Downtown

PRT Announces New Bus Lanes To Be Installed Downtown Beginning May 19

One of the most visible and impactful changes of the University Line Bus Rapid Transit project will be coming to downtown Pittsburgh next week. Pittsburgh Regional Transit will begin installing red bus lanes along the University Line corridor in Downtown on May 19. Dedicated bus lanes are a major step toward improving bus service and reducing congestion. This highly anticipated upgrade is set to transform daily commutes and make public transit more reliable for thousands of riders. 

What to Expect 

• Permanent pavement markings other than the red bus paint are being completed during day and night shifts that began May 12. This work began in advance of the red bus lanes and is expected to continue for several weeks.  
• Red bus lanes will be installed in phases, with each phase impacting bus service and traffic patterns in the area, beginning May 19. 
• Crews will establish traffic detours for most phases at 7 a.m. and the work will begin each evening at 8 p.m. Crews will be working a combination of day and night shifts in each section. 
• When the bus lanes in Downtown are complete, routes 61A, 61B, 61C, 71B will travel in the new lanes: inbound on Fifth Avenue and outbound on Sixth Avenue. General traffic will do the opposite and travel inbound on Sixth Avenue and outbound on Fifth Avenue. 

For more details and traffic detour maps, click here 

Rush to Crush Cancer Downtown Road Closures – Sunday 5/18

P3R has announced road closures and traffic impacts for the 3rd annual PNC Presents Rush to Crush Cancer benefitting UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, taking place Sunday, May 18. More than 600 riders are expected to take part in the fundraising event, which supports cancer research and innovation.

Downtown closures will be in effect from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 18. No parking will be permitted along the 15-mile route starting at 4:00 a.m. on May 18. Residents and businesses along or near the impacted routes are encouraged to plan ahead and allow extra travel time.

Rush to Crush Cancer Downtown Road Closures – Sunday 5/18:

• Grant St. – Ft. Pitt Blvd to Liberty Ave.
• Liberty Ave. – Grant St. to Strip District
• Fifth Ave. – Grant St. to Market St.
• Market St. – Fifth Ave. to Liberty Ave.
• 6th St. – Liberty Ave. to Ft. Duquesne Blvd.
• Roberto Clemente Bridge (6th St. Bridge)
• Smithfield St. Bridge

Click to view a map of Downtown Closures.

Partial Lane Closure on Liberty Ave between 11th St. and 12th St.

Beginning May 14, contractors will close the two outbound lanes on Liberty Ave. between 11th St. and 12th St. for construction. One lane will be maintained in each direction, with one outbound lane shifting into an inbound lane during construction. Work is expected to last 2-3 weeks. Expect delays if traveling in the area.

Construction Begins Today on Market Square Modernization Project

Construction on the highly anticipated modernization of Market Square officially begins today, launching a yearlong effort to enhance one of Pittsburgh’s most iconic public spaces.

As work gets underway, the public is advised that traffic patterns in and around Market Square will shift to accommodate construction activity. Construction starts in the north half of the Square (including McMasters, Market & Graeme Streets) with one-way, northbound traffic (on Forbes, from Wood Street to Stanwix Street) on the south half of the Square, through the summer. Later this year, construction will shift to the south side, with traffic rerouted to the north. Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout, and all merchants will remain open for business during the construction period.

The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and city officials will provide regular updates and coordinate with local stakeholders throughout construction. For more information, visit DowntownPittsburgh.com/MarketSquareUpdates.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 860 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.