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Dear reader,

How many bridges did you drive across last week?

If you’re like me, and you live in Southwestern Pennsylvania, chances are the number is in the double digits. And if you’re like me, you took their stability for granted until January, when one of them collapsed ([link removed]) in Frick Park.

As I found out soon after the Fern Hollow Bridge collapsed Jan. 28, and during the months since then, it’s very complicated to find information about how our local government manages infrastructure. It involves sifting through data and dense government contracts, and trying to understand the world of state and federal grant money.

Emergency responders at the site of the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse in Pittsburgh on Jan. 28. (Photo by Ryan Loew/PublicSource)

After the Fern Hollow collapse, I made it part of my job to do that legwork for you. I read the contracts and followed the money so I could tell you — in simple terms — what the city is doing to repair our bridges. How many bridges need work? How much will it cost? Who is the city paying to do it? These are all questions we worked to answer in our reporting since the Fern Hollow collapse, most recently in August when we reported that the city is paying $1.5 million ([link removed]) for a “bridge asset management plan.”

For that story, I asked the deputy mayor why paying for a plan (not for repairs or construction) was the best immediate path forward. I asked him when residents could expect to see results, both in the form of a plan and in actual, physical improvements. I shared his answers with you.

That’s my job: Navigating the maze-like world of our local government, speaking with its influencers, reading contracts and budgets, following legislation — so you don’t have to. My goal is to extract the most important trends and stories and put it into terms that answer the questions that matter to you.

Just like our bridges, local journalism plays a crucial role in connecting our region, and it requires support to remain stable. All of us here at PublicSource do this work because we believe it’s a valuable service to the community, but we need the financial support of readers like you to continue making it available. Please make a gift today ([link removed]) and help ensure the Pittsburgh area’s informational infrastructure continues to thrive.

Donate today to support important stories about what connects our region. ([link removed])
Sincerely,
Charlie Wolfson
Local government reporter
PublicSource

P.S. If you know of something happening locally related to local government that you think is worth looking into, I’d love to hear from you. You can use our pitch/tip form here ([link removed]) or reach out to me via email at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or on Twitter at @chwolfson ([link removed]) .


** To be removed from fundraising messages, please email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Remove%20from%20fundraising) . Donations by check can be made payable to PublicSource and mailed to 1936 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15219. So that we can credit you properly, please include your email address with your gift.
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