Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure plans to use $3 million from PennDOT to liven up the Boulevard of the Allies with a tree-lined median strip between Grant Street and Stanwix Street.

Mayor Corey O’Connor said that the project will create a “more welcoming” environment for pedestrians, visitors and small businesses Downtown.

“A tree-lined median connecting Grant Street to Point State Park and focusing on the details will help turn the Boulevard of the Allies into a true grand Downtown boulevard,” he said.

O’Connor’s spokeswoman, Molly Onufer, said the city has not created a design for the median and is “just at the very beginning of this.”

The affected stretch of the road notably cuts through the heart of Point Park University, which serves more than 3,000 students.

Ted Black, Point Park’s senior vice president and chief of staff, said the university had been grappling with the “oddity” of a five-lane road on campus and welcomed the refresh.

“We’re excited that this investment can transform it into a tree-lined street that can connect to our campus [and] create more of a neighborhood feel,” he said.

Point Park commissioned a study through the Urban Land Institute in 2024 that identified the Boulevard of the Allies as a focal point for improving its campus. The study called for additional greenery and pedestrian access along the boulevard.

While the city’s project to upgrade the Boulevard of the Allies in Downtown developed independently of the study, Point Park officials were in regular contact with O’Connor during the planning phase and have supported it “from day one,” Black said.

PennDOT provided money for the project as a grant through its Multimodal Transportation Funds, according to agency spokeswoman Nicole Haney.

The city received the maximum available amount to refurbish the Boulevard of the Allies, and it also received more than $700,000 to upgrade the overhead lane use control system on the North Shore.

The project will also include repaving, Haney said.

The Boulevard of the Allies runs from Downtown to Oakland, ending in Schenley Park. It was constructed in phases in the 1920s, named to honor the Allies of World War I.