The Roberto Clemente Bridge, one of the Three Sisters that connect Downtown to the North Side, reopened after nearly two years of construction this New Year’s Eve. It presents an opportune moment for regional leaders to consider a pivotal transformation: designating the bridge as bike-and-pedestrian-only, preserving one of the city's most picturesque locations for human beings and human-scale activities, rather than automobiles.
The bridge is a county asset, so any move to pedestrianize it would have to begin in the office of Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato. It’s a great opportunity for her to make an early splash, while enhancing county-city cooperation.
The idea of a no-car Clemente Bridge is hardly unprecedented. Festivals and sporting events like Picklesburgh and the Pittsburgh Marathon have shut down each of the Three Sisters at one point or another, and the Clemente had been reserved for walkers during baseball games — all with minimal effects on automobile traffic, even at high-traffic times. And few drivers even noticed the long-term construction closure, with two parallel bridges ready to pick up the slack.
The idea got new publicity last week, when former Mayor Bill Peduto and his former chief of staff, Dan Gilman, tweeted about it. Mr. Peduto observed that turning the bridge into a permanent market, like Florence’s Ponte Vecchio, was part of the original plan for PNC Park. Building a main street over the Allegheny may be a bit extravagant, but the concept is correct: The Clemente Bridge has all the hallmarks of a permanent attraction, and would be better used as one, instead of as a redundant artery for cars.
Pittsburgh can look south for inspiration: Nashville turned its (frankly much less attractive) 3,000-foot Shelby Street Bridge into the John Siegenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, which can take walkers and bikers roughly between the Bridgestone Arena (home of the Predators) and Nissan Stadium (home of the Titans), across the Cumberland River. And it has become a destination in its own right.
The Clemente Bridge would be even better. It’s only a few blocks from two light rail stations and the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, and connects two legitimate neighborhoods, whereas the Siegenthaler terminates in a wasteland of parking lots. Its manageable length is perfect for festivals — imagine the Three Rivers Arts Festival expanding to the bridge — and could more easily host smaller-scale events, like farmers markets, if it were permanently bike-and-pedestrian-only.
The Three Sisters are one of Pittsburgh’s gems, and the Roberto Clemente Bridge is the best-positioned of them all. Pedestrians should be able to stop and take photos of friends and family, ride bikes and scooters without the intimidation of cars, and take the time to savor the view. And it should be easier to walk safely between Downtown and the North Shore, enhancing both neighborhoods. There’s no good reason to waste this opportunity to make the Clemente Bridge even more special than it already is.
First Published: January 8, 2024, 10:30 a.m.
