On March 1, 1964, the Port Authority of Allegheny County assumed the operations and acquired the assets of Pittsburgh Railways and 32 other transit companies in the Pittsburgh region. Port Authority immediately began to modernize the existing bus system and initiated its rapid transit development program.

In the 1960s, area elected officials, community leaders and local policy makers were responding to the challenge of improving the urban transportation infrastructure by initiating development of a program for rapid transit. Titled the Early Action Program (EAP), the initiative included a proposal for replacing the region’s 100-year-old streetcar lines with a new transit technology, as well as implementation of Pittsburgh’s first two busways. The EAP included the following elements:

• Skybus – A newly developed technology in the 1960s, skybus was proposed to replace a portion of Pittsburgh’s streetcar lines. This technology was later the impetus for a number of people-mover projects in various cities, including the people-mover technology currently in use at the Pittsburgh International Airport.
• South Busway – An exclusive bus roadway, opened in 1977, connecting Route 51 from the Overbrook section of Pittsburgh to Downtown Pittsburgh at Station Square. At a distance of 4.3 miles, the South Busway is the oldest operating busway facility in the United States.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway – With planning and community involvement that took place in the 1970s, interest for an exclusive bus roadway from Downtown Pittsburgh to the eastern suburbs of Allegheny County was growing. That interest turned into the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway which extended 6.8 miles from Downtown Pittsburgh to the Borough of Wilkinsburg. The facility opened for operations in 1983. In June 2003, a 2.3-mile extension of the East Busway from Wilkinsburg to the Borough of Swissvale opened for service.

In the late 1970s, as a result of evolving public concerns, the skybus proposal was replaced by a light rail transit initiative to reconstruct Pittsburgh’s streetcar lines in the South Hills into a modern light rail transit system. This decision came out of studies performed in the 1970s that also evaluated the feasibility of bus rapid transit.

In addition to allocating funds for whatever mode was selected in the South Hills, the U.S. Department of Transportation provided financial support, along with matching funds from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Allegheny County, for the two busway elements of the EAP. With funding and proposals in hand, design and construction of the two busways began, and the South Busway opened in 1977 and the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway in 1983.

In 1975, Port Authority began sponsoring the PATrain, a commuter rail service from Downtown Pittsburgh to Versailles, operated by the Chessie System. In addition to covering operating expenses, Port Authority upgraded the locomotives and passenger cars.

In December 1980, a groundbreaking was held for the Authority’s Stage I Light Rail Transit Program, which incorporated introduction of modern light rail transit travel to Pittsburgh along the old trolley routes. It also included the construction of Pittsburgh’s first subway, the groundbreaking for which was held in October 1981.

In April 1984, the first portion of the T opened between South Hills Village and Castle Shannon. In July 1985, the downtown subway and the line between downtown and South Hills Junction opened. The remaining section, from South Hills Junction to Castle Shannon, opened in May 1987. Light rail service continued to expand in 1988, as the Penn Park Station opened in June and the Library Line re-opened in December of the same year.

In the late 1980s, many projects were in the planning stages, including an extension of the T to Oakland, Squirrel Hill and the North Side (an initiative known as the Spine Line); an extension of the East Busway; improvements to the T system (now called the Stage II Light Rail Transit Project); and a busway from Downtown Pittsburgh to the Borough of Carnegie.

Although several projects were being planned, the discontinuation of the PATrain was imminent. After 14 years in service, this commuter rail service to the Mon Valley was replaced with buses after a detailed analysis and rider survey showed there was no practical way to reduce the train’s high taxpayer subsidies. Sharp declines in population and economic activity in the Mon Valley also limited the potential for this service.

New High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, constructed by PENNDOT, opened in the median of the North Hills Expressway (I-279) in October 1989. Port Authority began using the lanes to provide rapid transit bus service to the northern suburbs of Allegheny County.

As the studies progressed, so did the Authority’s ongoing light rail improvement program. In 1993, the Authority opened the Allentown Line that serves Mt. Washington, Beltzhoover and the Allentown sections of Pittsburgh.

At the end of 1994, Port Authority awarded a contract to prepare a Major Investment Study/Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Spine Line project. The project involved extending the light rail system to the North Side, Downtown, Hill District and Oakland. Early in 1995, the Authority held public meetings to present the transit improvement alternatives to the public.

After a new Port Authority Board determined in 1996 that it would not pursue the Spine Line, the City of Pittsburgh and Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission in 1997 initiated the public planning process for the portion of the Spine Line project that would connect Downtown Pittsburgh with the North Shore. After completing a major investment study, the North Shore Connector project, a light rail extension from Downtown Pittsburgh to the North Shore of the Allegheny River with a short extension within downtown to the new convention center – obtained considerable public interest. This light rail initiative was also endorsed in the Pittsburgh Downtown Plan that was issued by the City of Pittsburgh.

For the next several years, major milestones from the Early Action Program and other capital projects (called the Port Authority Capital Improvement Program) were celebrated. The groundbreaking for the West Busway/Wabash HOV Facility took place in 1994. Ground was broken in 1999 for the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway Extension. A groundbreaking for the reconstruction of the Overbrook Line, the first major element of the Stage II LRT Project, was held in April 2000.

After years of successful construction, the West Busway opened for service in September 2000. The East Busway Extension opened in June 2003. Stage II will open in June 2004. Also, the ribbon was cut in November 2000 on the First Avenue Station, part of the Authority’s Stage II program and the first new light rail station to open in Downtown Pittsburgh in 13 years.

Port Authority received approval from the Federal Transit Administration on the Final Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the North Shore Connector in April 2002. This project would extend the downtown subway from the Gateway Station under the Allegheny River to serve two new stations on the North Shore, the North Shore Station and the Allegheny Station, and include an extension from Steel Plaza Station to serve a new station at the Convention Center. Final design for this project is expected to conclude in the summer of 2004.

Why did Port Authority select busways? How did busways come about?

The idea for developing exclusive roadways for buses, or busways, came about in the 1960s as a response to increasing congestion on urban roadways. With the demand for improvements to transportation prevalent, several cities across the United States started investigating various means of enhancing the nation’s public transportation infrastructure. In the 1970s, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh were the first U.S. cities to begin implementing busway facilities.

Port Authority’s Early Action Program (EAP) proposed a comprehensive system of light rail and busway projects. With uncertainty regarding the feasibility of new light rail technology and decisions pending regarding whether to convert the 100-year-old streetcar system to light rail, the busway elements of the EAP proceeded, resulting in advancement of the East Busway and South Busway projects.

Thus, when federal and state agencies approved the busway elements of the program, and federal, state and local funding was available, those two projects proceeded toward implementation. As a result, Port Authority proceeded with final planning and design on the East Busway and began construction of the South Busway.

Port Authority of Allegheny County is an international pioneer in the development and advancement of bus rapid transit facilities, technology and service. Port Authority currently owns, operates and maintains three busway facilities – the oldest being the South Busway which opened in 1977.

How do ideas for transit projects, like the T and busways, advance to implementation?

There is a federally-prescribed public planning process that is commonly required to implement major public transportation projects.

During an Alternatives Analysis (AA) study, corridors within a specified area are identified for further study, the need for improvements is established, and public transit improvements and projects are recommended. Extensive public input is sought and incorporated into the study’s findings. Recommendations from the AA study that are low cost and with minimal community and environmental impacts can usually proceed directly to implementation, once funding for them is secured. This phase can take one to three years to complete.

If the AA study recommends major projects for further analysis, the next phase of the planning process may begin, which is the preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). This phase evaluates environmental factors, ridership, operational costs and engineering feasibility. The proposed alignments are further refined. Extensive public participation and feedback is sought and incorporated into the study’s findings. A document is produced and sent to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for approval, with the study area’s locally preferred alignment and mode identified. Prior to federal approval of the locally preferred alternative, it must be added to the region’s Long-Range Transportation Plan and Transportation Improvement Program. This phase can take two to five years to complete.

After the DEIS process and FTA approval, more in-depth engineering and environmental studies are conducted and the locally preferred alternative is further refined. Construction mitigation measures are also evaluated. This stage is called the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). Public input is sought and incorporated into this document. This phase can take one to three years to complete.

The FTA conducts a review of the completed FEIS, and if deemed eligible, issues the green light for the project to proceed into final design. Property acquisition also begins at that time. In the DEIS and FEIS phases, strong local support, effective land use coordination, a credible financing plan and clearly identified project benefits are some of the keys to federal approval. This phase can take two to four years to complete.

After final design is complete and property purchased, construction can begin. Construction of a major project can take two to five years to complete.

The length of time it takes to complete any one of these phases is dependent upon several factors, including availability of funding, public support for the project, complexity of the project and environmental issues.

What is the service approach used in operating on busways?

Various types of bus service can be operated on busway facilities. Buses can operate on the busway by stopping at every station to pick up or drop off passengers (all-stops service), much as any rail rapid transit system would do. The buses only serve the stations on the busway, which people can access via other transit routes or their cars from one of the park and ride lots. These same buses can then operate in the downtown area on a variety of city streets to provide service to a myriad of destinations.

Due to the success of the all-stops service, skip-stop service was also added to the operations plan for Port Authority’s busways. This type of service affords customers who board vehicles on the busways at more distant or congested stops a faster commute to and from Downtown Pittsburgh, as buses travel without stopping at all stations along the busway. With this type of service, the buses only serve the stations on the busway.

Routes that operate in suburban communities or city neighborhoods also can travel to Downtown Pittsburgh or Oakland using the busway. These routes can access the busway at ramps that connect the facility to local streets. This service allows customers to stay on their bus for a convenient one-seat ride to their destination rather than transferring at a busway station. With express service, buses do not pick up passengers at the busway stations, providing a non-stop, traffic-free commute along the busway. A variety of express service offers the opportunity, if necessary, for customers to be discharged at special stops at any of the busway stations on the inbound trips and picked up on outbound trips from the city – allowing people who live in the suburbs or outer neighborhoods access to the neighborhoods along the busway.

In addition, there are some buses that only circulate within community neighborhoods and provide customers with convenient access to the busway. At the busway, customers can then transfer to buses that provide service into Oakland or Downtown Pittsburgh. This is called feeder or connecting service.

Service on Port Authority’s busways is operated utilizing a variety of commercial transit buses. These buses utilize clean diesel fuel. The Authority also operates a limited number of natural gas buses. Hybrid diesel electric buses, a new technology that features a small electric motor that operates in tandem with a smaller diesel engine, are on order.

Can development occur along public transit guideways?

In addition to serving travel demand, public transit plays a key role in shaping how and where development flourishes. Public transit provides access to employment, economic centers, entertainment, recreation and housing among other opportunities. As such, public transit is vital to the success of a variety of different types of development.

For example, during the 1980s, when the second major wave of new development was being undertaken in Downtown Pittsburgh, the Stage I LRT and the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway were added to the area’s transportation system, providing capacity to serve the new markets. From the 1980s to the 1990s, subsequent to the opening of the East Busway, more than $300 million of new development and re-development occurred in the vicinity of the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway. Development continues to occur along the East Busway. More recently, two new bank operations centers opened near downtown LRT stations. There are many other examples throughout the region of development associated with transit. Port Authority continually looks for opportunities to partner with local and state development agencies on ways to maximize development and public transportation.

Also there have been several reports from various transit authorities around the country that have conducted assessments of their facilities and have also witnessed new and redeveloped businesses and/or housing flourish near public transit stops and facilities.

What process is being used to promote new development and re-development along LRT and busways?

Port Authority and other transit operators have a strong, long-term commitment to work with developers and local communities on development initiatives throughout the region. In 2001, Port Authority and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), in partnership with the Heinz Endowments, Port of Pittsburgh Commission, Steel Industry Heritage Corporation, the region’s public transit agencies and a variety of other community partners, embarked on a regional vision to identify transportation needs and recommend transportation improvements for Southwestern Pennsylvania.

The Strategic Regional Transit Visioning Study, entitled "20/20 Vision," incorporates ideas and suggestions from residents, elected officials, community and business leaders, transportation agencies, employers and employees from Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Washington and Westmoreland counties into a detailed plan which outlines the roles that public transportation and smart growth can play in shaping our region.

The 20/20 Vision proposes creative land use and development strategies and a mixture of rapid transit, fixed-route bus services and other public transit services and amenities that could enhance smart growth and connect people to recreation, economic and employment centers within the nine-county region. The results of this study, along with an extensive initiative to promote the benefits of and explain transit-oriented development, will soon be published and will greatly enhance land-use planning initiatives throughout the nine-county region.

Are there any new transit projects on the horizon in the Pittsburgh region?

Port Authority is currently examining opportunities to enhance its bus and light rail service throughout the region. Studies are currently underway to expand or build either busway or light rail systems in the eastern, northern and western sections of Allegheny County. There also is public support for a commuter rail service linking Allegheny and Westmoreland counties via the Allegheny Valley Railroad along the Allegheny River.

Port Authority, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PENNDOT) and Maglev, Inc. are the public sponsors for the Pennsylvania High-Speed Maglev Project, a proposed 54-mile magnetic levitation transportation facility connecting the Pittsburgh International Airport, Downtown Pittsburgh, Monroeville and Greensburg, Pa.

Several transportation and transit studies which will shape the next wave of public transportation projects for the region are now concluding. The 20/20 Vision Study, Eastern Corridor Transit Study, High-Speed Maglev EIS, and the Airport Multimodal Study, all enriched with a significant amount of public input, propose various ideas for improvements to public transportation and/or projects that consist of light rail, commuter rail or busway extensions, enhancements, or new facilities.