Elected officials, business owners and residents from Verona and Oakmont gathered Sept. 27 to walk from the Off the Rails restaurant in Verona to College Avenue in Oakmont and back again for a Verona Borough walk audit.
 
Trish Hredzak, vice president of Verona council, set up the audit after there was some divide from residents and committee members about the VOPP Trail bike path planned at the intersection of Center Avenue and Allegheny River Boulevard and the viaduct connecting Oakmont to Verona. Despite discussions of rerouting the path, there are still issues with the viaduct that need to be solved, Hredzak said.

“Even if we reroute (the bike path), we can’t forget about the viaduct,” Hredzak said.
 
She said the council has received multiple complaints about the stretch of road, including the condition of its crosswalks, speeding motorists and safety concerns while walking along the road. The roadway was designed in the 1930s and changes from two lanes to five lanes and then back to two lanes in less than a mile.
 
Hredzak said she had multiple conversations with state Rep. Joe McAndrew, D-Penn Hills, through which the VOPP Trail will run. After a few conversations, she suggested the walk audit to get first-hand opinions from residents.
 
“We wanted to think of (solutions) from a non-motorist perspective,” Hredzak said.
 
The day of the walk audit, 50 people, including government officials, business owners, residents of Oakmont and Verona and Riverview students attended the event.
 
Officials included state Sen. Jay Costa, D-Forrest Hills, Allegheny County councilman Nick Futules, Riverview School District superintendent Neil English and McAndrew.
 
Attendees were split into four groups to make the almost mile-long trek. Some members of the group were given strollers, walkers, wheelchairs or canes to use during the walk to give an accurate perspective of what it would be like to walk with those additions.
 
Riverview student Eli DeVita, 18, pushed a stroller during the audit. He expressed how difficult it was for him to maneuver the stroller over cobblestones and around potholes while crossing the street. He said it was difficult to find a place to walk off the sidewalk onto the road to cross the street at Center and Allegheny River Boulevard without being placed in front of traffic.
 
“There’s some really strange geometry at Center and Allegheny River Boulevard,” said Craig Toocheck, an employee of Pittsburgh Regional Transit who attended the audit to discuss methods to make bus stops fit with crosswalk placements or edits in the borough.
 
DeVita was joined by classmates Renton Biondich, 17, and Cailey Trosch, 17. Trosch used a walker during the study and expressed the same difficulties as DeVita.
 
Hredzak said nine students attended the audit. Trosch said she and the other seniors attended the event for their civics class — for class they are required to attend a council meeting, but the walking audit counted as a replacement event.
 
Suzie Davis, 69, of Verona had complaints about how faded the crosswalks are on the road.
 
“My husband and I are crossing guards down here,” Davis said. “People don’t pay attention. They blow the red light on my husband (at the intersection of South Avenue and Allegheny River Boulevard) all the time. As a crossing guard, you see a lot.”
 
The group also discovered that some sidewalk ramps were pointed in the wrong direction for visually impaired people trying to cross the street safely.
 
During the walk, participants were asked to check off boxes for how easy the route was for walking and make suggestions for traffic deterrents such as on-street parking and mid-block crosswalks.
 
After the audit, Hredzak asked participants to fill out a survey to see what residents want prioritized.
 
“It’s always good to check in with your base,” Hredzak said.
 
Leann Chaney, senior active transportation planner with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, helped Hredzak to organize the audit.
 
“Without (SPC’s) guidance, I would have no idea how to organize this,” Hredzak said. “Without them, it would not have been as well orchestrated.”
 
The results of the survey will be used in future road studies in the borough.

View the full story at triblive.com.

It was a historic moment for Pittsburgh’s Artificial Intelligence industry on Monday, as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a certificate that officially launched the first-ever NVIDIA AI Tech Community.

“We are profoundly grateful to NVIDIA for investing here and for showing the rest of the country what we already know about Pittsburgh.” Gov. Shapiro said.

NVIDIA, an AI company, is partnering with Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh to enhance the city’s innovation in robotics and artificial intelligence.

“I have for a long time been amazed at the talent that exists here in the commonwealth and here in Pittsburgh,” Anthony Robbins, vice president of NVIDIA, said.

The plan has CMU leading a center focused on robotics, autonomy, and AI, while the University of Pittsburgh will head a center for AI and intelligent systems.

“It’s momentum and a special kind of momentum that gives us so much optimism about what AI can do in this community,” Joan Gabel, a Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh said.

Hundreds of technology experts listened as Artificial intelligence leaders laid out the roadmap of where AI could go.

“The impact of AI is so vast that in the next decade, it’s estimated to be about $50 trillion,” CMU President Farnham Jahanian said.

“Pittsburgh for our history has always been on the forefront of technology and new innovation,” former Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said.

“That’s where Pittsburgh can lean all the way in given all the elements you’ve got here on the stage and who you are as a people..you are problem solvers for the world,” Cris Turner from Google said.

“Pittsburgh has what is considered to be a global anomaly in terms of our ecosystem. Most cities don’t have over 125 robotics companies that operate in the city, that’s incredibly rare and that’s what makes us special.” Jennifer Apicella, the executive director of the Pittsburgh Robotics Network added.

View the full story at wpxi.com.

Artificial Intelligence is changing life as we know it, and it may be the key to the future of the Pittsburgh region.

On Monday, hundreds of tech leaders from around the country descended on Pittsburgh’s Bakery Square as organizers tried to unleash the potential of AI to transform the region’s economy.

“AI is going to be the future. It always will be,” Anthony Todora of Carnegie Robotics said. “Pittsburgh is going to be your East Coast Silicon Valley.”

Monday’s first-of-its-kind Pittsburgh summit brought together hundreds of AI leaders from around the country, linking upstart companies with computer scientists and roboticists from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh.

“We’re trying to make sure people know that you can build companies here in Pittsburgh. You don’t have to go to San Francisco or Boston or New York,” Hellbender CEO Brian Breyer said.

Companies like Hellbender, which makes devices like AI-enabled smart cameras that can scan people in a room and generate real-time data on each. It’s looking to double in the next year making those products here.

“Bring manufacturing and industry, not just software jobs, here into Bakery Square,” Breyer said.

Organizer Walnut Captial believes the region’s technological base, workforce and energy resources can provide the workers and the enormous power AI requires — the key ingredients to transform the regional economy.

“For folks in Beaver County and Washington County and Butler County, they’re going to be every bit as involved as people here in Bakery Square,” Rich Fitzgerald of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission said.

“I don’t think it is possible to quantify the potential,” Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said. “It is extraordinary.”

Pittsburgh lost out of computer chip manufacturing to Ohio and New York, but Governor Shapiro says that will change.

“We didn’t have an economic development strategy before I took over as governor,” he said. “Now, we have one for the first time in 20 years. One of the five pillars of opportunity is around AI and robotics.”

Organizers say the sky is the limit, but it won’t happen by itself. Startups say they need government help and incentives to transform the economy.

View the full story at cbsnews.com.

The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority announced on Thursday that more than $1.2 million in grant funding has been awarded to German Township to bolster internet access within the community.
 
“This grant provides the township with an opportunity to make some municipal building upgrades, as well as provide a safe and secure location for people to come and use computers and have broadband access,” said township Supervisor L.C. Otto.

The $1,242,251 grant will be used to add a multipurpose community building to the township’s municipal complex that will serve as a hub for various civic activities and public services as well as provide more members of the community access to broadband internet.
 
“Broadband connectivity is such a critical need to succeed in life,” Otto said. “And everyone should be entitled to have connectivity in their homes, but in the meantime, until we can get that done, people will have a safe place they can come and use the internet locally.”
 
Along with a computer lab, Otto said the new facility will allow local community groups such as Scouts or church groups a space to conduct meetings. Additionally, there are plans to include spaces for the police department and sewage authority to provide a “convenient one-stop” location.
 
“Right now we’re in multiple locations, so it’s very inconvenient for our residents,” Otto said. “So now we’re going to have a location for the supervisors, water authority and police department to be in the same spot.”
 
Otto said the process of applying for the grant was a collaborative effort, stating state Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa and state Sen. Pat Stefano helped guide supervisors. Otto said Widmer Engineering in Connellsville and McMillen Engineering Uniontown were also instrumental in the efforts.
 
“It was definitely a team effort,” Otto said.
 
Access to reliable internet has been an issue for Fayette County. In 2022 the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission found that 7,100 households and businesses in the county had download speeds of less than 25 megabits per second (Mbps) compared to the average speed of about 242 Mbps.
 
“For far too long, rural Pennsylvania has been left behind when it comes to high-speed internet access,” Krupa said. “So many facets of our life work under a false assumption that everyone has broadband available at home. While we still have a long way to go, this project will give folks in German Township a reliable internet connection for whatever their needs may be.”

View the full story at heraldstandard.com.

Our Executive Director, Rich Fitzgerald, returned for his weekly spot on KDKA raduo with Larry Richert to talk regional news. On the show was Lt. Governor Aust Davis and well-known regional consultant, Joanna Doven to talk about upcoming AI Horizons symposium. This AI symposium is taking place on Monday, Oct. 14 and will feature companies, industry leaders, and elected officials. It will highlight Southwestern Pennsylvania is seizing this opportunity and becoming a national leader in this space.

If you missed the show, you can catch up here: https://bit.ly/3BDdg9k.

When he was named Point Park University president last year, Chris Brussalis touted his school’s potential to spark a “Downtown Renaissance 3” with targeted development including a new venue for sports and recreation.
 
On Thursday, Brussalis unveiled a sizable part of that vision for the Golden Triangle.
 
He and the Downtown university are proposing a 2,000-seat community events center estimated to cost $80 million to $100 million. It would accommodate entertainment events and the school’s burgeoning athletics program — all while giving students practical experience in putting on professional quality shows.

“I’m excited to unveil a conceptual rendering of something that could be transformative for our city,” Brussalis said during a panel discussion Thursday on development that was held in the Point Park Playhouse.
 
He told the audience that the attractive venue they were sitting in — developed by Point Park — epitomizes the school’s ability to take on large projects and succeed.
 
“You know, we have the only fully equipped soundstage in Downtown Pittsburgh,” he said. “Just last year, we had 324 events.
 
“Point Park students don’t just perform here. They immerse themselves daily in mastering the intricacies of both performing and managing a world-class entertainment hub,” he said. “Just a few years ago, this remarkable venue was merely a concept. Today, it stands as a centerpiece of Point Park’s commitment to arts education and innovation.”
 
Point Park is home to the nationally known Conservatory for the Performing Arts. Its athletics program is a provisional member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the Mountain East Conference (MEC).
 
There is no established timetable to establish the center, university spokesman Lou Corsaro said.
 
“This was a call to action. We are looking for input and community support to build the momentum for it,” Corsaro said after the event. “We would still maintain our student center facilities.
 
“New space would be so we can play sports like basketball, volleyball, and wrestling in a facility with appropriate fan seating and athletics facilities.”
 
The president did not specify a potential site, though the university has real estate Downtown, including the former YMCA building along the Boulevard of the Allies and a nearby parking lot.
 
Corsaro said “community input and support may help guide the ultimate location. But it’s not locked into a specific site.”
 
Point Park, once a two-year business school, was founded in 1960 and has long promoted Downtown as its campus. But it has also sought to develop more of a physical campus by acquiring property and moving the Playhouse from Oakland to Downtown.
 
Brussalis assumed the presidency of the private 3,300-student school at a difficult time for higher education, with enrollment down nationally and growing skepticism of cost, student debt and the value of a bachelor’s degree. Shrinking numbers of high school age students are another woe.
 
A strategic plan that Brussalis and the university unveiled last October sought alternative routes to building enrollment.
 
Point Park wants to attract artists, single parents and retirees to live on its campus as part of an effort to reinvigorate Downtown Pittsburgh and add 30% to the school’s enrollment by decade’s end.
 
Thursday’s center announcement came as Point Park and Brussalis hosted a presentation and panel discussion of the final study on Downtown from the Urban Land Institute.
 
Panelists at the morning event were Rich Fitzgerald, executive director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, and Audrey Russo, president and CEO and Pittsburgh Technology Council, among others.

View the full story at triblive.com.

Rich Fitzgerald joins Larry in the studio! Xochitl Torres Small, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, USDA calls in to talk with Larry and Rich about her visit/announcement to Jeanette later on in the morning. Jenna Cramer, President & CEO of Green Building Alliance, calls in to talk with Larry and Rich about the organization and its “Green Pathways” workforce development program.

View the full story at audacy.com.

Pittsburgh Regional Transit on Monday rolled out a new vision for its network in Allegheny County that proposed to boost service every 30 minutes to some routes, increase weekend service and add more single-seat bus rides to Oakland.

Draft Network 1.0 is part of PRT’s long-range plan released in 2021 and is going to be taking public comment over the next few months before announcing the final route network in 2025 and then starting to put the changes into place in 2026.

It would be the first redesign of the PRT routes in a decade. Pittsburgh transit advocates have been urging changes to the routes and timing to better service the community.

“The draft network reflects a collaborative, data-driven approach aimed at answering key questions – where our bus routes should go, when should they operate and how frequently should they run,” said PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman in a statement. “We’re eager to receive public feedback and make these improvements as soon as possible.”

There will be several in-person and online meetings to go through the proposed changes and to solicit public comment, beginning with an Oct. 16 hearing in Schenley Plaza in Oakland.

Another feature will be microtransit zones that will connect smaller communities with less-than-bus service with the help of a $4 million pilot grant from Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.

You can see more details of the proposed changes on the PRT website.

“Allegheny County has changed a lot over the last decade. By redesigning the network to reflect where people live and work today, we’re making sure public transit plays a critical role in creating a more equitable and inclusive future,” PRT’s Chief Development Officer Amy Silbermann in a statement.

View the full article at bizjournals.com.

Armstrong County Commissioner Chairman John Strate, Commissioner Vice Chairman Anthony Shea and Commissioner Secretary Pat Fabian participated in a joint visit consisting of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) and Allegheny Conference in front of national leaders to advocate for economic development within the region.

The two-day trip started with a PA Business Leadership event at the White House.

The PA contingent of business and elected leaders met with various senior administration economic advisors to include Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves.

The group focused on the development of regional infrastructure ranging from roads, bridges, water, sewage and internet access.

The deputy secretary related robust infrastructure is key for the country to remain competitive on the world stage.

The deputy secretary fielded numerous questions and concerns ranging from the viability of EV waste trucks to emergent technologies for expanding broadband access in support of telemedicine.

On the second day of the visit, the delegation met with various legislative leaders at the Capital Building.

The day started with a breakfast event with Stefani Pashman/Allegheny Conference CEO, Pat Fabian/SPC Board Chairman, Rich Fitzgerald/SPC CEO, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, and Phil Murphy/Senior Advisor to National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) as featured speakers. Key topics discussed were how to attract and expand business outside of existing pockets within the region, and how to showcase the advantages the Western Pennsylvania region has to offer to site selectors.

The delegation then met with various lawmakers at their Congressional offices at the Capital. Commissioners Strate, Shea and Fabian joined several of these office calls to include U.S. Representatives Guy Reschenthaler (R-14th), Chris Deluzio (D-17th) and GT Thompson (R-15th). In the meeting with Rep. Deluzio, Commissioner Strate expressed concerns about the lack of EMS resources in and around the northern part of Armstrong County. Commissioner Strate talked of how several of the Dayton volunteer fireman have picked up EMS skills at their own expense. In the same meeting, Commissioner Shea talked about the growth of the areas trails; he also talked about the ARDC public private partnership for the county’s locks and dams and that both the trails and locks are important to the area’s tourism growth.

Representative Glenn “G.T.” Thompson, who chairs the House Agricultural Committee, discussed the upcoming farm bill. Rep. Thompson related he looked at generating agriculture legislation through a science and technology lens. Commissioner Fabian advocated for the Allegheny River getting additional resources regarding updated lock infrastructure similar to other regions, as well as expanded service. Commissioner Shea related remote lock technologies may offer a long-term solution to open up Armstrong County locks and dams to recreational boaters. A question was asked about dredging the river, the Congressman advised this issue is being looked at closely. Commissioner Shea talked of the need to complete the bike trail flyover in Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County, which is needed to connect the Freeport to Butler Trail and Armstrong Trails into one 126-mile contiguous trail from Butler to Brookville, along with the Leechburg connector. The ultimate goal for the region is to fully complete the 270-mile Erie to Pittsburgh Trail which will have an estimated one million bikers passing through Armstrong County annually.

The various meetings over the two days event allowed the commissioners to network with a plethora of business and government leaders. The commissioners were able to garner follow-up meetings with broadband providers and identify potential grant source leads. The next public Armstrong County Commissioner meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 3 at 9 a.m. in the Commissioner Conference Room at the Courthouse Annex in Kittanning.

View the full article at leadertimes.com.

Our Executive Director, Rich Fitzgerald, returned for his weekly spot on KDKA Newsradio with Larry Richert to talk regional news. The show featured Dr. Roger Davis, President of Community College of Beaver County, who joined the show to highlight CCBC’s recent expansion into Washington County PA and other developments at the college. This expansion has created accessible education and career pathways for residents of Washington, Fayette, and Greene Counties.

View the full story at audacy.com.