City Has Change Of Heart Over One-Way Street

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Some people who live on the North Side say they were caught off guard when their one-way street suddenly switched directions this week.

But after getting in touch with KDKA's Jim Lokay, city officials have had a change of heart.

"You tend to not look at your environment when you're so familiar with it," said Barbara Luderowski, of the Mattress Factory art gallery. "That stood out. When I got to that corner, I said, 'The sign's going the wrong way!'"

Luderowski says it all started some years ago when neighbors petitioned the city to reverse the direction of Sampsonia Way to slow down speeders.

"Between then and a couple of days ago when they changed the signs, no one said, 'We're about to do this; we're coming down the alley.' Nothing," said Luderowski.

"For them to change the road like [that], I think it's going to cause an accident," added Robert Steadman, who lives nearby.

However, there are others who want to see the change made permanent.

"They come up here 100 miles an hour," said Irv Sauerman, who works nearby. "So, it's a good idea in my opinion."

However, just two days after those signs went up, crews spent part of Friday afternoon changing Sampsonia Way back.

KDKA's Jim Lokay reports that Pittsburgh Public Works director Rob Kaczorowski says a petition did go around about a year ago to change the direction on Sampsonia.

After a study, the decision was made to put the signs up. However, they are down again for now pending further investigation.