Port authority of allegheny county (PAAC) doing business as pittsburgh regional transit (PRT) hereby submits this grant application requesting the federal funding for the downtown-uptown-oakland bus…

The Port Authority of Allegheny County, doing business as Pittsburgh Regional Transit, has received a $11,677,500 Federal Transit Formula Grant (CFDA 20.507) from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration. The grant will fund the Downtown-Uptown-Oakland Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, which will construct a 7.1-mile BRT line with 16 stations and dedicated transit lanes to improve access, reliability, and mobility in the high-demand corridor connecting downtown Pittsburgh to major employment centers in Uptown and Oakland. The project is expected to reduce congestion, improve transit travel times, and enhance east-west connectivity through the region's most congested areas, serving major universities, hospitals, and other key destinations. The grant award will specifically fund the costs associated with the bike lanes and downtown passenger improvements as part of the larger BRT initiative.

Activities

The downtown-uptown-oakland bus rapid transit (BRT) project is a 7.1-mile BRT line providing an east-west connection between downtown pittsburgh and the uptown and oakland neighborhoods. This grant funds costs associated with the bike lanes and downtown passenger improvements.

Expected outcomes

The project is expected to improve access to and within the downtown-uptown-oakland corridor with faster more reliable and easy-to-use transit service that improves regional neighborhood and job connectivity. Paac anticipates the project will reduce congestion improve transit travel times and provide enhanced east-west mobility through some of the most congested areas of downtown pittsburgh and oakland serving major employment centers dense surrounding residential populations and areas of significant development. Fast reliable transit investment in this corridor will support integrated transportation land use and economic development goals in a cost-effective manner that maximizes existing transportation capacity and provides affordable transportation options for riders requiring access to major hubs of commercial and retail jobs major universities several hospitals as well as other cultural venues and major sports arenas.

Intended beneficiaries

Intended beneficiaries of the project are the pittsburgh regional transit riders that are anticipated to have enhance transit reliability travel speed and ease of use of transit. The project is also intended to serve several major employment areas and key activity centers including downtown pittsburgh and oakland that are respectively the first and second greatest traffic generators and the two largest commercial employment generators in the pittsburgh region. The corridor serves major hubs of commercial and retail jobs major universities such as the university of pittsburgh carnegie mellon university and duquesne university several hospitals as well as other cultural venues and major sports arenas such as PPG paints arena.