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By J.R. Brower

A 90-day long one-sided street parking experiment on Giffen Avenue near Canonsburg Park took effect on April 1, and it was discussed again at the April 6 regular Canonsburg Borough Council meeting.

At their March 2 meeting, council members and Mayor David Rhome outlined the plan to many Giffen Avenue residents in attendance to switch parking to one side. Officials explained that on many occasions, the street has been inaccessible to both fire trucks and other emergency responders. Their consensus was that, upon investigation, many residents of the 300 to 500 blocks, where the project was enacted, have accessible parking via alleys behind their residents, and some even have garages that are unused.

Council Vice-president Rich Russo concurred with Mayor Rhome and 3rd Ward Councilman John Severine that the borough would even add the incentive of helping residents build low-cost parking pads in the rear of their properties accessible to the alley roadways.

"The Giffen Avenue project was modeled after a successful one-sided parking switch on Jefferson Avenue, which been successful in making that street safer and more accessible," Russo had said.

Mayor Rhome explained that the plans for one-sided parking will include at least three other streets beside Giffen. Both officials said that the borough wants to do it on a 90-day trial basis on Giffen, and there is the possibility that it won't be permanently enacted.

Council President John Bevec took questions and concerns from Giffen Avenue residents at the April 6 meeting attended by approximately 12 who live on both sides from the middle section of the fairly busy street that abuts Canonsburg Town Park.

Richard Shuba, who lives at 530 Giffen has several unique problems with the parking situation. "Now there is a speeding problem in front of my house, since the street is wider," he said. Also, he said that even before the one-sided street parking program began the first of the month, the quickest accessibility for kids walking down Giffen to the park playground is through his yard. His contention was the street is now less safe for pedestrians going to the park.

Councilman Severine and Mayor Rhome were well aware of that problem, and have spent considerable time observing Shuba's area, as well as the numbers concerning parkers on both sides of the street. Councilmen Bevec, Russo and Severine were in agreement with the mayor that they are considering switching the one-sided parking from the east side of the street to the west side to make at least 5 to 10 more parking spots available.

Shuba convinced council members of the need for the borough to construct an additional gate to the playground, so pedestrians do not have to cut through his and his neighbor's yards, making the area even safer.

Another Giffen Avenue resident opposed to the one-sided parking plan was Joyce Laperry, who lives at 526 Giffen. "My grandson likes to come to visit me, and now he can't find a place to park."

Both Severine and Rhome said they felt that some of the problems issues would be alleviated simply be switching parking on Giffen Avenue from one side to the other. They also indicated to the Giffen residents at the meeting that they will continue to monitor traffic patterns from the 300 to 500 blocks.

At their next meeting, council will announce more streets the borough is considering for changed traffic patterns.

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