Pittsburgh officials seek authority to set lower speed limits

Finding ways to get motorists to slow down on residential streets has been a longtime issue in Pittsburgh.

City council members Tuesday took action to lobby for more authority to decrease speed limits in some neighborhoods. It’s something they’re not allowed to do under state law.

“We know that slower speeds save lives,” Councilwoman Deb Gross said before council unanimously passed a measure calling for state reforms that would allow local governments to set speed limits.

The resolution was spearheaded by Councilwoman Erika Strassburger and also co-sponsored by council President Theresa Kail-Smith.

It asks the state to change how it sets speed limits, which are now set by the speed that 85% of traffic uses to safely navigate a street. Lower limits are allowed, but there needs to be a history of bad crashes or other reasons for the move.

But many constituents have long called council members to ask that something be done to slow down traffic on their streets, Kail-Smith said.

The answer has been, “We can’t control it,” Kail-Smith said.

Council members didn’t cite any specific examples of problem areas where they’d like to reduce speed limits.

The city uses crosswalk and bike lane guides, painting and speed bumps to control traffic, but sometimes a sign with a lower speed limit might work better, she said.

Strassburger called the so-called “85% rule” an outdated and arbitrary guide that needs to be changed.

Do you know what the 85th percentile rule is? It gathers drivers' speeds & sets the speed limit at the point where 85% of motorists drive at or below this level, essentially allowing drivers to set their own speeds. Summarized here: https://t.co/ibjCQOPLD4 @PghDOMI

— PGH District 8 (@PGHDistrict8) April 27, 2021

The measure will be sent to state officials, including Pittsburgh’s legislative delegation, and it asks for changes to the law. Council’s action carries no official weight.

It also will be included as part of the comments being solicited by the U.S. Department of Transportation at it revises the Federal Highway Administration’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, Strassburger said.