More Than Just a Road

In Mt. Lebanon, we pride ourselves on civic engagement. We show up to meetings, debate ideas, and participate in a local democracy that is as active as it is deliberative. But the truth is, even the best democratic processes need brave leadership to move from debate to action.

That’s especially true when it comes to how we move through our community, how we walk, bike, drive, roll, and ride. Mobility isn’t just about transportation. It’s about dignity. It’s about making sure a grandmother can walk to the grocery store, a teenager can safely bike to school, or a commuter can get to work without fearing for their life at a busy intersection. It’s about building a place where people of every age and ability can get where they need to go, safely, affordably, and with confidence.

But it's about more than just getting from point A to point B. Our public rights-of-way are some of the most valuable land in the entire municipality. They’re not just corridors for cars, they’re public spaces that belong to everyone. When we design streets that are safe and enjoyable, we create places where neighbors gather, kids play, and families host block parties. A better-designed cartway still allows vehicles to pass through, but it does so with the understanding that the street is a shared space, not a raceway.

For years, Mt. Lebanon has talked about mobility. We don't have school buses so we're a "walking community". We’ve developed sidewalk inventories, considered crosswalk upgrades, debated traffic calming, changed traffic lights, and applied for grants. These are important steps. But the gap between “talk” and “done” is where too many good ideas go to die.

That gap doesn’t just exist in policy, it exists in how local government itself is organized. If we want to make lasting, meaningful progress on mobility, we need more than resolutions and one-off pilot projects. We need to evolve the internal structure of our municipality to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future.

That means dedicating staff capacity not just to maintaining what we have, but to imagining, and implementing, what comes next. It means shifting from a reactive model, where issues are addressed only after complaints are raised, to a proactive one, where data and livability drive decisions before problems arise. It means building a team within our municipality that is empowered, resourced, and expected to lead on modern mobility, not as an add-on, but as core municipal infrastructure.

As Commissioner and liaison to the Mt. Lebanon Mobility Board, I’ve seen firsthand the professionalism and talent of our staff. But I've also seen the frustration of many of our residents. What’s needed now is the structural support to focus their time and energy where it matters most: on planning and building a community that works better for everyone, not just today, but twenty years from now.

We’ve taken some important steps. We've passed a resolution that sets a clear vision for mobility rooted in safety, sustainability, and accessibility. We’ve begun the work of updating ordinances and policies that reflect outdated assumptions about who our streets are for. We’re working with regional partners like CONNECT to build shared capacity and learn from best practices.

Progress isn’t automatic. It requires internal realignment of priorities, processes, and personnel. And it requires elected officials who are willing to support that shift, even when the path forward is unfamiliar or politically inconvenient.

The choices ahead are real. Will we design streets only for cars, or will we design public space that reflects the full range of how people actually live, move, and connect? Will we keep pouring money into high-speed corridors and struggling with traffic enforcement, or will we invest in beautiful, tree-lined blocks where children walk safely to school and neighbors stop to talk?

Because here’s the thing, better streets don’t just feel good, they pay off. More walkable, bikeable, livable streets increase property values. They support small businesses. They reduce stress on aging infrastructure. And they attract families looking for a place that feels both timeless and forward-thinking.

We know what the right answers are. Now we need the structures, staff, and support systems to act on them—not just once, but consistently over time.

In a town like ours, where tradition runs deep and process matters, that kind of leadership isn’t always flashy. Sometimes it's as simple, and as hard, as shifting the internal machinery of government toward a better future, and staying with it long enough to see it through.

Because in the end, mobility is about more than movement. It’s about freedom, beauty, and the kind of community we want to live in, and leave to future generations.

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About Andrew Flynn

Andrew is a Mt. Lebanon commissioner, public finance and policy expert, volunteer firefighter, and community advocate committed to building safer, more resilient, and better-connected neighborhoods. Through public service and hands-on experience, Andrew works every day to make a positive impact in our community.

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