Companies on East Carson Road reply as most public security visitors restrictions in Pittsburgh are lifted – CBS Pittsburgh

SOUTH SIDE (KDKA) – East Carson Street is a one-way street on weekends for the first time in weeks.

Pittsburgh’s South Side seems to be turning in the right direction.

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“The street seemed busier than it had on the weekends before, so happy to see it,” said Mark Albert Barbera, tattoo artist at Inspire Body Art.

Vehicles could only travel in one direction on East Carson Street Friday and Saturday nights for several weeks. This week, Pittsburgh Public Safety pumped the brakes on their traffic restrictions, which were put in place to reduce traffic jams, improve pedestrian safety and curb violence.

People who work in shops on the busy street, including tattoo shops like Inspire Body Art, hope that normal traffic flow will boost business.

“I hope there’s a lot going on down here. There are so many great restaurants and little shops, I love it when it’s busy down here, so I just hope things get back to normal and more people come and enjoy the lovely fall weather, ”said Barbera.

The bar and restaurant staff are also optimistic. Tyler Luedy, a shift supervisor at Doce Taqueria, hopes the people driving both ways will see their taco sign and stop.

“Just to increase business,” said Luedy.

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Parking on East Carson Street is still prohibited after 8:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. This applies between South 10th and 18th Street. The city wants to keep the road free for public safety vehicles.

“It’s really just college kids who get away with it. The traffic for me, I don’t see that much difference because most of the customers just walk in here anyway. If we could park here, we would certainly do a lot more business, ”said Luedy.

The workers hope that the problems of violence will not return and that intercourse will be permanent.

“I definitely hope people keep tension down. I think it was just summer, everyone was a little bit excited to get out after COVID, but I think down on the South Side it will be back to normal, “said Barbera.

In a statement, Wendell Hissrich, director of public security for the city said: “The public security department is pleased with the progress made in increasing security on the south side. As promised, we held regular discussions with residents and companies during this time to exchange ideas on the effects and effectiveness of the pilot program and increased enforcement. We thank everyone for their patience and participation in this effort. It has not always been easy to reconcile competing needs, but we are grateful for the partnerships that have helped. “

Police said their increased presence in the area over the past four weekends resulted in 12 arrests, one firearm-related arrest, one firearm seizure, 371 subpoenas and towing of 69 vehicles.

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The one-way street restriction was announced at the end of July. The changes did not go into effect at one point in August because a partial building on East Carson Street collapsed.