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Pittsburgh City Council

Permit change aims to end no parking signs that linger for weeks with no work.

Written by Amy Whipple

In the chaos of Pittsburgh’s construction season, if it’s not one frustration, it’s another. 

Council held a post agenda meeting on Aug. 31 to learn more about construction coordination between the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) and local utility companies. 

Katie Wettick, DOMI’s Senior Right of Way Manager, said DOMI tries each year to best coordinate city projects — including roads slated for repaving — and planned projects by utility companies. Coordination goals include reducing unnecessary costs and public inconveniences such as digging up recently repaved streets. 

DOMI’s plans cannot account for run-of-the-mill utility repair emergencies. The Pittsburgh Water Authority alone has nearly 1,000 miles of water main, a little over 1,000 miles of sewer main, 23,000 drinking water valves and 30,000 catch basins and storm drains, according to chief executive officer Will Pickering.

The infrastructure, with a median age of over 80 years, can sometimes break from street milling and paving vibrations. “If you see a street was repaved and now it’s being dug open again, that could be one of those reasons,” Wettick said.

Another point of contention for residents is the abundance of no parking signs with no construction in sight.

Council Member Bob Charland of the South Side said, “Eventually no one takes them seriously. And then all of a sudden, utilities need to get in, and you take them seriously. Cars are towed, and people are upset.”

Wettick said DOMI launched a new permitting process in 2025 that better reflects phased work for utility projects instead of its previous one-size-fits-all no parking approach. 

She also addressed the frustration of street closures and detours, which are “impossible to avoid.” She said that the department only has two traffic reviewers and one supervisor. To better coordinate closures, she said they would need additional staff.

Connections to this story

Governments:
Pittsburgh City Council
Public meetings:
City Council · September 9, 2026

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