Some residents near new Fern Hollow Bridge concerned for safety due to new traffic rules

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PITTSBURGH — Some neighbors who live near the newly rebuilt Fern Hollow Bridge in Squirrel Hill are nervous for their safety after the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) put new traffic rules into place on and around Beechwood Boulevard.

“It has never been completely safe. But I don’t think that they took into account all the aspects when coming up with new traffic patterns,” said Michael Hezel.

Hezel is just one of the hundreds of concerned neighbors who have signed a petition urging DOMI and Pittsburgh leaders to hear their collective voices.

“In order for things to be safe the streets have to be. Traffic has to be calm, first and the traffic pattern has to be logical,” said resident Steve Albert.

According to the city’s website detailing the plan, DOMI changed the traffic patterns to make the area safer for all users, including pedestrians and cyclists.

Beechwood Boulevard, South Dallas Avenue and Beacon Street are all impacted. Drivers can’t turn right from Beechwood onto South Dallas Avenue.

On South Dallas, drivers aren’t able to turn left onto Beechwood and on Beacon Street, there are no left turns allowed onto Beechwood.

“Streets that are set aside for bikes and pedestrians are potentially less safe or you have people doing U-turns on Beechwood, which is what’s been happening because they realize ‘Oh I can’t turn onto Dallas and I have to go all the way back up Beechwood to Forbes,’” said Hezel.

“It’s confusing, it takes longer to get around and as the weather warms up and we start to see cyclists added to the mix and more people walking around that there’s the potential for even worse,” said Albert.

Albert says an accident where a bicyclist was hit by a car in December is proof things may need to be re-evaluated.

“Maybe adjusting the plan and responding to the people who use this everyday, I think we can come up with something that will be safe for everybody,” Albert said.

The city will conduct a traffic study in the spring.

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