Pittsburgh's Saw Mill Run corridor floods a lot. Planners aim to dry it out

A proposed master plan for Pittsburgh’s Saw Mill Run Boulevard would aim to promote pedestrian safety and reduce flooding along the problematic corridor.

Saw Mill Run Boulevard has flooded 24 times over the last 11 years, said Lisa Werder Brown, executive director of Watersheds of South Pittsburgh, which led the master plan effort.

The road runs through the city’s Beechview, Beltzhoover, Bon Air, Brookline, Carrick, Duquesne Heights, Knoxville, Mount Washington, Overbrook, Ridgemont and West End neighborhoods.

In one infamous example of the stretch’s flooding, a dumpster floated down a watery stretch of the roadway in May 2018.

“The continued flooding results in disinvestment, results in vacant property,” Brown said Tuesday. “We need to elevate the public’s perception of the corridor.”

That could include beautifying the area, improving pedestrian access and mitigating the risk of major flooding, she said. Those are some of the goals outlined in the master plan, which was crafted in collaboration with entities like the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority, Pittsburgh Regional Transit and city, county and state officials.

The master plan — which would guide development and land use strategies along the corridor — calls for a new zoning overlay that could require new curb cut regulations to improve pedestrian safety and help divert water from the roadway.

It also would call for more green space, which would beautify the area, provide pedestrian access and decrease impervious surfaces while increasing spaces where water could permeate the ground and reduce the risk of floods and landslides, Brown said.

Other suggestions included increasing landscaping and reducing areas where developments and pavement go all the way to the stream without a green buffer space. In some areas, the plan suggests “intensive hydrologic interventions” to reduce flood risks.

“This plan provides a vision for improving the safety, resilience and appearance of the Saw Mill Run corridor for the next generations and our future,” she said.

The Planning Commission is expected to vote on the master plan at its next meeting in two weeks. From there, the plan will move to City Council for final approval.