A friendly reminder about crossing the streets in our city (Philadelphia: hotel, homes)

[gg]

https://www.bikepgh.org/2018/03/19/v...-to-crosswalk/

Just thought it was nice of Bike Pittsburgh to make this and wanted to share. Be safe all.

[svband76]

Yes, totally agree. Worst crosswalk violations in the entire city of Pittsburgh happen at the crosswalk from Gateway Center to the Gateway Garage on the side of the Wyndham Hotel near Point Park.. Over 50% of all cars travel through the crosswalk at speeds up to 40 mph with zero regard of who's in the crosswalk waiting. This includes PAT Bus drivers. Policing of this area needs to be done and big fat tickets and jail time would curb this hazardous driving and ignorance.

[szug-bot]

thats great, and thanks for posting that. yesterday, in fact, a family likely downtown for the anti-school violence protests was stopped in a crosswalk by some jack off who rolled on through. they (the family) was just about 1/2 across the street, so its not like they were at the curb.

i would add to this video, though - pedestrians, when controlling the situation in a crosswalk where traffic on both sides has yielded....PLEASE MOVE ALONG a little faster than you would walking to the guillotine.

[tyovan4]

Traffic laws have no force within the City of Pittsburgh because the Police never enforce them. It is such a joke.
Why can't there be random blitzes where the police are just making it rain tickets to try to force drivers to make safer decisions within the City?
I understand that they're undermanned - but they have enough manning to provide for Yinzer priorities: there's always enough officers for Steelers games and for bar security.

Or, the idiotic Mayor with his technology fetishes can put GPS trackers on snowplows. But there are no redlight cameras within the City. Nobody drives through a green light in this city for 2-3 seconds after it turns green, because there's always some Yinzer jagoff blowing through the light 2-3 seconds after it turned red. Cameras would be a deterrent to this, promote safer behavior, and be a revenue stream.

[gg]

Originally Posted by tyovan4

Traffic laws have no force within the City of Pittsburgh because the Police never enforce them. It is such a joke.
Why can't there be random blitzes where the police are just making it rain tickets to try to force drivers to make safer decisions within the City?
I understand that they're undermanned - but they have enough manning to provide for Yinzer priorities: there's always enough officers for Steelers games and for bar security.

Or, the idiotic Mayor with his technology fetishes can put GPS trackers on snowplows. But there are no redlight cameras within the City. Nobody drives through a green light in this city for 2-3 seconds after it turns green, because there's always some Yinzer jagoff blowing through the light 2-3 seconds after it turned red. Cameras would be a deterrent to this, promote safer behavior, and be a revenue stream.

I hate to tell you, but yinzers are certainly not the worst drivers I encounter in our city. Steeler games also bring in HUGE money to the city and many yinzers have been priced out of going to the games themselves, so that is more business people these days. This isn't the 70's and there are hardly any yinzers around. Of course there are laborers/construction folks, so maybe you just want to put them down? Not sure.

[tyovan4]

Originally Posted by gg

I hate to tell you, but yinzers are certainly not the worst drivers I encounter in our city. Steeler games also bring in HUGE money to the city and many yinzers have been priced out of going to the games themselves, so that is more business people these days. This isn't the 70's and there are hardly any yinzers around. Of course there are laborers/construction folks, so maybe you just want to put them down? Not sure.

I'll just put down all Pittsburgh drivers equally. Driving here is a miserable experience. As is being a pedestrian downtown.

But again - address my main point:
Traffic laws have no force here, because the Police never enforce them here. Hence, people are able to drive like its just the Wild West without any fear of any sort of consequences.
Meanwhile, there are always enough Police officers to be present at sporting events and at bars.
There is technology available (red-light cameras) to help make driving here safer, but the City government is not interested in pursuing that avenue.
So driving here continues to be miserable and dangerous, because "that's just the way that it is".

It just infuriates me after almost a decade - the mindset in this region is SO incredibly parochial and simplistic: Pittsburgh is the greatest place on Earth. Any mention of addressing problems, or how to make things here better, is met with either disdain (like you just pissed on someone's grandmother's grave while calling here a ho) or just an apathetic shrug of the shoulders and a "that's how it is" attitude. Honestly, the population here is so incredibly apathetic and parochial... there's so much to sing the praises about in this city, but I honestly just hate the culture and the apathy here.

[gg]

Originally Posted by tyovan4

I'll just put down all Pittsburgh drivers equally. Driving here is a miserable experience. As is being a pedestrian downtown.

But again - address my main point:
Traffic laws have no force here, because the Police never enforce them here. Hence, people are able to drive like its just the Wild West without any fear of any sort of consequences.
Meanwhile, there are always enough Police officers to be present at sporting events and at bars.
There is technology available (red-light cameras) to help make driving here safer, but the City government is not interested in pursuing that avenue.
So driving here continues to be miserable and dangerous, because "that's just the way that it is".

It just infuriates me after almost a decade - the mindset in this region is SO incredibly parochial and simplistic: Pittsburgh is the greatest place on Earth. Any mention of addressing problems, or how to make things here better, is met with either disdain (like you just pissed on someone's grandmother's grave while calling here a ho) or just an apathetic shrug of the shoulders and a "that's how it is" attitude. Honestly, the population here is so incredibly apathetic and parochial... there's so much to sing the praises about in this city, but I honestly just hate the culture and the apathy here.

It is odd that police just don't care about speeding, crazy driving and so-on. This area is amazingly lax about it and I can't say I have ever experienced this in any other city ever. It is nuts really. People drive over 55mph around the zoo area for example and forget about the Highland Park Bridge, that is a 70mph zone I guess. Going down Butler from the zoo to Lawrenceville, you better be going 50 or you might rear ended. Texting while driving in our region? No one cares, so you might as well just do it. It is bad.

[fleetiebelle]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

i would add to this video, though - pedestrians, when controlling the situation in a crosswalk where traffic on both sides has yielded....PLEASE MOVE ALONG a little faster than you would walking to the guillotine.

And that's fine for able-bodied people, but the elderly, the disabled, people with children, etc. can take the time they need, that they have allotted, and drivers need to respect that (without honking and yelling.)

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Originally Posted by tyovan4

I'll just put down all Pittsburgh drivers equally. Driving here is a miserable experience. As is being a pedestrian downtown.

But again - address my main point:
Traffic laws have no force here, because the Police never enforce them here. Hence, people are able to drive like its just the Wild West without any fear of any sort of consequences.
Meanwhile, there are always enough Police officers to be present at sporting events and at bars.
There is technology available (red-light cameras) to help make driving here safer, but the City government is not interested in pursuing that avenue.
So driving here continues to be miserable and dangerous, because "that's just the way that it is".

It just infuriates me after almost a decade - the mindset in this region is SO incredibly parochial and simplistic: Pittsburgh is the greatest place on Earth. Any mention of addressing problems, or how to make things here better, is met with either disdain (like you just pissed on someone's grandmother's grave while calling here a ho) or just an apathetic shrug of the shoulders and a "that's how it is" attitude. Honestly, the population here is so incredibly apathetic and parochial... there's so much to sing the praises about in this city, but I honestly just hate the culture and the apathy here.

I am a Pittsburgh lover and will sing its praises but I absolutely agree traffic enforcement is atrocious except in certain towns that use traffic enforcement as a revenue stream. The city itself needs a reckoning regarding traffic enforcement as roadways become more congested with cars, bikes, and pedestrians. I live on a 25 mph road that should probably be 15 mph given the parking density and how close homes are to the street, but I would estimate the average speed is around 40 mph. It is even worse during rush hour with the steady stream of stressed out hospital employees getting off of work.

[szug-bot]

Originally Posted by tyovan4

I'll just put down all Pittsburgh drivers equally. Driving here is a miserable experience. As is being a pedestrian downtown.

But again - address my main point:
Traffic laws have no force here, because the Police never enforce them here. Hence, people are able to drive like its just the Wild West without any fear of any sort of consequences.
Meanwhile, there are always enough Police officers to be present at sporting events and at bars.
There is technology available (red-light cameras) to help make driving here safer, but the City government is not interested in pursuing that avenue.
So driving here continues to be miserable and dangerous, because "that's just the way that it is".

first bold: is it, though? with risk of derailing this discussion, really, I would put Manhattan, DC, and Philadelphia up there with driving stress. In Pittsburgh, most people are just stupid because they are so used to NOT being delayed (say, as an Angelino would) and therefore honk and tailgate and get huffy when they have to wait 3 seconds for a pedestrian. Doesn't phase me one bit - I drive the way I want to here. And I stop AT THE STOP BAR (a very abrupt act

second bold: let's get real. The cops do not drive the speed limit. They are jerks like anyone else. They will probably see speed control as dehumanizing, and a task beneath them.

People in this town, with their parking habits (front end overhangin a cross street, and blocking handicap access points) and their speeding, would not last a day in DC. They don't know how good they have it here with their "me first" approach.