Topic
City Council
As Pittsburgh readies more red light cameras, council wants to know more about their surveillance abilities. The city's transportation director said the cameras capture only license plates. He said the city owns the data and destroys it within 30 days after a case ends. On Sept. 9, council also advanced a bill letting drivers pay tickets online and request hearings by phone or internet.
City Council
City rules let drivers park in bike lanes and other banned spots if it protects people and the vehicle. On July 29, council agreed to move forward with a bill dropping vehicle safety as an exception. That could also take away a justification drivers use to park on sidewalks. However, council remained conflicted about sidewalk parking.
City Council
The intersection of Larimer Avenue and Meadow Street sees heavy traffic. On July 15, council advanced an agreement letting a community group install a street mural there. Such murals are meant to calm traffic, and a 2022 study found intersections with art saw 50% fewer crashes involving pedestrians.
City Council
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.
City Council
Fifth Avenue and Dithridge Street in Oakland saw 10 crashes, including one death, from 2020 to 2025. The city's transportation department now wants council to accept an $806,000 state grant to replace the traffic light there. The intersection sits in front of a student-heavy apartment complex, and five transit routes pass through. Council is set to discuss it March 11.
City Council
Carnegie Mellon has offered to cover a $200,000 match the city lacks for a federal street safety grant. That brings the Safe Streets and Roads for All project to $400,000. Still, a council member wondered whether one large contribution from nonprofits that don't pay city taxes would be more efficient. Council voted to keep moving toward accepting the money.
Forward Township
Cline announced that the Interstate 376/Commercial Street Bridge on the Parkway East in Pittsburgh will close for 25 days for construction.
City Council
Some city employees may get their bus passes paid for under a proposed one-year pilot. Only full-time employees under 65 who work Downtown would qualify, with the city paying $28 a month per pass. The finance chief estimated it would cost about $275,000 for 750 workers. Next, the passes will go on council's legislative agenda.
City Council
City police still hand-write traffic tickets, and a police commander said manual entry causes a lot of errors. So the Department of Public Safety has asked council to let it use free ticketing software from state police. He said it would also ease reporting of traffic stop data, which a state law passed last year will require.
City Council
Drivers at six city intersections picked using crash data could get red light camera tickets starting in early 2026. Council gave preliminary approval to the system, which would run under a five-year, $14 million contract. A city transportation official said ticket money will pay for the program. However, she said the city still pays if fines fall short.
City Council
At an April 8 meeting, council members discussed a longstanding crossing guard shortage and its danger to children at busy intersections. Now, a new union contract creates a Neighborhood Crossing Guard position. It lets qualified residents bid on specific local spots, which makes the job more accessible. Council authorized a budget-neutral transfer to match the new union contracts.
City Council
Without more state funding, Pittsburgh Regional Transit will cut up to 35% of its fixed-route service. Dozens of bus routes would be eliminated, fares would rise, and service would end after 11 pm. Council has now urged the governor and state lawmakers to help. Two council members said the $117 million request should be just the start.
City Council
An average of 20 people die in traffic crashes in Pittsburgh each year. In March 2024, the city joined Vision Zero, a worldwide effort to end traffic deaths and serious injuries. A progress report now marks 30 of 57 tasks as completed or completed and ongoing. Still, crash data for 2024 won't be available until this summer.
City Council
Two city intersections will get safety upgrades paid for by state grants. In North Oakland, Centre Avenue and North Dithridge Street will get a traffic light in place of a two-way stop. On the North Shore, East General Robinson and Sandusky streets will get a modernized traffic light. That project also includes a road diet meant to improve pedestrian safety.
City Council
The Parking Authority has only 22 of the 44 enforcement officers it needs, and 33 of 53 garage attendants. Its executive director proposed lifting the city residency requirement as an immediate fix. Several council members, however, want to try higher wages and better recruiting first. Next week, the Authority plans to vote on lifting the requirement.
City Council
Smart loading zones let drivers park free for 15 minutes, with cameras enforcing charges after that. The pilot is now set to be extended with no end date. The zones aim to keep spots turning over, cut double parking, and improve traffic safety. One council member, however, raised concerns about sharing revenue with private entities.
City Council
About 1,000 traffic calming requests are waiting, and the city can only complete 10 a year. Now, council is considering spending $130,000 to unlock $1.3 million in federal funds. The grant would pay for three demonstration sites and a design guide for 10 high-need corridors. Projects are prioritized using crash data, nearby schools, and other factors.