In response to a string of crashes that killed pedestrians in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood, the city and the University of Pittsburgh are implementing new safety measures along the Terrace Street corridor.
Jessie Maroney, 37, of South Park, was killed in a hit-and-run crash crossing at Darragh and Terrace streets in early December, prompting city officials to recommend changes aimed at making the area safer for pedestrians.
The city’s Fatal Crash Response Team — which includes the Pittsburgh Police Collision Investigation Unit — conducted a site visit last month before recommending a series of changes on Terrace Street and nearby roads.
At the intersection of Terrace and Darragh Streets, traffic signals will no longer be flashing overnight. Instead, they’ll be “stop and go” — meaning people will have red or green lights — 24 hours a day, Mayor Ed Gainey’s office said in a statement.
Right turns on red have been banned on all four approaches at the intersection. The signal will give pedestrians a three-second head start before allowing vehicle traffic to commence.
That three-second pedestrian interval also will be implemented at the nearby intersections of O’Hara and DeSoto streets and Allequippa and Darragh streets.
Turns will be barred at red lights at the intersection of O’Hara and DeSoto streets.
The safety improvements are part of the city’s Vision Zero initiative, a goal to reduce to zero the number of fatal vehicle crashes in the city. The initiative was announced when the city’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure launched in 2016 and reaffirmed by the Gainey administration last year.
The University of Pittsburgh is repainting curb and pavement markings in no-parking areas and crosswalks and helping to improve lighting in the area.
“The university remains committed to ongoing, vital discussions and actions to help make Oakland a safer place for pedestrians, cyclists and commuters,” Pitt said in a statement.
The school also is completing a study analyzing Terrace Street from Darragh Street and DeSoto Street through Fifth Avenue.
The study, which will be finalized by the end of the year, analyzed data on pedestrian, bike and vehicular traffic volumes, pedestrian crossing patterns and the infrastructure currently in place along the corridor. It will identify potential safety hazards and produce a comprehensive list of potential pedestrian safety improvements, according to the university.
Prior to December’s deadly wreck, Emily Watson, 29, of Pittsburgh was fatally struck by a UPMC shuttle while walking at Terrace Street and Sutherland Drive in November 2023.
In September 2020, Mary Flaherty, 76, of Monroeville was killed when a UPMC shuttle bus hit her in an unmarked crosswalk near the intersection of Terrace and Buffalo streets.