Downtown Mobility Plan

Name: Downtown Pittsburgh
Address: Pittsburgh, PA

The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is leading the development of a Downtown Pittsburgh Mobility Plan (DMP) designed to make the Downtown area easier to navigate for all who work in, live in, and visit the Golden Triangle. The Plan will analyze data and collect public input to identify issues and prioritize opportunities to improve the Downtown experience for all users, especially during peak travel times.

About the Mobility Plan

The Mobility Plan will build on lessons learned from Envision Downtown, an initiative launched in 2015 by Mayor William Peduto and the PDP to pilot mobility improvement projects aimed at preparing Downtown for the significant revitalization that’s occurring as a result of more than $5.2 billion in real estate and transportation investment over the last decade.

The evolution of Downtown will continue to impact how people get around and experience the neighborhood with an additional $3.8 billion in investments currently in the pipeline. The Mobility Plan will identify ways to improve the pedestrian, transit, biking, vehicle, and delivery experience while prioritizing future projects to ensure Downtown continues to be a vibrant economic, cultural, and transportation hub for our region.

Interested in reading the draft final report or learning more about the nine High Impact Priority outcomes? As of May 2021, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership completed the development of the Downtown Mobility Plan — visit the Downtown Mobility Plan website for more details!

Schedule

The planning process will begin in fall 2019 and will be completed by spring 2021. The tentative schedule and key milestones include:

July – August 2019: Consultant Request For Proposal Submissions & Selection Process (completed)

August – September 2019: Consultant Kick-Off Process (completed)

October 2019 – February 2020: Existing Conditions Analysis (completed)

February – April 2020: Guiding Principles and Goal Setting (completed)

May – August 2020: Scenario Planning, Street Management Framework & Map (completed)

September 2020 – February 2021: High Impact Project List (completed)

March – April 2021: Draft Plan Delivery & Public Rollout (completed)

Summer 2021 – Next 10 Years: Implementation & Project Delivery (in-progress)

Proposed Guiding Principles

Guiding Principles serve as the vision for the Plan and a framework to organize priorities and identify projects. Through our review of the Issues and Opportunities Report, feedback from the Downtown Advisory Group (DAG), and survey results from the public there was a strong consensus that the proposed Guiding Principles below represent the values and aspirations for the future of mobility in Downtown Pittsburgh.

Welcoming & Vibrant: Downtown Pittsburgh’s mobility system should embrace Downtown’s status as a diverse and interesting place while ensuring everyone feels safe.
People-first & Transit-prioritized: Downtown Pittsburgh’s mobility system should strengthen the walkability of Downtown while providing high-quality transit service and amenities.
Equitable & Affordable: Downtown Pittsburgh’s mobility system should ensure Downtown is accessible for all, regardless of means or abilities.

Intuitive & Coherent: Downtown Pittsburgh’s mobility system should get people where they need to go while balancing street and curb demands, particularly during peak periods.
Adaptable & Healthy: Downtown Pittsburgh’s mobility system should be building and maintaining infrastructure and advancing policies that support the dynamic needs of Downtown and improve public health.
Regionally Focused & Nationally Competitive: Downtown Pittsburgh’s mobility system should contribute to the shared economic growth of the region while striving to be a leader among peer cities.

Reports & Publications

Issues & Opportunities Report: April 2020

Produced through workshops and online public surveys that reach almost every neighborhood and municipality across Allegheny County, the Issues & Opportunities Report summarizes the findings into Downtown’s demographics, existing conditions data, previous planning efforts, and community engagement activities.

Download the Report (PDF)

Previous Events

State of Downtown Pittsburgh, Downtown Mobility Plan Launch Event Recording Available Here Tuesday, May 11, 2020 from 12:00 – 1:30 PM

Downtown Advisory Group Mobility Plan Workshop: High Impact Priorities & Implementation Thursday, October 29, 2020 from 9:00 – 10:30 AM

Downtown Advisory Group Mobility Plan Workshop: Street Management Framework Thursday, July 23, 2020 from 9:00 – 10:30 AM

Downtown Advisory Group Mobility Plan Workshop: Guiding Principles & Goals
Wednesday, April 22, 2020 from 9:00 – 10:00 AM

Downtown Mobility Plan Public Workshop: Issues & Opportunities
at Point Park University’s JVH Auditorium in Academic Hall (201 Wood Street, Downtown Pittsburgh)
Wednesday, January 29, 2020 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Downtown Advisory Group Mobility Plan Workshop: Issues & Opportunities Wednesday, January 29, 2020 from 8:30 – 10:30 AM

Downtown Mobility Plan – In the News

Did You Know There’s a Plan to Make Getting Around Downtown Easier? | May 26, 2021 – Pittsburgh Magazine
Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership Releases Long-term Mobility Plan for Downtown | May 11, 2021 – City Paper
Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership Announces Downtown Long-Term Mobility Plan | May 11, 2021 – Pennsylvania News Today
Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership Opens Downtown Mobility Plan for Public Comment | May 11, 2021 – Pittsburgh Business Times
City-County Task Force on Disabilities November Monthly Meeting | November 16, 2020 – City of Pittsburgh’s Department of City Planning
Moving Through Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh Tomorrow Podcast, Donald Bonk Interviews Chris Watts | November 4, 2020 – Pittsburgh Quarterly
Mobility study paints picture of who uses Downtown Pittsburgh (re-post) | May 5, 2020 – Mass Transit Magazine
Mobility study paints picture of who uses Downtown Pittsburgh | May 4, 2020 – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership wants public input on proposed mobility principles for Golden Triangle | April 29, 2020 – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Downtown Pittsburgh Partnership discusses mobility, explores why people are going Downtown | January 30, 2020 – Pittsburgh Business Times
Downtown Partnership to hold public workshop on Pittsburgh mobility plan Wednesday | January 27, 2020 – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership begins survey phase of Downtown Mobility Plan with $1M grant | December 30, 2019 – Transportation Today News
It’s time to hear from the public on Pittsburgh’s Downtown mobility plan | December 2, 2019 – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership Launches Mobility Plan Survey to Redevelop Public Transit | December 2, 2019 – KDKA CBS Local
Pittsburgh, agencies to study future of Downtown streets | July 19, 2019 – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Partners

The Mobility Plan is guided by a Management Team comprised of the PDP, the City of Pittsburgh’s Departments of Mobility & Infrastructure and City Planning, Port Authority of Allegheny County, and the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission.

In fall 2019, the PDP, with the support the Management Team, selected a consultant team to facilitate the development of a Downtown Mobility Plan over the next year led by Arup, a global leader in urban design and mobility planning and supported by Utile, Nelson\Nygaard, SmithGroup, and MonWin Consulting, who all bring a mix of national experience and local expertise.

The Mobility Plan is funded by a $1 million grant from the Henry L. Hillman Foundation in service to their mission to inspire, invest in, and leverage great ideas and initiatives for outcomes that improve the quality of life in Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania.

Additional Info

Reports and deliverables developed through the planning process will be posted to the website and shared via email. The Mobility Plan request for proposals (RFP) and additional background can be viewed at downtownpittsburgh.com/mobilityRFP