Heads up, Bloomfield and Lawrenceville locals: Construction work aimed at bolstering pedestrian safety is kicking off in your stomping grounds. The Lawrenceville Safety Suite is set to introduce several safety upgrades along prominent intersections, pioneered by the city's ambition to put a firm stop to traffic fatalities, as the City of Pittsburgh reported.
Looking at what's on the docket, Penn Avenue will see fresh pedestrian crossing islands at its 39th and Fisk Street intersections. These islands pull double duty, serving as a refuge for pedestrians and restricting left-hand turns to curb those dreaded angle crashes and commuting through Main Street between Penn Avenue and Butler Street. Make a note of ‘chokers’ in the works, ready to tighten up car flow and quash the temptation of sidewalk parking.
According to the city press release, Mayor Ed Gainey supports this shake-up, as quoted in a bulletin disseminated on a government website, "Change may be uncomfortable, but it is necessary to do what’s right for the city." Gainey wants a future with zero traffic-related deaths, and these alterations mark a stride toward that goal.
The Safety Suite got the green light in response to grim crash data captured from 2018-2022, highlighting hotspots like Penn Avenue at Main Street with 20 crashes and a loss of life. That roadway work will cruise into high gear in just a week, starting October 7th.
