Port Authority’s blueprint for the future of public transportation calls for expanding service to Pittsburgh International Airport, establishing a transit corridor from the North Side to Cranberry, and extending the light rail system from the North Shore with wings to Bellevue and Ross.
The portion of the agency’s 25-year plan unveiled Thursday also calls for a series of neighborhood hubs and street improvements for better travel between communities. That would include extending the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway to Braddock and possibly reviving light rail service through Pittsburgh’s Allentown neighborhood and cutting back on the Library line because of low ridership.
This part of the plan, known as NEXTransit, identifies where service should be provided but not necessarily how. The planning and public engagement process will continue for the next six months to decide what mode of service will be used in each area, how much it might cost and how to pay for it.
Here are key areas where the long-range plan recommends major service expansion:
North
In this heavy growth area, the plan calls for a high-capacity corridor extending from the North Side along Interstate 279/79 to Cranberry, including a hub in Ross.
One extension of the light rail system on the North Shore would go through Manchester and Chateau on its way to Bellevue and Emsworth. The other wing would go through Central North Side on its way to Ross.
In the Allegheny Valley, another high-capacity corridor would follow the south side of the Allegheny River through the Strip District, Lawrenceville, Penn Hills, Verona and Oakmont to New Kensington.
East
A high-capacity corridor would run from the East Busway along the Parkway East from Edgewoood through Churchill to Monroeville.
The busway itself would be extended about a mile from Swissvale to Braddock, then bus lanes and signal priority at intersections would improve service to East Pittsburgh.
There also would be a busway or other fixed guideway to join McKeesport and East Pittsburgh.
West
Amy Silbermann, Port Authority’s planning director, said transit service to the airport was the most popular suggestion made during public meetings. The plan follows previous recommendations to extend service from the end of the West Busway in Carnegie following the Parkway West, but it doesn’t call for a specific mode of transit.
The plan also recommends considering a Carnegie to Bridgeville corridor, which could involve a West Busway extension.
South
Recommendations include a possible reopening of the portion of the Red Line that passes through Allentown. The agency now uses that line only as a detour if the Blue Line is unavailable, but the neighborhood is experiencing growth that may call for additional service.
Another possibility is changing service away from light rail on the Library line. Ms. Silbermann said that section has limited ridership and will need expensive upgrades in the next few years.
Downtown
The plan recommends to begin using the light rail spur that connects Steel Plaza to Penn Station. That would provide riders with an easier connection with the East Busway.
Ms. Silbermann said other changes to bus corridors in the Golden Triangle are being coordinated with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership’s ongoing mobility plan. The agency may do a separate bus route study in the future, separate from the long-range plan.
Other changes
Ms. Silbermann said the plan also recommends a series of other changes across the county.
They include:
• Up to 20 hubs similar to the McKeesport Transportation Center to provide off-street parking for riders and layover areas for buses. The hubs also would provide easier transfer points for travel between communities without long trips to Downtown or Oakland.
• Commuter circulation routes around Pittsburgh International Airport, McKees Rocks, Penn Hills, McKeesport and Pittsburgh’s Hilltop neighborhoods, places where streets often don’t have sidewalks or other safe paths to bus service. This could involve using smaller vehicles on suburban streets or partnering with another agency to provide the connection.
• Working with communities to improve sidewalks and bus stops.
At two public meetings Thursday, CEO Katharine Eagan Kelleman stressed that the plan is a starting point and projects will be rolled out at different times during the next 25 years.
“It’s a long-range plan, so it will take time to get there,” she said. “Dream big. Let’s talk about the wonderful system we deserve.”
Port Authority will repeat the online meetings at 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday. Registration can be made at the NEXTransit website.
Ed Blazina: eblazina@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1470 or on Twitter @EdBlazina.
First Published: February 26, 2021, 10:42 a.m.
Updated: February 26, 2021, 10:43 a.m.
