It occurred to me recently that I’ve been penning this monthly column for over a year. In fact, this is the 14th Transit Talk! I’m no less fired up about big dreams like a Railroad St. T than I was in March 2024, but there are so many less bombastic aspects of local transportation deserving a closer look (or an unhinged rant, as the case may be).
Big-budget projects, when they’re not a huge waste of money, can make a massive difference in how people move around a city, but sometimes little things can make a significant impact, too. Strong Towns recently singled out Pittsburgh for praise in this area, calling the city’s low-cost traffic-calming projects “a model for every city.” Hear, hear!
There’s one lower-cost transit innovation in particular I’d love to see Pittsburgh and other cities install more often: the incredible red curb bumps installed around Allegheny Circle. These gentle reminders of how to properly turn would be welcome in an age of huge cars and poor driving. As it turns out, these bumps have a name…