BRT is top priority for local officials (Pittsburgh, Progress: 2014, apartments)

[tyovan4]

Allegheny County’s top transportation priority in the new decade is completion within the next four years of a $225 million express bus system linking Pittsburgh’s Downtown with Oakland and points east, officials say.

Construction of the Port Authority’s Bus Rapid Transit system is scheduled to begin in 2021. Officials had hoped to start work this year but are waiting to see if the federal government approves the Port Authority’s application for a $99.5 million transportation grant.

https://triblive.com/local/pittsburg...cal-officials/

About 390,000 people work in the city, about 66% of those jobs are in the BRT corridor, according to the Port Authority.

But how many of these workers will actually be helped by the BRT?
My job is downtown, but I'm not going to be helped by this. I'm going to be hurt by this.
My ex lives in Shaler and works in Oakland. How is this going to help her? It could help her take a bus from Oakland to Downtown easily, but then she'd still have to deal with the limited transit connection to Shaler.

In my opinion, this is a very East-End-centric project. And this is a Potemkin Village to demonstrate Pittsburgh's 'Progressiveness'. And this will advance gentrification and displacement of African-Americans from the Hill and from Uptown.

Those folks who live in the suburbs, in areas not well-served by public transit, will be left to deal with crippling congestion and ever more expensive parking.
Perhaps commuters from the South Hills who work in Oakland will benefit - they could take the T to downtown and then transfer to BRT to get to Oakland. But those folks already have the benefit of the T. This project does nothing for the communities to the north.

I can't see this project benefiting the region as a holistic whole.

The Highland Park and Hazelwood branch lines will not have dedicated BRT lanes, but will permit buses to get through traffic lights before regular traffic.

This seems like a recipe for accidents to happen.. particularly when Pittsburghers already have a penchant for running red lights and when traffic enforcement is a joke.

Traffic now runs one way into Downtown with an existing bus lane running in the opposite direction. Brandolph said the bus lane would be converted to a dedicated bike lane running from Oakland to Diamond Street near the old Allegheny County Jail, Downtown, and buses would run in the same direction as traffic along a new dedicated bus lane. The new bus lane will require the removal of street parking in spots along the route, he said.

Ok..... the bus lane presently begins on Fifth at Jumonville/Wyandotte heading contra-flow into Oakland.
So that lane will now be a bike lane - which means that all on-street parking will necessarily now be lost along the south-side of Fifth from Jumonville to Diamond St, in order to accommodate the expansion of this new bike lane. So this leaves two lanes of traffic and a parking lane.. but the BRT lane needs to go in there somewhere too.. so either a lane of traffic will be lost, or all parking along the north-side of Fifth will also necessarily be lost??

Why not utilize Watson Street for the bike lane?? Or why is the bike lane even necessary if the bus system is going to be so awesome and if the buses can transport the bikes?

Or is the purpose of the bike lanes going to an enticement to build more luxury apartments (a la The Flats on Fifth) and enable their wealthy new residents to bike to their jobs downtown or in Oakland or at the expanded Mercy campus?

The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority also plans to replace a water main on Forbes and Fifth that’s more than a century old in places, according to spokesman Will Pickering. He said the work would be completed before the BRT project starts to prevent future problems.

I suppose its wise to do this, so that the road won't need to be ripped up again after work for BRT is done. It does make sense to deal with under the surface maintenance before investing in new above ground improvements.

Fitzgerald and Peduto said the BRT system would complement existing business and institutions along the route and spur development, particularly in Pittsburgh’s Uptown neighborhood and on the 28-acre former Civic Arena site in the Lower Hill District.

That's laughable. This BRT system is the Gentrification Express.

[Independentthinking83]

Originally Posted by tyovan4

But how many of these workers will actually be helped by the BRT?
My job is downtown, but I'm not going to be helped by this. I'm going to be hurt by this.
My ex lives in Shaler and works in Oakland. How is this going to help her? It could help her take a bus from Oakland to Downtown easily, but then she'd still have to deal with the limited transit connection to Shaler.

In my opinion, this is a very East-End-centric project. And this is a Potemkin Village to demonstrate Pittsburgh's 'Progressiveness'. And this will advance gentrification and displacement of African-Americans from the Hill and from Uptown.

Those folks who live in the suburbs, in areas not well-served by public transit, will be left to deal with crippling congestion and ever more expensive parking.
Perhaps commuters from the South Hills who work in Oakland will benefit - they could take the T to downtown and then transfer to BRT to get to Oakland. But those folks already have the benefit of the T. This project does nothing for the communities to the north.

I can't see this project benefiting the region as a holistic whole.



This seems like a recipe for accidents to happen.. particularly when Pittsburghers already have a penchant for running red lights and when traffic enforcement is a joke.



Ok..... the bus lane presently begins on Fifth at Jumonville/Wyandotte heading contra-flow into Oakland.
So that lane will now be a bike lane - which means that all on-street parking will necessarily now be lost along the south-side of Fifth from Jumonville to Diamond St, in order to accommodate the expansion of this new bike lane. So this leaves two lanes of traffic and a parking lane.. but the BRT lane needs to go in there somewhere too.. so either a lane of traffic will be lost, or all parking along the north-side of Fifth will also necessarily be lost??

Why not utilize Watson Street for the bike lane?? Or why is the bike lane even necessary if the bus system is going to be so awesome and if the buses can transport the bikes?

Or is the purpose of the bike lanes going to an enticement to build more luxury apartments (a la The Flats on Fifth) and enable their wealthy new residents to bike to their jobs downtown or in Oakland or at the expanded Mercy campus?



I suppose its wise to do this, so that the road won't need to be ripped up again after work for BRT is done. It does make sense to deal with under the surface maintenance before investing in new above ground improvements.



That's laughable. This BRT system is the Gentrification Express.

You have it all figured out. However, I will believe this when I see it. The BRT has been in discussion since 2011. We are now in the 2020s. They expect to have a huge chunk of this paid with federal grant money. Here is the January 2014 article from the city paper.

I think it is poor and wasteful use of transit dollars. They should be using current infrastructure in place and do a full scale plan to move everybody throughout the county. 900,000 of the 1.2 million residents live outside of the city and have poor transit access. It would satisfy a small but vocal group of people.

https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsbu...nt?oid=1725858

Typical... the region always wanting to put the cart before the horse. the utility lines are out of date and needing replaced. Wouldn’t it make since to put in and upgrade utility lines underground first before spending millions on a busway? Business and residential need reliable and up to date utilities. A bus line is worthless if I’m a business owner and my water and electric service is unreliable.

250 million can replace a lot of lead water lines in the city.


https://www.wesa.fm/post/how-what-s-...s-brt#stream/0

[bradjl2009]

Next to none of the Hill District is within a reasonable walking distance to the BRT project...

[tyovan4]

Originally Posted by bradjl2009

Next to none of the Hill District is within a reasonable walking distance to the BRT project...

What do you think a reasonable walking distance would be?
I walk from Fourth Avenue to Dinwiddie every single day, twice a day. I am in the neighborhood of which I speak every single day. After I get to my car, I drive through the Hill to Herron Ave every single day.

goodjules sees the development potential in the Hill. Those of us who spend time in the neighborhood see the potential. https://www.city-data.com/forum/55766723-post16.html

The BRT, and the concurrent expansion of Mercy Hospital, are going to gentrify Uptown.
From there, it's a hop skip and a jump into Crawford-Roberts and the Middle Hill. Lower Hill is build-out and safe. Upper Hill (the portion east of Herron) has a completely different feel to the rest of the Hill and is still an intact neighborhood. The Middle Hill sits in the center of it all - the best location in the City. Easy access to Downtown, the Strip, Oakland, South Side, Lawrenceville, Bloomfield.. great views. PLENTY of already flat and already empty lots. Prime spot for development and gentrification.

This home sold on Roberts Street.. in the heart of the Middle Hill. $1.25 million.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/8...64546699_zpid/

It's happening. Maybe the BRT isn't going to directly cause the gentrification of the Middle Hill - but its gonna knock over a few other dominoes that will most certainly contribute to the gentrification of the Middle Hill.

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by tyovan4

What do you think a reasonable walking distance would be?
I walk from Fourth Avenue to Dinwiddie every single day, twice a day. I am in the neighborhood of which I speak every single day. After I get to my car, I drive through the Hill to Herron Ave every single day.

For walking to a bus stop, about a half mile for the average person. Less than that if there's a steep hill involved. According to Google Map's definition of the Middle Hill, the closet point is Centre at Dinwiddle and that's nearly a half mile from Fifth Ave. Literally no one is going to move to the Middle Hill because of BRT. The Hill has bus service already. People aren't going to walk over a half mile when there's bus stop for another bus only a block away. Other reasons you mentioned very well could cause development to happen, but BRT isn't it.

[Independentthinking83]

It really means nothing unless they are awarded the federal money. It has been discussed for the better part of the decade. No ground breaking yet. It won’t happen if the feds don’t subsidize it. Pittsburgh already got a big transit grant the last 20 years. A billion dollar tunnel to the north side.

Plus there is a lot of opposition to the BRT. If approved it will funnel all the transportation from the mon valley with a mandatory stop in Oakland. Black communities will be the ones suffering. Read the link. This is bad public policy. Hopefully those with a disability sue the port authority if this is approved.

https://www.pittsburghforpublictrans...rapid-transit/

[bluecarebear]

The BRT will benefit the Asian neighborhoods of Oakland, Squirrel Hill, and Shadyside. This isn't 2008. I embrace the increasing diversity of Pittsburgh.

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by Independentthinking83

Typical... the region always wanting to put the cart before the horse. the utility lines are out of date and needing replaced. Wouldn’t it make since to put in and upgrade utility lines underground first before spending millions on a busway? Business and residential need reliable and up to date utilities. A bus line is worthless if I’m a business owner and my water and electric service is unreliable.

WESA recently covered this. They interviewed the people responsible for various underground infrastructure who said the project presents a golden opportunity to repair and/or replace water, sewer lines.
http://bit.ly/39IzDYo

[fleetiebelle]

Originally Posted by tyovan4

But how many of these workers will actually be helped by the BRT?
.

The BRT would actually be a game changer in my taking public transportation to work vs. clogging up the road with my single occupancy car. As it is now, I can take the T downtown in 15-20 minutes, but it can take up to an hour by bus to get to my job in Oakland. If BRT can half that commute, I'd be able to save money on parking and wear on my car.

[wpipkins2]

Originally Posted by bradjl2009

Next to none of the Hill District is within a reasonable walking distance to the BRT project...

The Lincoln.has frequent service seven days a week. The Hill is serviced by several other buses including a loop/tripper within the community.