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Downtown‐Uptown‐Oakland‐East End Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project

The proposed project will connect Downtown Pittsburgh with Uptown, Oakland, and other East End neighborhoods. It includes changes to both physical infrastructure and transit operations along the Downtown‐Uptown‐Oakland portion of the corridor (BRT Core) along with changes to transit operations and stations in the East End portion of the corridor – Highland Park, Squirrel

Hill, and the East Busway. Capital improvements proposed as part of this project include: dedicated lanes, bus bump‐outs, enhanced/branded stations, traffic signals, battery electric, branded buses and supporting infrastructure, and dedicated bicycle facilities. The total cost of the project in 2017 dollars is estimated to be $186.7 million with a total cost over the lifetime of

the project at approximately $195.5 million.

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DOWNTOWN - UPTOWN – OAKLAND – EAST END BUS RAPID TRANSIT PROJECT

PROJECT FINANCIAL STRATEGY

URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF PITTSBURGH, ALLEGHENY COUNTY, CITY OF PITTSBURGH AND PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY

PITTSBURGH, PA

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Project Description

The proposed project will connect Downtown Pittsburgh with Uptown, Oakland, and other East End neighborhoods. It includes changes to both physical infrastructure and transit operations along the Downtown-Uptown-Oakland portion of the corridor (BRT Core) along with changes to transit operations and stations in the East End portion of the corridor – Highland Park, Squirrel Hill, and the East Busway. Figure 1 and Figure 2 illustrate the proposed infrastructure and routing changes, respectively, and are further discussed below.

Infrastructure

The BRT Core corridor alignment would extend east from Liberty Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh to Neville Street at Centre Avenue in North Oakland, primarily using Fifth and Forbes Avenues. Dedicated transit lanes and BRT stations would be installed along this portion of the project corridor.

At the eastern limit of the BRT Core corridor, the proposed improvements would also provide a new and direct connection to the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway, an existing two-lane bus guideway serving the City of Pittsburgh’s eastern neighborhoods and suburbs. Additionally, BRT service would be extended to both the Squirrel Hill and Highland Park neighborhoods, operating in mixed-flow lanes with BRT stations and select queue jump lane locations.

As shown on Figure 1, the proposed BRT Core improvements extend a total of 7.4 miles using existing surface streets plus an additional 3.8 miles of the existing East Busway (each direction). The Highland Park Branch extends 3.4 miles (each direction) and the Squirrel Hill Branch extends 2.9 miles (each direction), both of which would remain mixed-flow.

The following major capital improvements are proposed as part of the project:

• Dedicated Lanes: Curbside running, dedicated bus-only lanes are proposed throughout the length of the BRT Core corridor.

• Bus Bump-outs: Bump-outs may be considered at certain station locations along the Squirrel Hill and Highland Park branches to further facilitate fast and reliable bus operations.

• Enhanced/Branded Stations: There are three primary station categories being considered: Neighborhood, Intermediate, and Transit Center. The stations would range in size from a length of 15 feet (Neighborhood) to 120 feet (Transit Center), with a platform width approximately 10 feet wide. At narrow locations, station width may have to be reduced to 8 feet or 5 feet. The 8 feet wide stations are similar to the 10 feet wide stations. The 5 feet wide station is made up of a wind screen, roof and lean bar to allow minimum ADA access. A total of 32 platforms are proposed along the BRT Core corridor. An additional 24 station pairs (48 platforms) are proposed along the Highland Park Branch and Squirrel Hill Branch (12 pairs each). Four station locations (8 platforms) along the East Busway will be upgraded to include branding consistent with the BRT system. The proposed locations of stations are based on existing bus stops, intersection locations, and corridor activity generators. A typical station would consist of a platform with shelters, passenger seating, signage, real-time passenger information, bicycle racks, fare collection equipment, and trash receptacles.

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Figure 1: Project Infrastructure Overview Map

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• Traffic Signals: One hundred-one traffic signal modifications or replacements are proposed along the entire BRT corridor. Changes may include altering existing geometric and striping plans, upgrading controller equipment, adding transit signal priority (TSP) to improve traffic progression, provide bus priority, improve bus service reliability, reduce delays and improve pedestrian movements.

• Battery Electric, Branded Buses and Supporting Infrastructure: Twenty five new battery electric, articulated buses are proposed for the BRT Core and East Busway service. The Squirrel Hill and Highland Park branches will be operated with 34 diesel buses, retrofit for branding to make them similar to the new battery electric buses. New charging stations and retrofitting of existing maintenance facilities to house and support this new fleet technology are also included in the project.

• Dedicated Bicycle Facilities: Dedicated bicycle facilities are also proposed throughout the BRT Core corridor to provide effective multimodal transferability and access in the corridor.

Routing

As shown on Figure 2, the routing changes would extend outside of the BRT Core corridor along three branches – Highland Park BRT (alignment along existing 71B route), Squirrel Hill BRT (alignment along existing 61D route), and East Busway BRT (alignment along existing P3 route). The proposed BRT amenities would enhance existing services for the 61 series (Routes 61A, 61B ,61C, and 61D), the 71 series (Routes 71A, 71B, 71C, and 71D), and P3 routes. The Port Authority is currently developing a comprehensive operational plan to coordinate these and other connecting bus services within and adjacent to the corridor.

The proposed BRT service within the BRT Core corridor would operate at least 21 to 22 hours per day, seven days a week, with an effective 2.5 to 3 minute headway for buses during weekday peak periods and an effective 4 to 7 minute headway for buses during weekday off-peak periods. Weekend service would operate with effective 5 to 7 minute headways. These effective headways would be achieved by combining the Highland Park BRT, Squirrel Hill BRT, and East Busway BRT services within the BRT Core corridor. Specific operating plans for each branch are under development. The service along the Squirrel Hill branch will operate at 5 minute headways during the weekday peak period and 8 to 10 minute headways in the weekday off-peak period, with weekend service operating at 10 to 20 minute headways. The service along the Highland Park branch will operate at 10 minute headways during the weekday peak period and 15 to 20 minutes during the weekday off-peak period and the weekend.

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Figure 2: Proposed Routing Overview Map

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Project Purpose and Need

The purpose and need for this project was completed on May 25, 2017. The submitted purpose and need is provided for references as Attachment A.

Project Costs

The cost estimate for this project has been developed to a 10 percent concept level plan with limited engineering design drawings developed. As such, a contingency of 30 percent was included within the cost estimate to account for unknowns within the design. As the design progresses, the contingency is expected to decrease. However, the 30 percent contingency is acceptable according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration design guidelines for this level of design. This estimate includes the following:

• Roadway reconstruction

• Signal replacements/upgrades

• Stations

• Upgrades to communications

• Purchase of Battery Electric Buses and upgrades to Diesel Buses

• Upgrades to Support Facilities (addition of electric charging station and East Liberty Garage facility improvement to house battery electric vehicles)

• Design and Construction Engineering Costs

• Alternatives Analysis, Environmental Studies, and Preliminary Engineering Costs (post entrance into Project Development)

• Administrative Costs

• Escalation

It is expected that design of the system will begin in 2018, with construction starting in 2019 and ending

in 2020. A 2.5-percent escalation was applied to costs beyond the year 2017. Table 1 summarizes the

costs by category and by year.

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Table 1: Costs by Category and by Year

Category 2015-2017 2018 2019 2020 Total

Roadway Construction $0 $0 $22,017,721 $22,017,721 $44,035,442

Traffic Signals / Communications

$0 $0 $8,840,002 $8,840,002 $17,680,004

Stations $0 $0 $11,447,500 $11,447,500 $22,895,000

Right of Way $0 $1,254,737 $0 $0 $1,254,737

Buses (no escalation) $0 $11,555,474 $11,844,361 $12,140,470 $35,540,305

Support Facilities $0 $0 $3,779,470 $3,779,470 $7,558,940

Contingency $0 $11,556,697 $5,778,349 $3,469,372 $20,804,418

Professional Services $2,770,772 $0 $0 $0 $2,770,772

Alternatives Analysis, NEPA, PE

$0 $2,436,813 $16,076,888 $15,615,093 $34,128,795

Total (2017 $) $2,770,772 $26,803,721 $79,784,291 $77,309,628 $186,668,413

Escalation (2.5% per year)

$0 $381,206 $3,439,459 $5,010,922 $8,831,587

Total with escalation $2,770,772 $27,184,928 $83,223,750 $82,320,550 $195,500,000

The total cost of the project in 2017 dollars is approximately $186.7 million dollars with a total cost over the lifetime of the project at approximately $195.5 million dollars.

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Project Funding

Funding for the Downtown-Uptown-Oakland-East End BRT project is defined in Table 2.

Table 2: Funding

Totals Status Federal State Local

Project Cost 195,500,000

Project Funding

FTA Capital Investment Grant Small Starts Program

100,000,000 CIG 100%

FTA Formula Funds in TIP for Bus Procurement

20,000,000 committed 80% 17% 3%

City of Pittsburgh, In-kind Station Improvement Program

12,761,250 committed 100%

Allegheny County Budget Capital (BRT Pre-development)

1,558,514 committed 100%

ATCMTD FHWA (Smart Spine Infrastructure within BRT corridor)

15,500,000 committed 70% 18% 12%

CMAQ (Oakland BRT Signalization Improvements)

1,957,200 committed 80% 19% 1%

State Technical Assistance and Consolidated Capital Grants (BRT Pre-

development) 1,212,258 committed 97% 3%

Allegheny County Budget Capital (BRT Implementation, $5M/yr over 3 yrs)

15,000,000 planned 100%

Uptown / West Oakland Eco-Innovation Transit Revitalization Investment District

5,000,000 planned 100%

State Capital Budget Transportation Assistance Program Authorization

22,510,778 planned 100%

Project Funding Subtotal 195,500,000 65.7% 15.5% 18.8%

Each of the project funding items are described below:


The project will seek financial assistance through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Capital

Investment Grant (CIG) Small Starts program. In fact, FTA approved entry of this project into it’s Project

Development process on June 1, 2017. The maximum CIG Small Starts funding is $100 million but the

amount to be requested may be reduced should additional funding be received from other sources.

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The 2017-2020 TIP includes FTA Formula Funds for Port Authority of Allegheny County bus procurement.

Funding is to be available in 2020. Although the purchased buses will be battery-electric powered, this

funding source will cover project cost for the purchase of twenty five 60-foot articulated diesel buses at

$800,000 per bus. The balance of costs for battery-electric buses is included in the project costs but will

be funded separate from this source.


The City of Pittsburgh currently holds a contract with a concessionaire to provide bus stations and bus

station improvements including provision of advertisement space. The City is currently developing a

request for proposals (RFP) to re-compete the contract. The RFP will include provision of various station

elements as defined within the BRT project costs.

Allegheny County Budget Capital (BRT Pre-development)

Allegheny County committed funds within the 2014 and 2015 County Budgets to assist the Port Authority

of Allegheny County with funding needed for completion of professional services associated with the

development of a locally preferred alternative (LPA), NEPA environmental clearance and preliminary

design for the BRT project. Funding for the project only includes costs incurred or to be incurred once the

project was formally entered into project development by FTA on June 1, 2017.

ATCMTD FHWA (Smart Spine Infrastructure within BRT corridor)

In October 2016, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) notified the City of Pittsburgh

that the Smart Spine Infrastructure project (referred to as “SmartPGH”) was selected for grant award the

under the Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment (ATCMTD)

program. The SmartPGH project elements align with the BRT corridor and have been incorporated into

the project costs. The City has made a request for the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) to

include the funding as a major amendment to the 2017-2020 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

SPC has initiated the process and following public comment will present the funding to the SPC

Commission for approval at the September 25, 2017 meeting.


The 2017-2020 TIP includes the funding for transit signal priority for bus rapid transit as identified in the

August 2013 Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) Application submitted by the Port Authority of

Allegheny County. The TIP references the improvements as “PAAC – Transit Signal BRT” with monies

available in 2018. The PAAC – Transit Signal BRT project elements align with the BRT corridor and have

been incorporated into the project costs.

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State Technical Assistance and Consolidated Capital Grants (BRT Pre-development)

The Port Authority of Allegheny County Board passed four resolutions, between July 2011 and October

2016, for completion of professional services associated with the development of a locally preferred

alternative (LPA), NEPA environmental clearance and preliminary design for the BRT project. Funding for

the project only includes costs incurred or to be incurred once the project was formally entered into

project development by FTA on June 1, 2017.

Allegheny County Budget Capital (BRT Implementation, $5M/yr over 3 yrs)

Allegheny County is planning to include capital budget funding for the BRT project in the 2018, 2019 and

2020 Capital Budgets in an amount of $5,000,000 each year.

Uptown / West Oakland Eco-Innovation Transit Revitalization Investment District

The Transit Revitalization Investment District (TRID) program was enabled by PA Act 238 of 2004 (TRID Act) in an effort to coordinate land use, transportation and redevelopment opportunities. The program is an economic development tool which allows for the capture of incremental tax revenues to help fund community revitalization initiatives. The TRID Act authorizes the use of a district-based tax increment financing (TIF) mechanism to capture increases in real property taxes resulting from new development to pay for necessary public infrastructure including transportation improvements. All or a portion of new tax revenues generated above the initial tax base can be diverted to finance eligible project costs.

Designation of a TRID must be supported by a planning study that establishes existing environmental

conditions, proposed/potential redevelopment, market conditions, land use/zoning, necessary

infrastructure improvements and a financial plan. The TRID Plan (Uptown/West Oakland Eco-Innovation

District Plan) has been finalized and it is anticipated City Council will approve in September 2017. In

addition to the planning study, TRID requires an administrative agreement, local legislative approval by

the participating taxing bodies and creation of a management entity to oversee implementation.

State Capital Budget Transportation Assistance Program Authorization

Pennsylvania’s state constitution requires a capital budget in addition to the budgets that deal with agency operations and non-preferred appropriations. The Capital Facilities Debt Enabling Act provides the framework for the capital budget process in Pennsylvania, including the itemization of projects under the Capital Budget Project Itemization Act and setting of annual debt limits under the Capital Budget Act. The Transportation Assistance Program represents a portion of the Commonwealth capital budget. The program funds transportation investments including: the purchase of rolling stock and construction or improvement of facilities operated by mass transportation agencies throughout the Commonwealth; and the acquisition, construction and equipping of rural and intercity common carrier surface transportation systems or any components thereof as authorized in Act 10 of 1976; and aviation transportation systems. These projects are administered by the Department of Transportation.

A series of legislative actions authorize revenue and General Obligation borrowing to fund the program.

Eligible projects must be included in the Capital Budget Project Itemization Act as a line item authorization

for future funding consideration. PA Senate Bill 651 is the Capital Budget Project Itemization Act of FY

2017-2018. It establishes the categories under which capital projects may be funded, in part or in whole,

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through the issuance of general obligation debt or current revenue. The Downtown-Uptown-Oakland-

East End Bus Rapid Transit Project is included as a $150,000,000 line item Transportation Assistance

Program authorization. SB 651 was approved by the Senate in May 2017 and subsequently referred to

the House Appropriations committee.

Additional Funding Being Pursued

The project partners will seek funding from the Pennsylvania Multimodal Transportation Fund (both the

Department of Transportation and Department of Community and Economic Development sources) as

well as the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (as trustee for the Volkswagen

Settlement) for incremental costs of purchasing battery electric buses versus diesel buses and costs for

electric charging stations.

Table 3 identifies how funding will be utilized for various project elements.

Table 3: Funding Use

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Allegheny County Budget Capital (BRT Pre-development

ATCMTD FHWA (Smart Spine Infrastructure within BRT

corridor)


State Technical Assistance and Consolidated Capital Grants

(BRT Pre-development)

Allegheny County Budget Capital (BRT Implementation,

$5M/yr over 3 yrs)

Uptown Eco-Innovation Transit Revitalization Investment

District

State Transportation Capital Budget

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