On December 26th, a petition was launched to remove parking spaces outside the Evergreen Cafe. So far, this has gained 457 out of the desired 500 signatures required. Based on this, it looks as though it will reach its target within the next 48 hours. The petition was started by a Pittsburgh resident named Jennifer Makovics who gave an impassioned speech on why the spaces were dangerous to the local community.

The petition started by saying: ‘As a resident of Regent Square, Pittsburgh, every time I witness an unsuspecting driver quickly veer over or make an abrupt stop due to the parked cars on Penn Avenue between Carnegie Place and S Lexington Ave, I fear an accident is imminent. This personal concern has driven me to advocate for the removal of these parking spaces to improve traffic flow and safety.’

However, this petition has since gone on to prove very divisive. Over on the Nextdoor neighborhood app, certain residents have accused Evergreen Cafe of trying to remove the spaces to benefit their business instead of for safety reasons. This isn’t the first time the cafe has tried to remove the parking, and even resulted in the owner’s wife and family getting involved in the heated debate.

Whether this results in any real change remains to be seen. Nonetheless, it looks as though this controversial parking space has created a real division within the local community.