“I agree there should be safer passage for bikes, but what about better pedestrian right-of-ways on Smallman with safer crosswalks or even sidewalks, a bike lane on Railroad Street, or making bikers take the trail that is only blocks away? I don't think limiting Penn to one lane will help with the flow of traffic. I think there are much more important issues we need to address before we mess with Penn Ave.”

“Don't fix what isn't broken.
And never forget where you come from. We own the first historically restored building in The Strip, the No. 7 Engine Company, home of Bar Marco, a first class restaurant and good neighbor.
What you're planning to do will destroy the character of the Strip and drive people away who drive there to shop. Why would you wait a half hour to park when you could just go to a supermarket?
Because The Strip has personality and history that is unmatched in America. That's right, unmatched, where you can browse a dozen different ethnic markets in an 8 or 9 block stretch.
Please preserve our personality and our businesses.
Your plan for change is a huge step backwards.”

“Bicyclists do not stop at the stores to purchase anything.. There are plenty of other roads in the city that they've already caused congestion with these hazardous bicycle lines.. They are annoying and dangerous in a high traffic areas. The traffic on Penn Ave is bad enough let alone taking away for a bicycle lane. Please do not ruin this historical area.”

“Bikers barely follow the laws of the road as it is. They don't need more space to be even more dangerous.”

“This is a traffic nightmare and there is plenty of sidewalk room for pedestrians. Leave this area authentic. The stylized version of the strip with “instragram ready” spots on Smallman is fine for tourists but not authentic. Keep Penn authentic!”

“Smallman has a bike lane. If you're looking for a solution put in parking at each end with street trolleys as other cities do with their historic areas.
Please don't mess with something that has been such a unique attraction. I have been shopping at the strip for over 60 years. The only new problem I see with the influx of residential properties is parking.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it! You are just making a new problem.”

“I was a resident for years and unfortunately had to move for my job. I visit 4 times a year at minimum and ALWAYS stock up in the Strip.”

“Agree with all comments in the letter submitted by business owners. Adding bicycles to the mix of pedestrian, car and truck traffic has the potential for accidents in an already congested area.”

“As a passionate biker myself, I do not agree with the plans to make a portion of Penn Ave into a single lane.

I personally bike on Smallman where there is far less traffic and much safer as well as on the riverfront trail.

I drive that portion of Penn Avenue on a regular basis for my job. The strip district businesses rely heavily on having a 2nd lane for truck deliveries. The midwife center also relies on it for emergency vehicles.

I strongly feel that the bike lane would do more harm on that portion of Penn Ave than good. It would be much better to put a bike lane on Smallman or extend the already existing riverfront trail.

“I do believe actions do need to be taken to improve the safety but adjusting Penn to a single lane road at the proposed section is not practical. If a bike lane is a crucial component and want of this community then shifting focus on Smallman Street, Railroad Street, or the existing unconnected bike path along the river should be the logical step. Biking should be accessible but Penn Avenue is not the solution.”

“For a century this Pittsburgh landmark has served and drawn commerce and visitors to our city, with memories, provenance, and earning acclaim as a hub of interest nationally and internationally. Cutting into the heart of the city is as sensible as a cardiac surgeon doing bypass surgery only to change (not improve) a working organ not in need in a major surgical intervention.”

“How about speed bumps?”

“It is NOT broken, so don't fix it.”

“This is just a silly idea. The businesses still cater to patrons with vehicles parked at the curbs. Especially older patrons. People will park anyway and cause traffic nightmares.

You should rethink this plan.”

“I currently live in Plum Boro, and frequent the strip at least twice a month to shop and visit the strip various restaurants. To put this proposal thru would be detrimental to the Strip District! less foot traffic=Less revenue for shops, vendors and of course the city. Not a good action to take!”

“The specialy stores in the strip depend on easy vehicle access and loading. Denying the region this valued resource for the sake of another underutilized bike lane is negligent beyond belief.”

“Penn Ave is so unique and historical. Penn Ave is already ruined in the Cultural District and I steer clear of the area. It is slow moving/ugly. I do not want this to happen to The Strip. Smallman street has turned into a constant traffic jam after the changes occurred.
I do a lot of volunteer work at St. Stan’s on 21st and the tourist tell me all the time how much they love the hustle bustle of neighborhood and means the uniqueness of Penn Ave and how it currently is! 2 lanes are essential for driving/parking/shopping/deliveries. I shop every week in the strip because it is “easy”. 1 lane and I am sure ugly changes will ruin the neighborhood/feel/history/business.
PLEASE KEEP IT AS IS!”

“My husband and I have lived in Pittsburgh for 7 years and love going to the Strip. It is our favorite place to take our family and friends who visit, too! I hope nothing will change!!”

“I am tired of these bike lanes-some are ok but there are way too many and I rarely ever see them being used by people on bikes. They take away from street parking where it is needed.”

“Why would you reduce traffic lanes at the BUSIEST section of Penn Ave in the Strip? Make it make sense”

“Leave it as is! The quirkiness makes the Strip great!”

“I live in Churchill. Literally everyone I know shops in the Strip District. For me it’s been 40 years! I understand very well the traffic-calming approach. It has worked well on Beechwood Blvd and in other locations. However, this proposal will do much more harm than good.. The merchants are correct. It will stifle business. The proposed alterations to the flow of traffic through the Strip District should be rejected.”

“My husband and I are at The Strip at least 4 times a month, sometimes more. Traffic is already terrible down there. This will make things exponentially worse. Do. Not. Do. This.”

“Keep it the way it is , its a burg thing”

“We have been a home owner in the Strip for 13 years. It was our dream to move to a historic renovated building. We have watched the Strip become less of what it should be. This would be another significant step backwards. There are already too few parking spots for the home owners. We cope, but removing additional parking spots will significantly damage our ability to live safely and peacefully.”

“The Strip is a destination when we visit family in Pittsburgh. Love the unique businesses. Please don’t change a thing!”

“They did this to the cultural district. I paid 150 bucks for a ticket. My husband missed 1/3 of the performance bcz of traffic. I saw 1 bike the entire night vs 1000’s of cars inconvenienced. I will never go back to the cultural district as long as it’s one lane. And I have money. Seems you should want me to come and spend it. This is ridiculous and antithetical to a good business rich city.”

“I think it’s a horrible idea Please don’t destroy our Historic Landmark”

“Leave the strip alone!! The ONLY REASON suburbanites even come to downtown any more is the strip. The strip is historic and lovely the way it is. You people have to quit with the bike lanes you want bike lanes put them along the river like the North shore, not in the middle of downtown, and especially not on the only Street that brings in people.”

“I have been visiting the strip district regularly since the mid 80’s. To move forward with the closure of one lane is a major mistake. It will certainly create traffic jams that many people from out of town such as my wife and I, will not be willing to negotiate. We live in Grove City and I think nothing of making the drive to the strip. However I have no interest in sitting in traffic at the end of this drive, no matter how much I enjoy the strip. We have already stopped going to Heinz Hall and the Benedum because of heavy traffic – resulting from limiting traffic to one lane from the convention center to the point.

I hope for your success in stopping this proposed action. If I could be of assistance please let me know.”

“I have shopped in the strip for over 60 years.
Many friends of mine from other cities love the strip as it is.
It is historic and people like that is a preserved part of the city.
You will ruin the whole vibe and ambiance of this area if you change it to what you believe is a modernization of the area.

Don't fix what is not broken!”

“Cyclists do not need access to the Strip side of Penn ave.
They can use Smallman, River Ave or the River trail.
Limiting traffic on Penn would exasperate congestion in the area. Business on Penn Ave need unhindered access for deliveries.

Lets preserve the Strip instead of over developing it.”

“I’ve spent my childhood in the Strip and cannot let this happen.”

“I live in the Strip District one block off of Smallman and 2 blocks off of Penn. Reducing Penn to one plane for cars and adding a bike lane would be a terrible idea. The businesses need the on-street parking and need two driving lanes to avoid even more congestion and traffic jams. A bike lane would make everything worse and I have only seen 2 bicyclists ever use the bike lanes that start by the 16th Street bridge going into the city. Bike lanes make the traffic much worse and are not utilized by hardly anyone.”

“Lived in Pittsburgh most of my adult life and visited the Strip countless times over the years along with my family and friends. Always take friends from out town to the Strip to “show it off” when they’re visiting. I urge you to keep the Strip, “the Strip”…preserve its history and appearance. Leave Penn Avenue alone!”

“I am an Uber/Lyft driver who has lived in & around Pittsburgh almost all of my life — over 50 years. I spend a LOT of time driving through the Strip. I love and support bike lanes and am pleased to have them throughout the city. HOWEVER, I do not think that this stretch of Penn Ave is a good place to put a bike lane. send that bike lane down Smallman St instead and keep maximum access for automobile traffic on Penn Ave. It is already congested enough. Limiting lanes for automobile traffic between 16th and 22nd is a BAD idea. PLEASE do not do it.”

“I work at 31st Street Studios and often patronize the Strip”

“The Strip is a Pgh treasure. People visit it when they come to Pgh, and some come because of the Strip! Do not make changes that will negatively affect these merchants.”

“Property and business owner on the Northside and frequent Strip visitor since the 1990s. I feel it's super important to maintain the character of the Strip District. This is a additional step in the wrong direction considering the Strip is already losing a lot of its original character and charm.”

“This Mayor has been a complete failure to the city from the moment he took office Its almost like he's trying to destroy the city and in many ways he has been successful in the destruction.”

“We live in NJ but are HUGE Pirates and Steelers fans. No trip to the Burg is complete without a trip to the Strip, especially when we always stay at the Hampton Inn right there!”

“These idiotic plans ruined downtown and the Southside, now you've moved your ignorance to the strip. STOP”

“The Strip District is a Pittsburgh tradition that attracts people from all over the world. If you make it too difficult for people to get here and park, it will die, hurting the Strip District and the city as a whole. It will also irreparably destroy the character of the area.”

“This is kind of ridiculous, and it's not gonna fix the problem. Putting in a bike lane when no one's biking in this commercial area? Not the best idea. I'd tell the city to reduce parking on Penn Ave instead, so traffic moves smoother. Maybe throw in some speed bumps to slow things down. Making it a single lane would be a disaster for residents and visitors. Nobody wants that. Check out other cities, what have they done to prevent accidents? I got to say, if they go through with this, I'll probably skip the Strip and go somewhere else. My time's too precious to be stuck in traffic.”

“The strip is a terrific place. It’s not broken so don’t try to fix it.”

“Don’t further restrict access to the strip district. It’s already a tight squeeze down there!”

“One of the best parts of the city. Why take that away?!!!”

“I love the atmosphere of the Strip. It is tough enough to get around and park. Cutting the lanes down would create a mess and would be very discouraging to go down there to shop”

“Let’s not take anymore streets for bikes there are enough already”

“This makes me so upset, I love bike riding but why on Penn Ave! There are so many bike trails in Pittsburgh. You may say commuters, but Bikers share the lanes all over Pittsburgh. Restricting this area to one lane is both dangerous and extremely unnecessary! This will create MORE problems for our city.”