PITTSBURGH — For some, the new bike lanes being painted on Penn Avenue in the Strip District this week are confusing.
“Oh definitely,” said Betty Sypien of Bethel Park. “Definitely, because people don’t know what to do.”
The bike symbol hasn’t yet been painted the entire length of the bike lane. Channel 11 saw crews doing that on Wednesday.
That has a lot of people worried about safety, especially as drivers get used to having just one lane.
“I think losing the two lanes for traffic flow is going to be a bit of an issue with congestion, especially during rush hour, something like that, or peak times for shopping,” said Todd Bair, General Manager of Albert’s Gifts.
Some are worried the bike lanes could hurt business.
“I don’t think it’s fair to the merchants,” Sypien said. “They put their life and soul into their business and to provide for all the people here. I really feel it’s really, really bad business.
Paul Van, who works on Penn Avenue in the Strip District, closer to downtown, disagreed.
“I honestly think the impact of the business has been kind of overstated,” he said. “I think when we make the place better for pedestrians and bikers, we get more business, we get more people coming down the strip, and wanting to come down the strip, especially on the bus and stuff.
Bair said the bus is one thing he’s most concerned about. There’s a bus stop right in front of his store.
“With the bus stop there, people waiting at the bus stop, they have to actually have to physically walk out 10, 15 feet into that area,” Bair told Channel 11’s Andrew Havranek. “People walking out blindly to the bus and bikers coming down without the thought of pedestrians crossing? That’s a concern.”
He said he’s not worried the bike lane will hurt business. But he said he does understand why some businesses are worried — especially as you get closer to downtown.
“We have our own loading dock, we have an alley way in the back to receive all our shipments,” Bair said. “They don’t have that luxury. How are they going to get those shipments, is there going to be any confusion there?”
Channel 11 reached out to the City of Pittsburgh on Wednesday. A spokesperson sent the following statement.
“When long-standing travel patterns are changed, it can take some time for the traveling public to fully adjust. During this transition period, some motorist confusion is expected, especially while construction is still underway. To help with this adjustment, temporary “NEW TRAFFIC PATTERN AHEAD” signs have been installed to give drivers advance notice of the changes. This section of Penn Avenue remains an active construction zone as contractors and City crews complete the installation of pavement markings, signage, and flexible posts. We appreciate the community’s patience and understanding during this time and encourage all motorists to proceed with caution and care as we work to improve the corridor for everyone.”
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