City Council
Nine people hurt in the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse may share $445,000.
The Fern Hollow Bridge had been federally listed in poor condition since 2011 before it collapsed in January 2022. Now, nine people who sued the city over the collapse may share $445,000 in settlements. Resolutions to approve the payments, from $40,000 to $90,000 each, were introduced in council June 16. A preliminary vote is scheduled for next week's committee meeting.
Written by Amy Whipple
More than four years after the Fern Hollow Bridge collapsed in Jan. 2022, nine people who filed lawsuits against the city may soon receive settlements totaling $445,000.
Resolutions to approve the settlements were introduced at council’s general meeting on June 16. Individual settlements range from $40,000 to $90,000. If approved by council, the recipient of the largest payment would be Daryl Luciani, who was driving the county Port Authority bus that fell 100 feet into a ravine.
The bridge spans Fern Hollow in Frick Park, connecting Squirrel Hill to Point Breeze and Regent Square on Forbes Avenue; more than 14,000 vehicles cross it each day.
The lawsuits stated that the city had known for years about the 400-foot-long bridge’s deterioration. It had been listed on the federal National Bridge Inventory as being in poor condition since 2011.
Lawsuits were initially filed by 10 people. According to WTAE, council was advised not to comment on the tenth individual.
As a matter of routine, council discusses litigation settlements in closed executive sessions. The members typically do not bring additional information into the public general and committee meetings.
The legislation is scheduled to be revisited for a preliminary vote at next week’s committee meeting.
Connections to this story
- Local issues:
- Fern Hollow Bridge collapse aftermath
- Topics:
- InfrastructurePublic Safety & EMSCourts & JudiciaryInfrastructurePublic Safety & EMSCourts & Judiciary
- Governments:
- City Council
- Public meetings:
- City Council · June 16, 2026
- Sources:
- Resolution 2026-0629 — authorizing the issuance of a warrant in favor of Thomas Bench and Sarah Bench and Swensen Perer & Engel Law Firm, for…Resolution 2026-0630 — authorizing the issuance of a warrant in favor of Joseph Engelmeier and Alpern Schubert P. C., for a single payment in…Resolution 2026-0631 — authorizing the issuance of a warrant in favor of Daryl and Karen Luciani and The Massa Law Group, P.C., for a single…Resolution 2026-0632 — authorizing the issuance of a warrant in favor of Anna Nichols and G. Clinton Kelley, her attorney, for a single…Resolution 2026-0633 — authorizing the issuance of a warrant in favor of Clinton and Irene Runco and Matzus Law, LLC, for a single payment in…Resolution 2026-0634 — authorizing the issuance of a warrant in favor of Tyrone Perry and Swenson Perer & Engel Law Firm, for a single payment…
More surveys
Have your say on more of the stories we’re covering.
City Council
Street outreach program looks at an $800,000 boost to reach more homeless residents.
ROOTS, a city outreach team, connects homeless residents with shelters and medical and mental health care. On June 17, council advanced an $800,000, one-year county contract to expand it. Currently, it runs weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with 16 staff. The money would add 10 staff and extend hours to 11 p.m. on weeknights, plus some weekend daytime coverage.
Follow the issues:
Shelter and outreach for unhoused residentsCrisis response without policeCity Council
Road scans save money on projects, but using the data costs $1,300 a month.
After paying nearly $770,000 to have its streets photographed and measured, the city still relies on the company to host the data. On June 17, council agreed to move forward with a three-year, $46,590 extension to keep access. The mobility director said the data lets some projects be done in-house. Still, a council member questioned paying for continued access.
Follow the issues:
Fixing streets, steps, and wallsCity Council
City Farms Garden Program would let residents grow food in parks and greenways.
Five years ago, the city supported only four gardens, and in 2025 it was about 60, a council member said. A proposed program would let residents and community groups garden and farm on underused city land like parks and greenways. Participants could sell up to $25,000 a year of unprocessed food or flowers off-site. Still, the package has to pass council first.
Follow the issues:
Caring for vacant lots and greenwaysCity Council
Neglected hillsides may become permanently protected open spaces.
Neglected hillside lots could become permanently protected open space under a $25,000 grant to buy tax-delinquent land. However, a council member asked how the city would prevent dumping, which is common at some sites. A city planner said departments are looking to build a long-term maintenance plan. For now, council has held the related bills for one week.
Follow the issues:
Caring for vacant lots and greenwaysCity Council
The Department of City Planning (DCP) wants residents to dig into caring for Pittsburgh’s green spaces.
Adopt a Lot, which leases vacant city lots to residents, started with gardening. A proposed bill would expand it to uses like public art, which a planning official said residents had asked for. The bill also calls the program temporary, since lots are meant to be sold. Still, the council president asked how that squares with gardens serving the community.
Follow the issues:
Caring for vacant lots and greenwaysCity Council
Six neighborhood organizations selected to receive $210,000 in job placement support.
Neighborhood employment centers offer residents job placement help, educational referrals, and employment counseling. On June 3, council gave preliminary approval to $210,000 for the city's Neighborhood Employment Program. Six centers were selected, and they'll also work as a network for job fairs and other opportunities. The money can go toward needs such as staff salaries, computers, and software.
Follow the issues:
Youth jobs and job trainingCity Council
Downtown’s Golden Triangle could see $50 million redevelopment investment by the end of the year.
Offices make up about 66% of Downtown real estate, an Urban Redevelopment Authority official said. On June 3, the authority asked council to approve a 40-year Downtown investment district. Future real estate taxes would repay loans for projects like turning vacant offices into housing. Still, only the city would pay the interest, and council held the plan a week.
Follow the issues:
Downtown's special tax district, the TRIDCity Council
$750,000 approved to redesign Beaver Avenue for the Esplanade project.
Route 65, built in the 1960s, divides Manchester and Chateau and gutted the commercial core along Beaver Avenue. On June 3, council advanced $750,000 more for study and early design work on the avenue. Part of the Esplanade development's effort to reconnect the neighborhoods, the redesign would make the road two-way. The full $1 million is reimbursable with federal funds.
Follow the issues:
The North Side EsplanadeSchool Board
PPS approves closures of 12 schools.
Twelve Pittsburgh Public Schools are set to close as the district reorganizes grade levels. On May 27, the board approved the plan 6-2, with one abstention. Before the vote, most of the 91 people who signed up to speak opposed it, and many cited a lack of communication. The board president said nothing will change until after the 2026-27 school year.
Follow the issues:
PPS school closuresPaying for Pittsburgh Public SchoolsSchool Board
Directors accept over $8 million in Early-Intervention grant funding.
Up to 1,600 preschoolers get therapy, hearing and vision services, and developmental support through Pittsburgh Public Schools' Early Intervention program. Now, directors unanimously accepted over $8 million in state grants for it, without discussion. That's about 1% of the district's $731 million budget, which carries a $6 million deficit. The flat-funded grants will be distributed during the 2026-27 school year.
Follow the issues:
Paying for Pittsburgh Public SchoolsCounty Council
Allegheny County Council gets its first woman president.
After calls to leave the post over a campaign mailer, Pat Catena stepped down as Allegheny County Council president on May 22. On May 26, council unanimously elected Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis of Plum as the first woman president in its 26-year history. She named a balanced budget, property reassessment, and housing among the challenges ahead. Catena will remain a member of council.
Follow the issues:
A shake-up atop County CouncilCounty Council
Proposed ballot question would give council a say on contracts over $30,000.
For 26 years, Allegheny County's executive has had sole authority over county contracts that don't involve property. On May 26, a council member introduced legislation to put a question about changing that on the Nov. 3 ballot. Voters would decide whether council must approve contracts over $30,000, except in emergencies. For now, council has referred the proposal to its government reform committee.
Follow the issues:
How the county government operatesCity Council
East Carson St. business owners ask to pay taxes for neighborhood improvements.
Business and property owners on East Carson Street have asked to pay extra property tax for neighborhood improvements. The proposed improvement district would raise an estimated $500,000 in its first year for public spaces, filling storefronts, and branding. It would start Jan. 1, 2027, and last five years. Still, council must authorize it, and a public hearing hasn't been scheduled yet.
Follow the issues:
A neighborhood improvement district for East Carson St.City Council
Proposed tax on amusement devices advances to public hearing.
A proposed city tax on amusement devices, such as poker machines and claw machines, would exempt Rivers Casino. It could bring in $2 million to $3 million a year. On May 27, a council member said the city ran a deficit last year and may run another this year. A public hearing hasn't been scheduled yet.
Follow the issues:
A deficit with State control on the horizonCity Council
A $50K Bloomberg grant puts climate problem-solving in young people’s hands.
Later this summer, Pittsburgh's young people could help develop local climate solutions. On May 27, council gave preliminary approval to a $50,000 Bloomberg Philanthropies grant for the effort. City staff said it would become microgrants of up to $5,000, with local youth organizations as partners. If the city moves quickly, Bloomberg may double the amount, a city manager said.
Follow the issues:
Climate actionCity Council
RK Mellon grant could quadruple Fourth of July fireworks budget.
Pittsburgh's Fourth of July celebration could get bigger with a $630,000 foundation grant. On May 18, council voted to move forward with accepting it. Part of the grant would go to fireworks, raising the display budget to $350,000. So far, council hasn't discussed how the rest of the money will be spent.
Follow the issues:
Big donors, public billsCity Council
Records rules are being considered after years of operating on the honor system.
City departments follow state records laws through only an informal system, a clerk's office manager said. On May 18, council gave preliminary approval to the office's request to formalize it. Each department would have to list its records and how long to keep them. A council member said poor records caused problems during the 2016 lead pipe crisis.
Follow the issues:
Reorganizing and modernizing City HallCity Council
$4 million to fuel the next phase of Pittsburgh’s bike share expansion.
POGOH, the city's bike share program, has 60 stations, mostly in the East End and North Side. Now, council has advanced a $4 million agreement with the state to add 40 stations and over 400 bikes. A federal grant covers $3.2 million of the cost. Still, locations for the new stations haven't been released to the public.
Follow the issues:
Bikes and bike lanesCounty Council
Proposed ordinance would keep sexual abuse protections for trans county inmates.
Federal protections against sexual abuse cover transgender people in jails, but an Allegheny County Council member said they may be removed. Her proposed ordinance would write those protections into county law for the jail and juvenile detention center. It would also set a zero-tolerance standard for rape. On May 14, a council committee unanimously recommended it for a final vote.
Follow the issues:
Inside the Allegheny County JailCounty Council
Council president removal vote expected May 26.
Pat Catena's campaign mailer tied his state House primary rival to a group advocating for transgender athletes. Now, Allegheny County Council is preparing to remove him as president. Sixteen residents spoke against the mailer on May 12, and seven members urged him to step down the next morning. State law barred a vote that night, and council next meets May 26.