A traffic calming project will begin Wednesday on Beltzhoover Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Allentown neighborhood, where traffic monitors have clocked vehicles at 63 miles an hour on the two-lane neighborhood street.
Crews are expected to work from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday to install a series of speed tables between Kathleen Street and East Warrington Avenue. Speed tables are raised, flat sections of the street designed to encourage drivers to slow down driving through an area.
The project also will include permanent signs so that motorists are aware of the speed tables and lines on the street delineating parking areas.
Flaggers will be stationed throughout the work area to allow alternating traffic. There could be some traffic delays during the work.
A traffic study in 2021 found that 70% of the average 3,621 vehicles that used the street every day were speeding.
The efforts to reduce speeding are part of Mayor Ed Gainey’s Vision Zero program for the city. Announced a year ago, the program’s goal is to eliminate all fatal crashes and includes a board that examines an area after a fatal crash to recommend changes to reduce the likelihood of future fatalities.
“This project on Beltzhoover Avenue is about protecting lives and strengthening the sense of safety in Allentown,” Mayor Ed Gainey said in a news release. “It’s one more step toward building a city where no one has to fear for their safety just getting around their community.”
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.