Campus Safety & Emergency

Campus Safety & Emergency


    Please provide any comments or suggestions on how to make
    our Oakland community safer for pedestrians

    Contact Details (optional)




    This is part of a broader effort to engage the campus community in a dialogue about what new solutions we should consider to enhance our ongoing transportation safety improvement efforts.

     

    Current and Enhanced Safety Initiatives

    • Pitt works with the city, county and state authorities to remedy crosswalk concerns, malfunctioning traffic signals and unmarked roads in the region. Some past projects include: installing a railing along the Fifth Avenue busway; creating a mid-block crosswalk along Forbes Avenue outside of David Lawrence Hall; shortening crosswalks and modifying the turning radius to slow traffic and make pedestrians more visible at the intersection of Fifth and Bellefield Avenues. 
    • Multiple groups within Pitt (University Communications, Pitt Police, Student Affairs, etc.) regularly run safety messages on their social media accounts and on digital televisions throughout the institution. A new rotation of safety messages is underway. 
    • Pitt offers and advertises a free SafeRider service for evening transportation needs around campus.
    • Each Pitt shuttle is equipped with Green Roads safety technology which monitors driving habits (speed, braking, etc.). 
    • Pitt partners with the Oakland Transportation Management Association to improve mobility (participate in traffic studies, pedestrian issues, biking improvements, etc.) and educational events to stress the safety aspects of mobility in the Oakland area. 
    • Pitt Public Safety regularly hosts PennDOT safety personnel for talks and safety fairs on campus, including bicycle safety day.
    • Enhancing safety in our campus community is woven throughout our campus master plan. One example: In partnership with the City of Pittsburgh, Pitt is overseeing a Bigelow Boulevard construction project which includes protected bike lanes and traffic calming measures (such as raised crosswalks and planters) that make it nearly impossible to jaywalk. Another example: This project also calls for a relocated mid-block crosswalk to move pedestrians farther from the busy Fifth Ave. intersection.
    • Pitt Staff Council’s Safety Crawl proactively monitors and identifies areas of concern on campus. highlighting pedestrian, vehicular and bicycle safety issues. Staff Council then works with the Pitt administration to prioritize and fix the problems. 
    • Pitt numbers its university vehicles to facilitate reporting of any unsafe driving; many also have an 800 number to call in concerns.
    • Pitt Police devotes four to six motorcycle officers to traffic enforcement on the daylight shift.  
    • Pitt offers online forms that enable users to report safety concerns 24/7.  
    • Pitt Police track accidents in Oakland (daily, monthly, and yearly) to determine if there are commonalities, especially with regard to intersections. If we spot trends, we relay these to the appropriate officials. 
    • Pitt Police is dedicating a community relations officer to traffic and pedestrian safety as 100% of their duties.
    • And Pitt Police is adding a “report a traffic safety concern” to the Rave Guardian mobile safety App.
    • In the coming weeks, we will utilize multiple communications tools (publications, website, etc.) to reach out to members of our university community and gather their input and ideas on promoting campus safety. 

    Sometimes, a student’s college experience is interrupted by an emergency or a crisis situation. To manage such incidents, we have a number of mechanisms in place:

    • The University of Pittsburgh Police can be reached at (412) 624-2121. Please contact them with any emergencies or inquiries.
    • Students can take an active role in protecting their safety by following the tips outlined here.
    • Also, students are encouraged to sign up for the Emergency Notification System (ENS) upon their arrival on campus.
    • If you find yourself experiencing a personal emergency or crisis, contact the University of Pittsburgh Police at (412) 624-2121 or dial 9-11.
    • If you find yourself in an unsafe relationship or have experienced sexual harassment and/or assault, contact the Office of Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Education (SHARE).