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April 27, 1995

Construction will claim parking spaces; 2 garage proposals are considered as solution

to problem

In parking-starved Oakland, where the loss of a single parking space is bad news, construction of the proposed convocation center on the administration's preferred site next to Pitt Stadium is expected to eliminate up to 786 parking spaces.

Most of those lost spaces, 701, would come from the OC parking lot where the convocation center would be built. Another 45 spaces would be eliminated at the neighboring F parking lot and the remaining 40 spaces from the E parking lot.

Trans Associates Engineering Consultants, Inc. of Pittsburgh has been studying parking problems associated with the proposed convocation center for Pitt's Department of Parking and Transportation, and this month reported on its findings to the University Senate's plant utilization and planning committee (PUP).

Trans Associates' report at the April 10 PUP meeting focused specifically on the construction of a replacement parking garage either on the hilltop next to the Veterans Administration Hospital or in Schenley Plaza between Hillman Library and The Carnegie.

"Preliminary plans for the hilltop garage show its parking capacity to be 1,326 spaces," Trans Associates' engineer Mark Magalotti told PUP.

Of those spaces, 326 would be Veterans Administration spaces and the remaining 1,000 would be for use by the University. As outlined in Trans Associates' plan, 520 of the University spaces would be for lease parking and the remaining 480 spaces for short-term parking.

Preliminary plans for the convocation center call for closing Allequippa Street from Sutherland Drive to Darragh Street. In an effort to reduce a possible increase in through traffic along Robinson Street caused by closing that portion of Allequippa Street, Trans Associates has proposed the following roadway changes: * Extend Darragh Street northbound to intersect Robinson Street at Wadsworth Street.

* Construct a new connector road between Allequippa Street and Dunseith Street.

* Convert Terrace Street, from Dunseith Street to Robinson Street, to one-way westbound.

According to the report, the changes will require all vehicles traveling to University facilities in the northern section of the campus to use Darragh Street and create a loop for residential traffic between Robinson Street and Dunseith Street.

"We presented that, in a preliminary fashion, to some of the residents of west Oakland and they believe it would be a positive way to eliminate traffic up Robinson Street," Magalotti said.

Construction of a parking garage on the hilltop would involve a number of other changes to traffic signals, on-street parking and lanes on neighboring streets. Preliminary costs for those changes and realignment of Darragh Street are projected by Trans Associates at $322,500, excluding the cost of the garage.

The proposed Schenley Plaza site garage, which the Pittsburgh City Planning Commission indicated during its April 18 meeting that it favors, would be an underground facility for 1,000 cars. About 750 of the parking spaces in it would be for short-term parking and the remaining 250 spaces for lease parkers. The surface lot currently on the site has 234 spaces.

Taking into account the increase in traffic that more parking spaces will attract to the area, Trans Associates has developed two scenarios for handling the additional flow. One option involves Bigelow Boulevard between Forbes Avenue and Fifth Avenue remaining open, the other scenario involves its closing.

Construction of the garage with Bigelow Boulevard open would require changes in traffic signals on Forbes Avenue at Bouquet Street, Bigelow Boulevard and Schenley Park Road, and the addition of traffic signals at Roberto Clemente Drive and Bouquet Street, and Roberto Clemente Drive and Schenley Park Road.

Along with changes in traffic signals, the first option would require lane and roadway changes of various types on Schenley Park Road, Roberto Clemente Drive and Bouquet Street. The total cost of option one, Bigelow Boulevard open, has been estimated at $561,500 by Trans Associates, plus the cost of the garage.

Scenario two, Bigelow Boulevard closed, involves changes to traffic signals on Forbes Avenue at Bouquet Street, Bigelow Boulevard and Schenley Park Road, the removal of on-street parking on Bouquet Street and the installation of traffic signals at Roberto Clemente Drive, Bouquet Street and one of the two driveways leading into the proposed garage.

Various lane or roadway changes also would be required on Schenley Park Road, Roberto Clemente Drive, Bouquet Street and one of the proposed garage's driveways.

The cost of option two, Bigelow Boulevard closed, has been estimated by Trans Associates at $691,500, in addition to the cost of the garage.

The report by Trans Associates was intended to make PUP aware of options for replacing parking spaces lost if the proposed convocation center is constructed on the preferred site next to Pitt Stadium. No decisions have been made by PUP or Pitt's Department of Parking and Transportation.

–Mike Sajna


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