About the Project

This project will develop a plan for extending PRT's MLK Jr. East Busway from its current endpoint at Swissvale Station eastward through Rankin, Braddock, and East Pittsburgh. In addition to studying potential busway alignments and station locations and/or on-street rapid bus type services, the project will identify opportunities for equitable and sustainable transit-oriented development (TOD) on PRT property and within a half-mile walk of the future busway. Project goals include expanding access to opportunity, supporting efforts to improve communities, creating safer transportation infrastructure, and growing transit ridership.

Update

October 2024: This planning effort has received grant funding to develop a plan for Extending the MLK Jr East Busway. The PRT planning team is awaiting its new general planning services contract to begin the project. It is currently anticipated to kickoff in 2025.

None at this time.

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.
  • Efficient: this project contributes to a transit system that uses limited public dollars to the greatest extent possible to provide the most effective service possible.
  • 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 planning phase of this project is funded by a 2022 award from the FTA Pilot Program for TOD Planning Program ($556,500) with additional funds from PRT's Capital Budget.

Partners will be determined closer to the starting date of the project, but are expected to include Allegheny County Department of Economic Development, Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, Turtle Creek Council of Governments, Swissvale Borough, Rankin Borough, Braddock Borough, and East Pittsburgh Borough.