Member of Pittsburgh City Council believes she has way to update city's aging fleet
Pittsburgh's aging fleet is a longstanding problem that the city council has been trying to address. Councilmember Barb Warwick believes she may have a part of the answer.
"Over the past decade, our fleet has been chronically underinvested in," Warwick said.
She said that's caused the city to keep vehicles well beyond their recommended life cycles, making it more common for them to break down.
It's why she believes it's time the Pittsburgh City Council takes action, with an annual trust fund of a minimum of $20 million. She'll propose an ordinance to the council on Tuesday dedicated to purchasing vehicles that support city services, to go into effect for the 2027 budget.
"That is reserved and allocated for the fleet, not just next year or the year after, the year after, but really going forward in the long run," Warwick said.
It comes on top of a tax increase in this year's budget and would require approval from the council annually. Also, as a part of it, no more than 30% of vehicles could be in use beyond their life cycles.
The default for the money would come from the general fund.
"That fund would obviously be there for any grant money to be put into, and also any money from our large nonprofits," Warwick said.
A report from Pittsburgh City Controller Rachael Heisler last October stated a significant number of Pittsburgh's more than 1,300 vehicles are no longer usable and instead are used for spare parts.
It also said that getting them within their recommended life cycles would require an investment of nearly $207 million within five years, a lot more than this fund would cover.
"It's not a solution. It's not going to get us to 100% where we need to be, but it is a step in the right direction," Warwick said.
KDKA reached out to Mayor Corey O'Connor about this proposal. A spokesperson provided KDKA with a statement that said, in part:
"While we haven't had the opportunity to discuss this particular piece of legislation, we look forward to working collaboratively with City Council on ensuring appropriate and proactive investments in the fleet."
Warwick already has two cosponsors, but is working to get other councilmembers on board, with hopes of passing the legislation in the spring.