Pittsburgh suspends parking meter enforcement, announces other changes

The Pittsburgh Parking Authority is suspending parking meter enforcement as the city moves to further curtail interactions between employees and the public.

The Mayor’s Office on Wednesday updated Pittsburgh’s emergency response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The City of Pittsburgh is committed to fully serving its residents throughout this outbreak, and is continuing to do so, while limiting close interactions to protect as many of our employees as possible,” Mayor Bill Peduto said in a statement.

Among the changes:

• The Pittsburgh Parking Authority is suspending parking enforcement and ending hand-to-hand cash transactions at garages. Parking garage attendants and security remain in place.
• The Departments of Public Works, Mobility and Infrastructure and Permits, Licenses and Inspections have been downgraded to skeleton crews but will respond to emergency situations.
• Public works crews will continue curbside garbage and recycling pickup and emptying neighborhood business district and parks garbage containers. Recycling drop-off sites in the East End, Hazelwood and West End maintenance divisions and at Construction Junction in North Point Breeze are closed. Sites in the Strip District and Beltzhoover/Knoxville remain open.
• The Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections is cancelling routine property maintenance inspections, processing of notices and citations, cashier functions, and Board of Appeals hearings. It will continue construction site inspections, the issuance of life safety citations and respond to all building-related emergencies.
• All senior and recreation centers are closed, but the Department of Parks and Recreation is planning to have limited hours at selected centers to serve as grab-and-go food distribution sites.
• Public safety personnel, including police, firefighters and paramedics, will continue responding to emergencies as usual and employees are performing other core services from remote locations. Offices in the City-County Building, Downtown, remain closed to the public.