On today’s episode of The Confluence: The Pittsburgh Task Force on Public Algorithms has published its report on how effective regional local governments’ uses of these systems has been and what's needed to prevent harmful effects; Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has chosen the companies tasked with the design and construction of a new bridge to replace the collapsed Fern Hollow Bridge; and we speak to a professor of school psychology about how adults can help children navigate changing COVID-19 risk mitigation measures.
Task force on public algorithms says systems need more community input, accountability
(0:00 - 8:00)
Algorithms are increasingly being employed to help improve delivery of public services.
The newly released, “Report of the Pittsburgh Task Force on Public Algorithms” examined how algorithms are used by local government agencies in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.
David Hickton, the founding director of the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security, and chair of the task force describes public algorithm systems as tools to help “comb large amounts of data quickly and efficiently to get to a result that would be achieved faster than if you had to do it manually by paper.”
Hickton says these systems can have many positive benefits, but also contain pitfalls.
“They're just not neutral, because they're based upon historical data. And if we have had historical inequality, it would stand to reason [that] if we use that data as the basis to predict, we're just going to reinforce that inequality,” explains Hickton. “Or, because we're working more furiously and faster and efficiently, we actually can exacerbate inequality.”
The report highlights a situation where the task force suggested the city stop using a predictive policing algorithm system, due to existing bias in data that currently exists. For example, data shows that Black residents are more likely to be arrested for crimes that white residents, and are more likely to receive a worst sentence for the same crime.
“I think people of goodwill everywhere want to reverse that and fix that,” says Hickton. “If you use the data that led us to that inequality, for purposes of predicting where crime occurred it would stand to be almost obvious that you're going to perpetuate those problems and make them worse.”
The task force is planning public meetings to create more public awareness around its work, the first of which takes place tomorrow, March 10.
PennDOT is beginning to design the Fern Hollow Bridge replacement
(8:06 - 14:22)
Since the Fern Hollow Bridge collapsed into Frick Park on Jan. 28, state officials made emergency declarations to fast track the replacement process.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has chosen HDR and Swank Construction to design and construct the new bridge.
So what will that new bridge look like?
So far, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf signed emergency declarations to move bridge construction along, allowing the state to plan and purchase materials under the Federal Highway Administration’s emergency procurement rules.
“PennDOT is using a ‘design-build approach.’ They are in charge of delivering the project, and design-build means that basically different elements of the bridge can advance simultaneously,” says WESA senior reporter Margaret J. Krauss.
PennDOT District 11 executive Cheryl Moon-Sirianni told state lawmakers Tuesday that construction could begin as soon as late April. The cost is currently estimated to be $25.3 million.
The initial plans for the replacement bridge is what Krauss describes as a “highway overpass,” with four lanes of traffic, five foot sidewalks, and a ten-foot-wide mixed use path along the southern side.
Some have urged PennDOT to slow down the design process, but Krauss reports that Moon-Sirianni told lawmakers other options could delay the process by up to 18 months and cost an additional $10 million.
“I think a lot of people are still wondering if there's room to find a little bit more joy out of the design of this bridge and whether or not that will be possible,” says Krauss. “Multiple phases of design are underway, including environmental concerns, static components, as we mentioned, substructure, superstructure relocating utility. So, there's a lot yet to happen.”
Krauss says the tentative completion date is sometime in 2023.
Changing COVID-19 guidelines may make children anxious, but parents and caregivers can help ease their concerns
(14:25 - 22:30)
Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its masking guidance. It no longer recommends that those living in communities designated medium or low risk for COVID-19 wear masks indoors in public.
Some schools began lifting their requirements. But what do you do if a child in your life is feeling anxious about this change?
“I think it is to the advantage of families and schools and children, for everybody to anticipate that there is going to be some confusion,” says Tammy Hughes, a professor of school psychology at Duquesne University.
Hughes says one way to help children frame the issue is to point out how different scenarios have different demands: one might not wear a mask playing outside, but will inside the classroom.
“Knowing your kid is something that you should use to inform your approach and also, frankly, monitoring their anxieties and, in which settings do they become more anxious?” says Hughes. “Kids often don't want to make the wrong decision, and so helping them plan in advance.”
Hughes adds that children take their cues from adults, so modeling calm behavior will help children feel more safe.
The Confluence, where the news comes together, is 90.5 WESA’s daily news program. Tune in Monday to Thursday at 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. to hear newsmakers and innovators take an in-depth look at stories important to the Pittsburgh region. Find more episodes of The Confluence here or wherever you get your podcasts.
