Do You Think Pittsburgh’s Roads Are Safe?

A TRACTOR TRAILER STUCK SIDEWAYS ON A SHARP TURN DOWNTOWN WITH ITS BACK WHEELS CAUGHT ON THE MEDIAN ON MARCH 28 | PHOTO BY OLLIE GRATZINGER

Do you think Pittsburgh’s roadways are safe? Unsafe? Totally not worth the headache? Regardless, the City of Pittsburgh wants to hear from you.

The city’s Department of Mobility & Infrastructure has launched the State of Mobility & Safety Perception Survey to gather perspectives and information from residents to inform future policy, planning and investment decisions. Running from May 1 through Aug.7, the survey will collect data from residents and commuters about their methods of travel, perception of roadway safety and desired transportation improvements. The insights gathered will be used to inform key City initiatives, including Vision Zero, Complete Streets and infrastructure maintenance.

“Fatal and serious injuries from roadway crashes are on the rise and travel patterns have changed drastically since COVID, not only in the City of Pittsburgh, but nationally,” Angela Martinez, DOMI assistant director for permitting, planning and policy says in a statement. 

She adds that the survey is meant to go beyond traditional metrics like crash data and traffic counts to better understand how national trends are playing out locally.

“We are collecting data on how people travel and also the quality of that experience,” she says. “These insights will help direct DOMI’s work to build a more efficient and safe transportation network that’s responsive to the needs of residents and commuters.” 

According to DOMI, the survey’s key goals are as follows:

• Actionable Data: Gaining a deeper understanding of travel behavior, barriers to reduce car dependency, and perception of roadway safety. Used along with traditional transportation data like traffic volume, this can provide direction on where and what modes of travel to prioritize.    
• Understanding Community Priorities: Providing an opportunity for residents to directly inform City priorities, improving trust and alignment with community needs.  
• Long-term Benchmarking: Creating a repeatable framework to measure progress in mobility behaviors. This survey is meant to be repeated every three years with the results of the 2026 survey expected to be presented in DOMI’s State of Mobility Report to Pittsburgh City Council in the fall of this year. 

Any person living or working in the City of Pittsburgh is eligible to participate and those who complete the survey can receive a voucher for one 30-minute free POGOH ride and entry into a raffle to win one of 40 $25 gift cards.  

The State of Mobility & Safety Perception Survey can be accessed here.