To prepare for the future, Pittsburgh should become a city where it’s easier to get around more quickly, safely, and efficiently, a top city leader said this month. That means making room for not just cars, but bikes, scooters, ride services, and more, said Karina Ricks, director of the city’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure.  Ricks spoke during a Pittsburgh Mastermind meeting regarding the role her department will play in the planning and development process.

A priority, she said, remains looking forward to prepare for population growth and part of that is creating a long-range plan. 

“We need to prepare ourselves for growth because it will happen and it tends to be one of those tipping point instances where when you do grow you tend to grow in a way that is profound, and you might not be ready for it,” she said. “So what will that look like?  People move differently than they did. How are we going to handle that population growth in a sustainable way?”

Established in 2016, Ricks joined the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure in February 2017. She previously served as an associate director for the District of Columbia Department of Transportation, and as a consultant.  Ricks said she and her team spent “about eight months” forming the department and now look forward to longer-range planning.

Upcoming projects include more “smart signals” for 2019 and implementing an online permit application system for some simpler requests.  She added that the city’s bike lanes create another way for people to get around, but that those lanes should be more interconnected.