east liberty station: realizing the potential - City of Pittsburgh

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SHADY & PENN BICYCLE
LANES & ROAD DIET
A road diet is the conversion of a wide
street to a narrower one, such as the
conversion of a four-lane undivided
thoroughfare into a three-lane street
composed of two travel lanes and a twoway
left-turn lane. This conversion provides
additional space to accommodate other
desirable features such as bike lanes, wider
sidewalks, pedestrian refuges, transit
priority lanes, landscaping, or on-street
parking. Case studies demonstrate that
road diets reduce conflicts at intersections,
reduce accidents and have minimal
effects on traffic capacity and diversion
on thoroughfares under 20,000 vehicles
per day. According to 2011 traffic numbers
maintained by PennDOT, Penn Avenue
east of Shady Avenue carries about 13,600
vehicles per day .
Three-lane roadways can also improve
emergency response by allowing
emergency vehicles to bypass congestion
by using the two-way left-turn lane. They
create opportunities for pedestrian refuges
at midblock and intersection crossings and
eliminate the common “multiple threat”
hazards pedestrians experience crossing
four-lane roads. Other benefits include
easier egress from driveways (improved
sight distance), and smaller curb returns,
improvements for transit (allows curbside
stops outside of travel lane). Road diets
can improve the flow of traffic and reduce
travel speeds, particularly when used in
conjunction with roundabouts.
10’ 10’ 10’ 10’
40’
Existing Penn Avenue Section: East Liberty Boulevard to Shady Avenue
5’ 10’ 10’ 10’ 5’
40’
Proposed Penn Avenue Section: East Liberty Boulevard to Shady Avenue