PA-2023-002

Application Purpose: 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 Rapid Transit Project. This application is seeking $149,999,999 of FTA Section 5309 CIG Small Starts discretionary funding. (Allocation IDs: D2019-SMST-011, D2020-SMST-006, D2021-SMST-006, D2021-SMST-007, D2022-SMST-001, D2022-SMST-002, D2022-SMST-003, D2022-SMST-004, D2022-SSAD-001).

Activities Performed: 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. The project includes construction of 16 stations with shelters, ticket vending machines, security systems, and passenger amenities. The project also includes dedicated transit lanes along the entire length, branding of 65 existing buses, traffic signal priority, a shared bike/pedestrian path in the Uptown and Oakland areas, and ADA and pedestrian improvements at stations and intersections.

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 enhanced 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.

Subrecipient Activities: N/A

Port Authority Of Allegheny County

20.500 - Federal Transit Capital Investment Grants

FTA Region 3 [DOT - FTA]

FTA Office of Budget and Policy [DOT - FTA]

Pennsylvania United States

State-Wide

None

Infrastructure $10,381,390 (7%) percent this Project Grant was funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Act.
Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have decreased 37% from $410,085,400 to $260,085,401.