👀 See the new West End Bridge designs

New West End Bridge Walkway Design

In the next decade, the West End Bridge will have a pedestrian and bicycle path connecting Manchester to the West End business district. The Manchester side of the bridge will have a spiral ramp with a park space for community gatherings. The full plan is expected to be finalized by the end of the year, but for now, check out the new renderings. [NEXTpittsburgh]

• 🚧 More bridge news: The McKees Rocks Bridge preservation project is in its next phase, with traffic moving from the westbound to the eastbound lanes with one lane traveling in each direction. [Pittsburgh Union Progress]

Plans To Reconnect East Liberty and Larimer

A $2 million federal grant will help “reconnect neighborhoods disconnected by past development.” Bakery Square developer Walnut Capital plans to build a cap above the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway to improve pedestrian access between Larimer and the East Liberty business district. The company also plans to develop another 14 acres of mixed use commercial property and housing. Check out the map of the proposed expansion. [Pittsburgh Union Progress]

Schools Work To Recruit, Retain Black Teachers

“While students of color make up roughly 40% of the county’s K-12 population, close to half of all school districts fail to employ even one Black teacher.” In an effort to change that, local schools kicked off the latest cohort of the Equity Leadership Institute — an 18-month Teach Plus program to help school leaders diversify their teaching staff. [90.5 WESA / Research for Action]

Burgh Bus Shuttles To Star Lake

You’ve probably heard the horror stories about parking at Star Lake Pavilion in Burgettstown. The venue is great, but there’s only one way in and one way out. To help yinz avoid the mess, Burgh Bus (the black-and-gold comedy and sightseeing bus) is offering a shuttle service to summer concerts. It costs $45 per person and does pickup and dropoff at the bottom of the Duquesne Incline. [Burgh Bus]

• 🚌 Would you pay that? I already signed up to give it a try, but City Cast Pittsburgh host Megan Harris doesn’t think it's worth it. [🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh]

Let’s play a game! Where was the photo above taken? 👀

🌟 Shoutout to Kellie M., Andy C., Barb G., and Michelle M., who correctly guessed the last “Where Is It?” challenge!

If you like coffee and good tunes, The Government Center in East Allegheny needs to be on your “must visit” list. And good news for our South Hills neighbors: The Government Center just opened “The Outpost” in Dormont, right next to Badamo’s Pizza.

Rick Sebak on Gumbands, Storytelling, and Pgh Rites of Passage

If you polled a bunch of Pittsburghers and asked who’s the most beloved person in our city, it’s safe to say today’s guest would show up on that list. Rick Sebak is known for his TV documentaries on WQED. And now, he’s dipping his toes into audio. Rick joins us to talk about his new podcast, Gumbands, the one Pittsburgh story he’s still dying to tell, and the local rites of passage that make someone a true Pittsburgher.