Pittsburgh left

Short description: Driving practice

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The Pittsburgh left is imposing potential danger to the pedestrians crossing in the same direction.

The Pittsburgh left is a colloquial term for the driving practice of a driver at an intersection who is driving straight not advancing when a red signal changes to green; instead the straight-driving driver allows the opposing, left-turning driver to turn left, often signaling their yield by flashing their headlights or with a wave. This co-operative maneuver, associated with the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area, came into vogue because of the hilly terrain of the Pittsburgh region combined with the preponderance of two-lane roads.[1] It has been criticized for endangering pedestrians and bicyclists by disrupting the normal flow of traffic. It is an illegal[2] and controversial[3] practice.

A similar maneuver has been referred to as a Boston left[4] or New York left, but those maneuvers differ from the Pittsburgh Left; in a Boston or New York Left, the left-turning driver rushes to turn left before the straight-driving driver can advance, regardless of whether the straight-driving driver yields or not.[5]

## Contents

* 1 Description
* 2 Origin
* 3 Signals
* 4 Legality
* 5 See also
* 6 References

## Description

The Pittsburgh left involves two cars facing one another waiting at a traffic light (which lacks a protected turn) or other stop signal: one turning left and one going straight. The left-turning car will anticipate the green light, although ideally not actually entering the intersection on the red.

As the light turns green, the left-turning car will rapidly proceed left ahead of the opposing traffic, frequently with the signaled assent of the opposing traffic. By accepting a modest delay in going straight, the opposing traffic has saved the left-turning traffic waiting an entire light cycle to turn left, as well as saved an equivalent amount of time for all the cars that otherwise would have been stuck behind the left-turning car. In situations where there is so much oncoming, straight traffic that a left turn would not be otherwise possible during any part of the light cycle, the Pittsburgh left can allow a line of left turning traffic to proceed incrementally, potentially avoiding a gridlock situation.

## Origin

Many of Pittsburgh's roads are narrow streets with only a single lane in each direction, and most intersections lack left-turn-only lanes. If a car is attempting to turn left, no other cars behind it can proceed through the intersection. Allowing the left-turning car to proceed first through the intersection gives that driver a chance to get out of others' way, allowing for smoother flow. The Pittsburgh left was also originally encouraged by the way the Pittsburgh traffic signals worked, which caused no one to run a red light. The lights used to go from green to green-yellow, to yellow, to red. If you saw green-yellow, you could push the red light; if yellow, you stopped.

## Signals

Generally, the driver going straight will encourage the oncoming car's driver to make the left turn and/or indicate permission with a wave of the hand or by flashing their car's headlights. Similarly, the driver attempting the turn may try to signal the other driver for permission to turn with similar hand motions or headlight signals.

## Legality

The Pittsburgh left has no basis in law. Failing to yield to oncoming traffic while navigating a turn is a traffic violation, and is prohibited in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.[2] In Ontario, Canada, such a turn is considered stunt driving under the provincial Highway Traffic Act.[6]

At certain intersections, left-turning traffic may be given precedence over straight-moving traffic in a regulated (and thus legal) manner, via the use of protected turn signaling.

## See also

* Pittsburgh parking chair
* Michigan left

## References

1. ↑ Blackley, Katie. "How the Pittsburgh Left became embedded in city driving". WESA Public Radio. https://www.wesa.fm/development-transportation/2020-07-28/how-the-pittsburgh-left-became-embedded-in-city-driving.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Learning to Drive". Pennsylvania Driver's Manual. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Driver Licensing. p. 48. https://www.dot.state.pa.us/Public/DVSPubsForms/BDL/BDL Manuals/Manuals/PA Drivers Manual By Chapter/English/PUB 95.pdf. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
3. ↑ Mike Wereschagin (2006-06-14). "'Pittsburgh Left' seen by many as a local right". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Trib Live). https://archive.triblive.com/news/pittsburgh-left-seen-by-many-as-a-local-right/.
4. ↑ THERE'S NOTHING RIGHT ABOUT THE 'BOSTON LEFT', The Boston Globe, May 14, 2006
5. ↑ Ben Zimmer (2013-04-07). "Boston driving: So bad it needs its own lingo? / Terrible road maneuvers, from the Boston left to the California roll". Boston Globe. https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2013/04/06/boston-driving-bad-needs-its-own-lingo/UM7UhGh5qCdZPVukFH37QN/story.html.
6. ↑ O Reg 455/07, s 3(8)(iv). https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/070455

* Potter, Chris (June 22, 2006). "I'm still wondering about the Pittsburgh Left. No one can tell me where it comes from.". https://www.pghcitypaper.com/columns/im-still-wondering-about-the-pittsburgh-left-no-one-can-tell-me-where-it-comes-from-1334231/.
* Goodman, Dawn (2009-09-20). "'Pittsburgh Left:' A turn for the worse". Observer-Reporter. Archived from the original on 2013-01-30. https://archive.today/20130130170500/http://www.observer-reporter.com/OR/Story/09-20-At-large-column-pittsburgh-left.
* "'Pittsburgh Left': It's A 'Burgh Thing". ThePittsburghChannel (WTAE-TV). June 14, 2006. http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/9371728/detail.html.
* "Wild, wild, weird west lies in western Pa.". Daily News. Associated Press (Bowling Green, Kentucky). February 6, 1996. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZfoeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GUgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1816,398845&dq=pittsburgh-left+turn&hl=en.
* Donovan, Sandra (February 10, 1999). "Road rage boils over delayed left turn". The Beaver County Times. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5nYyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rrYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3531,2537784&dq=pittsburgh-left+turn&hl=en.

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