PITTSBURGH — Two student-led advocacy groups at the University of Pittsburgh are pressing city officials to make Oakland’s streets safer after a series of serious crashes and ongoing traffic confusion.
Complete Streets of Pitt, a transportation advocacy group, has focused recent efforts on Terrace Street near the Petersen Events Center, where multiple pedestrians have been struck and killed in over the past three years. Emily Watson was killed in November 2024 while using a crosswalk partially blocked by parked cars. They were key players in organizing her vigil and spreading awareness to prevent others from suffering the same fate. After pressure from students and partners such as Bike Pittsburgh, the city installed plastic bollards and clearer markings to keep cars away from the crosswalk.
The group is now working with the Urban Planning Club and the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation on the Bates Street Safe Crossings Initiative. They gather data and public input to present to City Council and the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure. Students say poor signage at intersections like Bates and Semple streets leads drivers to go the wrong way on one-way side streets.
Urban Planning Club vice president Sophie Bottiglieri said her organization formed to fill gaps in networking and professional opportunities for students interested in planning. The club organizes volunteer projects, speaker events and traffic audits, including recent counts of vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians on Bates Street to support safety improvements in the city budget.
Both clubs emphasize that their memberships are diverse and open to any major, and that their advocacy will continue beyond current leaders’ graduations.