PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Pittsburgh City Council got its first look at a plan to help make city nightlife safer and more enjoyable.

However, it will require a commitment from all aspects of the community.

It’s called Pittsburgh’s Sociable City Plan and it looks at nightlife in Lawrenceville, the South Side, Downtown and Oakland.

Everyone consulted agrees the city has to manage nightlife in a new way.

“I thought that we in Pittsburgh were completely unique and that we struggled on our own and that we suffered in silence and that the things I was trying to accomplish were for naught,” Pittsburgh City Councilman Bruce Kraus said.

The Responsible Hospitality Institute released recommendations to the city about how to handle growth in the young adult population, which now roughly 135,000 college students, and problems of handling their nighttime lifestyles.

“Most often when there’s a problem people, look to the police to resolve it and there’s a lot we can resolve. But, our job would be so much easier if everyone who was involved – all the stakeholders – came to the table,” Pittsburgh Police Assistant Chief Maurita Bryant said.

Among the recommendations were:

Looking for off-site parking lots for nighttime entertainment patrons

Engaging students in personal accountability for their actions

Developing a guide for new businesses

Part of the responsibility for what happens at night rests with the venue operators.

“When the only tool in your toolbox is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. And as this effort has proven, we have to partner with all members of the community,” Assistant District Attorney Kevin McCarthy said.

“The good operators outweigh the bad operators by tenfold and I think by hopefully practicing what we’re going to preach with this plan, will hopefully change the opinions of the bad operators and the good operators,” bar owner Adam DiSimone said

More details about how the plan will be implemented are expected to be released next month.

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