PITTSBURGH \u2014 A group of Pitt students is calling for safer streets in Oakland. <\/p>\n
Members of two clubs sat at the intersection of Bates and Semple streets on Friday, collecting data about pedestrian crosswalk use and how many vehicles and bikes pass through the intersection in the span of 15 hours. <\/p>\n
Organizers say the purpose of the data-gathering watch party is to try to showcase the need for safer travel on the roadway due to its volume of traffic. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a bunch of students spending their St. Patrick\u2019s Day weekend out here,\u201d organizer Neil Cahill said. \u201cYou know we care about Oakland, we care about our streets, we want to make it safer.\u201d <\/p>\n
Last year, Cahill says the organizations counted almost 200 cyclists, 4,000 pedestrians and over 13,000 private vehicles that crossed the intersection over 24 hours.<\/p>\n
The groups are concerned that there are few places to cross the intersection safely while allowing smooth vehicle traffic. <\/p>\n
The students plan to collect data again all day on March 27. The information they collect will later be presented to city officials. <\/p>\n
Cahill says these watch parties build upon PennDOT improvement plans for Bates Street, adding, “We want to ensure that PennDOT\u2019s work is a part of a full city and university supported study and improvement project.”<\/p>\n
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