Later this month, Pittsburgh Regional Transit will begin work on the second and final main phase of its PRTX University Line bus route project through Uptown and Oakland, which it expects to complete by the end of 2027.
PRT began its first phase of the project through Downtown in late 2023. Inbound buses will have dedicated red lanes to travel inbound on Fifth Avenue and outbound on Sixth Avenue, said Denise Ott, the director of capital programs at PRT.
PRT is installing five new stations along the Downtown route that are not fully enclosed to be mindful of the already congested sidewalks, said Ms. Ott. The stations will have seating, fare vending machines, and signage for incoming arrivals, she said.
Construction Downtown has slowed during the winter, but will pick up again in the spring and be completed by early summer, said PRT Chief Executive Officer Katharine Kelleman.
The second phase will feature six miles of new transit corridor, dedicated bus-only lanes, 18 new stations with amenities, two miles of protected bike lanes, and new trees and sidewalks, said Ms. Kelleman. The project is bringing in millions of federal dollars to improve transit, walking and biking, she said.
Construction is scheduled to start in the third week of January with small, temporary work zones for utility exploration, said Ms. Ott. Development will ramp up in early February with several longer-term work zones that will create fenced-in lane closures of three to four blocks, she said. Traffic will be directed to the unobstructed lanes, and pedestrian detours will go up where they are needed, she said.
The Uptown West Station inbound will be unique in that its dedicated bus lane will be separated from the road by a concrete median to mitigate drop-offs at PPG Paints Arena by personal vehicles, said Ms. Ott.
“If you’re dropping someone off at PPG Paints Arena, you’re going to need to turn around the street, turn around the block, go up Washington Place and drop off there, or go to Centre [Avenue] for drop-offs,” she said.
Bus route construction through Oakland will be staggered, said Ms. Ott. The route outbound from Downtown through Forbes Avenue will be installed first and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025, while construction inbound to Downtown along Fifth Avenue will follow, she said.
During this time, around 40 intersections will be modernized with ADA-compliant curbs, ramps and high-visibility crosswalks, accessible pedestrian signals, and expanded sidewalks in some areas, among other improvements, said Department of Mobility and Infrastructure Senior Project Manager Steve Auterman.
The University Line first entered its planning phase around 2013 and advanced to its final design in 2019. Future potential phases of the project will branch out to Squirrel Hill and Highland Park and are about two-thirds designed, and there is another partially funded stage spanning from Homestead to McKeesport, said Ms. Ott.
In addition to the new line, PRT has purchased 54 new clean diesel buses and 15 battery electric buses, said Ms. Ott. PRT is installing charging stations for the buses at the East Liberty garage and Wilkinsburg Station along the East Busway, she said.
First Published: January 14, 2025, 10:30 a.m.
Updated: January 15, 2025, 1:51 p.m.