About this Project

This project will study opportunities to establish a new transit corridor that would connect Pittsburgh’s Strip District, Hill District, Oakland, and Hazelwood neighborhoods. A later phase is expected to study extending this corridor across the Monongahela River to the Carrick and Overbrook neighborhoods. Connections between these communities are currently limited due to cliffs, valleys, and rivers, but the potential for physical, economic, and equitable mobility connections presents a compelling case for a dedicated transit corridor that would link communities in need with opportunity areas and other transit connections.

Update

August 2024: PRT gave notice to proceed (NTP) at the beginning of the month to the consultant team. The initial phase of the project focuses on background research in the potential corridor and create an equity framework for the project. The team does not anticipate public-facing efforts until 2025.

This project addresses the following values from PRT’s long-range transportation plan, NEXTransit, adopted in 2021.

  • Accessible: infrastructure is fully available in every way to those with specific needs, such as physical or mental disabilities, those traveling with infants or small children, and those traveling with groceries or other goods.
  • Affordable: this project makes it easier for those of all means, including the underemployed and unemployed populations, to utilize transit without needing to sacrifice other life sustaining activity, such as buying food, medicine or heating, to do so.
  • Equitable: the project not only ensures the fair provision of services to those with limited means or higher risk, but affirmatively acts to better the services offered to these groups in an effort to combat historical and environmental imbalances in the community.
  • Sustainable: the project enhances the health of communities and the natural environment through its design and operations with regard to energy use, water use, raw material use, land use, and waste production.

The feasibility study is funded by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Areas of Persistent Poverty Program with additional funds from PRT’s Capital Budget.

A full list of partners will be identified closer to the project start date but will include the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.