Serpentine Drive in Pittsburgh once again at center of heated debate

A winding road through Pittsburgh's Schenley Park is once again at the center of a heated debate. 

A public hearing was held on Thursday as neighbors, cyclists and others weighed in on whether Serpentine Drive should reopen to traffic after years of it being closed to vehicles. 

On the one hand, residents say opening the road to vehicles would reduce commute times. On the other hand, walkers and cyclists say the closure has created one of the safest car-free spaces in the city.

"Not only opening Serpentine Drive to motor vehicles, it would convey the wrong message to who Schenley Park is serving, but it would make this popular biking, walking and running route more dangerous," one speaker said.

But those pushing to reopen the road say Serpentine Drive was originally built for transportation and should once again help move traffic through the park. They argue the closure has increased commute times, pushed more vehicles onto residential streets, and created new concerns about access through the park.

"There are trails that traverse the park for walking, there are sidewalks on the streets," another speaker said. "Locals must not get the sole vote on this. The parks belong to the whole city."

What started as a temporary closure after a crash in 2019 has evolved into a larger debate about how Pittsburgh's parks should be used. Thursday's hearing was just the latest chapter.

Any decision to reopen the road here would ultimately fall to Mayor Corey O'Connor's administration.