University Times

Faced by criticism from City Council, Mayor Tom Murphy has decided to delay the test closing of Bigelow Boulevard between the Cathedral of Learning and the William Pitt Union.

The University has sought to close that block of Bigelow Boulevard for years, citing the safety threat to students crossing the busy street.

A 60-day test closing to study the possible affects of a permanent closing on traffic in Oakland had been scheduled to begin on Sunday, March 3, at 8 a.m. According to published reports, though, the plan was stopped when Council members at a meeting on Tuesday (Feb. 27) blasted the plan as "ridiculous," "unbelievable" and a "harebrained scheme." In a letter to Council, Kenneth Behrend, president of a residents' group in the Schenley Farms Historic District, also called the plan an "outrageous, insensitive and destructive traffic change upon our neighborhood." Among the Council members who disapproved of the plan was Oakland Council member Dan Cohen. Cohen did not return a call from the University Times.

Council members did not complain about the test closing earlier, according to published reports, because they did not learn about it until newspaper stories about it appeared two weeks ago.

However, the test closing of Bigelow is part of the University's master space plan approved by the city last year. City Planning director Eloise Hirsh said the issue also had been debated for months in meetings with Oakland community groups.

In addition, the test closing was part of a special meeting of the Oakland Task Force earlier this month attended by both Mayor Murphy and Interim Chancellor Mark Nordenberg in which a number of Oakland initiatives were unveiled (see story on page 11).

Representatives of several Oakland community groups, including the Oakland Planning and Development Corp., were on hand at the special task force meeting and voiced no opposition to the test closing.

Due to Council's opposition, Hirsh said, the mayor will delay the closing and submit legislation to Council on March 5 seeking its approval for the test closing. Hirsh said the mayor originally thought he did not need Council's approval for such an action because it was only a test, similar to closing a street for a parade.

"It's in kind of a gray area," Hirsh told the University Times. "Doing a test or test closing is not something that the city code specifically cites and so there is a difference of opinion between the administration and council. But what we would like is to find a way to work together, so we're introducing legislation to do this test." According to Hirsh, the Murphy administration had been working with community groups on the closing plan for the past nine months. She said the mayor wanted "to keep the process moving and include council." Hirsh admitted that some residents of the Schenley Farms Historic District and other individuals were "very distressed" about the test closing, but that most Oakland residents were willing to allow the test to gather data on the effects of a closing.

"They may not necessarily support the idea of a permanent closure, but everybody was on board with the idea of doing a test so you could base a decision on information," she said.

When asked if she thought a test closing would eventually take place, Hirsh said, "I certainly hope so." Bob Harkins, Pitt's director of Parking and Transportation, was more optimistic. He said the University "fully anticipates to be able to close" Bigelow sometime in the future, although it may not be for the full 60 days.

"We think we have community support to do that [close the street]," Harkins said. "It has been talked about for many, many years and I think the majority of the people around here are willing to at least try it to see if it does work." Harkins also expressed disappointment that the test will not start during spring break. He noted that spring break would have been the perfect time to begin the test closing because traffic is lighter than normal that week. Then, too, he noted, both the city and the University already have incurred expenses associated with painting lines for new traffic patterns, putting up signs and removing parking meters in preparation for the closing.

"But the biggest thing I really want to do is get data while the full University is here," Harkins added. "People ask why don't we do a test this summer. Well, a test this summer is a no brainer. It will work. The question is, does it work when everybody is here?" Closing Bigelow would call for a number of changes in traffic patterns and parking in an area extending roughly from Bellefield Avenue to Bouquet Street. Among the changes would be the elimination of all parking on Bouquet between Forbes and Fifth, and on Bellefield from Filmore Street/Bellefield Hall to Fifth Avenue. A left turning lane would be established next to the bus lane on Fifth Avenue as it approaches Bouquet Street.

The traffic flow on Bellefield also would be re-configured to contain three lanes, including two turning lanes onto Fifth Avenue. To better accommodate one of the turning lanes, about 200 feet of parking may be removed on Fifth in front of Mellon Institute. A few parking spaces also may be removed along Forbes Avenue at Bouquet Street to provide new loading zones for businesses that would lose their loading zones on Bouquet.

Bigelow would be closed to vehicular traffic by placing concrete barriers on it near Fifth Avenue and Forbes Avenue. Campus shuttle buses, however, still could to use the turn-around on the Fifth Avenue side of the William Pitt Union to load and unload passengers.

A shuttle bus stop would be established on the Forbes Avenue side of the union. To avoid the dangers of discharging passengers into traffic in that area, a pull-off area for buses would be created on Bigelow at Forbes. The traffic lights at Forbes and Bigelow would remain to aid pedestrian traffic. After the trial closing, the University would apply for the vacating of Bigelow Boulevard between Forbes Avenue and Fifth Avenue. If the street is permanently closed, the University, with the approval of the city, eventually would convert the area to grass with walkways.

–Mike Sajna