Pitt to Rework 11 Intersections on Fifth and Forbes Avenues

The University of Pittsburgh has committed $250,000 to a project aimed at enhancing pedestrian safety at 11 intersections along Fifth and Forbes avenues.

Pitt is one of the institutional partners of the Hometown Streets Project, a $2.1 million undertaking cosponsored by the Oakland Transportation Management Association (OTMA) and the City of Pittsburgh. In addition to having committed financial support, the University will provide in-kind construction project management support to the effort, which began June 30 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2008.

The project’s pedestrian safety and mobility improvements include pedestrian countdown signals, curb extensions, wider and more visible crosswalks, and enhanced lighting and planting for traffic calming. They will be made at the following Fifth Avenue intersections: Thackery and Meyran avenues; South Bouquet, DeSoto, and Atwood streets; and McKee Place.

The Forbes Avenue intersections to be improved are South Bouquet and Atwood streets, Oakland and Meyran avenues, and McKee Place.

Pitt’s representative on the Hometown Streets Project Committee was
G. Reynolds Clark, vice chancellor for community initiatives and chief of staff, Office of the Chancellor; Paul Supowitz, vice chancellor for governmental relations; and John Wilds, assistant vice chancellor of community and governmental relations. Ron Leibow, project manager for Pitt’s Office of Facilities Management, will oversee construction.

“This is a communitywide project that will benefit not only the students, faculty, and staff at Pitt, but the thousands of people who work, shop, and visit Oakland each day,” said Clark.
Joining Pitt as community partners are the City of Pittsburgh, the Oakland Taskforce, the Oakland Business Improvement District, the Oakland Community Council, and the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation. In addition to Pitt, funders include the City of Pittsburgh, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

Also included in the project are the replacement of the street lights along Forbes Avenue from McKee Place to the University of Pittsburgh foot bridge and a replacement design for the Fifth Avenue bus lane railing.