Traffic-calming measures come to Pittsburgh’s Chartiers neighborhood

Pittsburgh crews started construction on the latest area to get traffic calming measures Wednesday: Chartiers Avenue in the Chartiers neighborhood in the West End.

The project will include speed tables, painted bump-outs to shorten the distance crossing intersections, and traffic islands on wide streets so pedestrians have a safe haven if they can’t get all the way across the street. The work between Windgap Avenue and Middletown Road began Wednesday and should be finished by the end of the day Thursday.

The city’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure decided to move ahead with the work after a study showed that 89% of motorists exceeded the speed limit of 25 miles an hour. The five-block area includes Chartiers Playground, which has a football field, and Chartiers Childhood Learning Center.

The work will involve installing speed tables at two locations, between Warfle and Suter streets and Suter and Middletown Road. Traffic islands with soft posts will be added or improved at Suter and Middletown.

Pedestrian crossing improvements will be made at intersections at Merle Street and at Middletown. Those will include painting lines to prevent parking too close to the intersection and to narrow the crossing distance, which also should slow traffic.

“We’re focused on protecting and improving the ability of all residents to move around
safely on Chartiers Avenue,” Mayor Ed Gainey said in a news release. “Hopefully, some of these measures will have motorists be more aware of the posted speed limit sign.”

Flaggers are expected to be on duty during the work to allow alternating traffic through the work area. New road signs and pavement markings will be added next week.