October 13, 2020 Hard-to-Recycle Material Collection Events in Pittsburgh On October 9, the City of Pittsburgh announced that three neighborhood hard-to-recycle material collection events will be coming to Pittsburgh this fall to help residents get rid of electronic or household hazardous waste that could not be collected by refuse and recycling such as TVs, computers, light bulbs, and batteries. About Participants are required to drive to the event location and must remain in their vehicles for the duration of their visit. Social distancing guidelines will be followed for this event and face masks are required. Each event will serve up to 240 people. Additional neighborhoods will be scheduled in 2021. The City of Pittsburgh subsidizes the cost of recycling electronics and household hazardous waste, however, fees apply for most items. Credit cards or checks are the only forms of payment accepted. Accepted materials and fees can be found on the ECS&R website. The Clean Pittsburgh Commission is sponsoring financial assistance, available upon request by contacting 311. Registration Advance registration is required. To register for an appointment, use the links below or call 311. North Side Collection / City Council District 1 Date: October 17, 2020 | Time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Location: 2706 N Charles St, 15214 (Pittsburgh Project Parking Lot) East End Collection/City Council District 8 Date: October 24, 2020 | Time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Location: 315 Shady Ave, 15206 (Calvary Episcopal parking lot) South Side Collection/City Council District 3 Date: November 7, 2020 | Time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Location: Three Rivers Heritage Trail Turnaround, 15203 More Information For answers to commonly asked questions, visit the ECS&R website.
October 5, 2020 Pittsburgh Welcomes Trick-or-Treating with Precautions On October 5, the City of Pittsburgh announced that it welcomes trick-or-treating this Halloween but urges residents to follow safety protocols to reduce risk and avoid the spread of COVID-19 in Pittsburgh communities. About The official trick-or-treating hours will be from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 31. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many behaviors will have to change this year to meet safety guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Residents are urged to: trick-or-treat only with family members; wear cloth facemasks, in addition to Halloween masks; carry and regularly use hand sanitizer; distribute candy by leaving it outside, and avoid in-person, face-to-face interactions at the door; follow social distancing guidelines (at least six feet from others) on sidewalks and when approaching homes where others are getting candy; and avoid indoor costume parties. Like any other year, motorists are asked to be especially vigilant on Halloween night, decrease speeds, and increase awareness of trick-or-treating children and families. Read the Full Release This information was provided by the City of Pittsburgh. To learn more, read the full press release.
June 17, 2020 Pittsburgh Families Invited to Receive Free Children’s Books Since the City of Pittsburgh’s Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library launch in February 2019, the program has grown to include over 3,200 local children and recently sent its 30,000th book. Thanks to funding received from the Hillman Family Foundation and McCauley Ministries, the program will continue to sustain and grow services in Pittsburgh. About the Program The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is a free program for any child who lives in the City of Pittsburgh age zero to five to receive one book a month in the mail until their fifth birthday. When they turn five, they will have their own library of up to 60 books. The City of Pittsburgh’s program is affiliated with the national initiative started by music legend Dolly Parton. Participating children will begin receiving books through the U.S. Postal Services approximately eight weeks after the registration form has been received. Eligibility To be eligible for the program, preschoolers must: be a resident of the City of Pittsburgh, have a parent or guardian fill out an official registration form, and notify the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania of any address changes. Registration To sign up for this program, register your child(ren) online via the Imagination Library website! Interested in mailing in or submitting your registration in person? See their webpage for more details. More Information For any questions, please contact Tiffini Simoneaux at tiffini.simoneaux@pittsburghpa.gov or 412.255.2505. To view the booklist, visit the Imagination Library website.
June 1, 2020 Summer Camp and Recreation Guidance During COVID-19 On May 22, the Wolf Administration issued frequently asked questions to provide guidance to parents, caregivers, summer camp operators, public bath places, part-day school-age programs, and other entities that provide necessary child care and enrichment and recreational activities for children and youth during the summer. About Summer programs that provide child care and enrichment and recreational activities for children and youth are permitted to operate without a waiver in counties in the yellow and green phases of the Governor’s phased-in reopening plan so long as they follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance for Youth and Summer Camps and the CDC Supplemental Guidance for Child Care That Remain Open. Summer programs include child care facilities regulated by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and the following part-day school-age programs: a part-day school-age program that operates for less than 90 consecutive days per calendar year from the date the program opens to the date the program closes; a part-day school-age program that operates 2 hours or less per day for 3 or fewer days per week; a part-day school-age program that has a single purpose for the children’s attendance and that purpose is the only focus of the program (e.g., soccer or art class); and a drop-in program where a child or youth may come and go at will. To view the guidance, visit the FAQ document. This guidance does not apply to public school-operated summer programs or extended school year services. Guidance related to reopening public schools will be released by the Pennsylvania Department of Education at a later date. Summer Programs in Pittsburgh On May 15, the City of Pittsburgh announced how summer activities will be impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While many activities will be allowed, others will be cancelled or postponed. Decisions on closures and activities may be revisited as pandemic circumstances and federal and state guidelines change. To view lists of permitted and non-permitted activities, read our news post. More Information For more information, view the full press release.
May 15, 2020 Changes Made to Summer Activities During COVID-19 Pandemic On May 15, the City of Pittsburgh announced how summer activities will be impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While many activities will be allowed, others will be cancelled or postponed. All decisions follow federal and state guidelines. About In a City press release, Mayor William Peduto praised Pittsburgh residents, stating, that “Pittsburgh residents have done a great job during these trying times staying safe and looking out for each other.” However, he recognized that the battle against COVID-19 is far from over, and social distancing and other measures must remain in place to win this fight. With a larger number of residents venturing outdoors as the weather warms, the City has outlined lists of activities that will or will not be permitted during the pandemic. Decisions on closures and activities may be revisited as pandemic circumstances and federal and state guidelines change. Permitted Summer Activities Activities that can safely comply with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) social distancing guidelines will be allowed. Permitted activities include the following: Drive-in movies (by the Special Events office) Farmers Markets Pickup of bulk trash Road closures in City parks (more information below) Tennis courts (singles matches encouraged) Pickleball courts (singles matches encouraged) Skate parks Fields (but not for organized group sports) Frisbee Golf Lawn Bowling Bocce Expanded summer food program (likely to begin June 15) City crews are working to reopen facilities starting May 15 and will continue their work into next week. Drive-in movies organized by the Special Events office will begin June 13. More information will be released later. Farmer’s Markets will begin June 3 in Carrick and begin in other neighborhoods thereafter. Social distancing and safe purchasing requirements will be in place. Non-Permitted Summer Activities Large group events that cannot safely comply with social distancing will not be allowed. Non-permitted activities include the following: July 4 fireworks City-sponsored concerts 5Ks, the Great Race and other races (though they can be held virtually) Summer Camps Citiparks summer youth baseball Summer Line Dancing Pistons in the Park Playgrounds, park shelters, and spray parks will remain closed until further notice. Swimming pools (including the Oliver Bath House) will also remain closed. While the CDC says that swimming itself is safe, the guidelines require at least six feet of distance between users and no more than ten people would be allowed at any time. It has been determined that city pool waiting areas, locker rooms, and lounging areas are too cramped to allow for appropriate distancing under these guidelines. Activities To Be Determined Final decisions on other activities and facilities have not yet been made, including decisions on the following: Recreation centers Senior Healthy Active Living centers Block party permits Mellon Tennis Bubble Art Cart Water fountains and water features Park restrooms Organized group sports including deck hockey, soccer, baseball, and basketball DOMI Task Force The City Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) has established a task force to study methods of using some streets and sidewalks to allow for safe recreation and business activity. Its recommendations will be issued soon. In the meantime, plans are underway to close some streets in City parks to vehicular traffic. No timetables are yet set, but plans are for the following closures: Sheraden Park: Adon Street West End Park: West End Park Drive at Weaver and Herschel Highland Park: Reservoir Drive; Farmhouse Drive at Jackson Street/Connecting Road/Heberton/Grafton (These will be partial closures to allow for Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority access to facilities.) More Information For more information, read the full press release. *Information provided by the City of Pittsburgh
October 8, 2019 Navigating Pittsburgh Public Schools Community members are invited to join together on October 21 for an educational session on how to best navigate Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS). About Presenters will discuss the following topics: what is a magnet school and what do they offer? magnet school application timelines procedures for applying to a magnet school navigating the city school system In addition to these discussions, the event will feature a Q&A session with Ebony Latham of Pittsburgh Public Schools. Child care will be available. Learn More For more information, contact Bob Haddad at 412.849.4799 or rjhaddad5@gmail.com. Share this flyer with your network.
August 19, 2019 Hazelwood Community to Celebrate Elizabeth Street Park Opening The Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative and Trying Together, in cooperation with the City of Pittsburgh, invite community members and stakeholders to celebrate the official opening of the Elizabeth Street Park in Hazelwood on Wednesday, August 28. About Located on the corner of Roma Way and Gloster Street, the Elizabeth Street Park was revitalized thanks to a grant from the Heinz Endowments. Working in partnership with the City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Works and Department of Mobility and Infrastructure, the Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative, and Trying Together contracted with various entities to design and create the park. Efforts for the park began in March 2015, born out of a community conversation around access to play in Hazelwood. Youth, community members, and community stakeholders joined together to brainstorm and design the park as a stop along the Hazelwood Play Trail. The location of the park was selected to help bridge the division created by the train tracks that split Hazelwood. Located across Roma Way from a KaBOOM! community-built playground, created with funds from the Heinz Endowments and partnership between the Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative, Trying Together, and the Hazelwood Initiative in September 2016, the park features a beautiful mural inspired by the rich history and community members of Hazelwood. The City’s Public Art & Civic Design Division released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to identify artists to complete the mural on the bridge, with the highest score going to local artists Edith Abeyta and Sandy Kessler-Kaminski. Event Details Community members are invited to join together at the Elizabeth Street Park on August 28 from 5 to 7:00 p.m. for an opening celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony, featuring: food, family-friendly games, music from the Center of Life’s KRUNK program, and Hazelwood-relevant information tables. Visit the event page to learn more. Acknowledgments The Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative and Trying Together thank the following organizations, individuals, and entities for their dedicated support and for the work they have done to make this project a success: the City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Works, Department of Mobility and Infrastructure, Department of Public Safety, Department of City Planning, and Art Commission; Zone 4 Police; the Office of Corey O’Connor; the Hazelwood Initiative; the Heinz Endowments; Studio for Spatial Practice; 1 over 1 Studio; Edith Abeyta; Sandy Kessler-Kaminski; Eisler Landscapes; and the Student Conservation Association of Pittsburgh. More Information For more information, contact Sarah Siplak at 412.567.4386 or sarahs@tryingtogether.org. Share this flyer with your network.
August 15, 2019 Mobility Demonstration Project Seeks Feedback The City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure has been working with a new consortium called the Pittsburgh Mobility Collective to increase mobility options, especially to and from public transit. With this, the City posted an online survey to receive early input and feedback from Pittsburgh community members. About Through the addition of electric scooters, electric bikes, rental cars, and carpooling services, the City of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Mobility Collective seek to expand local transportation options. Pittsburgh-native Ben Bear, Chief Business Officer of Spin, said: “while electric bikes should be available and stations with some services should be available in three to four months, electric scooters might take longer because changes need to be made in Pennsylvania law to allow them.” To ensure accessibility and affordability in all of Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods, a part of the proposal for this initiative involves “donating 10 cents from every trip to a special fund to help build infrastructure such as stations and to help people in disadvantaged areas use the system,” possibly including reduced rates and alternate payment methods. To learn more, read the full article posted on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette website. Provide Your Feedback While the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure has gathered a wide array of city and regional transportation plans, studies, and workshop feedback in pursuit of community needs and values, the Department is always looking to receive additional feedback from Pittsburgh community members. To submit your feedback, complete the Mobility Demonstration Project: Early Input survey.
May 22, 2019 City Receives Grant to Support Safe Travel for Schoolchildren On May 22, 2019, officials from Mayor William Peduto’s administration discussed a state grant of more than $450,000 to support safe routes to school for elementary and middle school students in Pittsburgh. About A bill was discussed at Pittsburgh City Council’s standing committees meeting accepting $464,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s (PennDOT) Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program, which provides assistance to municipalities to support the creation of safe and appealing alternatives to single occupant vehicle travel. More than 30 million Americans nationwide transport their children to and from schools every day, which research shows increases hazardous road conditions and harms the environment. The Safe Routes to School program seeks to address that by supporting walking and biking to school, leading to eased traffic conditions and better health for schoolchildren. “The ability to walk or bike to school has long been one of the classic characteristics of Pittsburgh, but over recent decades it has become increasingly hazardous for children, who are our most valuable and vulnerable travelers,” said Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) Director Karina Ricks. “This grant will allow us to dedicate resources to help us collaborate with school leaders and parents to identify areas where low-cost improvements can be rapidly implemented.” What’s Next? DOMI is proposing using the PennDOT grant to hire a Safe Routes to School coordinator who is part educator, part engineer and will work on programming for students to walk and bike more easily. The coordinator will work on traffic calming and other safety improvements on streets near schools best suited for walking and biking. Once approved, DOMI plans to have a person in the position by the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year. Learn More To learn more about PennDOT’s Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside program, visit their website. *Information provided by the City of Pittsburgh
May 20, 2019 Allegheny County Children’s Fund Community Meeting Join the Allegheny County Children’s Fund Working Group on May 30 at the Jeron X Grayson Community Center in the Hill District to share your views on what works best and what additional support is needed when it comes to early learning and out-of-school time. About Allegheny County’s goal is to make sure that every child can benefit from quality early learning and out-of-school time. A series of six Community Meetings are being held across the County to learn from families, caregivers, and educators what access to quality early learning and out-of-school time looks like today—from your perspective and in your community. Each meeting will include child care, refreshments, and opportunities for community members to voice their input on how Allegheny County can be a leader for kids moving forward. Community Meeting Dates The Allegheny County Children’s Fund Working Group and community members will convene on the following dates: City Meeting – May 30 | 6:30 p.m. | Jeron X Grayson Center, Hill District West Meeting – June 3 | 6:30 p.m. | The Landing Community Center, Moon Township South Meeting – June 4 | 6:30 p.m. | Bethel Park Community Center North Meeting – June 5 | 6:00 p.m. | Shaler North Hills Library East Meeting – June 12 | 6:30 p.m. | Founders Hall Middle School, McKeesport Spanish-Language Meeting – June 18 | 6:30 p.m. | YWCA Building, Downtown Pittsburgh Registration & Questions Visit the Community Meeting website to learn more, RSVP, or contact event organizers.
