City of Pittsburgh adds $1.8M to street paving plan

PITTSBURGH — The city of Pittsburgh has come up with nearly $2 million that will allow workers to pave a total of 40 miles of city streets in 2014, according to officials.

Operations Chief Guy Costa said the city found $1.8 million in its capital budget that will allow workers to pave 11 additional miles of city streets.

Nearly 64 percent of Pittsburgh's 866 miles of asphalt streets have the lowest road surface rating of zero.

The city originally budgeted $7.2 million to pave about 29 miles this year. The extra cash will bring total spending to about $9 million, Costa said.

If City Council approves, officials will transfer money from projects left over from its 2012 capital budget to cover street paving costs.

Costa said the money is left over from projects that have been completed or cash budgeted for projects that won't be started this year.

It includes money for projects such as spray parks, planning for streetscape projects and dog parks.

City Council on Tuesday introduced legislation to move the money into the paving budget. Costa said the city will release the list of streets to be paved as soon as possible because adjustments are still being made.

He said they include sections of Fifth Avenue in the city's eastern neighborhoods, Shady Avenue in Shadyside and North Avenue and Federal Street in the North Side.

Target 11 investigator Rick Earle reported some of the streets to be repaved are along the marathon route.

Channel 11’s news exchange partners at TribLIVE contributed to this report.

WPXI