WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Vincent, Visitor
“Lifelong Pittsburgher who wants to preserve our historic community”
Nicholas, Visitor
“As someone who used to work at Wholey’s, I’ve seen a just how congested Penn Avenue can be without all the additional traffic from Liberty Avenue and Smallman Street. If the city goes ahead with restricting Penn to one lane, you might as well just remove the road completely since you wouldn’t be able to get anywhere afterwards because of the standstill traffic you’ll have. Do not restrict Penn Avenue, and quit screwing around with the already terrible road layouts of Pittsburgh.”
Nancy, Visitor
“When I come visit my dad I look forward to going to the Strip District. It is a great place”
Joseph, Visitor
“I used to live in the strip, now i visit about 6 times a year. KEEP THE STRIP AS IS”
Trish, Visitor
“Businesses need consumers in their stores. This plan would drive money away from them during construction and even afterwards, as parking becomes more scarce and shops become less accessible to many unable to walk distances, or unwilling to carry many and possibly heavy purchases several blocks back to a parking area. This serves only the young bikers with less disposable income.”
Steven, Visitor
“With all of the bike lanes being installed in Pittsburgh, I hardly see any cyclists using them. Enough is enough.”
Jesse, Visitor
“This would hinder me plans to visit this summer and for all home games! I might just travel to the away games this year to avoid the chaos”
Ryan, Visitor
“The Strip is our local grocery store and weekend destination. We’ve already lost so many local stores replaced with chains (Chipotle, Starbucks, Poser Books, Shake Shack, and more). I mean how many more mini-golf bars does the strip need?
They forced out Lefty’s for no good reason. Don’t kill the strip. It’s one of the last remaining true Pittsburgh areas left in the city.”
Samuel, Resident
“Please do not tamper with the Strip. It needs continued support from the City to maintain and grow the businesses and shops that are here. Please.”
Lee, Visitor
“I used to visit The Strip daily. It is now seriously overdeveloped to the point of frustration. I limit my trips, If Penn Ave is reduced to one lane, I am sure that I will not be shopping there. I can’t even imagine the accidents that will happen. It will truly be an economic loss as I know many people who avoid the chaos already.”
John, Visitor
“This will drive people away if plan is implemented.”
Sandra, Resident
“It’s absolutely insane what the mayor is doing to this wonderful community. The current administration has ruined downtown and they will ruin the strip district. What makes this place so charming is the historical culture and the small family owned business that have been the backbone of this community. There has never been an accident in the 8 years I’ve lived here on Penn Ave. The plans to change to one line is an evil plan to drive out small business. Eventually, the strip will become like southside – yet another area that has been ruined. Fix downtown and make this area a place people want to live again.”
Annabelle, Employee
“This would be something that would be detrimental to the pittsburgh economy and infrastructure. Something I believe would cause more accidents and damage to the town. There is no reason this actually would help Pittsburgh and the Strip in any way. We have had this for so long no reason to change this and negatively effect the Strip District.”
Kristen, Employee
“Penn Ave cannot be cut down to one lane. It is a main artery road and is my main access to my employment. If Penn Ave is cut to one lane, I may have to find a different job. This will hurt more Yinzers than it would help. Please actually think about this instead of using numbers on a spreadsheet to make your decision.”
Kennedy, Employee
“Getting down there is already a hassle and parking is terrible. Don’t do this and make it worse, the strip is a fun area and it should be expanded not made smaller”
Lauren, Employee
“Work on Smallman Street”
Sam, Employee
“As if getting around the city isn’t hard enough, let’s RESTRICT the lanes of traffic. This is a disaster waiting to happen and will have long lasting negative effects on the community and will only make it more frustrating to navigate the city and surrounding neighborhoods. I could not be more against this. What a joke. Quit trying to make quick money and focus on genuinely improving quality of life for residents. Not everything needs to be gentrified to be considered “improved.””
Deborah, Visitor
“I’m a city of Pittsburgh resident and I think the strip district needs to be preserved and enhanced in fact to keep and preserve this unique asset for residence and for visitors and tourists.”
Ashley, Employee
“Please stop ruining our city for financial gain. Our football stadium is now a corporate shrill of itself. Pond Lockey has a ridiculously awful billboard over the city. Just stop.”
Amber, Visitor
“I was born in Pittsburgh. Spent my youth on that strip, cutting it down into a one lane would be horrible for the strip and the businesses on the trip will most likely close. We cannot do this.”
Erich, Visitor
“We go to the Strip for shopping and fun at least once a month. Penn Av is its main artery. Keep it as it is!”
Melissa, Visitor
“It works fine as it is. Leave it alone please. People can walk–we're not a huge metropolis.”
Brianna, Resident & Visitor
“I love visiting the strip district during the winter and summer time. It’s amazing place to get amazing food and sports clothes.
This place made me fall in love with the city.”
Shelby, Visitor
“I'm a medically complex patient with chronic pain who relies on Hieber's for medication. Being able to drive and limiting how much I walk is necessary for me to have access to a brick-and-mortar pharmacy. Please don't interfere with the accessibility of the Strip District for people like me, for whom walking the distances necessary for pedestrianized zones is painful on a good day and impossible on a bad day.”
Janet, Visitor
“This street is already too congested with 2 lanes for cars. You’ll be driving customers away from the businesses that are already struggling. Bike riders need to be held to the same road laws as car drivers!”
Braydon, Employee & Visitor
“Doesn't make any sense. It would cause an unbelievable amount of traffic. Everyone would have to stop and wait for people parallel parking. I don't even know how delivery trucks would be able to stop and deliver their packages. It's illogical.”
Mike, Visitor
“I love this place. So many memories. Don't let these clowns destroy communities”
Jed, Resident
“I live on the corner of Penn Avenue and 32nd street. I can’t imagine the backup if this plan went through. As is, the road is already “bike friendly” and these people usually make a point of not letting cars pass. This is a horrible idea to appease a loud and vocal minority. Many of whom likely don’t even pay taxes!”
Mary, Visitor
“I have nothing against progress, however the strip district and the businesses in it are an integral part of our city and culture. if you push these businesses, that have become part of our Pittsburgh community, out, you will only succeed in destroying what is one of the best parts of our city. I’m begging you to listen to these businesses and work with them to keep our beloved Strip District in the manner which has become a major destination for all who live and visit our city.”
Jaqueya, Employee
“This road was not designed for bikes and will cause a lot of traffic backup.”
William, Visitor
“We have entirely too many bike lanes in the city. If I saw people using these, I could understand the enthusiasm for them. However, I rarely every see these being used. Limiting traffic in one of our cities biggest tourist areas would be ridiculous. Stop the madness!”
Jonathan, Visitor
“The traffic already backs up meaningfully with two lanes and the restricted access just one block over on Smallman.
Please leave Penn Ave alone and keep some semblance of continuity of use and history.”
John, Visitor
“Making Penn Ave a single lane will keep people from wanting to visit. If the plan is to put in a single lane with a bike lane, there is a dedicated bike lane one street over”
Angela, Business Owner
“There are no shortages of places for people to safely bike and walk around the strip with the current layout. Bike lanes are clearly marked that allow bikes and vehicles to comfortably share the road and sidewalks are plentiful for pedestrians . Additionally, there are many side streets, where traffic is extremely light, that anyone who takes the time to learn the city, can easily navigate on their bicycles. The small businesses, which have been the heart and soul of the strip, would drastically suffer. Parking is already at a minimum and receiving truck loads is extremely challenging as it is.”
Richard, Visitor
“Added congestion will choke businesses that have been here for 120+years. There is not another HISTORIC shopping district in this city. Please stop this woke mayors plans immediately!”
Dana, Business Owner
“The project would create a bottle neck for anyone coming in or going out. It could be a huge safety issue costing hundreds of lives, if their we a fire, flooding, or any emergency, because first responders can’t get in, people can’t get out. Huge occupancy of renters in the high rise complexes. Plus regular traffic and deliveries.”
James, Visitor
“This is a crazy idea and to what benefit? Penn should remain as-is. A single lane will clog it and take away the charm/businesses in the area. This mayor has come up with a lot of bad ideas but this the one of the worst, which says an awful lot.”
Paula, Visitor
“Pittsburgh would not be the same without the Strip District!”
Anita, Visitor
“I am a Pittsburgher, frequent visitor to the Strip, and I cyclist BUT oppose Penn Ave being reduced to one lane for bike traffic. Now that Railroad is developed and open, I easily use that street for access into/through the strip district with no problem.”
Emily, Resident
“I am all of these things. When I drive into downtown every morning I get so frustrated at the stanwix street light at Liberty because of the lane consolidation. Even with the bike lane, the city is still not walkable or bikeable, we need better planning, don’t just close lanes, and then pat yourself on the back, actually put the work in and put a plan together that makes sense for more than one group of people.”
Eric, Visitor
“I cannot say more strongly to leave the strip district as it is and follow the lead of the business owners and residents.”
Samantha, Visitor
“I have a catering business and shop in district often. It’s congested as is. I can’t imagine 1 lane. It would defiantly push me to avoid the area and get products elsewhere.”
Nicholas, Business Owner
“It will make it much more difficult for customers & employees to get to & from our location. Loading & unloading will be more expensive. With only one travel lane when any vehicle stops or double parks traffic comes to a halt. That includes buses, trucks and cars.”
Cory, Business Owner
“It is proven that the best way to make changes to complex systems to avoid unintended negative consequences is an incremental approach. The default position should be to start with least invasive/smallest scale change possible and measure the results. In this case, if pedestrian/ vehicular safety is the concern, adding stop signs, cross walks and more policing/enforcement of traffic laws would be the best place to start. Narrowing the road, creating curb bump outs and adding bike lane will restrict traffic and create back ups issues for anyone using Penn- ultimately making it more difficult for customers to access the Strip.
Based on accurate crash and accident data, this is an outsized solution to solve an almost non existent problem.
Taken in conjunction with plans for Liberty avenue, the proposed changes will suffocate the Penn Ave business district.”
Karis, Visitor
“Bike lanes are great, but not here! Thanks!”
Sue, Resident
“The existing bike lanes on Smallman Street appear to be under utilized so it is not clear why Penn Avenue needs this. This is also creating animosity between a biking community and a non-biking community, In addition to threatening the vibrant activity and commerce in the strip district. It is already difficult to drive down Penn Ave., find parking, ensure the safety of pedestrians, etc. Limiting traffic to one lane will only harm the rest of the strip district and increase bottlenecks on every other street. Valuable infrastructure in this part of town should include parking, not biking.”
Pete, Resident
“Stupid ideas”
Crystle, Visitor
“We love coming here. We come at least 8 times a year. Stop destroying the Strip”
Anthony, Visitor
“Restricting Penn Ave to a single lane in The Strip will make an already congested, over-developed mess into an untenable disaster. Right now, the *only* easily navigable part of The Strip is Penn Ave. Restricting it to one lane will make restocking the businesses along it unnecessarily difficult, cause massive backups in already over-trafficked areas (like the intersection of 21st & Smallman), and turn a historically rich and culturally relevant neighborhood into a parking lot. The Strip is already losing its identity to rising property costs and an influx of outside wealth. Breaking it up further with this stupid idea is a death sentence.”
Olivia, Resident
“Traffic is already bad enough, why reduce to a 1 lane road? I’ve also heard a Trader Joe’s is opening in the strip (seems odd given that there are plenty of grocery options here), but would increase traffic even further.
Also, having more paid parking lots (at insanely high rates) isn’t a solution to increased traffic either. I’m not sure what the purpose of the single lane road is, but if it is pedestrian safety I think there are more innovative options in 2025 than reducing lanes.”