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Pittsburgh City Council

Turning the gun range may cut the noise down.

Written by Amy Whipple

The sound of gunfire in Highland Park may soon not be nearly as loud.

Council voted during the April 1 committee meeting to proceed with a plan to reduce noise at the Bureau of Police Firing Range, the only outdoor range in a major urban area.

 Council Member Deb Gross of Highland Park described the gunshots as “really disturbing levels of noise.” She said, at the park’s Farmhouse Playground, “it sounds like warfare because there’s so many people firing.”

The plan is to rotate the site, which will reduce the decibel levels by up to 50%.

“Less disruptive is the best we could do,” said Gross.

According to Gross, residents have been advocating for the removal of the range for more than 30 years. The city has been unsuccessful in finding an alternate site—indoors or outdoors—but will continue the effort to do so, she said.

Additionally, the range, which is relatively isolated, will soon have a new county Rails to Trails path running past it. Gross said the improvement plan includes adding safety features, though information available on Legistar does not delineate them.

The legislation also authorizes stormwater infrastructure repair and management. The work is designed to help mitigate flooding on Washington Boulevard.

Connections to this story

Topics:
Parks & Public Space
Governments:
Pittsburgh City Council
Public meetings:
City Council · March 31, 2026
Sources:
Resolution 2026-0277 — authorizing the Director of the Department of Public Works, on behalf of the City of Pittsburgh, to enter into certain…

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