ALLEGHENY PLACES

THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Transportation Element Update

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April 2014

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

CHAPTER 4

TRANSPORTATION PLAN

■ OVERVIEW OF THE TRANSPORTATION PLAN

According to Bridges and Tunnels of Allegheny County (www.pghbridges.com), geology has exerted a strong influence on the development of transportation in Allegheny County. The County is located on the Allegheny Plateau. Our three rivers, together with their many tributaries, formed bluffs and steep slopes as they cut their way through layers of rock for millions of years. Long ago, Native Americans traveled on trails through the area, often following the tops of the ridges to avoid river and stream crossings.

Today, Pittsburgh and its suburbs are known for steep hillsides and streets requiring steps for sidewalks. Other metropolitan locations may have similar topography, but generally they are not as heavily urbanized as Allegheny County. Not surprisingly, our topographic features require that we have thousands of bridges and numerous tunnels. It is virtually impossible to travel any notable distance without crossing a bridge or passing through a tunnel here. Pittsburgh is known as the “City of Bridges” for the number and variety of structures spanning our watercourses.

Transportation has been instrumental to Allegheny County’s development and remains vital to its economic health. The County’s transportation system is comprised of six basic modes that combine to create the network of infrastructure which moves people, goods and services. Particular emphasis is given through the planning process to modal choice and fuel alternatives. The transportation network is depicted on Map 4I.1.

The Allegheny Places Transportation Element is organized into sections featuring these transportation modes:

■ ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES

■ PUBLIC TRANSIT

■ BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN

■ AIRPORTS

■ RAIL FREIGHT

■ WATERWAYS

For each mode covered in the Plan, you will find Today’s Conditions, Issues and Analysis, and Recommendations.

RELATIONSHIP TO THE FUTURE LAND USE PLAN

The purpose of the Transportation Plan is to maximize utilization of the existing transportation network, target new investment in the system for maximum return and provide all people equal access to growth opportunities, especially those associated with ‘Places’ designated on the Future Land Use Plan (see Map 4A.1).

The Future Land Use Plan focuses development in designated ‘Places’. Most ‘Places’ are along existing transportation corridors and all are highly accessible to each other, as well as to the region. One of the key benefits of concentrating development, investment and activities in ‘Places’ is that transportation alternatives can be developed that provide choices and options for movement between ‘Places’. This mobility will ensure a high level of access to jobs, shopping, schools, and other destinations. We have made choices resulting in the ability to concentrate investments for maximum effectiveness. Visible, usable, quantifiable and dramatic results can occur in a much quicker time frame by targeting funds to ‘Places’.

The County’s economic development policies for attracting new business as well as retaining existing businesses are dependent on efficiently moving people, goods and services. Therefore, it is critical that actions and recommendations promote a safe and dependable transportation infrastructure with maximized inter-connectivity for all modes. We want the best functioning system we can achieve, which requires careful, thoughtful planning and investment.

Provide all people equal access to growth opportunities, especially in defined Plan ‘Places’.

TRANSPORTATION PLANNING FOR THE REGION

The Region

Allegheny County’s transportation system is part of the regional transportation network. Efficiently managing this network requires regional cooperation and coordination

Future Land Use Map Description

(More information can be found in the Land Use Element of Allegheny Places)

Infill Areas: Provide opportunities for new development and redevelopment on vacant, abandoned or under-utilized properties.

Conservation Areas: Sensitive environmental features, scenic landscapes and cultural resources that are only meant for very limited or no development.

Places: Areas targeted for development.

1. Airport-Industry: Located in close proximity to Pittsburgh International Airport, and mainly include sites that have been targeted by the County and developers for office and light industrial development.

2. The Core: Located in downtown Pittsburgh and Oakland. Much new development in Core Places will be infill development, rehabilitation and reuse of existing buildings, and adaptive reuse of former industrial or warehouse sites and structures.

3. Corridors: Have good access to major transportation corridors and highway interchanges. They are relatively intense, mixed-use hubs of office, industrial, commercial and residential uses. Corridor Places can accommodate high-intensity land uses that require large amounts of land such as regional shopping centers, industrial parks, and business parks.

4. Urban Neighborhoods: Located within urban areas like the cities of Pittsburgh and McKeesport. They build on existing business districts and mixed-used areas in older, densely developed neighborhoods, and include more regionally-oriented services with a mix of housing types in a walkable setting.

5. Community Downtowns: Similar in character to Urban Neighborhoods, but are less densely developed. Most, but not all, Community Downtowns build on the existing business districts and downtowns in older communities.

6. Villages: Located in suburban communities throughout the County. Village Places are characterized by a mix of residences and small-scale, low-intensity businesses and services that primarily serve neighborhood needs. Non-residential development should neither generate, nor depend on, large volumes of vehicular traffic.

7. Rural Places: Located along the “edges” of the County in municipalities that are less developed. Rural Places are the least densely developed of all the types of Places. They will be primarily residential in nature, with a focus on single-family detached housing. Non-residential development will be limited mainly to recreation and essential supporting services.

8. Transit-Oriented Developments (TODs): A mix of relatively dense residential, office and retail uses at transit stations or transit stops, to maximize pedestrian access to transit. TOD is an overlay on selected Places that are located along the existing ‘T’ line and busways, and on proposed new transit lines. TOD Places will incorporate both infill development, and substantial new development on large parcels when available.

Future Land Use Plan

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Future Land Use Plan

LEGEND

Places

• Airport
• Core
• Corridor
• Urban Neighborhood
• Community Downtown
• Village
• Rural
• Transit Oriented Development

Transportation

• Proposed New Highways
• Existing Transit System
• Proposed-Transit

Networks

• Road Corridors
• Allegheny Land Trust GREENPRINT
• Proposed Greenways
• Conservation Areas
• Infill Development

Base Map

• Major Roadways

• Allegheny County Boundary

• Bordering Counties

• Hydrology

• Municipal Boundaries

• These alignments are conceptual, alternatives will be studied.

DATA SOURCES

Allegheny County Allegheny County Municipalities City of Pittsburgh Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Individual Land Trusts AirPhoto USA Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission National Hydrography Dataset

August 2013 Update This map is property of Allegheny County and should be used for reference purposes only.

This map was prepared for: Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County Executive Allegheny County Economic Development - Planning Division

Map 4A.1

Transportation System

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Transportation System

LEGEND

Transit System

• East Busway
• West Busway
• South Busway
• T Line

Railroad

• Active Rail
• Inactive Rail

Water

• Industrial River Port
• Locks & Dams Navigable Waterway
• Dams Only

Air

• Public Airport
• Private Airport

DATA SOURCES

Allegheny County City of Pittsburgh Port of Pittsburgh Commission Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission National Hydrography Dataset

August 2013 Update This map is property of Allegheny County and should be used for reference purposes only.

This map was prepared for: Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County Executive Allegheny County Economic Development - Planning Division

Map 4I.1

with all counties who are members of the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). The MPO is the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC). SPC is comprised of ten counties and the City of Pittsburgh. Regional coordination is critical to ensure that transportation systems are maintained, congestion is managed, and the safe and efficient movement of people and freight is attained. SPC's website contains extensive related information and can be accessed at: www. spcregion.org.

The Planning Partners

Transportation planning in Allegheny County is a cooperative effort between the County, PennDOT, the City of Pittsburgh and the Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAAC); all together they comprise the transportation Planning Partners. SPC is the regional organization where the 10-county MPO's Planning Partners come together to produce the official, funded Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and the Long Range Transportation and Development Plan (LRP). The most recent LRP is the 2040 LRP. The LRP is a strictly fiscally-constrained plan. The most recent LRP was developed through participation in SPC's "Project Region" (see www. spcregion.org for more information). The resulting document is named "2040 Transportation and Development Plan for Southwestern Pennsylvania". Chapter 6 of the 2040 Plan contains the most recent listings of programmed transportation projects the Planning Partners expect to construct through 2040 (see Supporting Documents). "Project Region" and the resulting plan integrated transportation planning and economic development into a coordinated vision, with associated actions. Included is the identification of needs and resources, development of a range of potential alternatives, and recommendations for implementing specific solutions on a regional level. The regional plan is consistent with County Plans. Major proposed transportation projects are shown on Map 4I.2.

Public Involvement

Public involvement is critical to transportation planning. SPC utilizes public participation panels (PPPs) appointed by each County. Together, they elicit the input and active involvement of individual stakeholders, groups and entire communities from the earliest planning stages of transportation projects and processes through completion.

Councils of Government

There are eight Councils of Government (COGs) in Allegheny County. The COGs are voluntary coalitions of municipalities organized by geographic area. Most of our 130 municipalities belong to a COG. The COGs act to:

• Discuss and bring into focus regional challenges and opportunities
• Collect and maintain data of a regional interest
• Facilitate improved communication, coordination and intergovernmental cooperation between all levels of government
• Facilitate cooperative agreements
• Seek technical assistance
• Coordinate Federal, State and Local programs of regional importance

The COGs hold regular meetings to discuss issues, including transportation needs.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission

The existing, and planned, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission roadway system also plays a vital role in both our transportation system and future land use in Allegheny County. A priority PA Turnpike issue in the future will be obtaining funds for the completion of the Mon/Fayette Expressway and Southern Beltway Projects in Allegheny and Washington Counties. Programming for the Turnpike Commission's projects requires coordination through the SPC's Transportation Improvement Program and Long Range Plan. Funds to program new construction for the Turnpike are expected to come from non-traditional sources including partnerships and other creative finance methods.

Transportation Projects Map Key

Transportation Projects

Map Key (Continued)

Proposed Transportation Projects

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Proposed Transportation Projects

LEGEND

Transportation Projects

• Proposed Hwy Improvements
• Proposed New Highways
• West-Busway-Extension
• OaklandToDowntown_DowntownToAirport
• Oakland Circulator
• Allegheny-Valley-Transit
• ◆ Bridges
• ◆ Intermodal Facilities
• ◆ Key Interchanges / Intersections
• ◆ Intermodal Freight

Base Map

• Allegheny County Boundary
• Municipal Boundaries
• Bordering Counties
• ● Locks and Dams
• 🟡 Dams
• ~ Hydrology
• ✈ Airports
• — Existing Transit System
• ★ Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines
• — Major Roadways
• • These alignments are conceptual, alternatives will be studied.

DATA SOURCES

Allegheny County URS Corporation Bureau of Transportation Statistics Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission National Hydrography Dataset

August 2013 Update This map is property of Allegheny County and should be used for reference purposes only.

This map was prepared for: Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County Executive Allegheny County Economic Development – Planning Division Map 4l.2

ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES

■ TODAY’S CONDITIONS

FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION

Highways are classified according to their function and the type of service they provide. The functional classification system serves as both a guideline for planning as well as means for determining funding for maintenance and upgrades. Table 41.1 details the functional class breakdown and the definition of each class.

Table 41.2 provides the total linear lane miles for each functional class within Allegheny County and Map 41.3 shows the Allegheny County highway network by functional classification.

VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED

Figure 41.1 shows that in recent years, average vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the County decreased. As development patterns spread out, people drive more frequently and drive longer distances to reach destinations. While the general trend for VMT is increasing, fluctuations do occur and are a response to shifts in the economy, such as the Great Recession. The number of trips also increases due to changes in household patterns and locations of activities.

Source: AASHTO Green Book

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Photo credit: McCormick Taylor

Source: PennDOT Bureau of Planning and Research, 2009 Highway Statistics

Roads by Functional Classification

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Roads by Functional Classification

LEGEND

Roads by Functional Classification

• Interstates
• Principal Arterial Roads (Freeways, Expressways)
• Principal Arterial Roads (Freeways, Expressways)
• Other Principal Arterial
• Minor Arterial
• Collector Roads
• Local Roads

Base Map

• Allegheny County Boundary
• Municipal Boundaries
• Bordering Counties
• Hydrology
• Major Roads
• Proposed Roads

DATA SOURCES

Allegheny County Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission National Hydrography Dataset

August 2013 Update This map is property of Allegheny County and should be used for reference purposes only.

This map was prepared for: Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County Executive Allegheny County Economic Development - Planning Division Map 4I.3

ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES

Figure 41.1 – Total Daily Miles Traveled in Allegheny County

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The chart illustrates fluctuations, but overall, from 2005 to 2009 there was a cumulative decrease of almost 500,000 total daily miles traveled in the County.

Source: PennDOT Bureau of Planning and Research, 2009 Highway Statistics

Annual vehicle miles traveled in Allegheny County are still expected to increase in the next few decades, unless changes in development patterns occur that result in people needing to travel fewer miles. Figure 41.1 shows that from 2005 through 2009 there was a cumulative decrease of total daily miles traveled. At the highest fluctuation there was a decrease of just under 2% of daily miles traveled, and there has been an overall decrease of 500,000 daily miles traveled during the entire period.

CONGESTION

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) manages the federally mandated Congestion Management Process (CMP) for the 10-county region that includes Allegheny County. Within the County, there are approximately 64 corridors that are included in the program. Table 41.3 lists the 19 congested corridors that were chosen to be analyzed for Allegheny Places with their corresponding average weekday traffic. Average Daily Traffic (ADT) for 2010 was used to determine the effects of the Allegheny Places land use scenarios, by comparing the base year traffic (2010) with projected traffic in 2025. Allegheny Places future plan year is 2025.

In February 2010, SPC’s Congestion Management Process ranked the Parkway West Corridor (I-376 between Downtown Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh International Airport) as experiencing the highest traffic delay in the region.

TRAFFIC SIGNALS

Allegheny County has over 1,600 signalized intersections. The City of Pittsburgh has 583 signalized intersections. A total of 106 municipalities in the County maintain signals. In Pennsylvania, traffic signals are generally maintained and operated by the municipality, whether the intersection is owned by the state, county or local municipality, and regardless of which entity maintains the roadways.

CRASH STATISTICS IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY

Of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, Allegheny County had the highest number of reported crashes as well as the second highest number of traffic-related deaths in 2010. The number of crashes declined slightly every year from 2005-2010 (with the exception of 2007), as well as the number of traffic deaths (with the exception of 2010), as shown in Table 41.4. Approximately 16% of these deaths were pedestrians. This information is tracked over time to determine which locations require additional safety measures.

ROADWAY OWNERSHIP

Of all the counties in Pennsylvania, Allegheny County has the highest number of roads owned by local municipalities. Local roads are maintained by approximately 130 public works departments, except in cases where municipalities have voluntarily joined together with their Council of Government (COG) to share the responsibility of road maintenance, among other services.

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ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES

Source: SPC Cycle 9 Model

Source: PennDOT 2010 Crash Facts and Statistics

ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES

Allegheny County owns more lane miles of road than all other counties in the Commonwealth combined.

Allegheny County is responsible for maintaining 800 lane miles of road. The ownership pattern of those lane miles is fragmented and lacks continuity. Figure 41.2 illustrates road ownership in the County.

BRIDGE OWNERSHIP

Figure 41.2 – Road Ownership in Allegheny County by Lane Mile

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Source: PennDOT Bureau of Planning and Research, 2009 Highway Statistics

Within Allegheny County boundaries, there are 1,448 bridges which are 20 feet or greater in length, of which PennDOT owns 838, the County owns 176, the City of Pittsburgh owns 83, the City of Clairton owns 2, the City of McKeesport owns 4, municipalities own 99, and 246 are owned by other entities such as PA Turnpike, railroads, etc). Allegheny County also owns and maintains another 325 bridges which are less than 20 feet in length for a total of 501 bridges owned by the County. Also, the County owns trail bridges but they are maintained by the official trail groups, which includes inspection to determine maintenance issues. The County always performs major and minor bridge rehabilitations, bridge replacements, inspections, repair contracts and emergency repairs.

The following major bridges are owned by Allegheny County:

• Mansfield Bridge

• Homestead Grays Bridge

• Rankin Bridge

• Glenwood Bridge*

• Rachel Carson Bridge

• Andy Warhol Bridge

• Roberto Clemente Bridge

• Sixteenth Street Bridge

• South Tenth Street Bridge

• Coraopolis Bridge

• Chartiers Creek Bridge

• Turtle Creek Bridge

• Levi Bird Duff Bridge

• Fleming Park Bridge

• Homeville Road Viaduct

• Jacks Run Bridge

• Dooker's Hollow Bridge

• Youghiogheny Bridge

• The Glenwood Bridge is jointly-owned. The structure, deck and sidewalks are each owned by different entities. The County owns the superstructure, the city owns the sidewalks and PennDOT owns the pavement.

BRIDGE CONDITION

The condition of bridges is determined by inspections and summarized in a Sufficiency Rating. A Sufficiency Rating is a rating from 0 to 100, where 0 is entirely insufficient or deficient and 100 is entirely sufficient. The calculated rating indicates the bridge's sufficiency or capability based on the following factors:

• The structure's adequacy and safety (accounts for 55% and based on inspection data)
• The structure's serviceability and functional obsolescence (accounts for 30% and based on ability of bridge to meet current traffic conditions)
• How essential the bridge is for public use (accounts for 15%)

The Sufficiency Rating is considered by the federal government when a state or county requests federal bridge

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ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES

dollars to improve the condition of the bridge. Bridges with low sufficiency ratings are eligible for more funds:

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Photo credit: Kevin Smay

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Figure 41.3 – Sufficiency Rating of All Bridges in Allegheny County over 20 feet in Length

Source: PennDOT Bridge Data, June 2011

As of June 2011, of the 1,179 State-owned bridges in Allegheny County on state routes, 172 or 15% have a sufficiency rating that qualifies them for funding for replacement. Thirteen of these bridges have sufficiency ratings less than 10, which places them in serious need of repair.

As all bridges in the County get older, more will fall into the category of being in disrepair or as having substandard conditions. This will increasingly require substantial funding be targeted toward their upgrade, maintenance and replacement. Regular maintenance activities may extend the life of a bridge. But, with heavy dependency upon bridges to maintain connectivity countywide, bridges will get precedence over roads for funding as they deteriorate. The bridge projects do compete with other types projects on the TIP. Therefore, the poor condition of bridges in Allegheny County will negatively impact the amount of funds available for highway, road and other transportation projects for the foreseeable future.

Figure 41.3 indicates that in 2011, 1% or 13 of the bridges in Allegheny County over 20 feet in length have a sufficiency rating of 10 or below. Those 13 bridges are listed in Table 41.5 along with other Allegheny County bridges with sufficiency ratings under 10. In addition, there are another 177 bridges that are eligible for replacement and 458 that are eligible to rehabilitate or refurbish. In total there are 648, or almost 55% of this category of bridges located in the county, eligible for some type of repair. This is an incredible number of bridges that will need work over the next decade. These numbers do not account for the numerous bridges providing critical connectivity which are under 20 feet in length.

Over the past several years, funding for bridge rehabilitation and repair became insufficient because funding levels under Act 44, the most recent state transportation law, were not achieved. In late 2013, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed Act 89 which is expected to improve the transportation funding outlook for several years. Acknowledging the dire condition of bridges in the state, Act

ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES

89 created a “bridge bundling” program. The aim of the program is to bundle state and/or locally owned bridges for the purpose of cost-efficient design and construction. Where local bridges are selected to participate, the local governments’ match will be reduced by up to 100 percent.

In Allegheny County, 648 – or almost 55% of all bridges over 20 feet in length – are eligible for some type of repair.

CURRENT FUNDING AND PROJECT PROGRAMMING

Almost all major transportation projects, whether maintenance or new capacity projects, involve the use of Federal funds. Federal regulations require the SPC, as the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Pittsburgh Transportation Management Area, to develop

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ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES

TABLE 4I.5 cont'd – Bridges in Allegheny County with a Sufficiency Rating < 10 as of June 2011

and maintain a TIP and a Transportation Long Range Plan (LRP). The TIP identifies the region's highest priority transportation projects, develops a multi-year program of implementation, and identifies available federal and non-federal funding for the identified projects. The TIP covers a four-year period of investment and is updated every two years through a cooperative effort of local, county, state and federal agencies, including participation by the general public. The LRP is similar in nature and covers a 20-year time frame. Transportation projects with any amount of federal funding must be included in both the fiscally-constrained SPC TIP and LRP.

Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Lawrence, Indiana, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties, and the City of Pittsburgh, are the ten counties and the city that comprise our region. Together they comprise the membership and geographic coverage of SPC, our MPO. Major transportation projects being pursued in Allegheny County must be part of official SPC transportation plans and programs to receive federal funding.

SPC's current TIP (Years 2013-2016) contains the following funding plan for highway and bridge projects in Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh. Highways and bridges receive funding from the "Title 1" Federal category, and bridges also receive state bridge bill funds.

SPC TIP Year 2013-2016 highway funding levels, including TIP funds for City, County and PennDOT projects in Allegheny County, total $141,838,295 average annual funding per year, and $567,353,180 total for this four-year TIP period. The significance of SPC funding levels is twofold. First, the SPC program is under limitations of fiscal constraint. Regional funding levels are a budgeted portion of the Commonwealth's overall transportation program. Therefore, the amount of federal and matching state funding is capped. Second, the amount of funding for Allegheny County including the City of Pittsburgh is also a function of the transportation needs of all the counties comprising the SPC Region. Within SPC's region, there are three PennDOT districts. Allegheny County is located in District 11-0 with Beaver and Lawrence Counties. PennDOT has established a set of criteria to ensure equitable distribution of anticipated Title I (or highway and bridge) funding. Criteria considered are data such as roadway lane miles, vehicle travel data, bridge condition, air quality attainment status, percent of urban population and accidents at rail-highway crossings. However, once the block of funds are received by a PennDOT district, the funds may not be targeted to specific counties based on those formulas. There are many reasons for this discussed in other sections of the Transportation Element and supplemental materials.

ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES

For updated information, you can view the TIP on SPC's website at www.spcregion.org. The TIP is adjusted frequently; checking SPC's website will update information included in this plan on the date the plan went to print. Once on SPC's website, click on Transportation, then on the TIP, then select the appropriate Allegheny County and City of Pittsburgh TIP data.

FUTURE TRAFFIC VOLUMES

For this plan, future highway use was projected to year 2040 by a traffic modeling methodology established to work in conjunction with SPC's transportation model. SPC provided its current highway network files and associated Cycle 9 data to be used as a base from which traffic produced by the proposed land use scenarios could be projected.

Base year traffic volumes on key routes in Allegheny County were compared. These volumes are shown in Table 4I.6. The largest increase in traffic volumes are near the 31st Street bridge on PA 28. These volumes are expected to grow by 80%. Other corridors that grow significantly are US 19 Truck (at the Liberty Tunnel), the Liberty Bridge, and Parkway North (I-279). Additional evaluation measures were also developed such as total vehicle miles traveled and total delay times among others. Further documentation on the methodology, as well as the complete set of results, can be found in the Supporting Documents.

In 2010 the full length of the Parkway West Corridor/I-376 is currently congested and backing-up during the AM and PM peak hours. By 2040 the Parkway West Corridor/I-376 is expected to be backed-up continuously for the entire day. It is obvious that we must plan to mitigate this projection.

The Parkway West (I-376), from Pittsburgh International Airport to Downtown Pittsburgh and on to Oakland, is the main spine highway of the County and the region. It is the lifeline for economic development opportunities, and it is the most heavily traveled highway in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES

TABLE 4I.6 – 2040 Traffic Projections for PenndOT Congested Corridors

Source: SPC Cycle 9 Model, URS

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ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES

■ ISSUES AND ANALYSIS

This section examines ways to improve mobility on the County’s roadways and bridges and to provide for effective maintenance.

KEY CHALLENGES

In developing the Transportation Plan, the Transportation Resource Panel helped to identify these key challenges:

• While the passage of new federal and state transportation funding bills in the past two years is certainly good news, there will be on-going funding concerns for transportation for years to come. The primary concerns will relate to changing funding priorities and the adequacy of funding sources to generate the projected levels of revenue to meet the most critical needs of the transportation system.

• Increasing congestion levels on corridors of concern such as I-376 (Parkways West and East), I-79 and Route 28 will limit opportunities and plans for economic development, and will result in more time spent in vehicles for freight operators and all citizens.

• Core areas such as Downtown Pittsburgh and Oakland have internal mobility problems that restrict movement and connectivity with other areas. Lack of a ‘Transit First’ (bus priority) traffic management policy negatively affects Downtown bus operations.

• Cost-effective congestion reduction strategies, such as traffic signal retiming projects, are underutilized. Other alternatives such as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and restructuring of downtown transit service to optimize transit circulation while reducing congestion may present viable options to congestion in Pittsburgh and Oakland.

• There is a lack of options such as bicycle and pedestrian facilities for intermodal and multimodal connectivity. These types of connectivity, through methods like Complete Streets, would create more options and modes for efficient travel.

• There is a lack of access management strategies on poorly functioning corridors. This situation can create unsafe conditions and high congestion levels.

• Disjointed or fragmented local municipal, County and State roadway ownership creates obstacles to effective road program strategies.

• There is a lack of attention to funding for ‘Complete Streets’, which have multi-modal functionality.

The following provides an understanding of these issues.

TRANSPORTATION FUNDING SHORTFALL

Despite new federal and state transportation laws, short- and long-term program stability is not assured.

The County and SPC are beginning to understand the ramifications of changes brought about by the two-year federal transportation bill passed in July 2012 and due to expire in September 2014. With the passage of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), the majority of federal transportation funding will go to roads and bridges in the National Highway Performance Program (NHPP) network, which consists of approximately 15 percent of nation’s total roadway network miles. Meanwhile funding for the lower level federal aid roads in the Surface Transportation Program (STP) network, approximately 85 percent of the total transportation network miles, will be reduced to 30 percent of the total federal funding. Also problematic is the elimination of the federal highway bridge program, meaning many bridges will now compete with roadway projects for funding. This problem will be especially severe for those lower level roads on the STP network, where funding has been so drastically cut.

The federal transportation law also contains new rulemaking (e.g., creation of new performance measures) that will not be complete before the law expires on September 30, 2014. It is expected that transportation programs will continue to be funded through continuing resolutions while Congress formulates a new transportation law. Reductions in authorized funding levels could be a part of future federal transportation laws.

Complicating the funding picture at the federal level is the projected insolvency of the highway trust fund (HTF) by the end of 2014. The HTF is funded primarily by the federal gasoline tax (18.4 cents per gallon since the fund’s creation in 1993). The HTF’s buying power has been eroded by inflation, improved automobile fuel economy, and fewer miles being traveled by the American public in recent years. In order to meet MAP-21 authorized funding levels, a $15 billion transfer from the General Fund or a significant

ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES

increase in the federal gas tax would be required for 2015. Even greater amounts would be needed in future years.

Until recently, the situation at the state level was also extremely challenging. In 2007, a state transportation funding law known as Act 44 was passed. Much of the state's transportation budget was predicated on transfers from the Pennsylvania Turnpike and the tolling of I-80. When the bid to toll I-80 was denied, state funding dropped sharply. In 2011, the Transportation Funding Advisory Commission (TFAC) was formed to develop and evaluate new and innovative ways to deliver transportation services in the state.

In November 2013, many of the TFAC recommendations were adopted in the passage of Act 89, the state's new transportation funding law. For roads and bridges, the largest source of revenue will be generated through the gradual elimination of the cap on the average wholesale price of gas and diesel subject to the Oil Company Franchise Tax. By year five of the law, this source of revenue is expected to generate approximately $1.3 billion in revenue. The law also includes a variety of new and/or increased fines and fees.

The enactment of Act 89 should put the state in a better position to weather changes in federal funding policy. However, there may be continuing difficulties if the new law does not generate funding at projected levels and if the new revenue does not address the needs of the non-NHPP system. Additional challenges in the years to come include the fairness and sufficiency of the state liquid fuels allocation to counties and municipalities and the statewide allocation of transportation funding to the Commonwealth's MPOs.

INCREASING CONGESTION LEVELS ON CORRIDORS OF CONCERN

Congestion results when traffic demand approaches or exceeds the available capacity of the roadway network. Demand for vehicular travel in Allegheny County continues to rise as development expands to outlying areas. Road capacity changes throughout the day based on weather, work zones, traffic incidents or other non-recurring events. Building new capacity has not kept pace with travel demand due to lack of funds. The need for new capacity must be carefully weighed with many other factors because as more capacity is created, more vehicles miles are traveled, until the roadway system is congested again. Additionally, we are at the point where we cannot afford to maintain the system we already have. This cycle will continue until policies are put in place to help reduce congestion. There is a delicate balance between gridlock and acceptable levels of congestion. This plan points to pathways that can result in mitigation for this situation. But, the path will be long, and the needed changes will require open minds with a new way of looking at and solving issues. The new path will not be a business-as-usual approach.

CORE AREAS HAVE INTERNAL MOBILITY PROBLEMS

Congestion is present throughout Allegheny County, and that can be especially true in the core areas of Downtown Pittsburgh and Oakland. These locations are the major economic generators of the region, and are key locations for corporations and businesses as well as institutions of higher education, cultural facilities and medical facilities. Naturally these areas also experience a great deal of freight traffic. They are accessible via major highways, but also have an internal grid system that is served well by transit. The sheer volume of automobiles, buses, trucks, bicycles, and pedestrians and other service vehicles can cause severe mobility issues within the core areas. The congestion restricts movements and connectivity with other areas. Conflicts arise between modes and that can also limit movements, cause delays and create unsafe situations for transportation system users. In addition, accessing available parking locations can be an issue.

COST-EFFECTIVE CONGESTION REDUCTION STRATEGIES ARE UNDERUTILIZED

Roadway congestion can be temporarily reduced by increasing capacity. Increased capacity on a permanent basis is usually a time-consuming and costly endeavor. There are a number of cost-effective congestion reduction strategies that are underutilized. Examples of these are signal retiming projects, access management strategies, traffic incident

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management and road/weather management. These strategies can all be cost-effective means to improve service on existing roadways.

LACK OF OPTIONS FOR INTERMODAL AND MULTI-MODAL CONNECTIVITY

Multi-modal and intermodal facilities are connection points where someone can access or link with another mode of travel. They can be facilities such as park-and-ride lots with transit service or parking lots with sidewalks and/or clearly marked bike routes or bike lanes. While Allegheny County’s buses are equipped with bicycle racks and vehicle miles traveled and hours of delay are increasing, multi-modal and intermodal connections can make a difference and provide a choice of mode to the user. Overall, our transportation system lacks sufficient amounts of important connections between modes. Getting people out of their cars and traveling via another mode can reduce or slow the growth of congestion and the amount of delay.

LACK OF ACCESS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Access Management is the proactive management of vehicular access points to land adjacent to all types of roadways. Good access management promotes safe and efficient use of the transportation network. US 19, 22 and 30 and SR 8, 28, 48, 50, 51, 60, 65 and 88 are highway corridors lacking good access management strategies. These tend to be strip development, are not designed for the high speeds of vehicles that travel these roads. Driveways and curb cuts are spaced very close together in some instances. This can cause safety issues due to poor sight distances and lack of turning lanes or controlled access points. In addition to these major roads coupled with strip development patterns, access management strategies could also benefit many local roads. Lack of good access management negates the investment made in highways and reduces their function.

Access Management encompasses a set of techniques that state and local governments can use to control access to highways, major arterials and other roadways. These techniques include Access Spacing, Driveway Spacing, Service Roads, Safe Turning Lanes, Median Treatments and Right-of-Way Management.

DISJOINTED ROADWAY OWNERSHIP

The pattern of roadway ownership throughout the County is very fragmented. PennDOT, the County and a local municipality can each own portions of the same roads as they wind throughout our County. Ownership is not necessarily based on functional class or volume of traffic. Allegheny County owns major roadways that have a higher classification and would typically be owned by the State. This situation results in the County maintaining roads that would be usually be paid for with State maintenance dollars. The County can wait in a long line and compete with State roads for those dollars, or spend County tax dollars to maintain roads. That type of spending makes our County taxes relatively higher than those of other counties and reduces the competitiveness of our County when attracting new population or business here. The current ownership pattern makes maintenance difficult and can result in uncoordinated and therefore more costly maintenance. The situation frequently increases the cost to perform basic functions such as snow removal and salting roadways during the winter months. County or State trucks must pass over roads they do not own to get to their area of responsibility. There are some cooperative agreements in place that result in entities trading snow removal duties with each other to rationalize the process, but sensible, rational road ownership patterns would be a big step toward making positive "good government" change (see Allegheny County Road and Bridge Evaluation Report in Supporting Documents).

Because Allegheny County owns more roads than all the other counties in the state combined, proportionately the County spends more County tax dollars on roads than other counties.

Of all the counties in Pennsylvania, Allegheny County has the highest number of roads owned by the County. But the largest percentage of all roads here are owned by local municipalities. These roads are maintained by approximately 130 public works departments, except in cases where municipalities have voluntarily joined together with their Councils of Government to share the responsibility of road maintenance, among other services. This large number of public works departments further complicates the coordination of maintenance activities within the County and naturally keeps costs high.

In some cases, some local municipalities cannot handle their responsibilities for the roads they own, due to limited budgets. There are also duplicative capital costs for municipalities in maintaining their roadways because

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equipment, and staff the departments. Discontinuous sections of roadway requiring county, municipal and PennDOT personnel attention leads to inefficiencies, compared to a situation where continuous ownership would be more efficient.

NEED FOR 'COMPLETE STREETS'

The term 'Complete Streets' refers to the concept of making streets comfortable, safe and convenient for travel by auto, foot, bicycle and transit. This policy ensures that the entire right-of-way is routinely designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. Many of the streets within Allegheny County do not provide for users other than motor vehicles and buses. With the lack of funds available for routine maintenance activities, adding additional amenities for bicyclists and pedestrians can be difficult to require local municipalities, cities, the county, and the Commonwealth to include in their operating and roadway design budgets.

The Downtown-Oakland-East End Corridor BRT study is considering application of Complete Streets principles along Fifth and Forbes Avenues. More information can be found at www.GetTherePgh.org.

■ RECOMMENDATIONS

GOAL OF THE PLAN

An excellent multi-modal transportation network – integrated with the Future Land Use Plan – that:

• Efficiently connects all people to jobs, schools and activities
• Supports mobility of existing communities
• Provides efficient access to proposed development
• Facilitates the movement of people, services and freight
• Is well maintained in a cost effective and rational manner, and
• Utilizes smart techniques and strategies to achieve goals while stretching available road and bridge funds.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PLAN

The objectives of the Roadways and Bridges portion of the Transportation Plan are to:

A. Support the Future Land Use Plan through strategic prioritization of transportation system maintenance and operations. Funds for new road capacity will be scarce, and those types of projects must be considered very judiciously within the framework of the guiding principles of the Plan.

B. Target transportation investments to support job and housing growth as shown on the Future Land Use map.

C. Use demand management strategies to reduce highway congestion. Encourage options of telecommuting, ridesharing, staggered work weeks, flex-time, intelligent transportation systems and many other related techniques.

D. Coordinate transportation systems, modes and facilities to increase connectivity and mobility for all, including car, truck, barge, pedestrian, transit, rail, air, roads and bridges, bicycle, etc.

E. Protect and enhance the environment by promoting energy conservation, emissions reduction and use of alternative fuels.

F. Review County road and bridge ownership in addition to operation and maintenance practices to identify ways to improve efficiencies.

G. Use efficient and creative funding strategies such as public/private partnerships, privatization, and leveraging current and future assets.

The following provides an understanding of the objectives.

A. Support the Future Land Use Plan through Strategic Prioritization of Transportation System Maintenance and Operations

The 'Places' designated in the Future Land Use Plan will be accessible via the traditional County system of circumferential belt roadways. Roadways will provide

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ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES

vital linkages between Places to facilitate commuting to jobs and schools, and for shopping, entertainment, and cultural and recreational trips. This will be accomplished by utilizing as many mode options as are practical.

To provide good mobility and connectivity from Place to Place and to further connect these Places to the region, we need to maintain our existing roadway system and provide intermodal and multi-modal connections where feasible. New capacity projects would be generally limited to transit and private development of access roadways to new development. Similarly, upgrades to the system of limited-access highways should be undertaken. In general, these roadway projects should:

• Identify and promote improvements on congested corridors that are consistent with Allegheny Places.
• Identify projects to improve the capacity of existing roadways consistent with Allegheny Places. Make sure complete streets are incorporated with accommodations for ADA, walkers, bicyclists, transit users, etc.
• Perform access management studies for corridors (see full list in next paragraph) designated in the Future Land Use Plan, and adopt access management ordinances.
• Develop modified grid street systems for best circulation in designated Places where they are feasible within topographic constraints; and once again, provide for complete streets.
• Ensure that Places can be accessed by existing roadway systems and other transportation modes.

In addition, a key recommendation of the Plan is the completion of access management plans and their implementation for U.S. Routes 19, 22 and 30, and PA Routes 8, 28, 48, 50, 51 60, 65 and 88. Access management measures will allow these arterial roadways to function effectively as thoroughfares and provide a high level of accessibility for Places, as well as for current and future development along each of the identified roadway corridors.

Places themselves need to have effective systems of roadways and complete streets to allow circulation within each Place (by various modes) and to connect to external systems of roads, transit and trails. The Future Land Use Plan shows a number of locations for new Places where a modified street grid would work, but most are existing centers, to be reinforced and revitalized. For existing centers, the challenge will be to optimize the existing roadway system so that a balance is achieved between the movement of motorized vehicles and the establishment of transit, pedestrian and bicycle-friendly streetscapes, which are key to retaining current residents and attracting new residents, employment and activity.

Most Places are to be closely-knit, mixed-use centers of residences, shopping, employment, community facilities and open space. For new Places, a hierarchy of roads should be planned to provide for the intended walkable and transit-supportive character for these locations. Arterial, collector, boulevard, commercial, residential and alley types of roadways should be in the mix, with appropriate functions, design speeds, rights-of-way and cross-sections. A grid or modified grid of streets with small blocks is widely recognized as the most supportive for pedestrian and bicycle mobility and creates the most flexible kind of network for cars, trucks and buses as well.

Master plans, design guidelines and development codes should be completed for new Places in particular, to ensure that roadways are constructed as ‘complete streets’, with sidewalks, crosswalks, landscaping, pedestrian-oriented lighting, provisions for transit stops and bicycle movement and, in most cases, on-street parking.

B. Target Transportation Investments to Support Job and Housing Growth

Transportation investments should be targeted to support the job and housing growth identified on the Future Land Use map. SPC has set up the following investment categories that can help guide where

ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES

transportation funding is spent, based on desired development patterns and need for improvements within the County.

Capital Maintenance

• Roadway Preservation or Reconstruction
• Bridge Preservation and Reconstruction/Replacement

Traffic Operations and Safety

• Efficiency/Operations – Projects that improve traffic flow, reduce congestion, and improve the operational characteristics of the existing transportation system.
• Travel Demand Management – Projects such as carpooling, vanpooling, emergency ride-home programs, telecommuting, commuter benefit strategies, parking incentives, park-n-ride lots, job access reverse commute programs, and other nontraditional types of projects that work to affect the demand side of transportation systems.
• Safety – While virtually every transportation project improves safety by bringing the transportation network up to current design standards, these are stand-alone projects to address specific safety issues.

Several major roadway improvement projects are recommended for Allegheny County, although the effects of these projects will be felt on a regional level. Table 41.7 shows the projects from the TIP and SPC’s 2040 Transportation and Development Plan which will assist in the advancement of the Future Land Use Plan in Allegheny County. The following projects from the 2030 Transportation and Development Plan have been completed. For more information on the 2030 Plan, please visit www.spcregion.org

• Parkway West Interstate 376 Designation Campbells Run Road Widening and Tunnel Upgrades I-79 / I-376 Interchange Ramps

• I-79 Complete Warrendale Interchange

• Parkway East SR 286

• Route 28 I-279 Connector Etna Interchange Fox Chapel Interchange Third Lane Widening north of Harmarville

• Route 51 West End Bridge Direct Connection

• Route 837 McKeesport / Duquesne Bridge Ramps

• Major Bridge Maintenance / Upgrades Hulton Bridge Rankin Bridge Mansfield Bridge 30 / Greensburg Pike Bridge Roberto Clemente / Andy Warhol / Rachel Carson Bridges 10th Street Bridge

There are also a number of projects from the 2030 Plan undertaken by the City of Pittsburgh that have been completed or programmed for completion that can be referenced at www.spcregion.org

The PA Turnpike Commission’s Mon Fayette Expressway, completed in July 2012, stretches 70 miles southward from Allegheny County through the Monongahela River Valley to Interstate 68 near Morgantown, West Virginia. The highway will improve access to economically depressed Mon River towns, and support brownfield reclamation and redevelopment efforts in these communities. Additional funding to complete the project sections in Allegheny County is being sought through innovative means by the PA Turnpike Commission. Privatization or public/private partnership arrangements are being explored. The funding source for PA Turnpike projects is separate from the sources for municipalities, the County and PennDOT, although Turnpike projects must appear on the TIP.

The Carrie Furnace site is comprised of over 90 buildable acres of eco-industrial/flex-office park that will complement the riverfront adjacent Homestead

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TABLE 41.7 – 2040 Long Range Transportation and Development Plan, Allegheny County Projects

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TABLE 4I.7 cont'd - 2040 Long Range Transportation and Development Plan, Allegheny County Projects

Note: The 2040 plan is now available on the SPC website, www.spcregion.org. There are updates to the region's long range plan (LRP) every two years. Allegheny Places will be a continually updated plan, and will incorporate changes at regular intervals, but those changes may appear on the SPC website earlier.

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Waterfront development. The Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County (RAAC) is encouraging the incorporation of the principles set forth by U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) including promoting the sustainability in how buildings are designed, built, and operated (including LEED certification for all future development on the site).

Access to the proposed site is to be provided via a full access signalized intersection which will connect the Carrie Furnace site to Kenmawr Avenue directly across from the southbound ramps to Rankin Bridge, creating a new four-legged intersection. A second site access may be pursued at a later date in conjunction with the additional development that is anticipated. This access, if pursued, will require refurbishment of the existing Hot Metal Bridge to provide vehicular access to SR 0837 via an access drive that will connect to Waterfront Drive, just north of the existing structure.

In addition to the existing sidewalk network and numerous transit routes that serve the project site, there are other multimodal components of the proposed site. The site access roadway will contain a 10’ bicycle lane / side path that will connect directly to the proposed site. Once on site, a trail will be constructed that will run along the river and connect to the Braddock and Rankin areas. There will also be a connection along the railroad track to Old Brown’s Hill Road.

In addition to constructing a new trail, the RAAC also anticipates incorporating “sharrows” on roadways towards the Rankin and Braddock areas. In future phases of development, this trail will possibly traverse the Hot Metal Bridge and connect to the Waterfront area and the Great Allegheny Passage Trail.

The proposed site also has the potential for freight / river port access. A main line for CSX travels along the northern boundary of the site. Allegheny County has been in preliminary negotiations with CSX for potential design incorporations of rail access onto the site. The site currently has 6 river cells available for future usage. The current Waterfront Permit allows for each cell to support between 3 to 6 barges a piece. The RAAC has currently engaged an existing barging company to occupy these structures and maintain them. Preliminary discussions have also been held with the Port Authority of Allegheny County to offer shuttle service from the Swissvale Station to the site.

C. Use Demand Management Strategies to Reduce Highway Congestion

Demand Management Strategies can result in a more efficient use of the County’s transportation system and resources. Table 41.8 lists several possible strategies to employ throughout the County to assist in reducing congestion as well as unsafe travel conditions.

D. Coordinate Transportation Systems, Modes and Facilities to Increase Connectivity and Mobility

A common roadway attribute for all the Future Land Use Plan places are signalized intersections. Upgrading signalized intersections, along with an ongoing retiming and coordination program, will yield the most cost-effective results of any other type of transportation improvement.

Numerous Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) studies have shown how a dedicated traffic signal coordination program can yield consistent benefits in terms of reduced travel time and increased fuel savings. On average, the retiming of one signalized intersection can result in an annual fuel savings of 4,000 gallons of fuel. At current fuel prices, this translates into a savings of $14,760 per year assuming $3.69 per gallon. This savings is likely to increase with rising fuel prices.

SPC has a full time staff person to assist municipalities with signal retiming projects. Effective use of this available resource is important and can be requested by contacting SPC (www.spcregion.org)

E. Protect and Enhance the Environment by Promoting Energy Conservation, Emissions Reduction and Use of Alternative Fuels

Clean air is an important part of a healthy environment. Unfortunately, many industrial and transportation activities that sustain our economy can also produce air pollutant emissions which degrade our air quality and threaten our environment. Safeguarding our air from such contamination is an important priority of PennDOT and Allegheny County.

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The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program is a funding mechanism that provides funds for congestion mitigation transportation projects that provide air quality benefits by reducing emissions. This program currently is valued at approximately $90 million for each TIP period. Criteria have been developed to determine eligible TIP projects (see Table 41.9 for CMAQ Eligible Project Categories). SPC performs Air Quality conformity analysis for projects on the TIP and in the LRP to assist in determining project eligibility. These projects include the following:

■ Diesel Engine Retrofit ■ Signal Upgrades ■ Traffic Flow Improvements ■ Travel Demand Management Strategies ■ Ride Sharing Programs ■ Pedestrian and Bicycle Programs

TABLE 41.8 – Demand Management Strategies

Source: Victoria Transport Institute

ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES

• Education and Outreach
• Transit and Public Transportation Programs
• Inspection and Maintenance Programs
• Extreme Cold Start Programs
• Alternative "Clean" Fuels
• Flex-Time and Telecommuting

The County can inform and educate the public on ways to protect the environment. Allegheny County can lead by example and, for instance, use alternative fuels in its vehicle fleet and continue to advance CMAQ projects in the process described above.

F. Review County Road and Bridge Ownership to Identify Ways to Improve Operation and Maintenance Efficiencies

The County owns and maintains over 810 linear lane miles of roadways. In addition, there are 130 municipalities that own and maintain roadways. This large number of public works departments complicates the coordination of maintenance activities in the county.

The ownership patterns are disjointed and should be reviewed to determine the best way to rationalize the system. One option for defining road ownership within the County is to use the Federal Functional Classification System as a guide. If this classification system is used, the State would maintain, at a minimum, all Interstate Highways, other Freeways and Expressways, other Principal Arterial Highways and Minor Arterials outside the boundaries of the City of Pittsburgh. In addition, it assumes the State will maintain all of the major highway/bridge river crossings within these functional classifications, whether inside or outside of the City of Pittsburgh limits. Under the current road ownership situation in Allegheny County, the State owns highways in all functional classifications including local roads.

Under this proposal, Allegheny County Public Works road ownership would consist of a combination of Urban Collectors or Rural Major Collectors, Rural Minor Collectors and Local Roads. These same roadway classifications could also be owned by the City of Pittsburgh or local municipalities.

In addition to the roadways mentioned above, the following bridges should also be owned by PennDOT, based on their functional classification and traffic volumes:

• Mansfield Bridge
• Homestead Grays Bridge
• Rankin Bridge
• Glenwood Bridge
• Rachel Carson Bridge
• Andy Warhol Bridge
• Roberto Clemente Bridge
• Sixteenth Street Bridge
• South Tenth Street Bridge
• Windgap Bridge

(See the full report, Allegheny County Road and Bridge Ownership Valuation Report in the Supporting Documents.)

G. Use Efficient and Creative Funding Strategies

Construction of new roadways for Places is likely to be completed by a number of different means. Roadways for new Places may be built by private developers in accordance with locally-adopted master plans, design guidelines and development codes, and then dedicated to a municipality. Some projects may be constructed or upgraded as part of public-private partnerships. For example, there are investment opportunities associated with the Downtown to Oakland Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has legislation in place to govern the use of Public/Private Partnerships (P3s) to fund public improvements.

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Source: Federal Highway Administration

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PUBLIC TRANSIT

TODAY'S CONDITIONS

Despite slow population growth and increasing suburbanization, mass transit remains a vital public service to residents and businesses in Allegheny County. We have a higher percentage of people (young people in particular) who commute to work in downtown by transit than most other places. According to the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, 54% of the workers commuting to Downtown Pittsburgh use public transit, a higher percentage than most other urban areas. In non-CBD travel, roughly 25-30% of travelers to Oakland use transit.

PORT AUTHORITY

The Port Authority of Allegheny County provides public transportation services throughout the County, plus minor portions of Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties – a 775 square-mile service area. In Fiscal Year 2012, the Port Authority provided 65,329,230 passenger trips (see Table 4I.10).

The following is a summary of Port Authority operations as of February 2012:

• Utilizing a fleet of about 700 buses, all equipped with bicycle racks, and 83 light rail vehicles, the Port Authority operates 98 local and express fixed bus routes and four light rail routes. Port Authority also owns and operates the Monongahela Incline and leases the Duquesne Incline to the nonprofit Society for Preservation of the Duquesne Heights Incline; Port Authority service is provided seven days a week with many routes operating between 6am and 1am.

• An extensive network of local buses serving nearly all City of Pittsburgh neighborhoods and most municipalities of Allegheny County. While service connects these communities to downtown Pittsburgh, a few routes also provide direct access to Oakland. Some routes provide feeder service with links to mainline routes to Pittsburgh. Other routes provide crosstown service, the most notable of which is 54 route linking the South Side, Oakland, Strip District and North Side without passing through downtown Pittsburgh.

• The Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway is a 9.1-mile bus rapid transit guideway linking downtown Pittsburgh and Oakland and the City of Pittsburgh’s East End

⬚ figure

Photo credit: Richard Layman

PUBLIC TRANSIT

neighborhoods as well as many of Allegheny County’s eastern suburbs. Most of its nine stations interface with local bus routes and many of the East Busway routes provide convenient transfers to Port Authority’s light rail transit (LRT) system in downtown Pittsburgh. At Penn Station, riders can transfer to other regional operators serving Pittsburgh as well as to Amtrak and Greyhound.

• The West Busway is a five-mile fixed-guideway facility for buses that connects communities in western Allegheny County with downtown Pittsburgh. The West Busway also links these areas to Pittsburgh International Airport via Route 28X. It has great potential for a large park and ride, intercept garage at Carnegie utilizing existing busway ramps to ease congestion on Parkway West.

• The South Busway is a 4.3-mile bus facility that connects downtown Pittsburgh and the South Hills, in cluding the South Side Trail; it interfaces with the South Hills and Library ‘T’ lines.

• The 26.2-mile South Hills LRT system, also known as the ‘T’, links downtown Pittsburgh with Station Square and southern communities in the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. The downtown portion of the system is a subway. In addition to several park-and-ride lots in the South Hills, it provides intermodal connectivity to the South Busway, South Side Trail south of downtown Pittsburgh and to East Busway and West Busway routes in downtown Pittsburgh. Intermodal connections to a parking garage and the Eliza Furnace Trail are possible at the First Avenue Station. The North Shore Connector opened for revenue service on March 25, 2012 and preliminary ridership data suggests a 30% increase in average weekly ridership.

• A 1.1-mile High Occupancy Vehicle facility through the Wabash Tunnel connects Route 51 (at Woodruff Street) and West Carson Street (at Station Square). It is intended as a reliever for Route 51 and Parkway West traffic to South Side and Downtown.

• The Monongahela Incline linking Station Square with Mount Washington provides connections to the LRT system and the South Busway. The Duquesne Incline, operated by the Society for the Preservation of the Duquesne Heights Incline and located about one mile to

the west of the Monongahela Incline, also serves Mt. Washington and connects to bus routes, some of which operate on the West Busway.

• ACCESS is a shared ride transportation service for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

• There are nearly 13,000 park-and-ride lot spaces at 52 locations available to Port Authority users. The locations of the park-and-ride facilities are shown on Map 41.4. The locations of the park-and-ride facilities are shown on Map 41.4.

RIDERSHIP TRENDS

Each weekday, transit provides approximately 230,000 passenger trips. While the share of workers that use public transportation to commute, as a percentage of all workers in the County, has decreased from 24% in 1960 to 9.9% in 2010 overall (based upon US Census journey to work estimates), the percentage of workers that commute to the County’s urban core is between 25% (Oakland) and 54% (Downtown) of all commuting trips. This high rate of transit commuting has been facilitated by major capital improvements such as the East Busway, the South Busway, the West Busway, and the rehabilitation of the South Hills light rail system as well as an extensive network of local buses linking most parts of Allegheny County with downtown Pittsburgh.

⬚ figure

Figure 41.4 shows that use of transit is highly dependent on what area is being traveled to. The Central Business District (CBD) captures 36.8% of the trips via transit, whereas in the County as a whole, only 8.9% of the trips are made via transit (based upon SPC’s 24-hour 2013 trip estimates).

Changes to service levels occurred in 2007 due to funding constraints. In June 2007, Port Authority implemented a 15% reduction in service. This was followed by another 15% reduction in service in March 2011. In July 2007, the state passed Act 44, which established additional future operational funding mechanisms for the state’s transit agencies, including the authority to establish a local dedicated tax assessed on rental cars and poured drinks. However, because the law did not generate the expected level of funding, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed legislation at the end of 2013 that provides new revenues for mass transit.

Park and Ride Lots

⬚ figure

Park and Ride Lots

LEGEND

Park and Ride Lots

• Park and Ride Lots

Base Map

• Allegheny County Boundary
• Municipal Boundaries
• Bordering Counties
• Hydrology
• Major Roadways
• Proposed Roads

DATA SOURCES

Allegheny County Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission Port Authority of Allegheny County National Hydrography Dataset

August 2013 Update This map is property of Allegheny County and should be used for reference purposes only.

This map was prepared for: Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County Executive Allegheny County Economic Development - Planning Division Map 4I.4

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⬚ figure

Source: SPC

Also contributing to the high rate of transit usage is the high number of transit dependent individuals in Allegheny County. According to the 2010 Census, there were 75,342 households (14.4%) in Allegheny County who did not have vehicles. In 2010, Allegheny County accounted for 10.6% of the households in the Commonwealth. This and the following data indicate that Allegheny County’s residents are more dependent on transit than the region as a whole, the state, the nation and most metro areas.

Here are some other percentages of 0-vehicle households:

In Allegheny County, there is a greater diversity of income groups using transit than in other similarly-sized metropolitan areas due to the reasons listed below.

• Port Authority’s LRT and busway systems provide service which is time competitive with automobile travel
• The relatively high cost of parking in Downtown and Oakland makes transit, even with its current fares, an economic alternative to automobiles
• The relatively limited highway network results in severe congestion on key arterials leading to Downtown and Oakland, thus reducing the convenience of commuting by automobiles
• The continued prominence of Oakland and Downtown as a share of regional employment makes them also the locations where transit is most effective
• Many universities and colleges generate significant ridership from students and staff associated with these institutions through use of free transit passes.

Other Benchmark Metro Area Counties:

PUBLIC TRANSIT

OTHER PUBLIC TRANSIT PROVIDERS

Public transportation providers in six surrounding counties offer routes that serve destinations in Allegheny County, primarily downtown Pittsburgh. These operators have routes converging at Penn Station on the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway, facilitating transfers with the Port Authority’s routes and with other regional services. Mountain Line Transit, taking over a route discontinued by Greyhound in 2005, operates a route between Morgantown, WV and Pittsburgh. Additionally, there are numerous other agencies, organizations and schools that directly or indirectly provide transportation for their clients and customers.

SPC, through the Regional Strategic Vision for Public Transportation Serving Southwestern Pennsylvania, has provided several recommendations for improving the regional transit operation. These include a seamless fare box collection system, which would allow passengers to travel between modes and operators, Transit-Oriented Developments, and Intelligent Transportation Systems, which improve management and operations of transportation systems through the use of computers and communication technology. Currently five regional transit providers are participating in the program.

Downtown Pittsburgh is an intermodal hub where County residents can access both rail and bus intercity transportation services as well as Port Authority transit vehicles at Penn Station on the East Busway.

Greyhound

A new intermodal facility includes access to Greyhound buses, parking, transit and the Amtrak train station and is adjacent to the PAAC East Busway. The Greyhound Terminal is in the new Grant Street Transportation Center located between Liberty and Penn Avenues at 11th Street in downtown Pittsburgh. Greyhound’s routes serving Pittsburgh include direct service to New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Harrisburg, State College, Wheeling, Erie, Columbus, St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver, Cleveland and Chicago.

MegaBus

Megabus, a new low-cost intercity bus company, began serving Pittsburgh in 2010. A year later, Megabus designated Pittsburgh as one of its operating hubs and is planning an additional stop. For every trip Megabus offers a small number of very low fares at $1.00 and $5.00. However, even Megabus’ highest fares are typically less than those of Greyhound and Amtrak. To keep fares low, Megabus routes typically avoid smaller communities between large endpoint cities and, in most locations, do not use terminals. Megabus’s current Pittsburgh stop is the David Lawrence Convention Center. Megabus’ routes serving Pittsburgh include direct service to New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Harrisburg, State College, Morgantown, Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit and Ann Arbor.

⬚ figure

Amtrak

From its station at Liberty and Grant Avenues in Downtown Pittsburgh, Amtrak serves Allegheny County with two intercity train routes. The Pennsylvanian Route provides daily service between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, and onward to Philadelphia and New York City. The Capitol Limited provides daily service linking Chicago, Toledo,

PUBLIC TRANSIT

Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. The Amtrak station is adjacent to the Penn Station of the East Busway where intermodal connections can be made to transit service provided by the Port Authority and the region's other transit operators. Across Liberty Avenue from the Amtrak station is the Grant Street Transportation Center.

A provision of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 requires states to assume responsibility for routes of 750 miles or less. Unless the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania finds the funds to continue operation of the Pennsylvanian, the future of this service will be in jeopardy.

Other Private Bus Companies

Several other private carriers operate scheduled bus service to and within Allegheny County. Fullington Trailways provides service between Pittsburgh and central Pennsylvania. Myers Coach Lines operates commuter service Super Shuttle provides shared ride door-to-door service from the Pittsburgh International Airport to hotels, residences, and businesses in the City of Pittsburgh and other locations in the Allegheny County and the region.

Numerous shuttles are operated by the University of Pittsburgh, UPMC, Carnegie Mellon and others.

CURRENT TRANSIT FUNDING

For the Port Authority, the past several years have been marked by on-going budget difficulties. The operating budget of the Port Authority transit system is funded by passenger fares, marketing revenues, Allegheny County, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Federal government (use of Federal funds for operating expenses is limited to a few very specific types of expenses). Over the past several years, these funding sources became inadequate to cover the agency's operating expenses due to a wide variety of factors.

One reason that funding did not cover operating expenses is that the Port Authority has been facing increasing costs. Costs for fuel, health care, and retirement benefits have grown rapidly in recent years. To make operations more cost effective, Port Authority undertook the Transit Development Plan, a comprehensive assessment of the bus route network. Most of the Plan was implemented in 2010 and 2011. Additionally, while costs have been escalating, revenues have not kept pace with inflation. In recent years, the Port Authority responded to these challenges by curtailing underutilized services, eliminating administrative staff (sharply reducing retirement obligations) and requiring employee health care contributions.

In 2007, the Pennsylvania legislature passed Act 44, which was intended to address some shortfalls in the state transportation budget. It authorized a fifty-year partnership between the PA Turnpike Commission and PennDOT which would have provided $83.3 billion for investment in transportation. A majority of this funding was to be used statewide to repair roads and bridges; in addition, all of the state's urban and rural transit agencies would have received increased, stable and performance-driven funding annually. However, in July 2010, Act 44 revenue dropped from $922 million to $450 million annually, due to the Commonwealth's application to toll I-80 not being approved by FHWA. Because of this, there was a significant gap in projected versus actual transit funding from Act 44 beginning in 2010. Table 4I.11 shows the additional funding Act 44 generated from FY 2009 to FY 2012.

TABLE 4I.11 - Additional Transit Funding from Act 44

Source: PennDOT

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Six years later, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed a new piece of legislation to provide a comprehensive transportation funding package for roads and bridges, mass transit, and multimodal transportation. Act 89, passed at the end of 2013, is expected to stave off crippling service cuts in the near term. Funding for mass transit will increase gradually over five years. By year five, statewide transit funding will total approximately $480 million.

Transit is a large portion of the County's budget and provision of additional matching funds is not easy to achieve. The City, as is the case with all local municipalities in Allegheny County, does not contribute to transit or the transit match. Act 44 also authorized second class counties (Allegheny) to implement two separate taxes to generate the County's local match for the State funding. The taxes, in effect now, include a tax on poured drinks and a tax on rental vehicles.

FUNDING SOURCES

SPC, as the designated MPO for the Pittsburgh Transportation Management Area, works with member counties to develop and maintain a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). In addition to highway funding, transit funding involving federal grant programs (such as Title III Programs) and state, county and local match are also included on SPC's TIP. On the current 2013-2016 TIP, the Port Authority is budgeted for $1.2 billion total Title III Program funds (average annual funding = $302.1 M).

Funding for transit improvements in Pennsylvania is a combination of federal, state and local monies. Federal funding is provided through MAP-21 Title III. State funding is provided through formulas established in Act 26 of 1991 and amended in Act 3 of 1997. In addition, state capital budget funding is released annually for capital improvements.

Major capital transportation projects are a part of the programs developed by the member counties of SPC. The TIP identifies the region's highest priority transportation projects, develops a multi-year program of implementation, and identifies available federal and non-federal funding for the identified projects. The TIP covers a four-year period of investment and is updated every two years by designated planning partners in a collaborative effort of county, local, state and federal agencies, including participation by the general public.

Federal transit funding for the planning, construction and operation of transit projects is primarily accessed through three major Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Programs. Brief descriptions of these three programs follow.

Section 5309 - Fixed Guideway Capital Investment Grants (New Starts)

Section 5309 is a discretionary, competitive program that funds new and extended fixed guideway systems, bus rapid transit projects, and core capacity projects to expand capacity in fixed guideway corridors (those that are at or above capacity). Maximum federal share is 80 percent; however, FTA's current policy is to limit the federal share to the range of 50 to 60 percent due to the large number of project applicants. Small Starts projects are limited to a net capital cost of less than $250 million with a maximum federal contribution of $75 million.

Section 5307 - Urbanized Area Formula Program

This program provides funds for planning, capital projects, and job access and reverse commute (JARC) projects that provide transportation to employment activities for low-income individuals. Distribution of Section 5307 funds is by statutory formula to individual urbanized areas. In most circumstances, Section 5307 funds apportioned to urbanized areas with populations of 200,000 and over cannot be used for operating assistance (an exception being the provision of JARC services). The federal share for capital projects is 80 percent and it is 50 percent for operating assistance.

Section 5339 - Bus and Bus Facilities

Section 5339 is a new formula program under Map-21 that provides funding to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related equipment as well as construct bus-related facilities. Each year, $65.5 million will be allocated, with each state receiving $1.25 million. The remainder will be allocated by formula based on population, vehicle revenue miles, and passenger miles. The program requires a 20 percent local match.

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■ ISSUES AND ANALYSIS

This section examines ways to provide more efficient and effective public transit service in Allegheny County.

KEY CHALLENGES

In developing the Transportation Plan, the Transportation Resource Panel helped to identify these key challenges:

• Difficult circulation in and around Oakland
• Lack of direct fixed guideway connection between Downtown and Oakland
• Lack of direct fixed guideway transit connection between Downtown Pittsburgh and the Airport
• Critical need for transit expansion and maintenance in the urban core
• Public and political attitudes toward transit
• Missing intermodal connections
• Lack of efficient system to meet current county needs and population levels
• Transit farebox doesn't pay for operating expenses

The following provides an understanding of these issues.

DIFFICULT CIRCULATION IN AND AROUND OAKLAND

Oakland is the economic wellspring for future growth of the region due to its concentration of research facilities, universities, hospitals and the potential and current realization of related spin-off companies. Circulation in and around Oakland does not meet the needs of current travelers. This is in spite of the fact that PAAC's transit routes serving Oakland are among the most heavily used in the system with a 25% mode share. There is a very high level of bus service on Fifth and Forbes Avenues which are the two key travel arteries through Oakland. Bus service is available in other areas of Oakland, too. There are also effective connections between Oakland and Downtown, Shadyside, East Liberty and other East End and South Side communities. Improvements to these services are needed for existing and future Oakland transit users. Transit plays a key role in connecting development to the institutions that are driving the growth in Oakland, but an expansion of the transit system is needed to help solve the circulation issues. There are internal mobility problems within the Oakland area that can be addressed by construction of an area circulator system which connects Oakland to Southside, Second Avenue, Bloomfield, Lawrenceville, Shadyside and CMU, bringing together greater Oakland's many assets and allowing the parts to function as a whole. Attracting new technology development, and retaining graduating students to enter the workforce here, is highly dependent on public transportation that is readily-available, and easy to navigate. Transit development efforts should be coordinated with the plans of the major institutions in and near Oakland. For more information see the Transit Action Team Report and Oakland Investment Committee Transit Report in the Supporting Documents.

LACK OF DIRECT FIXED GUIDEWAY CONNECTION BETWEEN DOWNTOWN AND OAKLAND

Transit from Downtown to Oakland will connect the two largest economic generation centers in the region – Pittsburgh and Oakland. A frequent, rapid and efficient fixed-guideway rapid transit connection between the two centers is critical as the County grows the education, medical and technology sectors at the core of regional prosperity. The corridor between town and Oakland is congested, and heavily served by bus transit. Facilitating growth downtown, in Oakland and in between, with excellent infrastructure, is a key component needed to assure future prosperity. To address the need for better connections linking Downtown, Oakland and other eastern neighborhoods in the City, a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Corridor Study has been initiated. Background on BRT is contained in the following section.

BRT Stations

BRT has distinct, safe and comfortable stations with amenities. The stations attract TOD activity. They spur investment and job creation on nearby mixed-use development sites where people can live, work, learn, invest and play. A prime advantage and opportunity along the Downtown Pittsburgh-to-Oakland BRT corridor is that station areas can accommodate pent-up real estate demand associated with the research and development activities of universities, hospitals and related "spin-off" businesses. Funding has been programmed to build a prototype BRT station in Oakland.

TOD Potential is High Density, Mixed-Use Neighborhoods with Station Area Amenities

The goal is to have a BRT corridor system on "complete

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streets” with multi-modal accommodation for vehicles, transit, pedestrians and commuter bicycles. This can all be achieved on one street or by utilizing a parallel two-street pair. Ideally, the BRT corridor will include an improved, efficient, easy to understand and ride BRT service, resulting in long-term economic and community development, and a better quality of life, along a mixed-use corridor. BRT and station amenities are key elements for success and require excellent design, marketing and product development to project a strong brand and information, a simple fare system, and transit authority security patrols. Above all, the facilities must be very clean and well maintained.

Economic development energizers result from the creation of a multimodal “complete street” corridor, or street pair, which accommodates transit, auto, and safe, separate commuter bike and pedestrian facilities. This includes a branded and coordinated streetscape with great aesthetics. The entire corridor should promote a common theme with unique neighborhood identifiers. Careful attention to aesthetics and details encourage quality transit-related development. Naming rights sales can generate revenue to support the BRT system. A BRT program for landscape standards and maintenance, with annual plantings at station areas, also creates attraction. Along with public art at key locations, selections for integrated art installations such as pavement treatments, lighting, benches and street furniture can assist in making the BRT experience seamless. Streetscapes are effective when coordinated with historic architecture and urban context. Traffic calming, coupled with larger sidewalk width for outdoor café zones, are examples of the type features that create exciting outdoor spaces and help achieve place-making.

Allegheny County Executive’s Transportation Action Partnership (TAP)

The Allegheny County Executive’s Transportation Action Partnership (TAP) was formed in 2008. TAP Co-chairs are: Dennis Davin of Allegheny County, Yarone Zober of the City of Pittsburgh and Dennis Yablonsky of the Allegheny Conference. Other TAP stakeholders include foundations, the Port Authority, PennDOT, universities, medical, research, development, innovation and investment entities, community

organizations, labor, business, cultural and other representatives.

In 2010, TAP released a prospectus to the international transportation finance industry to gauge interest and help TAP prioritize transit initiatives. The prospectus result, based on analysis of industry input, recommended that TAP’s highest priority project should be BRT Downtown Pittsburgh-to-Oakland. The highlight of the industry response includes five recommendations: (1) a single-purpose owner structure entity should be defined and established; (2) interagency agreements should be defined, and in place, to encourage development; (3) stakeholders should reach consensus on a general public statement of intent; (4) Pennsylvania private public partnership (P-3) enabling legislation is needed to provide a clear framework for developers and (5) it is very effective to secure major stakeholder/user commitments to develop a defined quantity of real estate over a specific time period.

BRT has the potential to transform the urban landscape along the Downtown Pittsburgh-to-Oakland corridor. TAP is currently working with the Port Authority, and many other stakeholders, to advance the BRT. Appropriately implemented, BRT does more than attract new riders. It assists in place-making; improves connections; creates more attractive, safer streets; is more convenient and provides connectivity for all modes of transport, including pedestrians and bicyclists. All of these factors work together to create safe, vibrant, multiuse places with people out-on-the-street. Importantly, in the Oakland area, the BRT corridor boasts medical and high tech initiatives which average over a billion dollars in research and development funding annually. Oakland is generally considered to be “built-out”, but the research dollars create a huge unmet demand for nearby Class “A” office and R+D facilities. Further development is also constrained by traffic congestion and severely limited parking. A BRT upgrade along this corridor will reduce automobile dependency and create new opportunities to accommodate pent-up real estate demand.

In 2010, TAP stakeholders traveled to Cleveland to experience the Euclid Corridor HealthLine BRT. HealthLine was built cost effectively and operates successfully. HealthLine has stimulated $5 billion worth of development (TOD) at stations along a 6-mile corridor. Like our Downtown Pittsburgh-to-Oakland corridor, it connects the city, a

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redevelopment area and the region's universities /medical /research /cultural complex. Participants in the site visit included: Caren Glotfelty, formerly of The Heinz Endowments; Dan Cessna of PennDOT; Dennis Davin of Allegheny County; Rich Fitzgerald, President, Allegheny County Council in 2010 and currently Allegheny County Executive; Dennis Yablonsky of the Allegheny Conference and Steve Bland, formerly of Port Authority of Allegheny County.

The BRT will advance the recommendations of several recent long-range planning studies including: Going Places the TAP action plan; Transit Development Plan the Port Authority strategic plan; AlleghenyPlaces the County comprehensive plan and ActiveAllegheny the County commuter bike, pedestrian and complete streets plan.

Downtown - Oakland - East End BRT The purpose of this effort, titled Get There Pgh is to develop a Downtown-Oakland-East End BRT project which would enhance prospects for economic development and community revitalization through transit improvements in the Downtown-Oakland-East End Corridor. This project is being advanced as a collaborative effort among more than 40 stakeholder organizations including the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County Economic Development, Allegheny Conference, educational and medical institutions and neighborhood groups such as Uptown Partners and groups representing the Hill District, along with Port Authority. The collaborative effort is being led by Sustainable Pittsburgh.

Current ridership in the corridor accounts for almost one-third of Port Authority's total system ridership. Opportunities for incorporating Complete Streets concepts are being investigated. The narrow width of streets and sidewalks throughout much of the corridor poses a challenge for accommodating transit, general traffic, pedestrians, bicyclists, and parking.

Conducting an Alternatives Analysis (AA) and the Environmental Assessment (EA) for a BRT project linking Downtown, Oakland and other East End neighborhoods in the City of Pittsburgh will enable the project to qualify for funding under the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Small Starts Program. These studies are slated to be completed in Spring 2014.

Although Port Authority currently operates a high level of transit service in this Corridor, this study will investigate the

potential for faster, more reliable, more easily understood, and more evenly scheduled trips through the Corridor. This could be accomplished through a program of operational and physical improvements such as stop consolidation, establishment of additional exclusive bus lanes and traffic signal priority at key intersections. Other potential improvements include use of articulated coaches for all service, provision of real-time passenger information, enhanced shelters and special marketing and branding.

The AA/EA scope of work includes development and definition of alternative alignments, preparation of capital and operating & maintenance cost estimates, analysis of impacts to the social and economic environment, assessments of transportation impacts including ridership forecasts and analyses of impacts to the physical environment. An extensive program of public outreach and agency coordination has been initiated.

The study will also consider financing options including funding contributions from private and institutional sources in the Corridor.

Based on the results of the AA/EA analyses, public input and agency involvement, a Locally Preferred Alternative will be selected. This effort will conclude with the submission of the

Small Starts or New Starts Criteria to FTA along with a request to FTA for advancing the project into Engineering.

More information about this effort can be found on the project website at www.gettherepgh.org

LACK OF DIRECT FIXED GUIDEWAY TRANSIT CONNECTION BETWEEN DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH AND THE AIRPORT

Congestion along Parkway West makes travel to the airport difficult. Planned and recently completed infrastructure improvements offer the promise of a brighter future for the airport corridor. The proposed Southern Beltway will improve access and east-west mobility between the mid-Mon Valley and the Airport, and will assist in transforming the area around the Airport into a major warehouse and distribution center that will create thousands of jobs. The recently completed Findlay Connector, a new highway linking the Airport to Route 22, is spurring the development of more than

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1,500 acres of nearby land. This additional development, and the jobs that will result, will better support conditions conducive to the provision of direct transit service to the airport. The West Busway/28X serves this route, on one-half hour headways. There should be consideration of the extent to which improvements in existing bus service would address the needs of the Airport Corridor in the short term. A new fixed guideway investment is likely years away in this case.

Several studies have investigated various alternatives for providing improved transit service from Downtown to Pittsburgh International Airport. Light Rail Transit from Downtown to the Airport utilizing a "Parkway" alignment, or a more direct new route, and establishing a major intermodal hub at a midway point for the West area will provide the best alternative for these reasons:

• Provides opportunities for travelers to our area to rapidly connect to Oakland and other essential corridors
• Directly serves Pittsburgh International Airport hub, and a midpoint "western" intermodal hub that will distribute commuters to employment centers, educational facilities and other points of interest in western Allegheny County
• Supports economic development, land use priorities and redevelopment opportunities along the corridor
• Connections from the intermodal hub to Robert Morris University, CCAC West, and many other higher education facilities should be accommodated
• Provides most direct and fastest route to Pittsburgh International Airport
• Provides a link connecting the downtown subway, North Shore and South Hills LRT and the East Busway

Bus Rapid Transit could be an alternative and serve some of the purposes in the interim before an LRT system is funded.

A fixed guideway transit connection would provide improved access to the region for travelers, support economic development and land use priorities along the corridor, and provide access to other transit facilities. Furthermore, without convenient and frequent transit, lower-wage workers will continue to face difficulty accessing jobs along the airport corridor. To serve concentrations of jobs in the sprawling environment in the airport corridor, a feeder system of buses or on-demand shuttles connecting to a multi-modal transit hub is needed.

CRITICAL NEED FOR TRANSIT EXPANSION AND MAINTENANCE IN THE URBAN CORE

A large number of commuters to the urban core use public transit on a regular basis. Therefore, it is vital to extend and maintain transit service to Downtown Pittsburgh and to Oakland. The routes that serve the urban core are the heart of the transit system and the revenues from these routes support services in other parts of the County.

PUBLIC ATTITUDE TOWARD TRANSIT

It is a common misconception among non-transit users, and the public in general, that transit is viewed as an expense rather than an investment in the local economy and a key to Allegheny County’s livability. Transit provides vital service to employment centers, shopping, education and medical destinations among others. Port Authority investments in light rail and busways have helped generate new residential and commercial development, such as the Mellon Client Service Center at the Steel Plaza ‘T’ Station in Downtown Pittsburgh, PNC service center at the First Avenue ‘T’ station condominiums above Giant Eagle and Central Medical Commons in Shadyside, and the Eastside development in East Liberty. Additionally, Allegheny County conducted the South Hills TRID planning study for Transit Revitalization Investment Districts in Dormont and Mount Lebanon, to create the conditions for development and redevelopment at and near Port Authority’s ‘T’ stations in those communities (see Supporting Documents for the full TRID study). In addition, the City of Pittsburgh has completed TRID studies for the South Hills Junction - Beechview Corridor and for East Liberty around the East Busway station, where $52 million of retail, residential, transit center and parking development is underway.

Another dimension of the attitude issue is the pressure to re-route buses in downtown and other locations in response to a negative perception of buses and bus riders. This increases transit operating costs and reduces convenience for transit patrons. The Bus Rapid Transit AA/EA includes a Downtown Circulation element which will evaluate the existing network of downtown bus routes and

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determine if there are changes which can result in operational efficiencies, improve service to riders and enhance the downtown environment. It is anticipated that this evaluation, just underway, will assess whether existing stops are optimally located.

MISSING INTERMODAL CONNECTIONS

The Port Authority's network of park-and-ride facilities supports connections with automobiles. Many of these lots are located on or near major thoroughfares, or adjacent to limited-access highways. Although all buses are equipped with bike racks, transit's coordination with bicycles is incomplete due to missed connection opportunities and parking, and in suburban areas direct pedestrian connections are often difficult. In order for the multi-modal connections to work, they need to be seamless to the user. Since 2000 the Port Authority has undertaken several initiatives to improve the interface for bicycles and transit. The First Avenue Station provides convenient access to the Eliza Furnace Trail and a bike and blade rental facility. Port Authority's Rack 'n Roll program of racks mounted on buses, the LRT system, and bicycles on the 'T' and Mon Incline, lets bicyclists use transit for part of their journeys. Bike racks have been installed at some transit stations. A map has been developed showing the relationship of bus routes to trails. The Port Authority will continue to pursue other opportunities for enhancing bike/transit linkages within available financial resources.

The multi-modal connections mentioned above with transit, bicycles, automobiles, pedestrians, etc. are very important to implementing the Places identified in the Future Land Use Plan (see Map 4A.1). These Places were envisioned to be mixed use and utilize a variety of transportation modes.

LACK OF EFFICIENT SYSTEM TO MEET CURRENT COUNTY NEEDS AND POPULATION LEVELS

Over the past few decades, the County has experienced population decreases in many of transit's traditional markets. Consequently, the Port Authority has had to modify its route structure or level of service to match the changing markets. However, some of the areas with the greatest population decline are also the communities with the greatest reliance on public transportation (i.e. the Mon Valley). The Port Authority

⬚ figure

Photo credit: Port Authority of Allegheny County

has reduced service to the Mon Valley communities over the past 15 years even though it is considered a depressed area.

There are three challenges to providing transit routes to changing markets:

1. Many of the new growth areas are characterized by low-density development and are more costly to serve than older densely developed communities in the City of Pittsburgh and older suburbs.

2. Port Authority's financial crisis limits its ability to add service to new areas while maintaining service to older (although declining) communities.

3. While there are some developments which prefer not to accommodate Port Authority buses, service and patrons, other developments are very interested in new or increased transit service.

TRANSIT FAREBOX REVENUES DO NOT COVER OPERATING EXPENSES

As with all transit systems, passenger fare revenue does not cover the entire cost of operating the transit system. Operating expenses are primarily subsidized with state and

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local funds. Lottery revenues enable senior citizens to ride public transit for free. This is true of every transit system, and by the way, it is not unique to transit. The road and highway network, airlines, railroads etc., are all heavily subsidized. All modes require subsidy, especially the private automobile!

One reason that fares do not cover operating expenses is that Port Authority has been facing increasing costs. Expenditures for fuel, health care, and retirement benefits have grown rapidly in recent years. At the same time costs have been escalating, revenues have not kept pace with inflation. Port Authority has worked hard to address its increasing costs in recent years. Coupled with a new statewide transportation funding law, Port Authority's operating budget should experience stability in the coming years.

■ RECOMMENDATIONS

GOAL OF THE PLAN

An excellent multi-modal transportation network – integrated with the Future Land Use Plan – that:

■ Connects people to jobs ■ Supports mobility of existing communities ■ Provides efficient access to proposed development, and ■ Facilitates the movement of goods and freight.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PLAN

The objectives of the Public Transit portion of the Transportation Plan are to:

A. Target transportation investments to support job and housing growth as shown on the Future Land Use map.

B. Prioritize the maintenance of existing transportation infrastructure within and across all modes.

C. Provide integrated transportation alternatives and coordinated transportation systems to increase mobility.

D. Promote transit-oriented development (TOD) sites at key transit stations and along major transit corridors.

E. Connect Pittsburgh International Airport to Downtown, Oakland and major population centers via a rapid transit system.

F. Improve transit into and around Oakland.

G. Use efficient and creative funding strategies such as public/private partnerships, privatization, and leveraging current and future assets.

The following provides an understanding of the objectives.

A. Target Transportation Investments to Support Job and Housing Growth

Transit is critical to the economic health of the region and the well-being of the public. It is a sustainable mode of transportation that will help to reduce traffic congestion. Transit is clearly a focus of future investment, and while funds are now tight, plans should be made to prioritize and accommodate future transit improvements.

Transit service to appropriate Places designated in the Future Land Use Plan would be by way of either a rapid transit mode (light rail or busway) or bus service. Transit circulation within Places can be by transit, but must be

⬚ figure

Photo credit: Port Authority of Allegheny County

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carefully planned. Smaller shuttle vehicles operated by a consortium of business owners or a public-private transportation management entity may be viable as these Places establish themselves as true mixed-use centers of housing, shopping and employment, and as a market for very localized and/or demand-responsive transit emerges.

Transit will play a significant role in Allegheny County’s future.

B. Prioritize the Maintenance of Existing Transportation Infrastructure Within and Across All Modes

Upgrading our existing, aging transit infrastructure, along with the importance of regular maintenance of newer transit facilities, is key to ensuring a dependable, attractive and efficient system. Fixing our valuable investments first is a top priority for transit. This is especially important during a time when increasing numbers of commuters are likely to be attracted to the transit option to save money, help the environment and to be more physically active in their daily lives. We cannot afford to waste the valuable assets we currently have, but need to preserve them and maximize their use.

C. Provide Integrated Transportation Alternatives to Increase Mobility

Multi-modal transportation alternatives consider the full range of approaches to solving the transportation problems plaguing Allegheny County’s roadways. Solutions can range from new rail lines, automated fixed-guideway transit and more bus routes to those that reduce demand by integrating modes and making it easier to use the system. Integrating park-and-ride facilities with transit stops, developing HOV lanes and ridesharing opportunities, providing sidewalks and bikeways to transit stops are all ways that can increase mobility. Designing and building ‘Complete Streets’ can also assist greatly in increased mobility and transit accessibility. Allegheny County is working closely with the City of Pittsburgh through MOVEPGH, the City’s Transportation Plan, to realize the opportunities for

combined transportation planning efforts. See ActiveAllegheny for more details.

There are several studies such as the Eastern Corridor Transit Study and the Allegheny Valley Railroad and Norfolk Southern Commuter Rail Interim Study and the Allegheny Riverfront Green Boulevard Study that have suggested using existing rail corridors for future rapid transit, since the infrastructure and right-of-way costs can be lower when compared to a new alignment. Additional alignments will be developed and assessed. Upgrades to track systems as well as agreements with railroad companies will be needed to allow commuter use of these lines, since freight and commuter operations are not necessarily compatible with each other. Freight trains and commuter rail equipment co-existed in Pittsburgh up to 1989 when the PATrain was discontinued and continue to co-exist in Baltimore, Washington, Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles, among other cities. Nearly all commuter rail operations in the United States use Federal Railroad Administration compliant vehicles. Agreements are needed with railroad companies in order to gain access to rail lines, make track and signal improvements and ensure that commuter rail and freight operations do not interfere with each other. Future conflicts in rail use will increase along with the trend of vastly increased volumes of freight moving by rail.

Although rail traffic declined with the recent economic downturn, it has been growing since 2011, particularly with the rapid expansion of natural gas drilling activities in Pennsylvania. Rail traffic is expected to continue to rise exponentially as highways become more congested and moving freight via the highway system becomes less feasible and far more costly than by rail.

The Westmoreland County Transit Authority has completed its Allegheny Valley Railroad and Norfolk Southern Commuter Rail Interim Study which evaluated the potential for commuter rail on the Allegheny Valley Railroad between Arnold/New Kensington and Pittsburgh and on the Norfolk Southern rail line between Greensburg and Pittsburgh. This effort will build upon previous studies of these corridors. This analysis includes an assessment of integrating passenger trains

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into lines with increasing freight train operations. The AVR could accommodate commuter rail service by scheduling freight operations at night. Operation of commuter rail service on the NS Pittsburgh Line would require improvements to existing tracks, signal and communication systems.

The Port Authority identified proposed alignments for new rapid transit lines through a public process, in the Airport Multi-modal Corridor, Eastern Corridor and Regional Transit Visioning studies. These studies have been conducted in partnership with SPC, Allegheny County and all the region’s transit providers. In addition, there may be possibilities for improved transit to the North Hills, possibly through the use and/or conversion of the I-279 HOV facility for rapid transit. An important next step is selection of priority corridor(s) in consultation with the public, elected officials, local governments, Allegheny County, SPC and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Private funding can help, but major transit capital investments will still require significant local and/or state public funding.

Las Vegas is one of the only places in the United States where a new transit project was implemented with major private funding. More typical are Charlotte, Denver, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco and Seattle which fund transit projects with significant local and state funding to match federal funding, and then, complete appropriate engineering studies for selected alignments, secure rights-of-way and construct new rapid transit lines. While the funds for these types of projects are limited, additional and creative funding mechanisms need to be explored. Public-private partnerships (PPP) are one option that can help fund public improvement projects now that the enabling legislation is in place. One example of PPP is the Cleveland BRT system in which the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals paid $6.25M over 25 years for the naming rights to the line. The naming rights will generate between $18-$25 million for the Greater Cleveland Regional Transportation Authority.

D. Promote Transit-Oriented Development Sites at Key Transit Stations

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is an important national land development trend. TOD can be

accomplished by targeting mixed-use development around existing and proposed transit stations. The existing ‘T’ line and busways and the new rapid transit lines envisioned for Allegheny County represent an ideal opportunity for TOD such as Eastside in the City of Pittsburgh’s East Liberty and Shadyside neighborhoods and Dormont, Castle Shannon and Mt. Lebanon. TOD is consistent with the principles of the Future Land Use Plan and can provide significant additional ridership for the Port Authority’s transit lines.

In 2004, the Pennsylvania Legislature passed legislation permitting the creation of a Transit Revitalization Investment District (TRID) to establish a mechanism for promoting TOD and capturing the value of development at and near transit stations. Allegheny County conducted a TRID planning study for areas adjacent to the light rail stations in the South Hills (see Supporting Documents for the full TRID study). The City of Pittsburgh recently completed a TRID planning study for the South Hills Junction - Beechview Corridor and the East Liberty busway station. In addition, the County co-sponsored the West Busway TOD Assessment and Plan to evaluate the corridor’s potential for TOD. TOD plans were created for the Sheraden and Carnegie stations.

The Port Authority and its planning partners should conduct TOD market, planning and urban design studies for key transit stations, publicize the findings and solicit developers to build on TOD sites. Many of the PAAC stations along the ‘T’ line have functioned as TODs for the past century and could be enhanced by future development on PAAC-owned property or on adjacent or nearby privately-owned sites. Private developers are increasingly interested in development opportunities near transit stations. Public-Private Partnerships are an option to assist with site development.

E. Connect Pittsburgh International Airport to Downtown, Oakland and Major Population Centers via a Rapid Transit System

The main recommended transportation feature for Allegheny Places is transit from downtown Pittsburgh

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“to and around the Oakland Area”, including a major intermodal hub in central Oakland and transit from Downtown Pittsburgh, via the new transit connection on the North Shore, to Pittsburgh International Airport. There have been several studies completed to date (mentioned in the integrated multi-modal section above) that suggest alternatives to complete the rapid transit connection between the Airport, Downtown and Oakland.

Along the entire route there will be opportunities for revitalized or new transit-oriented developments, intermodal hubs and other connection points, including intercept parking garages and park-and-ride facilities, trail interconnectivity, pedestrian-friendly improvements, feeder bus lines, bus-rapid-transit (BRT) connections (with potential to connect to hubs via shared high-speed right-of-ways) and many other-related and focused development and redevelopment opportunities. There is vast potential for additional transit connections to this suggested route.

The key connection is envisioned to take advantage of major transit-oriented development potential along the West Busway, between Pittsburgh and Oakland, on the North Shore and at other identified Places along the route.

New rail transit facilities are very costly and take time. Creative financing must be a component of all future rail transit construction, but there will be opportunities for interim measures as Allegheny County proceeds to implement this plan; for instance, the potential of proceeding with Bus Rapid Transit initially for service between Pittsburgh via the West Busway and Parkway West to the proposed Robinson Town Centre “mixed-use development/intermodal hub”, and on to the Airport. This BRT route would eventually be replaced with LRT.

F. Improve Transit Into and Around Oakland

The County has had several objectives with respect to transit. A priority has been to connect Downtown Pittsburgh with Oakland via rapid transit. Additional transit within the Oakland area is also a priority, since the hospitals and universities in Oakland comprise one of the largest employment and educational centers in the region and, while a number of students and employees live in the vicinity, many more commute.

G. Use Efficient and Creative Funding Strategies such as Public/Private Partnerships, Privatization, and Leveraging Current and Future Assets

Allegheny Places recognizes that transit is a critical service on which many residents rely. In order to construct and operate many of the proposed transit projects, new funding mechanisms, such as public-private partnerships, need to be pursued.

The Port Authority, in partnership with SPC, Allegheny County and local governments, should explore options to address funding shortfalls and generate new revenues, including transportation to serve areas of new economic development (e.g. the North Shore, Eastside, South Side Works, Dormont and Mt. Lebanon TOD, etc). This may include, for example, TOD, TRID or public-private partnerships. Upcoming TOD opportunities include the West Busway TOD and the Downtown to Oakland BRT TOD.

CHAPTER 4

BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN

■ TODAY'S CONDITIONS

The County has been planning for and building trails along its rivers since the 1980's. In 1990, development of a major county-wide trail network was launched with the Montour Trail, and the County's trail network continues to grow. Although the first trails were built with recreation funding and used, perhaps, primarily for recreation, they have evolved into active transportation corridors that link bicyclists and pedestrians to the places where they live, work, learn, shop and play. The County and City continue to plan for and promote bicycling and walking as active modes of transportation, both on-and off-road, in recognition of the value that a truly multimodal transportation system adds to the quality of life in Allegheny County.

ActiveAllegheny, completed in 2010, is a resource for integrating active transportation modes into the County's existing transportation system. "Active transportation" is defined broadly as human-powered modes of transportation that include bicycling, walking, kayaking and inline skating. The goal of ActiveAllegheny is to integrate active modes of transportation, with a focus on walking and bicycling, into our existing transportation network.

⬚ figure

ActiveAllegheny identifies roadways that are important commuter routes and examines their potential as active transportation corridors. Connectivity with the County's transit system and to the trail network is discussed in Chapter 4E and later in this chapter. ActiveAllegheny also looks at connections to other active transportation modes such as the Three Rivers Water Trail. ActiveAllegheny recommends specific improvements, from lighting and crosswalks to separated bike/pedestrian lanes, needed to ensure that active travel will be safe travel. ActiveAllegheny also includes general recommendations for increasing public awareness of the value of active transportation, and other strategies for implementation.

ActiveAllegheny focus is primarily on providing safe means of travel on-road, for bicycles and walkers. The expanding riverfront trail system is also an important component of the County's active transportation network, as well as providing access to the rivers' many recreational opportunities. Municipalities are looking for ways to connect to the riverfront trail system so that the people in their communities can get to where they want to go. A brief overview of current projects is provided below.

Allegheny River:

The 2011 Community Trails Initiative Feasibility Study is a proposed alignment for a 26-mile long segment of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail along the northern side of the Allegheny River. The proposed trail corridor includes both on and off road segments. Connections to the municipalities along the river and to other important destinations are key components of the proposed alignment.

Portions of the trail have been completed and are already serving as active transportation corridors. In Millvale Borough, 65 people a day on average have been parking in Millvale Park and using the riverfront trail to commute to the City of Pittsburgh. The number of commuters continues to grow, and Millvale is exploring the development of a park-and-ride lot closer to their business district to bring people into the community. The Boroughs of Millvale and Etna are also developing an internal bicycle and pedestrian plan to connect the people and places within their communities to the Three Rivers Heritage Trail.

BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN

Monongahela River:

The Eliza Furnace Trail in the City of Pittsburgh was built to be an active transportation corridor connecting the neighborhoods of Oakland, Hazelwood and Greenfield to downtown Pittsburgh. It is heavily used by commuters and served by a commuter parking lot on the Hazelwood side of the trail. It has also become a popular trail for recreation and is enjoyed by lunchtime walkers, joggers and inline skaters from downtown businesses.

In the City of Duquesne, the Port Authority allows people commuting to downtown Pittsburgh via the Great Allegheny Passage to use their park-and-ride facility. Access to the park-and-ride also gives bicyclists easy access to Port Authority buses, which are equipped with bike racks.

The last segment of the Great Allegheny Passage that connects Pittsburgh to Washington DC was completed in West Homestead Borough in Summer 2013. It is expected to become another popular active transportation corridor, providing more options for commuters into the City and Oakland.

Ohio River:

The Ohio River Trail Pittsburgh to Coraopolis Feasibility Study will determine an alignment for an active transportation corridor that will connect the City of Pittsburgh to the Ohio River South Shore Trail being developed by the Ohio River Trail Council. The Ohio River South Shore Trail will extend from Coraopolis Borough in Allegheny County to Monaca Borough in Beaver County. The Pittsburgh to Coraopolis segment, like most of the Ohio River South Shore Trail, is primarily on-road with connections into the adjacent communities. The trail is expected to be an important commuter corridor for these municipalities and will also provide for bicycle and pedestrian commuting within the municipalities. The Ohio River Trail Council is also planning a trail for the north shore of the Ohio River in Allegheny County.

BicyclePA ROUTES

BicyclePA routes were designed by experienced bicyclists to provide those who want to traverse the state with a guide to some of the Commonwealth's highways and rail-trails. Few of these routes contain bike lanes or other facilities designed specifically for bicyclists. One such route is Pennsylvania Bike Route 'S', which passes through the southern portion of Allegheny County along Route 136. Another example is Pennsylvania Bike Route 'A', which passes through the western portion of Allegheny County as it extends from Erie to West Virginia. Bike Route A in western Allegheny County is also part of the proposed Ohio River South Shore Trail.

BICYCLE PARKING AND TRANSIT ACCESS

The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and Bike Pittsburgh have installed approximately 500 bike racks to date throughout the City. Many communities throughout the County are providing bike racks in their business districts through programs like Allegheny Together and Allegheny River Towns. Port Authority provides bicycle parking at many of its light rail and Busway stations. In addition, all of Port Authority's buses are equipped with bike racks. Transit riders can also take their bicycles on the light rail system and the Monongahela Incline.

OTHER PROJECTS

• BRT Downtown-to-Oakland/complete streets
• URA Allegheny Riverfront Green Boulevard
• North Park Lake Loop Road bike/ped upgrades
• Proposed bike-share rental program
• County Bridges safety upgrades like "bike-friendly" grate & scupper replacements
• Pittsburgh Open Streets plans

FUNDING

For a list of possible funding sources for active transportation activities and projects, please see the comprehensive plan supporting documentation under Transportation on the AlleghenyPlaces website.

BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN

■ ISSUES AND ANALYSIS

This section examines ways to facilitate increased bicycle and pedestrian travel in Allegheny County.

KEY CHALLENGES

• Unsafe and unattractive places to wait for transit
• Lack of available, safe bicycle parking facilities
• Lack of a bicycle route signage program
• Lack of continuous sidewalk network in new developments
• Consistently incorporating bicycle and pedestrian facilities into road, bridge, and transit projects
• Lack of public access to riverfronts

The following provides an understanding of these issues.

UNSAFE AND UNATTRACTIVE PLACES TO WAIT FOR TRANSIT

The majority of passengers access transit by walking to a stop. The conditions at transit stops vary throughout the County. Providing amenities such as good lighting and seating at transit stops and stations increases passenger comfort and safety and can increase transit ridership. Other amenities such as landscaping improve the visibility of the transit stop and enhance transit’s appeal to the community. Bus shelters are key to comfort and encourage ridership in inclement weather. Pre-college students use PAAC to get to schools. Safety and dependability are especially critical for youth. Many communities, including the City of Pittsburgh, contract with private firms to provide transit shelters at transit stops. Communities can use new or renewed shelter contracts to improve the conditions of bus stops.

LACK OF AVAILABLE, SAFE BICYCLE PARKING FACILITIES

In order to encourage higher levels of bicycle usage in the County, bicyclists need a safe place to secure their bicycles when they reach their destination. With the exception of bike parking available at public parking garages and other strategic locations in Downtown Pittsburgh, PAAC stations as well as at numerous locations in Pittsburgh neighborhoods, bike racks are not available in most areas of the County. Bike racks/facilities can encourage multi-modal activity.

LACK OF A BICYCLE ROUTE SIGNAGE PROGRAM

Many residents of the County do not bicycle using the local roadway system due to real or perceived threats to bicycling such as traffic volumes, roadway width and traffic speed. While many roadways in the County are suitable for bicycling, residents do not have information that would help them decide which roads to use.

LACK OF CONTINUOUS SIDEWALK NETWORK IN NEW DEVELOPMENTS

In Allegheny County, different patterns of land use development affect pedestrian access to transit, employment, education, and shopping, among other destinations. The County’s older communities often have a well-established sidewalk network that allows residents to easily walk to many destinations. Newer residential and employment centers often present difficulties for pedestrians due to the scale of development or because the construction of sidewalks was not required by local municipal ordinances. Even when there are requirements, they are frequently waived.

Developers often ask for exemptions because their sidewalks will not connect to a system of existing sidewalks. Sidewalk connectivity in the suburbs will only improve when all developments are required to install sidewalks.

CONSISTENTLY INCORPORATING BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES INTO ROADWAY PROJECTS

An efficient and cost-effective means of improving bicycle and pedestrian conditions is to integrate these facilities into the planning, design and construction of roadway projects. Bicycle and pedestrian needs should be considered at the earliest stages of transportation project development to ensure the appropriate accommodation of those needs.

Effective modal integration requires coordination among several entities including PennDOT, Allegheny County, SPC and local communities.

LACK OF PUBLIC ACCESS TO RIVERFRONTS

As discussed in Chapter 4E, Parks, Open Space and

BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN

Greenways, existing land uses, land ownership, topography, and a wide range of municipal land use regulations are just some of the challenges to completing the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. A comprehensive, multi-municipal approach will be critical to its success. The Allegheny County Riverfronts Project, an ongoing partnership between Allegheny County, Friends of the Riverfront and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council is an example of a regional collaboration designed to address these kinds of challenges.

■ RECOMMENDATIONS

GOAL OF THE PLAN

An excellent multi-modal transportation network – integrated with the Future Land Use Plan – that:

• Connects people to jobs and schools
• Supports mobility of existing communities
• Provides efficient access to proposed development, and
• Encourages multi-modal connectivity.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PLAN

The objectives of the Bicycle and Pedestrian portion of the Transportation Plan are to:

A. Provide Integrated, 'Active' Transportation Alternatives Including Bikeways, Sidewalks and Transit.

B. Coordinate transportation systems and modes to increase mobility.

The following provides an understanding of the objectives.

A. Provide Integrated, 'Active' Transportation Alternatives Including Bikeways, Sidewalks and Transit

Bicycling and walking should be encouraged through incorporating bicycle lanes and sidewalks into both roadway and transit projects. Utilizing and expanding bike trails can also serve to connect people to jobs, schools and shopping.

The Future Land Use Plan promotes compact mixed-use development and so it is imperative that sidewalks, pathways and crosswalks are included to accommodate the safe passage of pedestrians within Places.

The Future Land Use Plan further encourages linking Places to amenities such as parks, riverfronts, and greenways. Multi-modal transportation systems designed for Places therefore need to be coordinated with the trails and greenways network in the Parks, Open Space and Greenway Plan.

Integrating bikeways and sidewalks into new roadway projects, designating bike routes on existing streets, transit, trails and greenways should ultimately create an interconnected alternative 'Active Transportation' network throughout Allegheny County.

B. Coordinate Transportation Systems and Modes to Increase Mobility

Increasingly, the need to integrate walking and bicycling with transit usage is being recognized. As transit routes are being planned or improved, there is a need to ensure that there are:

• Safe ways to access transit stops
• Secure and convenient places to park bicycles
• Desirable places to wait for transit vehicles

Transportation provides access to many key opportunities such as jobs, quality schools, entertainment and recreation. An equitable and efficient transportation system includes multiple modes and ensures mobility for all residents.

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AIRPORTS

■ TODAY’S CONDITIONS

PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is an economic generator for Southwestern Pennsylvania. Located 16 miles west of Pittsburgh, the airport is served by 8 air carriers and in 2011 accommodated 8 million travelers in nearly 150,000 aircraft operations. The airport encompasses almost 9,000 acres with four runways, four terminals with 75 gates, and has 13,000 parking spaces. More than 2,000 acres of PIT land are available for non-aviation and aviation-related development. This includes about 130 acres of pad-ready sites available and fully ready-to-go for users, as of 2012.

In addition to the traveling public, Pittsburgh International Airport also serves the freight community, processing about 176 million pounds of freight in 2011.

Pittsburgh International Airport went through a period of transition in the wake of the dominant carrier, US Airways, eliminating its connecting hub operations at the facility. Table 4I.12 shows airport operations in recent years.

Although US Airways still maintains a significant presence at PIT, several low-cost carriers such as Southwest have entered the market, and help to make PIT more competitive in terms of lower fares. In addition to reduced fares, new carriers have increased passenger volumes and trips originating from the airport by airlines other than US Airways. At the time of this update, the following carriers serve Pittsburgh International Airport:

• Air Canada
• American Airlines
• JetBlue
• Delta Airlines
• Air Tran Airways
• Southwest Airlines
• United Airlines
• US Airways

The following air cargo carriers serve Pittsburgh International Airport:

• FedEx
• UPS

There are intermodal facilities at PIT that connect passengers with private vehicles, limousines, taxis, transit and the Montour Bicycle Trail, as well as freight facilities to support the air cargo.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT

The Allegheny County Airport, located in West Mifflin, is the fifth busiest airport in the state and the largest general aviation airport in western Pennsylvania. It is classified as a business service airport with 118 based aircraft and approximately 67,000 annual operations. It is served by two

Source: FAA

AIRPORTS

⬚ figure

Photo credit: McCormick Taylor

lighted runways. The airport has a continuously staffed air traffic control tower. It serves as the primary FAA designated reliever airport for Pittsburgh International Airport. In this role, the airport supports a high volume of business, corporate and pleasure-related flying activity.

PRIVATE AIRPORTS

The County has two private airports, Pittsburgh-Monroeville Airport and Rock Airport. The locations of the County’s airports are shown on Figure 41.5.

■ ISSUES AND ANALYSIS

This section examines ways to support air travel in Allegheny County.

KEY CHALLENGES

In developing the Transportation Plan, the Transportation Resource Panel helped to identify these key challenges:

• Underutilized passenger and cargo facilities at Pittsburgh International Airport
• No direct fixed guideway transit connection between Pittsburgh International Airport and Downtown Pittsburgh and Oakland
• Need to increase transcontinental international direct flight destinations
• Need to increase air cargo activities

⬚ figure

Source: McCormick Taylor

AIRPORTS

Additional challenges of concern for the Allegheny County Airport Authority include:

• Increasing congestion levels and travel times between Pittsburgh International Airport, Downtown Pittsburgh, and Oakland that limit opportunities for growth at PIT and throughout the County
• The same issues apply for Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin; it also suffers from increased congestion levels and travel times between it and Downtown Pittsburgh and Oakland.
• More than 2,000 acres of PIT land available for development that can assist in providing jobs for the community and lease revenues for the airport. (This is addressed in the Economic Development Plan – Chapter 4, Section C.)

The following provides an understanding of these issues.

UNDERUTILIZED PASSENGER AND CARGO FACILITIES AT PIT

There are underutilized gates and terminals due to the removal by US Airways of their hub at PIT and the resulting reduction in flights. Efforts are underway to attract more carriers and additional flights to and from PIT.

PIT has underutilized cargo buildings and 235,000 sq. ft. of cargo buildings with a vacancy rate of 35% in late 2011. A new development area at Northfield with a national developer will help to attract users and provide more facilities.

NO DIRECT FIXED GUIDEWAY TRANSIT CONNECTION BETWEEN PIT AND DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH AND OAKLAND

Congestion along Parkway West makes travel to PIT difficult. Planned and recently completed infrastructure improvements offer the promise of a brighter future for the airport corridor. The proposed Southern Beltway will improve access and east-west mobility between the mid-Mon Valley and the Airport, from Route 22 to I-79, helping to transform the area around the Airport into a major warehouse and distribution center that will create thousands of jobs. The recently completed Findlay Connector, a new highway linking the Airport to Route 22, will facilitate the development of more than 1,500 acres of nearby land.

Currently, public transit is significantly underutilized in the Airport Corridor, falling far below national averages. In its 2004 study of the corridor, Carnegie Mellon University’s Center for Economic Development concluded that one reason for this may be the disproportionately high commuting times via transit. Therefore, most commuters are using privately owned vehicles instead. Furthermore, public transit may not be an option available to workers working more than one job or working during ‘off-hours’.

A fixed guideway transit connection with coordinated feeder services, would provide improved access to the region for travelers, support economic development and land use priorities along the corridor, and provide access to other transit facilities. Furthermore, without convenient transit, low-wage workers will continue to face difficulty accessing jobs in the airport corridor.

In the short term, Port Authority should increase service on Route 28X to build demand for service in the corridor.

AIRPORTS

■ RECOMMENDATIONS

GOAL OF THE PLAN

An excellent multi-modal transportation network – integrated with the Future Land Use Plan – that:

■ Connects people to jobs ■ Supports mobility of existing communities ■ Provides efficient access to proposed airport development, and ■ Facilitates the movement of passengers and freight.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PLAN

The objectives of the Airports portion of the Transportation Plan are to:

A. Support Pittsburgh International Airport efforts to retain and increase passenger and air cargo connectivity to national and international destinations.

B. Support freight movements through safe and efficient air shipping practices.

C. Increase connectivity to and from Pittsburgh International Airport to Downtown Pittsburgh, Oakland and major population centers via a rapid transit system, and other modes and system improvements.

The following provides an understanding of the objectives.

A. Support PIT Efforts to Retain and Increase Passenger and Air Cargo Connectivity to National and International Destinations

The Airport area is very important to the County in terms of the economic development opportunities it has to offer. If Allegheny County wants to compete with other cities in attracting national and international companies to locate in our region, it is very important to have non-stop flights to Europe and West Coast destinations. This is a key selling point in getting people to come to the region for business or tourism.

Elimination of US Airways connecting hub at PIT has resulted in fewer flights and fewer direct connections for passengers at PIT. The reduction in US Airways activity at PIT has made the airport more attractive to other airlines, and lowered travel cost to passengers.

B. Support Freight Movements Through Safe and Efficient Air Shipping Practices

Pittsburgh International Airport is one of the County's major transportation assets. This facility has the capacity to handle millions more passengers per year. While air traffic is currently down, the Airport Authority has been marketing the airport to multiple airlines, as well as the air cargo market. The airport's goal is to attract additional freight carriers, or combination passenger and freight carriers. The County and its planning partners should continue to support the full utilization of the airport and its facilities, including cargo, and the goal of increasing connectivity to national and international destinations.

■ In an effort to expand air cargo business and to increase the region's international air service, PIT has committed to working with community leaders to support the area's cargo agencies.

C. Connectivity to and from PIT to Downtown Pittsburgh, Oakland, and Major Population Centers via a Rapid Transit System

The Airport area is very important to the County in terms of the economic development opportunities it offers. Projected development in the airport corridor requires support in terms of transportation investments for intermodal connections between the network of roadway, transit and freight facilities and other congestion reduction measures.

A future that includes rapid transit between the airport and Downtown is vital to the County. A direct connection from PIT to Downtown Pittsburgh, and on to Oakland, supports economic development plans, land use priorities and redevelopment opportunities along the corridor. Light rail transit can provide opportunities to rapidly connect to Oakland, North Shore and South Hills destinations. Please refer to the major Transit Recommendations found earlier in this section and the

CHAPTER 4

AIRPORTS

Future Land Use Plan (Chapter 4, Section A) for more information.

Several studies have recommended using existing rail corridors for future rapid transit, because construction and right-of-way costs can be lower when compared to a new alignment, but many other factors add into the final mix of factors for decision-making. Alternatives will be developed and assessed.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is an initial step toward development of LRT. A potential route is under consideration from Downtown to Oakland.

Robinson Town Center serves as a "western" intermodal and multi-modal hub to distribute commuters to employment centers, educational facilities and other destinations in western Allegheny County.

RAIL FREIGHT

■ TODAY’S CONDITIONS

More than 330 miles of rail lines cross Allegheny County. Historically, rail lines were built along the rivers and transported resources and finished products to and from the manufacturing facilities located there. Today, several railroads, such as the Union Railroad that serves the U.S. Steel Edgar Thompson Works in Braddock, still provide this type of service.

The major freight railroad routes in the County are owned by Norfolk Southern and CSX, which utilize the lines for their regional, national and international operations. The Norfolk Southern main line through the County is a link in its east-west line between Chicago and Baltimore, while CSX’s line connects Chicago, Philadelphia and New York.

The following lists the class and name of railroads located in Allegheny County.

⬚ figure

Photo credit: Kevin Smay

Class I Railroads

• CSX Transportation, Inc.
• Norfolk Southern

Class II Railroads

• Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad Company (Canadian National)
• Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad, Inc. (Genesee and Wyoming Railway)
• The Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway Company

Switching Lines

• Pittsburgh & Ohio Central Railroad Company (Genesee and Wyoming Railway)
• Allegheny Valley Railroad
• McKeesport Connecting Railroad Company
• Turtle Creek Industrial Railroad (Dura-Bond)
• Pittsburgh Allegheny & McKees Rocks Railroad Company
• Union Railroad Company

Over the past 20 years, rail activity has increased significantly in the U.S. and regionally due to the increased use of containers (COFC) and trailers (TOFC) on flat freight cars. Rail companies are feeling pressure to increase capacity on rail lines and ensure maintenance in order to meet the continuously increasing demand. In many cases, the “last mile” of roadways connecting to rail freight terminals are in disrepair or deficient in ways that make them insufficient to handle the freight traffic traveling on them to be loaded onto rail cars.

FUNDING

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission’s Freight Forum is working with railroads in the region to plan and fund infrastructure improvements. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s PA Rail Freight Assistance Program provides matching grants to railroads for projects which preserve essential rail freight service and stimulate economic development through new or expanded freight service. For 2011, the Governor’s budget included increased assistance to improve rail freight infrastructure. In addition, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania committed over $30 million in federal Tiger 1 program funds in 2010 for the vertical clearance of obstructions on the CSX rail line in southwestern Pennsylvania to complete a multi-state double stack clearance program for that major rail corridor.

CHAPTER 4

RAIL FREIGHT

■ ISSUES AND ANALYSIS

This section examines ways to facilitate improved rail freight operations in Allegheny County.

KEY CHALLENGES

In developing the Transportation Plan, the Transportation Resource Panel helped to identify these key challenges:

■ Need for double-stack capacity ■ Port Perry Rail Bridge capacity issues ■ How the increased volume of rail freight traffic impacts long-term passenger rail plans

The following provides an understanding of these issues.

LACK OF DOUBLE-STACK CAPACITY

Double stack clearance refers to a railway’s ability to carry two containers, one on top of the other, on a rail car. The ability to “double-stack” containers exponentially increases the carrying capacity of a given train. In order for a train to be able to carry double stack cars, the vertical clearance of all bridges, underpasses, and other obstacles must exceed 22 feet. The presence of one vertical obstruction means that the entire corridor is restricted to single stack capacity.

Due to steadily increasing volume of rail shipping, many raillines in Allegheny County have already been converted to double-stack capacity. Converting the remaining rail corridors is a priority in the region.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) supports the call for double stack clearance on all railways by imposing a 22 ft. vertical clearance requirement on all bridges and structures over active rail lines.

PORT PERRY RAIL BRIDGE CAPACITY ISSUES

The Port Perry Rail Bridge is a key connection crossing the Monongahela River. It carries Norfolk Southern rail traffic into and out of the Pitcairn Intermodal Facility. The bridge connection is single track rail, which significantly impacts the volume of goods that can travel through the area and increases travel time for the railroads. Trains must wait substantial amounts of time for opposing rail traffic to clear the bridge. The bridge at Port Perry is a “pinch point” which slows traffic and negatively affects productivity.

INCREASED VOLUME OF RAIL FREIGHT TRAFFIC IMPACTS LONG-TERM TRANSIT EXPANSION PLANS

Many proposed passenger rail investments and plans for expansion of existing fixed guideway facilities involve the idea of using existing railroad rights-of-way. It will be critical to coordinate with the railroads to determine where joint use may be possible and what rail expansion or reduction plans are being discussed, as transit plans progress. Railroads will want to maintain access to rail line facilities and capacity as moving freight via rail becomes an increasingly viable and cost-effective option for freight movement. In an era of exploding oil and gas prices, and with ever-decreasing highway capacity due to increased traffic, rail becomes more and more desirable.

■ RECOMMENDATIONS

GOAL OF THE PLAN

An excellent multi-modal transportation network – integrated with the Future Land Use Plan – that:

■ Connects people to jobs ■ Supports mobility of existing communities ■ Provides efficient access to proposed development, and ■ Facilitates the movement of goods and freight.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PLAN

The objectives of the Rail portion of the Transportation Plan are to:

RAIL FREIGHT

A. Support freight movements through safe and efficient truck and rail intermodal connectivity and systems as well as with multi-modal facilities.

B. Increase rail safety at interfaces with people and with other transportation modes.

C. Support increased movement of goods by rail to free road capacity, and increase road capacity by supporting rail freight initiatives.

The following provides an understanding of the objectives.

A. Support Freight Movements Through Safe and Efficient Intermodal Connectivity

The preservation of existing and future rail corridors in Allegheny County is a critical need for the region. As congestion on the region’s highways continues to increase, freight movement by rail can be a viable alternative to trucking. Improving existing intermodal centers and developing others in key locations are fundamental to efficient future freight movement. Road access to the Pitcairn Intermodal Center (a Norfolk Southern facility) should be improved to allow efficient transfer of freight to and from the trains. In addition, the elimination of the pinch point at Port Perry should be investigated and supported.

B. Increase Rail Safety

The interface between rail and other modes of travel is a source of accidents. Elimination of at-grade crossings should be pursued by railroad companies throughout the County. Eliminating at-grade crossings will result not only in improved safety but assist with making rail movements more efficient. Increasing pedestrian safety at rail crossings is also very important.

C. Support Increased Movement of Goods by Rail

Shipping via our rail infrastructure can provide shippers with cost-effective and efficient transportation, especially for heavy and bulky commodities. In terms of cost-

effective energy use, rail engines are more fuel efficient than trucks. In terms of time savings, rail can also provide a more efficient travel time for freight companies as well as the added benefit of increasing capacity on the roadways by reducing the number of trucks using the roadway network. This is of particular importance in light of the projected increase in freight traffic over the next 10-15 years.

The energy industry (including coal, oil, and natural gas) has dramatically increased the volume of rail traffic especially for frack sand and liquid gas. Along the Parkway West (I-279) the Rook Yard (a Wheeling & Lake Erie facility) has experienced increased activity and expansion due to shale-related needs.

CHAPTER 4

WATERWAYS

■ TODAY’S CONDITIONS

Allegheny County has significant water transportation resources for personal, commercial and recreational travel, and for freight shipment.

PORT OF PITTSBURGH

The Port of Pittsburgh continues to be one of the busiest ports in the nation. It’s a vital element in an expansive and expanding transportation network that provides Allegheny County businesses with access to regional and global markets.

⬚ figure

Photo credit: McCormick Taylor

Each year the Port of Pittsburgh moves approximately $8 billion worth of goods and contributes more than 45,000 jobs in southwestern Pennsylvania. Nearly 250,000 jobs in the region rely on the maintenance of a reliable river transportation system. The primary commodities moving through the Port include coal, sand and gravel, limestone, scrap, chemicals and primary manufactured goods (such as alloys, fabricated metal products, lime, cement and glass). The Port encompasses a number of terminals, as shown in Table 4I.13.

The Port of Pittsburgh is the second busiest inland port in the United States.

According to the Port of Pittsburgh Commission, Pittsburgh is the third largest inland port in the nation. Based on 2011 data from the US Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh is the third busiest inland port in the nation and the 21st busiest port, of any kind, in the nation. Pittsburgh handles more tonnage than Philadelphia, Seattle, and Chicago. The more than 34 million tons of cargo the Port of Pittsburgh ships and receives each year equates to an annual benefit to the region of more than $873 million.

LOCKS AND DAMS

Within Allegheny County, there are seven locks and dams that facilitate the movement of raw materials and goods to end users and there are intermodal facilities for transfer to other modes of transportation. Table 4I.14 shows the existing system of locks and dams.

If one of the locks or dams in Allegheny County became inoperable, it would take 700 trucks per day seven days a week to move the freight that would have otherwise been carried on the rivers over the same period of time.

PASSENGER SERVICE

The Gateway Clipper is a private company offering excursion cruises on the Three Rivers, and has what is believed to be the largest inland riverboat fleet in the country. The Gateway Clipper also offers a passenger river shuttle that operates in a loop from Station Square to the North Shore’s Heinz Field, PNC Park and Carnegie Science Center and back, stopping at the Point along the way.

MARINAS

Throughout the County there are numerous marinas and boat docks for private boat owners. In recent years, there has been an increase in locations for kayak rentals and launches along the rivers and on local park lakes.

WATERWAYS

TABLE 4I.13 - Location of Public, For Hire River Terminals in Allegheny County

RDB - Right Descending Bank, LDB - Left Descending Bank

TABLE 4I.14 - Locks and Dams in Allegheny County

Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

CHAPTER 4

WATERWAYS

■ ISSUES AND ANALYSIS

This section examines ways to ensure the continued viability of waterway transportation in Allegheny County.

KEY CHALLENGES

In developing the Transportation Plan, the Transportation Resource Panel helped to identify these key challenges:

• Condition of existing Lock and Dam system
• ‘Last Mile’ of local roadways in freight corridors
• Underutilized river system for water taxis and transit
• Need more marinas boat launches to facilitate access to rivers

The following provides an understanding of these issues.

CONDITION OF EXISTING LOCK AND DAM SYSTEM

The condition of the lock and dam system is deteriorating quickly due to its age. A failure of any one of the locks and dams could cause severe impacts to the local and regional economy and to the regional transportation system. If a shut down of the lock and dam system occurs, it will be difficult to accommodate freight on the roadway system. To put it in perspective, if one of the locks or dams became inoperable, it would take 700 trucks a day seven days a week to move the freight that would have otherwise been carried on the rivers over the same period of time. The condition and cost to operate locks and dams in Allegheny County is shown in the following section.

Allegheny River Lock and Dam 2: Average cost to operate and maintain Lock 2 at an acceptable level of risk is $4.0 million per year. Lock 2 was built in 1934. It is a single chamber lock and any failure will effectively close the river beyond it to navigation until repairs are made.

Allegheny River CW Bill Young Lock and Dam: Average cost to operate and maintain this lock at an acceptable level of risk is $3.1 million per year. This lock was built in 1934. It is a single chamber lock and any failure will effectively close the river beyond it to navigation until repairs are made.

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Photo credit: McCormick Taylor

Allegheny River Lock and Dam 4: Average cost to operate and maintain Lock 4 at an acceptable level of risk is $1.7 million per year. Lock 2 was built between 1920 and 1927, making it almost 90 years old. It is a single chamber lock and any failure will effectively close the river beyond it to navigation until repairs are made.

Monongahela River Braddock Locks and Dam: While the dam is new, the locks were built in 1906 and rehabbed in 1953. The average cost to operate and maintain Braddock Locks at an acceptable level risk is $3.6 million per year.

Monongahela River Locks and Dam 3 at Elizabeth: Dam 3 is scheduled for removal upon completion of the reconstruction of the Charleroi Locks. Locks and Dam 3 were built in 1907 and rehabbed in 1967. In addition to the costs of emergency repairs, it is costing $3.2 million per year to operate and maintain a set of locks and a dam that should have been removed in 2003. According to the Corps of Engineers, “Locks and Dam 3 are highly unreliable and threaten to halt navigation on the Monongahela River at any time. The dam was in a progressive stage of failure in 2006 and 2007. Emergency repairs, expected to last for 5 to 10 years, were completed in 2007 and 2008. The locks at Lock and Dam 3 are also highly unreliable. Many of the components of the

WATERWAYS

locks filling and emptying system are out of service and the landwall filling/emptying flume is severely deteriorated.”

Ohio River, Emsworth Locks and Dams: The Corps of Engineers describes the Emsworth Dams as presently being in an exigent situation. Temporary, emergency repairs to the erosion protection downstream of the dams were completed in January 2005 to fix 10-foot-deep scour holes- -65 percent of the erosion protection was in a failed state. Due to the extreme corroded state of the dam gates, failure of any one of the seven lift gates yet to be replaced would most likely cause a portion of the stilling basin to fail and possibly undermine the dam. The systems are proven to be unreliable due to multiple failures within the past four years. The dams have been categorized as Dam Safety Action Class 1, urgent and compelling. The Emsworth Locks and Dams are the oldest project on the Ohio River, having been completed in 1922. The average cost for operation and maintenance is $4.0 million per year and the cost for the Major Rehabilitation was last updated at $168.3 million.

Ohio River, Dashields Locks and Dam: Dashields was built in 1929 and costs $4.4 million per year to operate and maintain. The locks are in a debilitated condition and work was authorized in 2011 to stabilize a lock wall that is at risk of falling into the river. The work has not begun due to a closed township road barring access to the work site.

‘LAST MILE’ OF LOCAL ROADWAYS IN FREIGHT CORRIDORS

Local roadways in the freight corridors often do not have the capacity to handle the type and amount of vehicles accessing river ports, such as large trucks that have wide turning radii. ‘Last mile’ of roadways refers to the local roadways that connect the river ports with the interstate and arterial roadways system. These routes should be signed to assist drivers to efficiently move freight.

UNDERUTILIZED RIVER SYSTEM FOR WATER TAXIS AND TRANSIT

Due to recent riverfront developments, an opportunity exists to develop a river taxi system as an alternative to commute to Downtown Pittsburgh and to link key attractions in Station Square, North Shore, the Strip District and Downtown.

An assessment should be completed to see if river transit is a viable option now that there is more of a concentration of development.

NEED MORE MARINAS AND BOAT LAUNCHES

The rivers are a wonderful resource for the residents of Allegheny County. Additional marinas and boat launches should be developed in appropriate places to provide more people the opportunity to enjoy the rivers as well as to handle more cargo loading and multi-modal connectivity.

■ RECOMMENDATIONS

GOAL OF THE PLAN

An excellent multi-modal transportation network – integrated with the Future Land Use Plan – that:

• Connects people to jobs
• Supports mobility of existing communities
• Provides efficient access to proposed development, and
• Facilitates the movement of goods and freight.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PLAN

The objectives of the Waterways portion of the Transportation Plan are to:

A. Support freight movements through safe and efficient water systems.

B. Provide access to the rivers for commercial and recreation uses.

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WATERWAYS

The following provides an understanding of the objectives.

A. Support Freight Movements Through Safe and Efficient Water Systems

The Three Rivers provide a major means of freight movement. The preservation of the rivers’ system of locks and dams that are managed by the Army Corps of Engineers is critical to keep freight moving. The age and condition of the system is a major maintenance concern. Funding is available at the federal level, but not at levels sufficient to rehabilitate the system in the near future. To alleviate concerns and to ensure freight continues to move along the rivers, local representatives need to urge Congress to appropriate sufficient funding for the maintenance and rehabilitation of southwestern Pennsylvania’s system of locks and dams.

B. Access to the Rivers for Commercial and Recreational Uses

The Three Rivers and adjacent brownfields also provide a source of developable land and recreation. These areas are being opened up for uses that include mixed-use centers, office parks, retail centers, recreational centers and trails. Allegheny County and organizations such as Riverlife Task Force and Friends of the Riverfront are using the rivers to revitalize areas of the County that have been neglected and have historically been industrial uses in the past. Homestead’s Waterfront development and the City of Pittsburgh’s South Side Works are two examples of developments that utilize brownfields and their proximity to the river to their advantage. Trails have been incorporated into the developments to encourage alternative modes of travel as well as recreation. Additional development of marinas and public boat launches will provide the residents of Allegheny County with access to the rivers.