Getting to Zero

When it comes to eliminating traffic fatalities, the City, PDP and Downtown’s bike community won’t settle for anything less than ‘Vision Zero.’

On April 10th, members of the Pittsburgh bike community gathered on the corner of Stanwix St. and Liberty Ave to dedicate a ‘ghost bike’ to James Mills, a cyclist who was fatally injured while riding in the very same spot a few weeks prior.

The somber event featured remarks from cycling advocates, before permanently locking the bike to a nearby signpost. Afterwards, attendees went on a brief group bike ride throughout Downtown, concluding at the location where Mills completed his final ride.

Ghost bikes, which feature a bicycle painted all white with a plaque commemorating a fallen cyclist, serve as long-lasting memorials to remind motorists and others of the perils cyclists often face using city streets.

Unfortunately, occurrences like this one are all too common. Between 2010 and 2022, 245 Pittsburghers lost their lives to traffic incidents. 64 were pedestrians, and eight were riding bicycles, comprising roughly a third of all traffic fatalities.

For this reason, the City of Pittsburgh recently committed to Vision Zero, a promise to eliminate all local traffic fatalities, while increasing safe, healthy and equitable mobility for all. This goal requires City leaders to make improvements to intersections and build more protective roadway facilities designed for vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians.

As an organization dedicated to making the Golden Triangle safer and more accessible to all, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership joins the City in its commitment towards making Vision Zero a reality. From installing pedestrian improvements on Penn Ave and 6th Street, to facilitating traffic calming projects in and around Market Square, to advocating for infrastructure projects that enhance bike lane safety and increase protective barriers, we believe everyone deserves a Downtown that welcomes all who walk, roll, drive, or ride through our streets.