Pittsburgh Public Safety and PennDOT announced traffic adjustments in the South Side starting this weekend.
The changes are an attempt to make the area safer after a recent increase in gun violence and crime. Overcrowding has also led to issues with pedestrians and traffic safety concerns.
"The idea is to try to limit some of the vehicle traffic on Carson St. to allow more space for emergency vehicles, more space for pedestrians off of the sidewalk," said Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich at a press conference last week. "The sidewalk is only three foot across and it limits the number of people and they start to filter in to traffic, which becomes a gridlock situation."
The following changes will begin this weekend and will be in place for the foreseeable future:
- Between the hours of 7 p.m. until 4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, vehicle traffic will be allowed OUTBOUND ONLY on E. Carson Street between S.10th and S.18th Streets.
- Side streets from S.11th to S.17th inclusive will be closed to traffic. Vehicles will be diverted around those streets via either Muriel Street or Sarah Street. Only valid residential permit holders will be allowed to enter these areas
- Only emergency vehicles and Port Authority buses will be allowed to travel in both directions on E. Carson
- Ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft will not be permitted on East Carson Street between S.10th and S.18th Streets. Passengers must arrange pick-up and drop-off points in advance, utilizing one of the open side streets
- Parking and deliveries will be prohibited on either side of E. Carson Street between 7 p.m. and 4 a.m.
- Pittsburgh Bureau of Police officers will be posted in key areas to ensure the safe flow of traffic
- During this pilot period, PennDOT is working closely with the City of Pittsburgh to halt overnight work in connection with its East Carson Street Improvement Project
