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New Study Shows Dangers Of One Way Streets

PITTSBURGH (NewsRadio 1020 KDKA) - One way streets, Pittsburgh has a lot of them. A new study out from the Center for Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods details the dangers of one way streets.

Dr. John Gilderbloom, the director of the Center for Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods, joined Robert Mangino and Shelley Duffy on the Afternoon News to talk about what their study revealed. Mangino and Shelley were shocked to learn that it's not just driving on the one way streets that is considered "dangerous."

"Not only did we find that property values go down with the one way streets, but businesses also are hurt as well. But here is the most exciting part of it, when you talked about almost having an accident or almost got hit by a car or something like that, the ratio of being in a serious accident or going to the hospital is doubled if you are on a one way street," said Gilderbloom.

He explained the trickle down effect of the costs of accidents to the taxpayers, having taxes go towards ambulances or police, then the added dangers once you add more lanes to a one way street. The more lanes a one way street has, the more of a highway feel it gives off and people feel the need to increase their speed leading to a higher possibility of accidents.

Gilderbloom and researchers gathered information over three years after converting two one way streets to allow two way traffic. They saw significant decreases in accidents, but that wasn't all that changed.

"Business blossomed, saw abandonments falls, saw foreclosures fall, property values up, trees started being planted, houses started being renovated and it became a nice community," Gilderbloom said.

Gilderbloom says that over 100 cities across the country are catching on with this resurgence effort to convert their streets from multi-lane one way streets to two way traffic streets and are seeing phenomenal results.

Mangino joked that Dr. Gilderbloom get in touch with the Mayor's office and see what they could work out here in Pittsburgh.

You can listen to the whole interview here:

Also tune into the KDKA Afternoon News with Mangino and Shelley weekdays 3-7 p.m. on NewsRadio 1020 KDKA.

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