It’s city budget season! Every summer, the city’s Office of Management and Budget works with the public and city department leaders to gather proposals for capital projects (traffic calming, rec and senior center upgrades, playground renovations, landslide remediation, etc.) After reviewing all the feedback, the budget office works with the Mayor’s Office to prioritize and send a final budget proposal to City Council in September. Council makes amendments and gathers more input before passing a final budget in December.
As a Registered Community Organization with the city, we play a crucial part in ensuring Oakland residents’ needs are considered during this negotiation process. OPDC has worked consistently over the last year with residential and institutional neighbors to address pedestrian safety concerns in three areas of Oakland. Our 2026 Capital Budget requests to the City of Pittsburgh build on that advocacy, urging capital investments on South Neville/Boundary connecting Panther Hollow with North Oakland, Bates Street between the Boulevard and Bouquet in Central Oakland, and Terrace/Robinson in West Oakland. Read the specifics, including links to our full letter to the city, below:
Boundary Street pedestrian and cyclist safety improvements—especially a sidewalk! We’ve long advocated for making this vital connection between North Oakland and Panther Hollow/Schenley Park safer. This connector was also highlighted in the Oakland 2025 Plan (published in 2012) and The Oakland Plan (2022). The city has begun planning and design work; we need to ensure the improvements are built.
Bates Street pedestrian safety: This past Spring, the Pitt Urban Planning and Complete Streets Clubs surveyed Bates Street pedestrians and businesses to gather data on how it can be safer. The students presented their findings at a March community meeting.
Click here to read the Pitt Urban Planning and Complete Streets Clubs’ survey data linked here.
Most respondents (94%) said they walk Bates Street and the words used most often to describe traveling Bates Street by respondents are “dangerous,” and “scary.” We are asking for new crosswalks and sidewalk restoration to make this busy corridor safer for all.
Robinson/Terrace traffic flow: We continue to advocate for a traffic barrier at the base of Robinson Street to prevent illegal use of the Fifth Avenue slip ramp onto the Parkway. The city is currently working with Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) and Emergency Services on a solution that should be incorporated into PRT’s construction for the University Line on Fifth Avenue next year. Alongside the many organizational partners that use this intersection, we will continue reminding the City of the need for safety in West Oakland.
Read the full letter detailing OPDC’s Capital Budget requests here.
Check out the city’s Budget Engagement Engage PGH page, linked here, to follow the City’s budget process.