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Youth Organizers for Educational Change Program 2013-2014
The Consensus Group seeks high school students with an interest in education reform, community development, civic engagement, media and/or video journalism!
An application packet is available HERE. It may also be completed electronically HERE.
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Support the Dollar-A-Car Campaign!
The process is underway to rewrite the zoning code for the Lower Hill parking lots. The new zoning must include community benefits for the Hill!
Click here to sign the petition!
The Lower Hill parking lots are owned by the public – you and me – but the Pittsburgh Penguins Corporation collects all the revenue. The Penguins make $14,000 every day parking cars. We want the Penguins to contribute $1 per car to create a Hill Community Improvement fund. This would provide approximately $600,000 a year for community improvement efforts.
During community meetings, residents and neighborhood organizations have discussed many needs the community fund would help to address.
The Mayor of Pittsburgh, the Sports and Exhibition Authority (SEA), and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) do not support the community demand for $1 per car.
Instead, the Mayor, SEA, and URA support giving the Penguins control of all revenue from the Lower Hill surface parking lots. The URA and SEA own the parking lots = public ownership.
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The Lower Hill parking lots contain more than 3000 spaces.
On weekdays, people pay an average of $6 to park and go to work downtown. $6 per car x 3000 spaces = $18,000 per day. $18,000 day x 300 days/year = $5,400,000 a year.
In addition, people pay a minimum of $14 to park during events. $14 per car x 3000 spaces = $42,000 x 50 events a year (minimum) = $2,100,000 a year.
The Pittsburgh Penguins Corporation receives a minimum of $7.5 million each year in total parking revenue. Even with the 35% parking tax, the Penguins get a minimum of $4.8 million in revenue from their private control over publicly-owned Lower Hill parking lots.
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The politicians have set up the Penguins in the Hill District Parking Lot business.
Low overhead. Great revenue.
No community benefit.
It is time to take a stand for the Hill District.
