The City of Pittsburgh, in partnership with Pittsburgh Regional Transit, Shiftworks Community + Public Arts and The Art Supply Co., announced a new public art project today featuring 20 bird-inspired installations along the University Line corridor.
The project, titled PittsBirds, features artwork placed on intersection signal control boxes and other infrastructure to create a visual thread for transit riders, pedestrians and cyclists.
The artwork reflects the character of neighborhoods along the transit route, including Downtown, Uptown, the Hill District and Oakland. Community input gathered through online surveys, in-person meetings and local events helped shape the themes, designs and placement of the installations.
Marsha Rollinger, a Pittsburgh-area native, was selected as the artist for the project. Rollinger gathered stories and ideas from local residents, workers and students to inform the themes, designs and locations of the artwork.
“I grew up in the Pittsburgh area and it was exciting to learn so much more about the Downtown, Uptown, Hill District and Oakland neighborhoods from all of the wonderful people who shared stories and gave input for this project through the online survey, in-person meetings and community events,” Rollinger said. “PittsBirds is truly a community-driven art project. I hope the public enjoys seeking out all 20 of the bird artworks and learning the stories they have to tell.”
Maria Cadena serves as public art planner with the City of Pittsburgh Department of City Planning. Cadena highlighted the goal of incorporating visual art into daily travel across the city.
“We’re excited to integrate public art along the University Line and can’t wait to see Pittsburghers discover new art on their daily commutes,” Cadena said. “Whether you’re biking, walking, or riding the bus, we encourage everyone to explore the pieces and find your favorite bird.”
The broader University Line project provides rapid transit service connecting Downtown, Uptown and Oakland. The infrastructure plan includes 24 designated station locations alongside improvements to sidewalks, protected bike lanes, traffic signals, landscaping and pedestrian accessibility features.
Installation of the PittsBirds artwork is underway, with most pieces scheduled for completion by the end of October.
The University Line is currently in Phase Two of construction and is slated for completion in 2027.
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