Good News

Kicking Off Renovations at the “New Northland”

Last week, we kicked off Northland Public Library's renovation project to create the "New Northland," a reimagined space that meets the modern needs of this growing community. I'm proud to be a part of this project and I can't wait to see what's coming next!

Protecting Reproductive Healthcare

Pittsburgh had a visit from “Freeda Womb,” a 20-foot tall inflatable intrauterine device (IUD) last week to draw attention to the need to protect access to contraception. 

Reproductive care and contraception care are health care. I’m working in Harrisburg to ensure that everyone in Pennsylvania has meaningful access to all of the health care they need to keep themselves and their families happy, healthy, and safe.

Community Baby Shower in Natrona Heights

A giant THANK YOU to everyone who came out last week to make our Community Baby Shower a tremendous success! This was our fifth baby shower, and it remains one of the most joyous events of the year for me, my staff, vendors, and participants alike.

I’m so grateful to all of our vendors for coming out to share information with local families and neighbors. A special thank you to the Sheldon Park Resident Council for partnering with us on this event, the Pittsburgh Fire Fighters for providing free winter coats for the kids, Beanie Paints LLC Pittsburgh Face Painter for her beautiful artwork, Russellton Palmer Pharmacy for providing flu shots, Soergel Orchards for the apples, and Curbside on the Run for the delicious cookies!

We're also deeply grateful to our anonymous gift donor. Because of their generosity, we had 20+ more raffle items for attendees.

We’re already looking forward to next year!

Celebrating Hunting and Fishing in Pennsylvania

Monday was Hunting & Fishing Day in Pennsylvania. To celebrate, we unveiled the new PA Sportsman’s license plate. $14 from every plate application will go to supporting youth hunting and fishing programs across the state. You can apply for this new plate today! 

There are so many opportunities to enjoy Pennsylvania’s wildlife in the fall. We encourage you to get outdoors and take advantage!

Legislative Update

Transportation for All

Transportation is critical for a full, well-rounded life– for work, recreation, shopping, medical appointments, and daily needs. But for the 30% of Pennsylvanians who don’t drive, transportation is a barrier to all of these things. You shouldn’t need to own a car to have a job or meet your basic needs, but our current system of public transportation isn’t enough.

This week, the Senate Transportation Committee held a hearing on Multimodal Transportation needs across the state, which has to include public transportation and complete streets, which makes communities accessible, safer, and more inclusive by including updated curb cuts, sidewalks, and traffic signals.

As Katharine Kellerman, CEO of Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT), testified, “Transit is key to a thriving neighborhood, a healthy environment, and a robust, interconnected community. Transit is more than point A to point B. Transit quite literally brings people together, and often it’s the place where people who perhaps otherwise wouldn’t interact share a smile, a wave, or a seat. Investing in transit is investing in our sense of community. And that’s arguably more important than ever right now.”

I will continue to advocate for increased funding for public transit and multimodal transportation projects, and for improved routes and access. Currently, PRT is undergoing a system redesign. You can check out their proposal, give feedback, and sign up to be notified of future meetings at Bus Line Redesign | Engage PRT (rideprt.org).

You can join PRT for an in-person pop-up meeting at locations across Allegheny County throughout October or attend an online public meeting on October 24th at 6:00 pm to give your input on the new plan! Check out locations or register for the online meeting at BusLineRedesign.com!

While we’re hearing about multimodal needs, municipalities and local entities can apply for PennDOT's latest round of Multimodal Transportation Fund grants! These grants are awarded to local projects that develop or enhance community transportation assets and improve safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and motor traffic.Past multimodal grants I’ve supported include:

• $2.2 million to Ross Township for new sidewalks and improvement to McKnight Road and Siebert Road intersection.
• $250,000 to Allegheny County for Phase 2 of the Pearce Mill Road Bike and Pedestrian Improvements Project. 
• $400,000 to Harrison Township for upgraded traffic signals and pedestrian safety at the intersection of Freeport Road and Springhill Road.
• $1,081,346 for work on the Larimer-Homewood Multimodal Greenway Extension.
• $100,000 to Steel City Squash for pedestrian and streetscape improvements at their new facility.

Applications for these grants are accepted at Grants.pa.gov now through Tuesday, November 5th, with the grants expected to be funded in July 2025.

News You Can Use

Help Shape Allegheny County’s Future

Allegheny County wants to hear from you!

Millions of dollars are coming to Allegheny County every year from lawsuit settlements against opioid manufacturers and distributors.

Your input is needed to inform how the County uses these important funds to:

• Support new and existing resources to address harms related to opioid use.
• Help people with opioid addiction and related disorders.
• Address harms caused to those impacted by the opioid epidemic.

They want to hear from a broad and diverse range of community members with a special focus on individuals in active addiction or with SUD lived experience.

Don't delay! Public comment ends on October 31st.

Take the survey here. 

Get Your Free Covid-19 Tests in the Mail

Households across the country are again eligible to order 4 free COVID-19 Tests at COVIDTests.gov. The COVID-19 tests can detect current COVID-19 variants and can be used through at least the end of 2024. Get more information here.

West View Water High School Video/Photo Contest

West View Water Authority is challenging all high school students and amateur filmmakers within their service area to create videos or photos educating and informing the public on different topics related to the water, the environment, or school spirit.  All high school students’ grades 9-12 are eligible and can submit a video/photo individually or as a team effort. Only 1 video/photo per person or team accepted.  A primary contact must be designated per entry.  The prize will be given to the primary contact, to be divided up by the participants on their own terms. The winning video will be chosen by a panel from West View Water Authority. Winners will receive monetary prizes in addition to having their videos featured on the West View Water Authority’s website and Facebook page. This contest is an opportunity for high school students to publicly showcase their creativity, communication and film making skills.

The top 3 winners will receive a monetary prize and be featured on the West View Water Authority’s website, Instagram and Facebook page.

• 1st Place  – $1,000
• 2nd Place – $750
• 3rd Place  – $500

For full rules, visit West View Water Authority’s website. Submissions are due Friday, October 11 at 5:00 pm.

East Liberty/Garfield Cat Tour

Check out the Garfield and Friends of East Liberty and Garfield on this walking tour on Saturday, October 19. To register to attend or show off your feline friend, sign up here!

Russellton Palmer Pharmacy Community Health Fair

Russellton Palmer Pharmacy is hosting their 3rd annual community health fair on Sunday, October 13 from 1:30 - 4:00 at West Deer Fire Department #1! They’ll have fun activities, raffles, and great local resources for you to learn more about! It's free to attend, but some vendors will have items for sale or fundraisers going on. Also, new this year is a hands only CPR demonstration from our friends at West Deer EMS! They will have fun activities for children and massages! Flu shots will also be available.

As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions you may have by phone at 412-364-0469 (Ross Office), 724-224-2131 (Harrison Office) or by email at [email protected]. My staff will return your call/email within 24 hours (Monday-Friday).

Senator Lindsey Williams