Public plaza, bike lanes planned for 5 blocks of Smallman in the Strip

A five-block area of Smallman Street in Pittsburgh’s Strip District will get a complete makeover that could cost up to $5 million and include adding sidewalks and angled back-in parking, reducing traffic lanes, milling and paving, and creating a public plaza for outdoor dining and public events.

The final concept, which was unveiled at a neighborhood meeting two weeks ago, also includes something that wasn’t part of initial plans: bicycle lanes from 16th to 21st streets. Bike Pittsburgh pushed for dedicated lanes after initial plans were released. The city also is developing a strategy to link those lanes with Downtown to the west and Lawrenceville to the east.

The street project is the public portion of the $62.6 million plan by McCaffery Interests of Chicago to redevelop the Strip’s iconic produce terminal building, which begins at 21st Street. The city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority last week approved the long-awaited development agreement with McCaffery.

The new street layout is designed to slow traffic, provide sidewalks for pedestrians and accommodate bike lanes, Emily Gaspich, project coordinator for the city’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure, said Monday. To gain space for angled parking on both sides and bike lanes in both directions on one side, motor vehicle traffic will be reduced to one 10-foot lane in each direction.

Angled, back-in parking is used only one other place in the city, along River Avenue on the

North Side about a half mile northeast of Heinz Street, but Ms. Gaspich said new developments are no longer allowed to provide front-in parking that forces motorists to back out into traffic when they leave. Existing spaces don’t have to be changed.

The new street lights will use vintage-style metal poles as an homage to the neighborhood’s industrial heritage, Ms. Gaspich said. Large, conspicuously marked crosswalks will be painted at 17th, 18th, 20th and 21st streets.

Ms. Gaspich said the most exciting part of the project is the plaza at 21st Street. That area will have wide sidewalks on both sides of Smallman with tree-lined areas as well as open space on each side of the street.

The city is working with business owners in the area to decide how best to use the space, Ms. Gaspich said, but some likely uses are outdoor dining and public events.

“Right now, we have a blank canvas to work with,” she said. “We’ll see what businesses want.”

Scott Bricker, executive director of Bike Pittsburgh, said his group is happy with the addition of bike lanes for the five-block area. But he said that has to be part of a larger effort to connect that area with Downtown and Lawrenceville.

“While we’re pleased with this project, we’re just wanting to see the city continue to develop [infrastructure for bikes],” Mr. Bricker said. “It has to be part of a network.”

To that end, the city expects to develop recommendations for bike connections from Downtown to Lawrenceville later this year that could include dedicated lanes, share-the-lane markings, or a combination of the two. That work won’t start until next year.

Work on the immediate project between 16th and 21st streets is in final design now and a contract should be awarded at the end of summer. Work should be done by the end of the year.