Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest (FPUF) in cooperation with the Pittsburgh Parking Authority will begin installation of trees and shrubs on five Pittsburgh Parking Authority surface lots in East Liberty. FPUF aims to reduce stormwater runoff from the parking lots through retrofitting with green infrastructure. Ninety-one trees and over 1,000 shrubs will be planted throughout the five parking lots. According to the USDA Forest Service’s STRATUM analysis of Pittsburgh’s street trees, on average, “a single tree intercepts about 1,400 gallons of rainfall annually.” The effort will complement greening efforts led by East Liberty Development, Inc. and local stakeholders to improve the health and appearance of the neighborhood.
The project is scheduled to be completed by Spring 2010. The lots include:
-Sheridan/Harvard
-Sheridan/Kirkwood
-Harvard/Beatty
-Penn Circle NW
-Tamello/Beatty
FPUF was awarded $274,393 by the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. A designated pot of funding was made available through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority to support green infrastructure projects across the state of Pennsylvania.