PITTSBURGH — Station Street in East Liberty used to be one-way with parking along the side, but now it has two-way traffic and bike lanes. The changes have effectively eliminated all parking for residents forcing them to park blocks away from their homes or risk having their cars towed or ticketed.
“I don’t understand how you can overlook the tax-paying homeowners,” said Wendell Wilson.
Wilson lives in East Liberty on Station Street, and for years he could park right in front of his home. But that changed last November when construction work began.
“Last November they started doing something, they said we couldn’t park temporarily and we didn’t think anything about it,” he explained.
At the time, Wilson and other homeowners were under the impression that the once one-way street would become two-way traffic. But after months of road work, they began to worry when their parking wasn’t restored.
Then bike lanes went in where parking was once available, effectively pushing homeowners out.
“They never notified us, they never put anything in the mail, they never emailed anybody they didn’t tell us anything,” Wilson said. “I’m parked almost a mile away right now, and I just got off work and couldn’t find a space.”
The crowded road now has two-way traffic and two-way bike lanes with barriers.
“There is a guy that bought a house two doors down from me and he just moved,” he said.
Wilson told Channel 11 News parking is now a nightmare, and he wants answers from the city.
“I need first of all I need parking, I need to know where I can park my car are they going to do designated spaces, passes, or permits,” he pleaded.
The city provided this statement:
This public project was started pre-2020 and is focused on safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists alike. It’s my understanding that engagement with residents to alert them about the project as well as receive input about the project was done. Residents were also able to track the project and give input via the engaging page for the City and URA.
This is a joint revitalization project between DOMI and the URA that reconnects the East Liberty neighborhood. As the vehicular infrastructure needs have not kept pace with the growth demands, this necessary project will improve the overall mobility of the neighborhood.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW