Squirrel Hill residents concerned about traffic, safety risks

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REPORTER MARCIE CIPRIANI EXPLAINS THEIR FEARS. REPORTER THIS IS ONE OF THE BIG ISSUES THAT RESIDENTS IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD ARE CONCERNED WITH DRIVERS NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS CROSSWALK. IN FACT, THEY SAY AT RUSH HOUR WITH THE PANTHER HOLLOW BRIDGE CLOSED, THIS AREA HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY DANGEROUS. IT’S GOING TO GET DARK. EARLIER. I KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE. 25 YEARS I’VE LIVED HERE. CROSSING THE STREET IN THE DARK IS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS. AND THEN WE HAVE THE TRICK OR TREATERS COMING NEXT THURSDAY. CHRIS ZURAWSKY SAYS HE HAS BEEN CALLING 311. CITY OFFICIALS AND POLITICIANS ASKING FOR HELP HERE. HE CAPTURED THESE VIDEOS TO SHOW JUST HOW MUCH TRAFFIC HAS BEEN PUSHED ONTO WIGHTMAN. THIS IS THE INTERSECTION WITH DARLINGTON. THE RESIDENTS HERE SAY WITH THE ANDERSON BRIDGE CLOSED AND NOW PANTHER HOLLOW, THEY ARE WORRIED. THEY SAY THEY NEED SIGNS ENFORCEMENT OR AN ADDITIONAL DETOUR FOR DRIVERS WELL OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS ESPECIALLY, WE’VE SEEN CARS PILING BACK ALL THE WAY UP TO FORBES AND BEYOND, WAITING TO COME DOWN WIGHTMAN STREET. BECAUSE ESPECIALLY DURING THE RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. WE REACHED OUT TO SEVERAL OFFICIALS WITH THIS NEIGHBORHOOD’S CONCERNS. CITY OFFICIALS TELL ME THAT ENGINEERS ARE MONITORING THIS AREA TO DETERMINE IF A DETOUR NEEDS ADJUSTED, AND THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THIS AREA, BARB WARWICK, TELLS ME SHE HAS REACHED OUT TO ZONE FOUR AND ASKED OFFICERS TO MONITOR THIS AREA AS WELL. THEY SAY THEY COULD PUT IN A TEMPORARY FOUR WAY STOP. WE WILL BE FOLLOWING U

Squirrel Hill residents concerned about traffic, safety risks amid Panther Hollow Bridge closure

Residents in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh said they have been dealing with added traffic, congestion and drivers ignoring crosswalks after the closure of the Panther Hollow Bridge.The closure of the Charles Anderson Bridge, they said, had already sent traffic through their community.”It’s going to get dark earlier. I know what it’s like. Twenty-five years, I’ve lived here,” Chris Zurawsky said. “Crossing the street in the dark can be very dangerous, and then we have the trick-or-treaters coming next Thursday.”Zurawsky lives on Darlington Road, near Wightman Street.”I have two young children,” said Alice Brumley, who lives on Wightman. “One is in middle school, and the other one’s a fifth grader, and they like to walk around Squirrel Hill. It’s a safe neighborhood for them to walk around. But with all these cars coming through, and especially since many of them do not yield to pedestrians, it’s creating a dangerous situation.”Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 reached out to city officials and council member Barb Warwick.In a statement, Warwick wrote:I’ve alerted Zone 4 and DOMI to the issue at that intersection. They are sending an officer to evaluate if traffic direction is needed. Depending on what they come back with, I’m asking that DOMI put in some type of immediate traffic management (a temporary 4-way stop, for example)City officials said they have engineers monitoring the area to determine if detours need to be adjusted.”Over the last few days especially, we’ve seen cars piling back all the way up to Forbes (Avenue) and beyond, waiting to come down Wightman Street, especially during the rush-hour traffic,” said Brumley.”I don’t want this to be, like, a reactive situation where somebody ultimately gets hurt or there’s a serious accident. Let’s be proactive. Let’s take care of it now before somebody’s hurt,” said Zurawsky.

PITTSBURGH —

Residents in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh said they have been dealing with added traffic, congestion and drivers ignoring crosswalks after the closure of the Panther Hollow Bridge.

The closure of the Charles Anderson Bridge, they said, had already sent traffic through their community.

“It’s going to get dark earlier. I know what it’s like. Twenty-five years, I’ve lived here,” Chris Zurawsky said. “Crossing the street in the dark can be very dangerous, and then we have the trick-or-treaters coming next Thursday.”

Zurawsky lives on Darlington Road, near Wightman Street.

“I have two young children,” said Alice Brumley, who lives on Wightman. “One is in middle school, and the other one’s a fifth grader, and they like to walk around Squirrel Hill. It’s a safe neighborhood for them to walk around. But with all these cars coming through, and especially since many of them do not yield to pedestrians, it’s creating a dangerous situation.”

Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 reached out to city officials and council member Barb Warwick.

In a statement, Warwick wrote:

I’ve alerted Zone 4 and DOMI to the issue at that intersection. They are sending an officer to evaluate if traffic direction is needed. Depending on what they come back with, I’m asking that DOMI put in some type of immediate traffic management (a temporary 4-way stop, for example)

City officials said they have engineers monitoring the area to determine if detours need to be adjusted.

“Over the last few days especially, we’ve seen cars piling back all the way up to Forbes (Avenue) and beyond, waiting to come down Wightman Street, especially during the rush-hour traffic,” said Brumley.

“I don’t want this to be, like, a reactive situation where somebody ultimately gets hurt or there’s a serious accident. Let’s be proactive. Let’s take care of it now before somebody’s hurt,” said Zurawsky.

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