By SUSAN JONES
Being a pedestrian in Oakland has never been a walk in the park, but this year the construction-related blockades have ramped up to a whole new level.
Nowhere is this more evident than on the right side of Fifth Avenue, as you head from Bellefield Avenue to Meyran Street. What once was a less-crowded option for traversing central Oakland is now largely blocked to pedestrians.
The majority of the work is being done by contractors for Pittsburgh Regional Transit on infrastructure for the new PRTX bus rapid transit line from Oakland to downtown Pittsburgh. But that giant new UPMC hospital going up between Lothrop and DeSoto streets certainly is having an impact too.
Most of Fifth Avenue in the Oakland corridor is down to two traffic lanes, plus the contraflow bus lane. The outbound buses will eventually move to Forbes Avenue when the PRTX stations are completed there. PRT has previously said the infrastructure work on Fifth Avenue will be done this fall, but with no specific dates. PRT issues weekly updates on its website.
PRT’s contractor has poured nine concrete slabs to support new PRTX Stations in Uptown and Oakland. As part of the process, crews must remove the existing sidewalk and curbs to install electrical conduits. Once the sidewalk and curbs are replaced, crews can pour the station’s concrete
The completed station slabs in Oakland are located at:
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Forbes Avenue at Craft Avenue
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Forbes Avenue at McKee Place
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Forbes Avenue at South Bouquet (2 station slabs)
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Forbes Avenue at Schenley Plaza
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Fifth Avenue at Tennyson Avenue
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Fifth Avenue at Chesterfield Road
But there’s still plenty more work to be done. So let’s take a walk down Fifth Avenue and check out its challenges.
Bellefield to Bigelow
We’ll start at the Music Building on the northwest corner of Bellefield and Fifth avenues.
First challenge, how do you get into the Music Building? The building is surrounded by sidewalk work on the street-facing sides. Luckily, signs point you to a (less-than-inviting) back door that you can reach by walking around construction on Bellefield or through the Ruskin parking lot. As of Sept. 3, work had definitely progressed on these sidewalks, but they were still blocked by cement barriers and metal fences.
Heading west from Ruskin Avenue, your best bet is to walk through the now well-worn grass in front of Clapp Hall to the light at Tennyson, where you can cross over Fifth. DO NOT JAYWALK. This is Fifth Avenue, people! Buses are going in both directions, drivers aren’t looking for people crossing the street here, and there’s a metal railing that less nimble members of the Pitt community might have a hard time ducking under.
Once you cross, legally, you’ll want to stay on the left side until at least University Place. There is a small area of sidewalk open in front of Alumni Hall, but you’d have to cut through the building to get to it and then just have to cross at Lytton, because the sidewalks in front of the Pittsburgh Athletic Association building also are off limits.
Bigelow to Meyran
OK, you’ve made it to the William Pitt Union plaza. Stop and enjoy the red and pink canna lilies, but don’t pause too long because you’ll be run down by the stream of people walking in all directions. Closing one half of the route along Fifth has definitely increased the foot traffic on the other side. DO NOT, as this writer witnessed, walk in the contraflow bus lane to avoid the other pedestrians — we’ve already had enough pedestrian-vehicle accidents here.
The sidewalk in front of Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall is completely blocked off. You can cross at University Place to get to Nordenberg Hall and the services on its ground floor, but don’t get too comfortable on that side of the road.
Once you’ve concluded your business near Nordenberg, you’ll have to go back across the way you came, because you can’t quite make it to the crosswalk at Thackeray Street. So you’re now back into the crowds in front of Litchfield Towers. Good luck!
You can cross over again at Bouquet Street to get to the Public Health Building. But if you want to get from there to the Atwood Street bus station one block up, you’ll need to cross back over Fifth. The UPMC construction site covers the sidewalk and the first lane on the right side of the road between DeSoto and Lothrop.
The left side of Fifth between Oakland and Meyran avenues has cement barriers blocking off the vehicle lane nearest the sidewalk from traffic. So you can walk there. But that also means that through that stretch, the inbound and outbound buses have only one lane between them.
There’s some more construction beyond Meyran, but you’ve now made it through the major choke points. My advice, take a bus. It’s slow going down Fifth and probably won’t get you there any faster than walking, but it’s a lot safer.
If you choose to walk, the Pitt Office of Public Safety and Emergency Management has some tips:
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Don’t be distracted by texting or talking on your phone or wearing earbuds. Pay attention!
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Look both directions before you cross the street — even if it’s a one-way street.
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Be aware of reverse-flow bus lanes .
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Use crosswalks but be aware that drivers don’t always stop at crosswalks.
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When using a crosswalk with a signal, remember that a steady walking person means you may begin crossing the street but be aware of turning vehicles.
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A flashing upraised hand means you should not begin to cross the street and those already crossing should complete their cross. A steady upraised hand means you should not cross the street.
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Be alert to drivers who might not see you in the crosswalk or at the green light. Some drivers’ views might be blocked or they might make an illegal turn.
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Don’t walk behind a car that is pulled up too far and is blocking the crosswalk.
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Walk facing traffic at night, carry a flashlight and wear reflective clothing. White clothing will not necessarily make you more visible to drivers.
A new Pitt ad and social media campaign also is encouraging drivers, bikers and pedestrians to stay alert and safe.
A bright spot for pedestrians
Forbes Avenue, at least for now, does not have as many pedestrian obstacles as Fifth, and there are some positives.
The sidewalks around Hillman Library are now fully open now that the library work is done. The bike lane and sidewalks near Schenley Plaza also are now open.
But most interestingly, the city of Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility & Infrastructure has installed an all-way stop at the Forbes and Bigelow intersection. This means pedestrians will be able to cross in any direction only on a walk sign, similar to how the lights work at Forbes and Craig Street.
The Pitt Police have now monitored the new all-stop at Forbes and Bigelow at various times for several days. Officers who spoke directly with Pitt students, faculty, staff and pedestrians discovered that the new all-way stop has been met with positive feedback, and community members like the extra time they have to cross the intersection. Additionally, Pitt Police have not observed any negative effect with traffic congestion on Forbes Avenue as a result of the all-way stop’s installation.
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.
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