Located in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood east of downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Forbes Avenue Corridor serves as a key gateway to Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), connecting the university campus with surrounding neighborhoods, institutions, and regional transportation networks.

GAI developed a multi-phased corridor master plan to implement Complete Streets principles and improve accessibility, safety, and mobility for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and motorists. Building on recently completed campus streetscape improvements, the project established a cohesive vision that advanced the goals of CMU’s Pedestrian Safety and Mobility Study while enhancing connectivity across campus and adjacent corridors.

The master plan addressed a range of transportation and accessibility challenges along Forbes Avenue, Morewood Avenue, and Fifth Avenue, including narrow sidewalks, limited separation between pedestrians and vehicular traffic, parking demands, and deficiencies related to ADA accessibility and traffic signal compliance. The study developed recommendations to improve pedestrian safety, strengthen multimodal connections, and create a more comfortable and inclusive public realm.

Project findings and recommendations were incorporated into CMU’s application for the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s Multimodal Transportation Fund grant program. The resulting application was successful, securing $300,000 in grant funding to support the implementation of priority corridor improvements.