Check out this Rendering of Forbes Ave and Miltenberger St with Bus Rapid Transit and bike lane.
Find out about the latest in bus rapid transit developments
The City of Pittsburgh, Port Authority, the Urban Redevelopment Authority, and Allegheny County are looking to dramatically change the transportation system between the East End and Downtown. They have just announced a series of ten public meetings, “aimed at updating the public on service and infrastructure plans for the project and at gaining public input on said plans.”
After several years of development and public engagement, the team has settled on a “Locally Preferred Alternative” that looks to turn many of the existing bus lines that currently go through Oakland and Uptown into Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). In short, BRT is an enhanced bus line often including such amenities as dedicated bus lanes (getting the buses out of traffic), signal prioritization for transit, raised platforms for easier boarding, and a branded look and feel. The BRT project aims to mimic the subway experience as much as possible, while keeping it on a paved street, within the street grid while also connecting to the East Busway.
Additionally, the project is looking to install bike lanes, much of it protected, from Bigelow Blvd in Oakland (along Fifth Ave using the existing contra-flow bus lane), then splitting onto Fifth and Forbes in Uptown, and continuing onward into downtown Pittsburgh. The proposed bike infrastructure aligns with BikePGH’s position on the project.
PITTSBURGH’S DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING PAINTED A TEMPORARY MOCK-UP OF THE BUS RAPID TRANSIT VISION ON FORBES AVE IN UPTOWN, DURING Last MAY’S OPEN STREETS EVENT.
Like any project of this magnitude, it is not without controversy. Residents in the Mon Valley are concerned that they may be losing a single-seat ride to Downtown, and may be forced to transfer in Oakland, a particularly challenging operation for riders with disabilities. Additionally, it’s not clear if that transfer will cost extra, and become an additional burden on lower-income residents. The Port Authority is kicking off this public engagement series in the Mon Valley with tonight’s meeting in Rankin, followed by a meeting in Homestead next week.
We sincerely hope that these issues will be worked out during the next suite of community meetings, and that the project will truly benefit everybody through a rethinking of how people can conveniently and safely get around Pittsburgh without an automobile.
Upcoming Public Meetings
Be sure to check out the Port Authority’s Bus Rapid Transit page for the latest information. There will be an additional meeting in Downtown, with a date and location to be determined.
Rankin Public Meeting
Thursday, April 12, 2018, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Rankin Christian Center, 230 3rd Ave, Rankin PA 15104
Homestead Public Meeting
Wednesday, April 18, 2018, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Carnegie Library of Homestead, 510 E 10th Ave, Munhall, PA 15120
Wilkinsburg Public Meeting
May 1, 2018, 6-7:30 p.m.
Hosanna House Small Conference Room (2nd Floor), 807 Wallace Ave, Wilkinsburg, PA 15221
East Liberty Public Meeting
Wednesday, May 2, 2018, 6:30-8 p.m.
Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 250 N Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Squirrel Hill Public Meeting
Thursday, May 3, 2018, 6:30-8 p.m.
Squirrel Hill Jewish Community Center, 5738 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 (Main entrance is on Darlington Road)
McKeesport Public Meeting
Thursday, May 10th, 2018 6:00-7:30pm
The McKeesport Palisades, 100 5th Ave, McKeesport PA 15132
Downtown Public Meeting
Monday, May 14, 2018 2:30-4:00pm
Point Park University, 212 Wood Street
Uptown Public Meeting
Thursday, May 17, 2018 6-7:30 pm
Paramount Film Exchange, 544 Miltenberger Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Oakland Public Meeting
Tuesday, May 22, 2018 3-4:30 pm
William Pitt Union, 3959 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Oakland Public Meeting
Thursday, May 24, 2018 6-7:30 pm
OPDC Career Center, 294 Semple Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
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