Oakwood & Batavia Green Streets

Overview

Ethos Collaborative worked closely with Nine Mile Run Watershed Association, the City of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, and ALCOSAN on what is likely the first green infrastructure project within the Pittsburgh public Right-of-Way. The cascading, curbed stormwater bump-outs and planter beds were developed to reduce runoff into Nine Mile Run, an urban stream located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Water from the streets of the Rosedale neighborhood of Pittsburgh, in the upper Nine Mile Run watershed, is directed to curb bump-outs in the right of way, where it is conveyed through a sediment forebay, through a series of planters, and to underground storage. The system is fitted with a series of weirs and flow monitors that provide information on GSI performance including the total volume of stormwater managed by the system. The curb bump-outs additionally enhance pedestrian safety by shortening crossing distances and calming traffic, and they augment neighborhood aesthetics with seasonal blossoms and foliage in the street. Ethos Collaborative and collaborators Landbase Systems and StormWorks sited, designed and supported construction of this project. The Oakwood Batavia project, combined with a sister project at the nearby Crescent Early Childhood Center, manage over 325,000 gallons of water per year.