Politics & Government
Edgewood Borough Council Discusses Bike-Friendly Measures
The borough is investigating methods that will open up Edgewood's roads to more cyclists.
Edgewood Borough Council Monday night addressed bicycle and pedestrian access to the community during its regular meeting.
Residents Paul Heckbert and Ryan Sprake brought the issue to the floor, primarily regarding a locked gate at the corner of Laurel Street and Pennwood Avenue behind Edgewood Town Center.
Citing bicycle pathways that connect Wilkinsburg, Squirrel Hill and Shadyside through Frick Park, Heckbert and Sprake suggested that opening the gate may ease bicycle traffic through the area—benefiting both the community and the Town Centre.
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Council President Patricia Schaefer and Vice President Audrey Waldock said that the area had previously been open until the owners of the Town Centre, Phillip Edison & Company, closed the gate two years ago due to festering late night activity and vandalism taking place on the company’s private property.
Heckbert is a member of local organization Bike Pittsburgh and said that the group has worked diligently in the past to open up similar pedestrian routes and bike lanes throughout the city.
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“If we can make Braddock Avenue more bike-accessible, like what’s been done on Beechwood Avenue and elsewhere, there can be some similar benefits to our part of town, too,” Heckbert said.
In the interim, the council put Heckbert in contact with Phillip Edison & Company to work on the issue with the company Bike Pittsburgh; the gate is private property.
The council also addressed GSPIA CONNECT’s request for a $5,000 municipal grant for the borough to investigate the implementation of programs that collectively improve government efficiency amongst neighboring districts. The council requested more information regarding this proposition and invited a CONNECT representative to further explain the grant’s implications.
A private executive session was held following the council’s public meeting to address personnel issues within the police department. Police Chief Robert Payne commented that no definite disciplinary action regarding personnel problems in the department would be addressed.
The council will again convene next month on Monday, June 6th at 7:30 p.m.