New metropolis map goals to cut back pedestrian deaths by means of lighting and improved walkways

The Department of Mobility and Infrastructure for the City of Pittsburgh announced on Wednesday its plan to improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians over the next decade.

City officials hope the plan will provide “clear steps to make walking in Pittsburgh safer, more attractive, and ultimately to encourage more people to choose the most short-haul routes.”

The plan includes a number of political and infrastructural improvements that should help reduce pedestrian accidents and make the city’s streets safer.

According to data from the US Census Bureau, cited in the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, 11.3% of Pittsburgh residents walk or cycle to work, but “the proportion of road fatalities is overrepresented”. However, a data analysis by the nonprofit Governors Highway Safety Association found that the number of pedestrian deaths in Pennsylvania decreased by 18% from 2019 to 2020.

Over the next decade, the city will conduct research to identify places where infrastructure investment is needed – such as improving lighting at high-risk intersections, designing sidewalks ADA-compliant, and ensuring pedestrian areas such as sidewalks and sidewalks are connected and are easy to navigate.

The plan was developed by DOMI and the Federal Highway Administration along with a group of local stakeholders from the Pittsburgh Complete Streets Advisory Committee. The plan is part of a broader push by city authorities to ensure the roads can accommodate a variety of modes of transport, such as pedestrians and cyclists.