L.R. Kimball has completed the Penn Avenue Corridor Phasing Plan for the City of Pittsburgh, Department of Public Works, Bureau of Transportation and Engineering. The project is located on Penn Avenue in the City of Pittsburgh from 34th Street (Doughboy Square) to Negley Avenue, approximately 2 miles in length. The project limits include 31 intersections (14 signalized intersections) from building line to building line including the cartways, sidewalks, and utilities. The project limits include the City of Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, Garfield, Friendship, and East Liberty.
Solution: Utilizing SMART TRANSPORTATION Principles, Kimball formulated a Corridor Phasing Plan advising the City in programming and advancing transportation improvements along Penn Avenue given the corridor’s needs, community priorities, and available funding. Project elements include addressing congestion, safety, and deteriorated conditions through a number of street, traffic, and streetscaping improvements.
The area of Penn Avenue in the greatest physical and operational need extends from Mathilda Street to Aiken Avenue. This segment is also consistent with the established Arts Commercial Area designated in the Penn Avenue Master Plan and with the core of Garfield's business district. Given the $5 million budgetary limit on the immediate improvements, priority for the programming and investment of federal funds was targeted by the committee to a four block area from Mathlida Street to Evaline Street. This section of Penn Avenue has been recommended as Phase I.
This phase should be followed up by a Phase II project using federal funds to extend the improvements from Evaline Street to Aiken Avenue. Phase II improvements will address the remaining needs of this segment and complete the Arts Commercial/Garfield Business District improvements.
Result: Two Public Meetings were held to discuss the project, needs, and the prioritization for implementation. Phase I was approved by the Penn Avenue Corridor Phasing Plan Committee and will move into preliminary engineering and final design.
Next Steps: Preliminary Engineering and Final Design for Phase I will be performed by Kimball under a separate contract. The scope of work for this project includes total pavement reconstruction (including the curbs and sidewalks), new ADA curb ramps and detectable warning strips, utility relocations, drainage updates, new signing and pavement markings, new bus shelters, bicycle racks, street furniture and waste receptacles, new street lighting, streetscaping elements, upgrades to the traffic signal hardware, and safety improvements at the intersections. This section will be coordinated with work that is currently scheduled to upgrade existing intersections at 34th Street and Main Street.
The work will include the limits of Phase I from the intersection of Penn Avenue and Mathilda Street to the intersection of Penn Avenue and Evaline Street. This section includes five (5) total intersections, three (3) of which are signalized including the intersections of Penn Avenue at Mathilda Street, Millvale Avenue, and Evaline Street.
The future Phase II will begin at the intersection of Penn Avenue and Evaline Street and continue to to the intersection Penn Avenue and Aiken Avenue. This section includes three (3) total intersections, two (2) of which are signalized including the intersections of Penn Avenue at Atlantic Avenue and Aiken Avenue.
For more information on the Penn Avenue Corridor Phasing Plan, please visit the website link http://www.kimballcorp.com/070661/