top of page

Hazelwood residents and organizations weigh in on the Bus Line Redesign | The Homepage

jmartinez5135

Also: Zoning code changes could boost housing density, limit new parking spaces and allow for small dwellings on the property of single-family houses

By Director of Engagement and Sustainability Lauren Coursey

The first community meeting of the new year was made virtual-only due to heavy snow and intense cold on the evening of Jan. 14.

A map of the current Pittsburgh Regional Transit routes that serve City Council District 5.
The current Pittsburgh Regional Transit routes that serve City Council District 5. Image courtesy of Pittsburgh Regional Transit.
A map of proposed changes of to bus service in District 5.
The proposed changes to Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus routes in City Council District 5. Image courtesy of Pittsburgh Regional Transit

Bus Line Redesign feedback

Meeting attendees discussed the proposed changes to Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus lines that run through Hazelwood. Pittsburgh Regional Transit, or PRT, is the brand name for the Port Authority of Allegheny County.

At the November meeting, PRT staff presented the proposed changes as part of a county-wide Bus Line Redesign project.

Residents stressed the importance of the 93 bus, specifically transfer-free access to Squirrel Hill, Oakland and Homestead from Hazelwood and Glen Hazel.

District 5 City Councilor Barb Warwick plans to combine the feedback participants gave during and after the November meeting with Hazelwood-specific comments from Pittsburghers for Public Transit. She will submit the combined feedback to PRT.

Pittsburghers for Public Transit’s feedback on the proposals can be found on its website, pittsburghersforpublictransit.org.

Organizations belonging to the Greater Hazelwood Community Collaborative also plan to submit a memo to PRT by the end of January summarizing community feedback they have received. The members of the Greater Hazelwood Community Collaborative include Hazelwood Initiative Inc. (publisher of The Homepage), Center of Life, JADA House International, Mobilify, University of Pittsburgh and Almono Partners LLC.

Proposed zoning code changes

Attendees were asked if there was interest in a meeting focused on proposed zoning code changes based on the 2022 Housing Needs Assessment. Members of Pittsburgh’s City Planning office would lead the meeting.

The proposed zoning code amendments are aimed at increasing housing options and affordability throughout the city. These changes could draw on several strategies.

These strategies could include allowing accessory dwelling units, which are small housing units on the same property as a single-family house. These could be basement apartments or small detached houses, for example.

Another option is inclusionary zoning, which requires developers to set aside a percentage of new housing units for low- to moderate-income renters or homebuyers.

Another strategy, parking reform, focuses on discouraging the construction of excess parking spaces. For example, some cities have many times more parking spaces than households. Parking reform encourages managing the current parking supply efficiently and equitably, often through pricing.

Minimum lot-size reform, another possible strategy, encourages more dense housing by allowing houses to be built on smaller lots.

Attendees at the Jan. 14 meeting did not express interest in a stand-alone meeting. However, readers can learn more about these amendments at engage.pittsburghpa.gov/implementing-housing-needs-assessment.

Hazelwood Initiative Inc. updates

The neighborhood development corporation plans to purchase three new houses on Flowers Avenue. Two of those purchases are expected to close in February and the third in March. Five homes total — a mixture of two-, three-, and four-bedroom houses — will be rehabbed by late 2025 or early 2026 for affordable homeownership.

Anyone interested in purchasing a home can contact Director of Real Estate Nancy Noszka at 412-421-7234 or nnoszka@hazelwoodinitiative.org. Another option is to contact a homeownership education provider such as Catapult Greater Pittsburgh (catapultpittsburgh.org) to complete the pre-homeownership course. This is a requirement for anyone buying a home through Hazelwood Initiative Inc.

Weekly Wellness

Hazelwood Local and OneValley will hold free Weekly Wellness sessions at The Roundhouse on Hazelwood Green on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from noon to 12:45 p.m., and the second and fourth Wednesdays from 5 to 5:45 p.m. Learn more at hazelwoodlocal.com.

Hazelwood Food Pantry

Volunteer for the Hazelwood Food Pantry on Feb. 1 at the Spartan Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Youth welding program

Registration for Industrial Arts Workshop’s Spring Welding Program is open. Visit iawpgh.org to register for free!

Commentaires


Hazelwood Initiative, Inc.
4901 Second Ave, 2nd Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15207
(412) 421-7234
info@hazelwoodinitiative.org
  • Instagram
  • Facebook

© 2024

bottom of page