Public Engagement Summary

Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) hosted two rounds of public engagement as part of the development of the Homestead to McKeesport Transit Access Improvements project. Activities within each series included meetings with different stakeholder groups, including the Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG), Allegheny County Transit Council (ACTC), Committee for Accessible Transportation (CAT), Elected Officials, Project Partners (Allegheny County, City of Pittsburgh, PennDOT, and SPC), as well as the public, through a series of in-person and online meetings, workshops, community pop-ups, and the project website.

In addition to the municipal and stakeholder engagement during the corridor planning process, PRT has conducted two rounds of public engagement (fall/winter 2021 andsummer 2023). The project will host a final public presentation in Winter/Spring 2024.

ROUND ONE

The purpose of the first round of engagement was to educate stakeholders and the public on corridor planning, the Homestead to McKeesport project goals, objectives, and boundaries while asking for input from the public on the corridor experience and desired improvements.

Engagement efforts included:

  • An online engagement platform via Social Pinpoint, hosted on PRT’s Homestead to McKeesport Engage page for the public to provide general comments and respond to a series of prompted visioning questions about the SR 837 corridor.
  • A virtual public meeting on December 7, 2021, to introduce and promote the project to the public, share initial strategies, present the first approach to the intersection improvement concepts, and ask for feedback. A recorded link from one of the virtual public meetings is available below.

    • During the virtual presentation PRT shared the corridor analysis and high-level treatments, introduced the Social Pinpoint page where the public could input their comments on the proposed upgrades, and took people through a detailed walk through of the corridor.

    Virtual Public Meeting - December 7, 2021

    ROUND TWO

    The second round, in the Summer of 2023, took place after the project was relaunched post the Covid-19 pandemic. The purpose of the second round of engagement was to educate residents and stakeholders about the H2M project goals, objectives, and timeline. It was also an opportunity for the project team to gather public input about the existing conditions analysis and share 5% design concepts. In the last public engagement phase, PRT returned to the public to gather more input on specific solutions and segments of the corridor and provide an opportunity for the public to ask questions.

    Engagement efforts included:

  • An online public meeting on August 2, 2023, and an in-person open house meeting on August 3, 2023, at the Mon Valley Initiative space in Homestead.
  • PRT hosted table-based pop-ups across the corridor following the virtual and public meetings. These pop-ups involved bringing the project boards to the Duquesne community days event, the McKeesport Transportation Center, Harry S. Truman Tower (Duquesne), and multiple locations along Eighth Avenue in Homestead and Munhall.


    • During the online and in-person public meetings, the project team received approximately 50 questions and/or comments on the presented intersection concepts, with 24 people in attendance at this series of public meetings. Comments were received in the following categories:

    General:

    Related to overall bus service in the area and a suggestion to present outreach materials during community meetings and events where there would be more foot traffic.

    Amenities:

    Several people mentioned the need for Connect Card machines along the corridor and real-time schedule updates.

    Corridor Segments/Intersection Solutions:

    • Homestead to Munhall: People mentioned that the Ann St stop was more used that the McClure one, the need to improve crossing times and signals at the Grays Bridge and 8th Ave intersection, and commended the landscaping approach at the proposed Library Place intersection.
    • Kennywood and Duquesne: Several comments focused on adding Connect Card machines at the bus stops in this area.
    • McKeesport: People appreciated the changes proposed at the 5th Ave ramp, agreed that Lysle Boulevard could use traffic calming to make it a more pedestrian friendly corridor, and asked for improved amenities at the bus stops due to the high ridership in this area.

    Virtual Public Meeting - August 2, 2023