Nominate the most dangerous intersections in Pittsburgh (Penn Hills, Wilkinsburg: neighborhood, safer)

[dissident]

This summer has seen bicyclists tragically mowed down in Point Breeze, both on Penn Ave in the general area of the Evergreen Cafe. I personally believe that a combination of high-speed drivers, blessed with 4 lanes of traffic in either direction north from Braddock Ave and south from East Liberty, are taken by surprise by the sudden appearance of parked cars. Quite suddenly, all those cars are forced from 4 lanes into 2 -- it seems that it would be easy to "miss" an under-equipped cyclist or un-wary pedestrian...just before you hit them. Crunch and smoosh.

This might give you a street view demonstration of what I mean: Google Maps

So, there's that.

I hereby nominate the intersection of Penn and Carnegie Pl as the most dangerous intersection in Pittsburgh

A close second: The intersection of Liberty Ave, Baum Blvd, and Atlantic Ave...where I and one older lady nearly got creamed by TWO cars making lefts onto Baum from Liberty. We had green lights, but the jerks driving the Mini Coopers and the cement truck decided to "Pittsburgh Left" it after the green arrow went away. I actually cross Liberty at a non-pedestrian crossing to avoid this traffic pattern. Even worse, there are "no pedestrian" crossing signs in the intersection where it might actually be safer for them to cross. This happens every time liberty at baum blvd pittsburgh - Google Maps

3rd: I nominate an intersection just 4 or 5 blocks away: Baum Blvd at Negley Ave. This bizarre intersection forms a triangle of several well-traveled streets. Baum Blvd, Negley Ave, Roup Ave, and Centre Ave, depending on the direction of travel. Negley and Baum present a serious danger to pedestrians, cyclists and motorist every day. I have personally witnessed two separate fatal car and motorcycle accidents here. It's almost as if both Negley and Baum were designed for highway traffic in the middle of a pedestrian-dense neighborhood. Dumb.

[BrianTH]

This is an interesting resource (and confirms that Penn Avenue is a huge problem):

Target 11: Pittsburgh's Most Dangerous Roads | www.wpxi.com

Forbes and Dallas and Forbes and Beechwood are pretty problematic as well.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Forbes and Dallas and Forbes and Beechwood are pretty problematic as well.

In Fall 2011 a woman in an SUV ran a red light at the intersection of Forbes & Dallas and totaled my sedan. Just prior to this accident my roommate's ex-roommate witnessed a pile-up at this intersection en route to work in Regent Square. More recently another colleague was in a terrible car accident here. Last month I was nearly in another terrible collision when I went to turn left from Beechwood onto Beacon (no stop sign) while an opposing SUV didn't stop at HIS stop sign heading eastbound on Beechwood past Beacon.

I don't know what the "solution" is; however, that entire corridor of Forbes/Beacon/Beechwood/Dallas is in dire need of a major overhaul. I actually never quite understood why Pittsburgh didn't have more rotaries/roundabouts.

[I_Like_Spam]

The intersections on Liberty Ave between the Herron and Bloomfield bridges always look like accidents ready to happen.

The road is a bit faster for cars after making it through the strip or Bloomfield business districts and with heavy bicycle traffic, busses and trucks, I'm suprised more folks don't get killed on that stretch.

[SteelCityRising]

Another bad intersection would have to be Race Street and East Swissvale Avenue in Edgewood. Cars coming up the hill from Race Street and turning right onto East Swissvale Avenue have a stop sign along with an "Except Right Turn" sign beneath it. The other evening while working I was driving northbound on East Swissvale Avenue (towards Wilkinsburg) and was going to make a left onto Race Street. Cars heading southbound on East Swissvale Avenue (from Wilkinsburg) are supposed to yield the right-of-way to oncoming traffic turning left onto Race Street (yours truly) AND cars coming up the hill from Race Street and turning right. Guess what? First one car at the stop sign proceeds into the intersection and nearly collides with a vehicle turning right from Race Street in my opposing lane and then the car BEHIND that one at the stop sign proceeds to NOT yield the right-of-way to me as I was turning left onto Race!

I reiterate: Why aren't there more rotaries/roundabouts?

[SteelCityRising]

Yet another bad intersection would have to be where that mystery yield sign is on Beechwood Boulevard in Greenfield where neither vehicles approaching Greenfield from the residential part nor the Forward Avenue part seem to slow down or yield to one another.

[BrianTH]

I agree a roundabout at Forbes and Dallas seems like the obvious solution to the problems there.

[villageidiot1]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Yet another bad intersection would have to be where that mystery yield sign is on Beechwood Boulevard in Greenfield where neither vehicles approaching Greenfield from the residential part nor the Forward Avenue part seem to slow down or yield to one another.

I always get an uncomfortable feeling at that yield sign. Between that and merging on to the Parkway to head east, I usually avoid Squirrel Hill and head up to Swissvale/Edgewood.

[Tirade]

The worst one I've seen in this city is Bausman, Brownsville, Hays, and Amanda.

Here's what it looks like when you approach it from Bausman: Bausman, Brownsville, Hays - Google Maps

The reason why this intersection is horrible is because both Bausman and Hays get a green light at the same time despite being on opposite sides of the intersection Even worse is that visibility is limited due to the hill on Bausman and surrounding buildings. So when you're making a left on to Brownsville, you've got to contend with cars speeding through intersection on Hays or making their own left turns on to Bausman. And when you do make the turn, you need to hit the pedal hard to make sure you don't get rear-ended from people speeding in from Hays.

I nearly got in an accident the first time I did this because I had no idea that both sides of the intersection had green lights at the same time. I'm honestly surprised that I don't see an accident every time I go through here.

[sparrowmint]

I don't know how it compares to elsewhere, but I sure hate the Frankstown Road/Beulah Road & Coal Hollow Road/Laketown Road five way intersection in Penn Hills, which is complicated further by people trying to get in and out of the Get-Go on both Coal Hollow Road and Frankstown Road, and also people turning left on Penn Oak Dr beside the CVS.