is one of the fastest growing and changing neighborhoods in the city. New data shows 90% of residents are concerned about the safety of walkers and bikers.
“I think this area is a nightmare. There are a lot of cars going by you so close and at a high speed,” said Alexander Schwall who lives in Friendship.
In fact, the city estimates the average daily traffic for four main corridors tops 10,000 cars a day. With more cars, there are more problems.
“It’s even harder for people to get across the street,” said Abraham Taylor who lives in East Liberty.
The city has studied the data and pulled the numbers. From 2016 to 2020, there were 625 crashes with 68 involving pedestrians and 22 including bicycles. Now it’s looking to the public to help make a change prioritizing safety.
“I think the hardest thing is to reduce the traffic but optimize the area for pedestrians and bicycles. Having just dedicated bike paths would be critical,” Schwall said.
The Department of Mobility and Infrastructure is asking for suggestions at five corridors with the highest crash ratings to include Penn Avenue, Centre Avenue, Negly Avenue, Highland Avenue and East Liberty Boulevard. Changes could include traffic circles, bike lanes and curb extensions for shorter crosswalks.
“I think this a great step forward asking people and getting their thoughts on this and I think it increases buy in and demonstrates people are interested in more walkability,” Schwall said.
If you are interested in giving your feedback on the issues or how the city can improve the problems, you can follow this link: https://engage.pittsburghpa.gov/east-liberty-safety-plan
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