Beverly Road may get more parking; officials toss pay-as-you-throw plan

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Some major changes could be in the offing for the Beverly Road corridor in Mt. Lebanon, after a study led to several recommendations to alleviate parking issues.

Commissioners on Monday heard from a committee formed to determine in the Beverly Road business district needed to be improved.

After a series of meetings with residents and merchants, committee members assessed parking during two weeks in December from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The committee calculated that the corridor has 95 metered parking spaces plus 61 unreserved spaces in the Lincoln Elementary School lot and 59 spaces on residential streets.

The peak parking time on weekdays was at noon and 1 p.m., when about 76 percent of parking was occupied. Parking was at its tightest on Saturdays,when77percentofspaces werebeingusedat7p.m.

While it found that parking wasn’t a major issue yet, the committee suggested these recommendations to prevent future problems: add 14 spaces on Overlook Drive and make part of the street one-way; step up enforcement measures on Saturdays; and paint driveway entrances to prevent them from being blocked.

Before making a final decision, commissioners suggested another meeting with residents and merchants.

After nearly an hour of debate, commissioners decided not to further pursue a pay-as-you-throw garbage collection program, after analysis indicated it could cost some residents more than the current system.

Commissioners for the past several years have been discussing ways to increase recycling and have discussed a pay-as-you-throw system that would charge residents based on the amount of solid waste they throw out.

Currently, residents are charged for garbage collection and recycling through their property tax.

The current contract with Allied Republic Services is set to expire at the end of 2018 and includes biweekly recycling and solid waste collection of up to 15 bags per week, along with yard waste.

“Not one person has expressed an interest in pay-asyou-throw, but they are interested in weekly recycling,” Commissioner Stephen McLean said about the emails and calls he has received on the issue.

Also, the town announced that the ice rink at the recreation center will be closed starting Monday through Sept. 30 for repairs and upgrades.