Pittsburgh roads are definitely more tricky to navigate especially if you came from a more bike-friendly environment. We just moved to the Pitt area as well and I have been having similar challenges. Shoulders are more narrow and sometimes there are no shoulders but the drivers are surprisingly more respectful/nice here. The other day I had a flat in backroad and every single car stopped to ask me if I need help. That exceeded my expectations by miles, honestly. What I do is carefully ride to backroads where traffic is little to sometimes non-existent. Hours and hours of riding in peace, only if I had time and the weather was good (sigh).
I do not hesitate to take over a lane when I have to. I also purchased a Varia which gives me extra piece of mind. I think it's a must-have in this area. Just go out and explore the roads. Zwift is your friend too.
Btw what t2p posted is an amazing resource. I am blown by how detailed it is. WOW! Thank you!