With acknowledgment to Mao Tse-tung (among many others), a journey of a thousand miles is said to begin with a single step.

And the single step that is essential to begin the thousand mile journey of improving Oakland is the elimination entirely of the perverse contraflow bus lane on Fifth Avenue.

Without taking this initial single step, Oakland will never cease to be the creepy, edgy, eerie, odd, uncomfortable, unbalanced, deviant (i.e., unintegrated with the larger community which surrounds it) district which it is today, dominated externally by a totally unnecessary but very real and statistically proven danger.

Currently, nobody can plan to go or to be directed to Oakland without being cautioned -- "You better look out for those buses going the wrong way on the Main Street in Oakland."

With the elimination of the contra-flow (i.e. contrary-flow) bus lane, parents in the fall will once again be able to say farewell to their daughters and sons beginning a new year at one of the universities with the words, "See you at Thanksgiving," instead of, "Watch out for the buses."

Marvin L. Bellin, Squirrel Hill

A serious problem in Oakland is the dangerous intersection of Bigelow Boulevard and Forbes Avenue, smack in the middle of the "campus," between the Cathedral of Learning and the William Pitt Union on the one side and Hillman Library & Forbes Quad (now Posvar Hall) on the other. Why on earth are there no "Walk/Don’t Walk" signs at this intersection, as every other one in the vicinity (at Bigelow and Fifth, at Bellefield and Forbes, etc.)?

Traffic is very heavy, with cars turning in various directions and numerous outbound buses loading at the corner. Many students and faculty members have to dash across this intersection between classes, dodging turning vehicles. Video equipment is trundled across on rollers. Handicapped persons make the perilous crossing in wheelchairs.

The congestion at this hazardous intersection was one reason people wanted to close the block of Bigelow Boulevard between the Cathedral and the union, which I don’t advocate. It is a public thoroughfare. Yet for some unknown reason this critical intersection is not equipped with routine safety signals. Jaywalkers on Bigelow almost feel justified in taking their chances at midblock because the intersection at Forbes Avenue is just as dangerous.

Making this improvement would help far more than university students -- it would benefit one of the most vital areas of the city.

Jane Flanders, Squirrel Hill

One of the most cost-effective changes with the most immediate return to improve the Oakland section would be to revisit the issue of converting Bigelow Boulevard between Fifth and Forbes [avenues] to a Pitt campus.

Let’s face it, the Pitt students are one of the city’s finest "products," and spending a few bucks on their safety and convenience will have far-reaching and lasting benefit to this community.

Frank B. Zeno, Pittsburgh

My idea for improvement would be to build a pedestrian crossing bridge from the patio of the second floor of the Cathedral of Learning, across Bigelow Boulevard, into the old Schenley Hotel Building. This enclosed bridge could have stairs descending down to the sidewalk. There should be stairs on both sides of the street.

Al Sperl, Mount Oliver

My idea on how to make an improvement in Oakland and in particular the University of Pittsburgh is to build pedestrian bridges over city streets near the Cathedral of Learning, which would give somewhat of a cohesive campus feeling to the university which it now does not have.

Louis Ray Fefolt, Finleyville

I would like to suggest that, with the addition of Pitt’s Convocation Center, there should be more above-ground walkways, whether moving or stationary, that connect various buildings and sites, such as the Scaife, Convocation Center, Dental School and Tower View Parking Lot.

It is a difficult walk up the hills (physically), especially in the winter when it is cold, gets dark very early and, therefore, is not very safe.

If some of the students, staff and faculty of the University and Health Center could use such walkways, there would be less traffic congestion, fewer shuttle buses, and, hopefully, reduced crime. I know someone who was assaulted for money on his way up a hill one evening, and that was during the summer and during daylight.

1. When coming down South Craig Street to Forbes Avenue, give Craig a left-turn arrow before traffic exiting the museum has a green light.

2. Add either an underground or overtraffic walkway to Bigelow Boulevard between the Cathedral of Learning and the Pitt Student Union, because too many students do not use the crosswalks provided. Or ticket the students that do not use crosswalks.

3. I think a good-size parking garage is needed. It may be intertwined with a few stores or shops. A suggested place is between Hillman Library and the Carnegie Library. There is a parking lot there now, but building upward would be advantageous to everyone. Lack of parking has been a reason that many locals and visitors have given for not visiting Oakland more. Another place [for more parking] may be where Pitt’s stadium was.

4. Another thought for the space where the Pitt stadium was is a park to keep the track part where employees walk or run at lunch time. It would be great to picnic there in the summer time with your lunch. There’s not nearly enough greenery in that part of Oakland.

Wendelyn Weckerle, Carnegie Museum of Art

I believe the No. 1 issue facing Oakland is traffic congestion and that the following changes will move both people and vehicles through the area more efficiently and effectively:

Build one 16-foot-wide covered pedestrian walkway above Fifth Avenue that crosses the street near the Litchfield Towers and another that crosses from the Pitt Student Union to the Cathedral grounds. The clearance for both walkways should be low to prohibit large trucks from using the roads between Forbes and Fifth avenues.

Eliminate the parking meters along Bigelow Boulevard between Forbes Avenue and Bayard/O’Hara streets to open up the traffic lanes. There may be an option to widen the green space along this section of Bigelow.

Take the corner off at Forbes Avenue and Bellefield Avenue to make left turns easier and more efficient. This would require removing one tree.

Prohibit delivery trucks from double-parking to make deliveries on Forbes Avenue. Instead, clearly mark and enforce specific loading zones at the corners of each major intersection.

Paint all intersections with a grid to identify them clearly and prohibit vehicles from entering and stopping in these zones at red lights. Enforce this law with heavy fines. Currently, this system is used very effectively in New York City.

Take the corner off at Forbes Avenue and Halket to make the right-hand turn from Forbes to Halket quicker and more efficient.

Make cuts in the sidewalks on the main streets where hospital and university shuttles stop so they can load and unload passengers without blocking traffic.

Reconfigure the serpentine path that currently makes up University Drive when the new convocation center is built.

Make better use of the old Syria Mosque space by building an underground parking lot topped with green space that could be used as a small park.

Ultimately, build a subway system that would connect Oakland to Downtown and eventually to the North Side and the East End to eliminate the need for commuters to transfer to and from buses. This would eliminate the need for many of the buses that currently congest the main streets.

As part of the Oakland subway system, build a loop that connects Carnegie Mellon, Pitt and Carlow with the local hospitals to reduce the number of hospital and university shuttles currently on the roads.

Yet another subway loop could connect Oakland with large parking garages located along Second Avenue and Panther Hollow. This loop also could travel over to the new sports medicine complex on the South Side. People would be more inclined to park on the edge of Oakland if quick, inexpensive, convenient transportation to the heart of the area were available.

Add another underground parking garage topped by green space between the Hillman and Carnegie libraries.

The city empties public trash cans along Forbes Avenue during the business day. If possible the cans should be emptied before 7 a.m. or after 8 p.m. to reduce the impact on traffic flow.

Here are my suggestions for Oakland improvements

Stop the chaos introduced every week by the so-called street sweeping. It is ineffective and just causes the already congested parking situation to become untenable.

Absentee landlords exacerbate the run-down quality of too many properties.

Formulate an adaptive reuse program for the former Angel’s Corner church at Atwood and Bates.

Encourage unique family businesses such as the Community Deli on Dawson Street, the Italian Grocery Store on Bates, and Salem’s Market on Bouquet Street to continue their services to the community by offering them tax incentives.

Restore and paint the rusted railings along the Boulevard of the Allies overpass over Forbes Avenue. The railings have interesting ornamentation and could enhance that small, but regularly traveled section of roadway. It also desperately needs to be resurfaced.

Adaptively reuse the building adjacent to this site.

Lu Donnelly, Point Breeze

I agree that Oakland and the University of Pittsburgh are assets to the city.

I think anything that can be done to improve parking, and make the campus look more like a campus will pay dividends to the city for years to come.

I would begin by immediately closing Bigelow Boulevard between the Cathedral and the student union. I know this is not a new idea.

I was taking an evening class during the experimental closure a few years ago. It was very nice. I can only imagine how beautiful the whole area will look once the street has been replaced with grass and trees.

I like the parking garage that was built under the lawn at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall. I thought for many years something similar should be done with the parking lot in front of Hillman Library.

Building the garage below a park would help tie in the Pitt campus with CMU and Schenley Park.

Something needs to be done with Fifth Avenue. Saying there is a lot of pedestrian traffic in Oakland is an understatement.

I was an undergraduate the year the bus lane was added. Two-way traffic coupled with the addition of a railing along the sidewalk make crossing the street dangerous. Pedestrians can’t be expected to cross only at a few traffic lights.

I realize it would be very costly, but I propose putting Fifth Avenue underground from Bigelow to DeSoto , the street that leads to the stadium).

This approximately three block stretch separates the dormitories from most of the campus.

Access to the Schenley Quad would need to be maintained.

A few extra parking spaces could be used as a loading zone for students at the beginning and end of the school year.

I hope many good ideas are collected and that our local leaders act quickly on the best.

Mark Marsico, McCandless

One obvious way to make Oakland a better, especially more accessible place is to have buses that go to Oakland without going Downtown! I live out Route 8 way, and there is no direct connection for us out there without the long jog to Downtown Pittsburgh, then change buses to get back to Oakland. I have never been able to understand why this should be the case, since Oakland is clearly a major center for people. Surely better transportation to the area would be a great (even though simple minded) improvement!

Mary Dawson, Carnegie Museum

Pittsburgh has four main assets: its educational institutions, health facilities, sporting facilities and achievements, and its rivers. The city’s greatest asset, though, is its ability to attract people. It may not keep them, but it does an excellent job getting them. I learned that from experience as Pitt tried to get me into their graduate program -- and it did.

The focus has been, however, on the heavy emigration this region suffers.

On the other hand, the city continues to experience a reverse flow in the form of young people who come here to be educated. The fact that they spend four years here is enough time to get them hooked on the city and the region.

How do we do this? Transportation is crucial. This has always gone hand-in-hand with spatial and economic expansion. As the number of students increases, moving them in a timely way is important. The current system is beginning to show flaws along the 71A bus route, the most traveled.

One student remarked that there are too many traffic lights on Fifth Avenue. The problem is there is no way to bypass them.

A metro system can carry more people faster with no traffic lights, and it’s like car pooling. This can operate at peak hours or increase the number of cars on the metro system during peak hours. Amtrak did this during Thanksgiving and moved almost half a million people in a few days.

Another critical element of keeping young people is entertainment. One of my first shocks as a student here was how far I had to travel to get to the cinema. A modern cinema or theater in Oakland is a must for the future.

Adequate and affordable housing is essential. Standards must be enforced in order to halt the decadence and improve maintenance particularly in North and South Oakland.

Interuniversity athletic competitions among Pitt, Duquesne, Carnegie Mellon and Indiana University of Pennsylvania can certainly add to the ambiance of the city and bring people together. This would certainly do well to improve athletics in the area. Academic performance gives a school its name; sports gives it its heart. It is athletic rivalry that builds school spirit. It brings a city to life.

Ted D. Serrant, graduate student researcher
University Center for Social and Urban Research, University of Pittsburgh