The Station Evaluation report presents the findings from a quantitative analysis of station and station area metrics. These metrics were workshopped and selected to best indicate what elements would lend themselves to a Station Area Plan, while understanding that many qualitative indicators also play a role after the analysis. The evaluation is updated every five years to incorporate new data and respond to changing conditions.

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PRT's Station Evaluation Report has been updated and is ready for use.

Overview

This assessment is an update to the 2018 Fixed Guideway Station Evaluation, which identified stations for improvement on the Blue, Red, and Silver Light Rail Lines, Green Line (West Busway), and Purple Line (East Busway) for the Transit-Oriented Communities program. The 2024 assessment has changed many of the metrics, categories, and scenarios of analysis.

Every five years, the Station Evaluation will be updated, the Station Improvement Program (SIP) list of priority stations will be revisited, and Station Area Plans (SAP) will be proposed. SAPs are large scale efforts and require cooperation from the municipality and community to identify improvements. SAPs include three focuses: access to the station, TOD opportunity, and station design. As a result, identified improvements will extend beyond PRT property and cooperation is required to create shared vision and implementation. As this process evolves, PRT will continue to engage with local governments, community stakeholders, and partners to refine and implement improvements.

Objectives

The purpose of this evaluation is to identify stations for Station Area Plans, look comprehensively at the context in which the station sits, and to better propose transit resources and connections to the surrounding communities. This would move forward PRT’s goal of pursuing TOD to encourage ridership and livability around stations through affordable, mixed-use development.

Metrics

This station evaluation scores each station under 32 metrics that are averaged into six categories: Existing Conditions, People, Connectivity, Development, Equity, and Displacement. Five of these six categories (Existing Conditions, People, Connectivity, Development Opportunity, and Equity) are weighted differently under five scenarios: Baseline, Accessibility, Joint Development, Neighborhood Connection, and Equity. Each station receives a score under these five scenarios, and the top ten stations under each scenario are considered for further review. The fifth category, Displacement, comes into play during the station area planning process. PRT is committed to implementing TOD with attention to a community’s displacement vulnerability, and new development should benefit the existing community in a station walkshed.

Evaluation Results

Stations are scored under five scenarios: Baseline, Accessibility, Transit Oriented Development, Neighborhood Connection, and Equity. Additionally, each station received a displacement score that will help PRT identify station areas more vulnerable to displacement risks where PRT and/or project partners should conduct development plans that prioritize equity and affordability.

The top 10 stations with the highest baseline scores are:

  1. Penn Station (East Busway)
    Located on the eastside of Downtown Pittsburgh, Penn Station is an access point to Downtown. Penn Station has a high existing conditions score, as well as a high development score.
  2. Hamnett Station (East Busway)
    Located in the East End, Hamnett Station is located in Wilkinsburg, an area with high equity need. It is also a station with high connectivity, connecting nearby high-need communities to routes to Downtown Pittsburgh.
  3. Homewood Station (East Busway)
    Homewood Station scored the highest on equity, it is located in a region with a high equity need population. It is also a densely populated area.
  4. Swissvale Station (East Busway)
    Located just outside the East End of the city, Swissvale Station is located in a region with high equity need. There is also a large parcel of PRT land which could be considered for TOD development.
  5. Bethel Village Station (Red, Blue Lines)
    Bethel Village Station scored highly in the existing condition category, and has a number of development opportunities and community amenities. At the time of this report, the station is undergoing a planning project to improve accessibility.
  6. Dorchester Station (Red, Blue Lines)
    Dorchester Station scored highly in the existing condition category; the station lacks station amenities such as seating, canopies, and bike racks. The station also has a relatively high equity score and a large senior population.
  7. Stevenson Station (Red Line)
    Stevenson Station scored highly in the existing condition category; the station lacks station amenities such as seating, canopies, and bike racks. The station is also located in the densely-populated and walkable Dormont Borough.
  8. Roslyn Station (East Busway)
    Roslyn Station scored high on equity need, and scored relatively highly in the other categories.
  9. Boggs Station (Blue, Silver Lines)
    Boggs Station serves Beltzhoover, a neighborhood with very high equity need. It also has relatively poor existing conditions.
  10. Poplar Station (Red Line)
    Poplar Station is in Mount Lebanon, and has very poor existing conditions; the station lacks any amenities and is one of the older stations in the system.

The top 10 stations with the highest accessibility scores are:

  1. Penn Station (East Busway)
    Penn Station scored highly on existing conditions, with a high score on the number of ramp deployments. It is also well connected to Downtown, which provides access to many needed resources.
  2. Dorchester Station (Red, Blue Lines)
    Dorchester Station is an older station that requires amenity upgrades such as seating, canopies, and bike racks. The station also has a relatively high equity score and a large senior population.
  3. Casswell Station (Red, Blue Lines)
    Casswell Station is an older station that requires amenity upgrades such as seating, canopies, and bike racks. It has a very walkable context with not too much topography but is in need of better pedestrian connections.
  4. Bethel Village Station (Red, Blue Lines)
    Bethel Village Station scored highly on existing conditions. It’s among the oldest stations, in need of amenity installations such as seating, canopies, and bike racks. At the time of this report, the station is undergoing a planning project to improve accessibility.
  5. Hillcrest Station (Silver Line)
    Hillcrest Station scored highly on existing conditions. It lacks amenities such as seating, canopies, and bike racks. The station area also lacks greenspace and landscaping, which can lend to a less pleasant station experience.
  6. Stevenson Station (Red Line)
    Stevenson Station is an older station that requires amenity upgrades such as seating, canopies, and bike racks. The station is also located in the densely-populated and walkable Dormont Borough.
  7. Hamnett Station (East Busway)
    While Hamnett Station scores fairly well for existing conditions, it has a very high connectivity score. It is a very walkable area with access to numerous bus lines.
  8. Poplar Station (Red Line)
    Poplar Station is among the oldest stations, in need of amenity installations such as seating, canopies, and bike racks. It has a very walkable context with not too much topography but is in need of better pedestrian connections.
  9. Smith Road Station (Red, Blue, Silver Lines)
    Smith Road Station is one of the oldest stations in the evaluation. It requires amenity upgrades such as seating, canopies, and bike racks.
  10. South Park Road Station (Silver Line)
    South Park Road Station scored highly on existing conditions. It has a very walkable context with not too much topography but is in need of better pedestrian connections.


The top 10 stations with the highest Joint Development scores are:

  1. Penn Station (East Busway)
    Penn Station scored highly under the people category. Under the development opportunity category, it has a high metric score for underutilized land and scored highly for pro-TOD Zoning.
  2. Castle Shannon Station (Red Line)
    Castle Shannon Station scored highest on development opportunities, with a large amount of PRT property. The area also has pro-TOD zoning.
  3. Hamnett Station (East Busway)
    Hamnett Station scored highly in the people category, with a dense residential population and opportunities to grow ridership. Under the development opportunity category, it has a high TOD zoning score.
  4. Overbrook Junction (Red Line)
    Overbrook Junction station scored highly under the development opportunities category, with a decent amount of PRT property and agreeable zoning for TOD development.
  5. Potomac Station (Red Line)
    Potomac Station scored highly under the people category, with a large population within the walkshed. The zoning in the area is also agreeable for TOD development.
  6. Swissvale Station (East Busway)
    Swissvale Station scored highly under development opportunities category, it has a large amount of PRT property and agreeable zoning for TOD development.
  7. Washington Junction (Red, Blue, Silver Lines)
    Washington Junction station scored highly under the development opportunities category, it has a large amount of PRT property and a large amount of underutilized land.
  8. Mount Lebanon Station (Red Line)
    Mount Lebanon Station scored highly in the people category, with a decently sized population and a large number of car users which could lead to increased ridership.
  9. Sheraden Station (West Busway)
    Sheraden Station scored high in the development category, it has a large amount of PRT property and agreeable zoning for TOD development.
  10. Crafton Station (West Busway)
    Crafton Station scored high in the development category, with the highest amount of underutilized land around the station and relatively agreeable zoning for TOD development.

The top 10 stations with the highest Neighborhood Connection scores are:

  1. Hamnett Station (East Busway)
    Hamnett Station scored high on connectivity, with strong pedestrian connections and high population density.
  2. Penn Station (East Busway)
    Penn Station scored highly under the connectivity category, with a large number of individuals that travel into the walkshed for work. It also has a high metric score for the number of bus routes within the walkshed.
  3. Homewood Station (East Busway)
    Homewood Station scored highly under the connectivity category, with a large potential for increased ridership and agreeable topography for development and alternative modes of transportation.
  4. Roslyn Station (East Busway)
    Roslyn Station scored highly under the connectivity category, with a strong score for intersection density and agreeable topography for development and alternative modes of transportation.
  5. Swissvale Station (East Busway)
    Swissvale Station scored highly under the connectivity category, with a high intersection density and agreeable topography. While it does not have the highest population or much job density, there is potential for increased ridership.
  6. Potomac Station (Red Line)
    Potomac Station scored highly under the people category, with a high population score and high potential for increased ridership and agreeable topography for development and alternative modes of transportation.
  7. Dorchester Station (Red, Blue Lines)
    Dorchester Station scored highly under the people category, with a high potential for increased ridership and agreeable topography for development and alternative modes of transportation.
  8. Washington Junction (Red, Blue, Silver Lines)
    Washington Junction scored highly under the people category, with a high potential for increased ridership and agreeable topography for development and alternative modes of transportation.
  9. Palm Garden Station (Red)
    Palm Garden Station scored highly under the connectivity category, with a potential for increased ridership and access to south Beltzhoover if better connections are provided.
  10. Mount Lebanon Station (Red Line)
    Mount Lebanon Station scored high under the people category with a high potential for increased ridership and agreeable topography for development.

The top 10 stations with the highest Equity scores are:

  1. Homewood Station (East Busway)
    The Homewood Station serves both the neighborhoods of Point Breeze North and Homewood. Homewood has some of the highest equity need in the county, with low levels of income, large minority populations, and low car ownership.
  2. Boggs Station (Red, Blue, Silver Lines)
    Boggs Station serves the neighborhood of Beltzhoover, which has a large minority population, and is both decently rent burdened and lower income.
  3. Swissvale Station (East Busway)
    Swissvale Station is the terminus of the East Busway and serves a large minority population, which is also lower income. There is a decent population of female lead households as well.
  4. Hamnett Station (East Busway)
    Hamnett Station serves the neighborhoods of Wilkinsburg and Edgewood and while Edgewood does not have high equity need, Wilkinsburg does. Wilkinsburg has a large minority population and low car ownership. In addition, there are high levels of rent burden and low income.
  5. Sheraden Station (West Busway)
    Sheraden Station, the first stop on the West Busway outside of Downtown, serves both Sheraden and parts of Crafton. The station area has a large minority population, and a high number of households led by women.
  6. Bon Air Station (Blue, Silver Lines)
    While the Bon Air Station area does not score as highly as other stations in the equity index, other factors such as existing conditions and connectivity move Bon Air Station up on this list.
  7. Roslyn Station (East Busway)
    Roslyn Station serves parts of Swissvale, and the station area has a large minority population and a high level of poverty. The station area also has a large rent burdened population.
  8. Palm Garden Station (Red)
    While the station walkshed overlaps with South Hills Junction, it scored highly under the equity scenario largely due to existing conditions and connectivity.
  9. Mesta Station (Silver Line)
    Mesta Station is in Bethel Park, and has some average levels of equity need, including an above average amount of rent burdened households, as well as an above average population of people with a disability.
  10. Dorchester Station (Red, Blue Lines)
    Dorchester Station is in Bethel Park, and has some average levels of equity need, including a sizeable population over the age of 65, and a not insignificant population which is rent burdened with low wages.

Top 10 Stations in the Baseline Scenario

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