february 2025 newsletter
note! we have a new email address:
info@movelebo.org.
A warm hello from Move Lebo! We’ve been busy working behind the scenes to get things in order for the warmer months ahead…the warmer months are coming, right?!? Our first General Meeting of 2025 was energizing! We met some new members, received lots of great input/ideas and did a (very chilly) walking tour of the Pennsylvania Blvd Trail. The enthusiasm for the upcoming year was fantastic! A very special thanks to Needle and Bean for continuing to host our expanding group!
In an effort to organize things for the year ahead, we created a Projects page to showcase our ongoing work in the community. In addition to working for safer streets, designed for people, a big part of our mission is to connect with like-minded residents, who want to engage and take an active part in improving our community. Visit our Projects page to learn more about the different ways you can get involved.
Dude, Where’s My Complete Street?!
Our Complete Streets Policy requires all transportation modes to be considered during street repaving. Following the disappointing repaving of Cedar Blvd, which did not include any infrastructure changes despite being a municipal owned road and its proximity to the rec center and high school, the "Dude, Where's my Complete Street" project was born.
The goal of Dude, Where’s my Complete Street, is to redesign/reenvision a street BEFORE it is repaved. Knowing which streets are up for repaving in the next five years will help to focus our efforts and give neighbors a chance to collaborate and present their ideas to the Commission for consideration. This MAP highlights the streets included in the repaving schedule for the next five years. If you live on or near one of these streets and have some ideas on how to make it better, we want to hear from you! Armchair urbanists, this is your time to shine!
Move Lebo is concentrating its efforts on streets planned for 2027 and beyond in order to allow for broad community engagement. However, if your street is slated for 2025-26 and you have some ideas you want to share, join us at the next Mobility Board meeting on Tuesday, March 4th at 6pm to propose your ideas.
Walking tours of the following streets are planned for spring and early summer, exact dates to be decided. These walks are designed to get people thinking about and experiencing how the environment works for all users, not just cars, and discussing how to make it better. Gather your neighbors and join us on a walk near you! Updates will be available on our Projects page, in future newsletters, or you can email Morgan to be put on a mailing list for a specific street(s).
Upcoming walking tours:
Williamsburg Park area
Overlook and Akron
Hoodridge, Vermont, and Terrace
Longridge
Country Club
Marshall
Altoona, Marietta, and Baywood
Like to sketch? Have a vision for your street? We want to hear from YOU!
let’s get Sketchin’
Do you like to sketch? We want to collaborate with you, our fellow residents, to create a collection of work that reenvisions the streets in our community. Do you daydream about ways to slow the speed of traffic and/or make a particular intersection more pedestrian friendly? Let’s get sketchin’!
Once we have a collection of work, we have plans to curate an exhibit for the Mt. Lebanon Library. The exhibit will help to demonstrate what is possible when roads are designed for people, instead of cars. The intent is to inspire ideas, action and conversation. The exhibit will debut as part of a special event/reception at the library, slated for 2026.
All skill levels welcome! Know a kid that’s into art? We want to see their vision.
We’ll be sharing more about this project in the coming weeks. Questions?
Pennsylvania BLVD Trail Cleanup
This hidden gem is in need of some serious TLC. Over the past couple of months, Move Lebo has been working hard to restore this trail for the community. Running parallel to the t-line from Poplar to Arlington, this stretch of trail serves as a beautiful reprieve from Castle Shannon Blvd. We have BIG plans and need your help! We’ll be doing several cleanups throughout the spring and summer with the first one happening on Saturday, April 12th at 9am. We need all hands on deck to get this trail into working order. The main objective for the first cleanup will be to widen the trail and trim back plants/remove invasive species. Please bring along any tools that might be helpful such as, loppers, clippers, gloves, etc. We’ll end with coffee at Needle and Bean. Future cleanups will involve laying woodchips along the trail to help level and manage the mud. We plan to celebrate our success with a trail party towards the end of the summer, exact details coming soon!
PENNSYLVANIA BLVD TRAIL
View from the trail - meet us here! April 12th @ 9am for a trail cleanup.
Lebo Green’s Earth Day Celebration: April 27th
We have a fun lineup of activities to celebrate Earth Day this year and we’d love your help. We’ll be hosting another Learn to Ride Bike Course. The bike course was a huge success last year so we’re excited to recreate it! We will have a few balance bikes and pedal bikes to use. If you’d like to BYOB(bike) that works too! Helmets are required for all riders. (A very special thank you to BikePGH for their continued support & for lending us bikes and supplies!)
Along with the bike course, we’ll have a Move Lebo tent where folks can create DIY reflective gear and bike streamers and enter to win a raffle basket filled with fun local swag! Help spread the word to your family and friends. This event is a wonderful opportunity for kids to enjoy a safe, car-free riding experience!
Planning to ride your own bike to Earth Day? Our bike valet has got you covered! Look for our bike valet racks in the upper parking lot near the bike course.
Curious about e-bikes and how they handle the mighty hills of Mt. Lebanon? Swing by our tent and take one for a test ride around Main Park. We think you’ll be delighted to discover just how easy it is to conquer a hill.
Interested in volunteering at Earth Day with Move Lebo? Drop us a line! (We are looking for help with the bike course and our reflective gear creation station.)
Earth Day Details:
Sunday, April 27th : 11am - 3pm : Mt. Lebanon Main Park
*Look for Move Lebo in the upper parking lot*
News you can celebrate!
This month, Allegheny County passed an ordinance to develop a Complete Streets Policy for the county by the end of year. This will help to make improvements to county-owned roads, such as Bower Hill or Painters Run easier. A very big thank you to the sponsors: Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis, Dan Grzybek, Bob Macey!
GET INVOLVED
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO GET INVOLVED TODAY?
BECOME A MEMBER! Your support enables Move Lebo to develop educational programs, host community events & purchase critical safety supplies for sidewalk cleanups and group activities.
Tell your family and friends about Move Lebo - share this newsletter.
Join in the convo on Slack.
Report! a safety issue or concern here!
Use the power of your words - speak at an upcoming Commissioners Meeting and/or Mobility Board meeting.
Sign up for RunLebo!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Fridays @ 7AM
Sign up for meet up details!
Thursday, March 20th
5pm - 7pm @ East End Brewing
PENNSYLVANIA BLVD TRAIL CLEANUP
Saturday, April 12th @ 9am
Meet at the trail end near Poplar t-station.
Earth Day celebration! Learn to Ride Bike Course & DIY Reflective Gear:
Sunday, April 27th - Volunteers needed!
Lebo Green’s Earth Day Celebration
11am - 3pm @ Mt. Lebanon Main Park (find us in the upper parking lot)
MONTHLY MOVE LEBO GENERAL MEETING:
General meetings are held quarterly.
Next meeting: May 18th @ Needle and Bean @ 10am.
Together and Forward
@movelebo | info@movelebo.org | www.movelebo.org
articles of incorporation
Official Notice of Move Lebo’s Articles of Incorporation, as published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh Legal Journal.
happy holidays!
FROM OUR STREET TO YOURS, WE WISH YOU A JOYFUL, HEALTHY AND PEACEFUL HOLIDAY SESAON!
2024 that’s a wrap. 2025 here we come!
2024 YEAR IN REVIEW
Whew…what a year!! We’re feeling grateful as we have a TON to celebrate after just one year in existence. Check out some 2024 highlights below:
Pack the Room Advocacy = $167K increase to 2025 Municipal Budget for pedestrian safety! | RUNLebo Challenge | Learn to Ride Bike Course | Sidewalk Cleanups | Happy Hours | Speaker Series Participant & E-bike Demos | DIY Reflective Gear | BIKELebo Group Rides | Monthly Meetings | Official 501(c)(3) Status | Halloween Parade | Pechakucha Event | Interactive community events | 284 email subscribers | 25 contributing members | 100% member supported
CELEBRATING SUCCESS!
Our advocacy work throughout this year paid off in a BIG way! We “packed the room” to let the Commission and Mobility Board know that residents want safer streets, designed for people. Our efforts helped to bring an additional $55k to the 2025 Municipal Budget, $30k for "Mobility Improvements" and $25k for "Pedestrian Routes/Sidewalk Repairs". PLUS $112,500 for traffic calming on Scrubgrass. It also ensured that the $300k slated for new sidewalks in the capital improvement plan was carried over to the 2025 budget. If you’re doing the math, that’s $467,500 for safer streets!!!
We are shifting the narrative, slowly but surely. Keep up the great work and keep showing up! Things are just getting started…!
RUNLEBO CHALLENGE UPDATE
The crisp, winter air is no match for these dedicated runners!
A HUGE congratulations to our latest RUNLebo Challenge finishers:
* Tara Fagan & Taylor Grimm *
Interested in joining the 86 Mile Run Club? More info here.
86 Mile Run Club Prize Package, hand delivered to your porch upon finish!
HOLIDAY LIGHT BIKE RIDE
Riders were nestled all snug in their gear, while holiday hits were heard far and near. Every bike was adorned in its holiday dress, as the decision was made as to which was decorated best. The smell of candy canes and hot chocolate filled the air as everyone enjoyed the splendid sights done with utmost care. And at once a new holiday tradition was born, one that will surely continue, so if you missed it don’t be forlorn.
Spreading holiday cheer, we lit up the streets of Mt. Lebanon as a group of 14 adults and 6 kids!! A special congratulations to Maya and her UNICYCLE! She took home the award, a well deserved prize! Have you ever seen a unicycle traverse a brick street?! Our community of supporters is growing and getting more fun by the minute!
SHOUT OUTS!
A very special thank you to everyone who supported Move Lebo during Pittsburgh Magazine’s Give Big Pittsburgh event. Our first time participating was a great success - we couldn’t do our work without your support!
In addition, we want to thank the Mt. Lebanon Lions Club for their very generous contribution. Move Lebo was selected during a competitive funding process to be one of their 2024 funding recipients. Together, we look forward to working with the Mt. Lebanon Lions Club to continue to bring meaningful change and improvements to our community.
*GAVEL* CALL TO ORDER
Exciting news! The Move Lebo Board of Directors is now operational. The board conducted their first official meeting in November and has big plans for the coming year! Learn more about this incredibly talented and dedicated team here. Quarterly general meetings, will resume in early 2025. Stay tuned!
Help us keep the momentum going! Please consider making an end of year donation. Thank you!
GET INVOLVED
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO GET INVOLVED TODAY?
BECOME A MEMBER! Your support enables Move Lebo to develop educational programs, host community events & purchase critical safety supplies for sidewalk cleanups and group activities.
Tell your family and friends about Move Lebo - share this newsletter.
Join in the convo on Slack.
Report! a safety issue or concern here!
Use the power of your words - speak at an upcoming Commissioners Meeting and/or Mobility Board meeting.
Sign up for RunLebo!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Fridays @ 7AM
Sign up for meet up details!
Thursday, December 19th
5pm - 7pm @ East End Brewing
MONTHLY MOVE LEBO GENERAL MEETING:
General meetings are now being held quarterly. Next meeting will be in 2025!
Together and Forward
@movelebo | movelebo@gmail.com | www.movelebo.com