Traffic Signal Upgrade at Fifth Avenue and Dithridge Street

Published on February 13, 2026

City Receives Grant for Traffic Signal Upgrade at Fifth Avenue and Dithridge Street

Pittsburgh, PA –There will be an upgrade to the traffic signals at Fifth Avenue and Dithridge Steet in Oakland thanks to a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). The City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) has been awarded an $805,533 grant for the replacement and modernization of traffic signals at the intersection.  

“Our roads need to be safe for everyone whether you’re on the sidewalk, in a car, on a bike or on a bus,” said Mayor Corey O’Connor. “Thanks to DOMI and PennDOT, the upgrades at Fifth and Dithridge will support our commitment to designing streets and intersections in a way that reduces the potential for crashes and injuries.” 

The grant was awarded through PennDOT’s Automated Red Light Enforcement Transportation Grant Program, which funds road safety projects across the state with revenue generated from red light violation fines. The ARLE fines are therefore reinvested into road safety enhancements statewide. The intersection of Fifth Avenue and Dithridge Street has a history of several crashes over the past five years, including a fatality in 2020.        

Safety upgrades to the intersection's traffic signals will include new LED streetlighting, countdown pedestrian signals with audible tone indicators, larger LED traffic light signal heads that are easier for motorists to see and concrete bumpouts to reduce the crosswalk distance for pedestrians and slow down turning vehicles. 

"This award is a perfect testament to the ARLE program's impact on mobility and street safety,” said City Councilperson Erika Strassburger. “I am thrilled and grateful for the state's contribution to the overhaul of this critical intersection in my district. I'm also proud to have helped bring ARLE to Pittsburgh, where we will implement the technology at high-risk corridors later this year and use the fine proceeds to fund more investments in life-saving projects." 

Molly Onufer
Press Secretary
molly.onufer@pittsburghpa.gov