Pedestrians in Oakland get a break
Sunday, June 29, 2008
By Joe Grata, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

With a daytime population infusion of more than 100,000 workers, students and visitors, Oakland is for walking, even for people who drive, bus and bicycle.

The mix of young, old, physically fit, infirm, those in a hurry, people of special needs, the inattentive, weirdos and others who converge on the urban/institutional center and its busy sidewalks mingle with more than 60,000 motor vehicles a day.

At some point, almost everybody uses the two parallel main avenues — Forbes and Fifth — and the dozen block-long connecting streets.

As a result, scores of traffic-pedestrian conflicts occur every day. The cars and trucks almost always win, sometimes with fatal consequences to those on foot.

So it’s good to know that the Oakland Transportation Management Association and City of Pittsburgh will begin making $2.1 million worth of improvements to 11 key intersections in the heart of Oakland starting tomorrow night. Work will take place from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. weekdays through the end of the year.

Plans for the pedestrian safety and mobility project were worked out collaboratively over several years with the University of Pittsburgh, its affiliated medical center, and the Oakland Business Improvement District and the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

Others also have contributed, including the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the source of most of the money through its enhancement and “safe streets to school” programs.

Here’s what will take place at six intersections along Fifth Avenue, the wide dividing line between the commercial district and the Pitt campus, hospitals and busy Port Authority contraflow bus lane that has raised safety issues in the past:

• New audible/visual “countdown” pedestrian signals indicating time left before the “walk” signs come on;

• Replacement of some railings intended to prevent jaywalking and stepping into the path of buses;

• Textured pavement at the Thackeray Street, Desoto Street/Oakland Avenue and McKee Place intersections;

• Enlarging and landscaping the traffic island at Desoto; and

• “Distinctive treatments” to make crosswalks more noticeable at Meyran Avenue, and Atwood and South Bouquet streets.

Here’s what will take place at five intersections along Forbes Avenue, a narrower main artery but one packed with bars, offices, businesses and eateries that are people magnets:

• Distinctive crosswalk treatments at McKee Place, Meyran, Atwood, Oakland Avenue and South Bouquet;

• Replacement of handicapped ramps and curbs;

• Replacement of traffic signals and light poles; and

• Installation of brighter, new streetlights from McKee to the Pitt footbridge.

As Oakland continues to grow, the upcoming improvements couldn’t be more timely. If only civic leaders would now build a people-moving escalator up “Cardiac Hill”…

For more information about the project, you can visit www.otma-pgh.org.

BikeFest 08

Although considerable attention is being paid to the Tour of Pennsylvania this weekend, justifiably so, BikeFest 08 will continue all week throughout the region for riders of all ages and abilities.

The fourth annual bicycling event consists of 10 days of activities through next Sunday.

Unfortunately, the sponsors were a little late providing the news release to “Getting Around,” so you may have missed the kickoff bash held Friday in Downtown Pittsburgh.

But more than three dozen other interesting events are still scheduled, such as:

• “Toxic Tour of Neville Island.” Clean Water Action is sponsoring a 20-mile ride starting at noon today at West Park, near the corner of North Avenue and Brighton Road, North Side. The group aims to acquaint bike riders with water and air pollution generated by heavy industries on the 4-mile-long Ohio River island;

• “Kids Ice Cream Ramble through Frick Park.” Starts 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Parents and youngsters are invited to take a fun ride through Frick Park, starting at Forbes and South Braddock avenues. The hour-long ride is to end with “ice cream for the kiddos!”;

• “BikeFest South Park Ride.” The third annual Allegheny County Parks Mountain Bike Festival starts at noon on the Fourth of July at the South Park skating rink lot. It’s free with BYO refreshments and snacks. Helmets mandatory. Variety of ride levels. An advisory: “Be fit enough to ride hills, roots and rocks”; and

• “Bike Commuting 101.” Join Bike Pittsburgh co-founders Scott Bricker and Lou Fineberg at 10 a.m. Saturday at Tazza D’oro Cafe, 1125 N. Highland Ave. for a free “how to” class on using your bike for commuting and shopping. The discussion will include using bike gears to make cycling easier on hills. Session ends with a spin around Highland Park.

All BikeFest 08 activities can be found at www.bike-pgh.org/bikefest.
Joe Grata can be reached at jgrata@post-gazette.com.