Port Authority should focus on green space

It was interesting reading Brian O’Neill’s Sept. 5 column “Port Authority Focuses on Dreams, Not Reality” about his tour of Negley Station. I participated in the community meetings as a station user and neighbor.

Unfortunately, our voices were not taken seriously. Everyone agrees that the station needs to be renovated. We advocated for keeping the green space as the priority because it works well as a visual and sound buffer zone. It is considered a park by the neighborhood and makes the station more pleasant. We also noted the importance of honoring the density of the historic worker row houses along Pierce Street and the Dover Gables housing complex that backs onto the site.

The Port Authority advocated for removing trees to add a high-rise apartment complex on Pierce Street. There are already four high-rise apartments/condos within half a block of the station. The priority should be to update the station along with creative signage in tandem with the new bridge design. A good model would be the nearby renovated Highland Avenue Bridge.

In addition, the site is fortunate to have a huge heritage shingle oak tree that needs to be protected. The little street trees at the station entrance have been replaced multiple times due to the overuse of salt on the sidewalk. This lack of care for our vital green infrastructure at such a visible site says a lot about the Port Authority’s priorities. Let’s keep it green! LISA HAABESTAD Shadyside