Mayor tweets he’d like to expand Pittsburgh’s Kindness Zones
Jagoffs beware.
Pittsburgh’s Kindness Zones may be expanding, according to Mayor Bill Peduto.
The zones were added May 23 at 23 areas across Downtown and on the North Side to honor Fred Rogers’ legacy as part of statewide 143 day festivities honoring the Latrobe native who will be portrayed on the silver screen by Tom Hanks in an upcoming film, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.”
The city installed the signs at little cost, as the work was done in-house with existing materials, Peduto spokesman Tim McNulty said.
On Thursday night, Peduto tweeted he’d like to put up more of the signs in the coming years, “in areas where a gentle reminder will bring a smile.”
We are looking to expand the “No Hate” & “Kindness Zone” signage over the next few years, in areas where a gentle reminder will bring a smile. https://t.co/yFMlNGKky0
— bill peduto (@billpeduto) July 26, 2019
A few responded with critiques of the mayor:
That is a big waste of taxpayer money, if you need a sign to tell you that,it will not work.
— dennis mcgunnigle (@jzsons) July 26, 2019
People are who they are ... signage will not change personalities..this mayor should worry about the terrible road conditions and how about parking lots for downtown workers that don’t cost a fortune to use . Y’all in Pittsburgh need to vote this doofus out !
— 545tg (@545tg) July 26, 2019
Others came to Peduto’s defense:
How can something like a call for kindness, bring out so many hateful comments? It's really just sad.
— Catherine (@CathCatz) July 26, 2019
I would love to have some of these signs around Shiloh st. In Mt. Washington
— swerdlowla (@harwoodddd) July 26, 2019
The signs were a hit with Pittsburgh native and self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur Caterina Fake, who co-founded Flickr and is the former chairwoman of Etsy.
“How awesome. I love being in the kindness region,” Fake said when she was in town in June for a summit sponsored by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.
Signs allowing a Pittsburgh left aren’t yet in the works, but the maneuver, and the motorists who allow it, caught the notice of a Chicagoan who wrote the mayor.
Got this great letter from a resident of Chicago after he recently visited Pittsburgh. #pittsburghleft pic.twitter.com/5Ctwb14eAX
— bill peduto (@billpeduto) July 26, 2019
“Mr. Mayor, you should be honored to represent a city with such neighborly people,” the letter said.
Tom Davidson is a TribLive news editor. He has been a journalist in Western Pennsylvania for more than 25 years. He can be reached at tdavidson@triblive.com.
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