Aspinwall installs innovative, 'floating' crosswalk to curb speeding

Aspinwall resident Jeff Rogers and his family spend a lot of time walking from their Center Avenue home to activities, parks, shops and church.

He says the town’s walkability is what got his family through the covid lockdown.

“It’s a major asset to our community,” said Rogers, who also hits the streets each morning for a run.

The amount of time he spends on Aspinwall sidewalks has Rogers keenly aware of speeding issues, which are also on the radar of borough police.

Mayor Joe Noro and borough officers launched a Slow Down Campaign in recent years that includes multiple tools to increase safety.

Yard signs, with sayings like “It’s a Road, Not a Race,” have sprouted in lawns across the neighborhood to remind drivers to reduce their speed. Amid the rumble strips and monitoring devices, Noro has spearheaded a new out-of-the-box idea to help the cause.

A 3D Zebra Crosswalk was painted near the Ben Killian Field as the first of what could be several “floating” designs installed across town.

Thick white lines are layered with gray shadows, making the crosswalk look raised from a driver’s vantage point.

For anyone familiar with The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” cover, it bears a striking resemblance.

“I was researching innovative ideas to slow people down and found that in Europe, more and more countries are starting to use these,” Noro said.

Started in Iceland, the 3D design uses visual perception to spur behavioral change, according to the news analysis website Business Insider.

The optical illusion is painted to appear as if it’s hovering above the pavement, using creativity to cause drivers to hesitate.

“Our thing is safety for our families and communities,” Noro said. “We’re going to try one out and see how it works.”

With parks and bus stops a high priority, the new crosswalk was painted just outside the recreation fields, which draw many families year-round from across the Fox Chapel Area School District.

Residents have voiced frustration over speeding along Field Avenue, saying motorists fly down nearby Fourth Street and round the bend to the fields, where families are walking and people are unloading vehicles. The new design is part of a push by police to ramp up efforts in that area.

Artist Ryan Mancini spent two full days designing and painting the new crosswalk.

Internet research and several YouTube videos didn’t instruct the graphic designer exactly how to tackle the project.

“I had to map it out with paper and markers,” Mancini said. “It only made sense after I broke it down into sections.”

Even during installation, Mancini wasn’t convinced the technique would work.

“Being on top of it while I was painting, I couldn’t see what was happening,” he said. “I just knew if the lines broke down the way I had it on paper, it would work.”

About a third of the way through, Noro stopped by to check on the progress and was wowed, Mancini said.

Since its completion, the display has appeared to capture the attention of most who pass by.

“People stop and take pictures walking across it,” Mancini said. “I just hope it makes a difference with people driving a little safer.”

Noro said there’s potential to paint more crosswalks next year.

“If it stops people from going through, that’s what we want,” he said. “It looks incredible, but it’s all about safety and kids not getting hurt.”

In addition to the artsy crosswalk, residents and passersby will see other visual cues to curb speeding.

Sixteen signs, approximately three feet tall, were designed to resemble children holding “slow down” messages. They have been distributed throughout the borough.

Rogers made sure to erect one near his house. He is hoping it grabs motorists’ attention.

“Speeding is definitely an issue on the paved streets around town, including Center Avenue,” he said. “The streets that are cobblestone, from what I can tell, definitely help keep the speeding down.”

Rogers said that, in his opinion, Fifth Street has seen an uptick in speeding since being paved.

“We walk this street a lot down to the ballfield park, so we have seen the difference,” he said.

He would like to see speed bumps installed on paved roads. Rogers cited Pittsburgh’s use of speed bumps on major throughways, like Stanton Avenue, which have large bumps to slow traffic.

“I believe the borough has tried the lower rumble strips around town, but I see many folks just blast right through those,” he said.

Rumble strips were installed in 2023 along multiple roads, including Second Street, Emerson Avenue and 11th Street. The police department also uses a speed machine that flashes a driver’s speed.

Once a problem area is identified, an officer is posted there to use the AccuTrak speed enforcement system.

New this year was the addition of bright orange flags popping up on Aspinwall’s busiest streets.

The initiative, paid for by the advocacy group Aspinwall Neighbors, used pedestrian flags to encourage slower traffic.

People walking across the streets in the town’s business section are encouraged to carry a flag as a high-visibility system to make them noticeable to drivers.

The cost for a set of flags was about $200 each. Five sets were purchased in total.

“I do think the efforts by the borough and the police are very noteworthy and commendable,” Rogers said. “They seem to help for a while, but then it seems to return to being an issue over time. I honestly believe until there are physical changes made to the streets themselves, through speed bumps, roundabout islands, etc., it’s going to be a battle.”