Pittsburgh $5M Grant for Murray Avenue Safety Upgrades

Pittsburgh is set to receive a $5 million shot in the arm for safety and accessibility upgrades on Murray Avenue, city officials announced Thursday. The money, coming from a mix of state and federal transportation partners, is earmarked for the stretch between Forward/Pocusset and Darlington, a busy East End connector that links Squirrel Hill to I-376 and nearby neighborhoods. City leaders say the project will zero in on safer walking, rolling, and transit access along a corridor that many residents and businesses rely on.

In a post on X, the City of Pittsburgh said the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration provided $5,000,000 to the Pittsburgh Department of Mobility and Infrastructure to make "safety & accessibility updates" along Murray from Forward/Pocusset to Darlington, according to the City of Pittsburgh. The post named DOMI as the implementing agency, but did not include a construction schedule.

DOMI's projects typically include signal upgrades, ADA curb ramps, curb extensions, and pedestrian amenities, treatments the city has used on earlier signal and streetscape projects, according to the City of Pittsburgh press archive. City press releases note that similar upgrades were previously funded with state and federal dollars, and federal programs administered by FHWA prioritize local roadway safety investments. USDOT guidance describes those investments as part of a broader national push to cut serious roadway injuries and deaths.

Why Murray Avenue matters

Murray Avenue serves as an economic and transit spine in the East End, feeding local businesses and several Port Authority bus lines while linking Squirrel Hill to I-376 and nearby neighborhoods, the city noted in its post. The City of Pittsburgh called the corridor a "major East End economic/transit/civic hub" that stands to benefit from targeted accessibility upgrades.

Design and community engagement steps are likely next. DOMI's EngagePGH page for a nearby Murray Ave & Welfer Street traffic-calming project lists planned splitter islands, curb extensions, and minor parking revisions and says a construction timeline will be shared when it is available. EngagePGH shows that DOMI is already studying the corridor, and neighborhood conversations have shaped treatments such as the raised crosswalk on Darlington Road in recent years. Reporting at WESA details the earlier project and resident input.

The announcement did not include a start date or a construction contractor. Federal and state grant agreements usually require planning and administrative steps before work begins, so visible changes could take months to show up. Officials with DOMI did not immediately provide additional details beyond the funding announcement, and federal guidance for similar programs suggests work will move through design, permitting, and then construction phases, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.