District 1 News: Councilman Wilson

I am happy to share that last month, city council passed my legislation authorizing the City of Pittsburgh, a major regional employer, to enter into an agreement with POGOH, a nonprofit organization operated by Bike Share Pittsburgh since 2012, to provide all City of Pittsburgh employees with annual bicycle share memberships. These memberships will include unlimited 30-minute rides, and city employees will be able to utilize a POGOH network of 60 station locations boasting 240 traditional pedal bicycles and 360 electric-assist bicycles.

With the passage of this legislation, city council continues to make meaningful progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions locally, reducing congestion on our roads, enhancing mobility justice and improving public health. Partnering with POGOH sends a clear signal that the City of Pittsburgh is committed to reducing car trips by offering all 3,400 of its employees the option of taking free short POGOH trips. This partnership will also promote the health and wellness of city employees while fostering a cleaner and greener work environment. In addition to this legislation, POGOH will be installing three new bike share stations within the Northside in the next few weeks. I am thankful for the support from POGOH, as well as all my colleagues and allies in council, at the city’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure and at BikePGH, in helping us provide this benefit to all city employees. I am confident that the city’s leadership in providing bike share membership to its employees will inspire other local employers to follow its example.

At the end of last month, CitiParks kicked off their Summer Food Service Program. This program provides healthy and delicious meals (breakfast, lunch and/ or snack) through eight City of Pittsburgh Recreation Centers and more than 30 partner locations. This program runs from June 21 through Aug. 18, and is free for anyone under the age of 18 or residents with intellectual disabilities up to age 21. This service is made possible by funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Pennsylvania Department of Education. CitiParks also partners with the PPS-Food Service Division to provide the Mobile Food Truck, which will operate in conjunction with the Citiparks’ Roving Art Cart every Friday to provide an additional location for Pittsburgh children to receive this valuable service. For more details about this program, visit pittsburghpa.gov/citiparks/summer-food-service-program.

There is still time for nonprofits and community-based organizations to apply for the URA’s Neighborhood Initiatives Fund Program (NIF). The NIF Program provides grants to help unlock the economic and placemaking potential within neighborhood commercial corridors, support vision-to-action community investment strategies that build an equitable Pittsburgh, and formalize collaborative partnerships across the City. There are two tiers of available grants: Tier 1 grants fund projects between $20,000 and $30,000 and a match is not required, while Tier 2 grants fund projects between $30,001 and $100,000 and require a 2:1 match. The application deadline is July 31, at 5pm. For more details on the program and to apply, visit ura.org/pages/neighborhood-initiatives- fund.

Lastly, I’m thrilled to provide an update on two projects in the District’s green spaces. First, the Allegheny Commons Park North Promenade Phase 2 project broke ground at the end of May. Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy began construction on the promenade area between Federal Street and Arch Street in mid-June with a tentative completion date of Aug. 30. Construction on the section from Arch Street to the George Washington monument is set to begin on Aug. 30 and finish around Nov. 21. I’m looking forward to the completion of this upgrade to Allegheny Commons Park and its enjoyment by the community for many years. For all details related to the construction, visit pittsburghparks.org/north-promenade-project/. Second, the pickleball courts at Washington’s Landing are projected to open mid to late July. I cannot wait to see everyone playing with their family and friends on the new courts — you may even see me and my family there!

If you have any questions or concerns about any of the items discussed in this column or any other City issues, please call us at (412) 255-2135, email us at district1@pittsburghpa.gov or find us on Facebook and Twitter. My staff and I look forward to hearing from you!