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Downtown Pittsburgh Mobility Plan Issues & Opportunities April 2020 Utile MonWin Consulting SmithGroup Nelson / Nygaard April 2020 Table of Contents What We Heard 1 Downtown Pittsburgh Mobility Plan 2 Study Area 3 Who Uses Downtown? 4 Survey Findings 6 Public Realm 8 Walking 10 Transit 12 Private Vehicles & Parking 14 Biking 16 Deliveries & Freight 18 Environment & Infrastructure 20 Residential & Commercial Development 22 Conclusion & Next Steps 24 What We Heard Build on What’s Working, Focus on What’s Not The Point. Market Square. The Cultural District. The Three Sister Bridges. The lobby of the Omni William Penn. Downtown Pittsburgh has so many places that have special meaning to each of us. A lot has changed since Colonel John Campbell first laid out four blocks of Downtown in the 1760s, but the unique grid system at the confluence of the three rivers presents an array of opportunities, even within its well-defined constraints. More recently Downtown and the surrounding area has seen new construction, restaurants, residents, and things to do, but we also know that it’s not perfect. From congestion and safety to buses and bike lanes, there are many perspectives on what can be done to improve the experience in the Golden Triangle. In order to make progress, it is critical that we identify priorities and acknowledge trade-offs to ensure Downtown will remain a thriving, vibrant place long into the future. That is why the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is leading the development of the Downtown Pittsburgh Mobility Plan. The Plan is intended to move Downtown closer to its potential, while balancing the many needs of this dynamic neighborhood. After almost six months of reviewing data and soliciting feedback from those who live, work, and visit Downtown, several clear themes have emerged: • People love Downtown because it’s walkable, interesting, and fun. • Congestion is a pain, especially at intersections, bridges, and tunnels, as well as during big events. • Sometimes our streets feel chaotic and regulations are not enforced. • Safety can be a concern, particularly at crosswalks and at night. • Thoughtful design, with an emphasis on quality sidewalks and lighting, can go a long way. • Big ideas and new technologies are exciting, but they shouldn’t distract us from proven, sometimes simple solutions. This report details specific issues and opportunities relevant to how people get to, around, and experience Downtown, and these themes will continue to be refined as we move through the planning process. We are excited to share our latest findings and welcome additional feedback on projects, programs, and policies that can move Downtown forward. We thank you for your interest and continued support! The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership 1 Downtown Pittsburgh Mobility Plan Why are we doing this? Scope & Schedule Downtown Pittsburgh functions as the economic and cultural heart of western Pennsylvania and serves as the hub of Phase 1: Issues and Opportunities Allegheny County’s transit system. Every day, thousands of August 2019 – January 2020 residents, employees, students, and visitors make Downtown’s streets bustling and vibrant. As Downtown and the surrounding Phase 2: Guiding Principles and Goals neighborhoods continue to transform it is critical that the January – March 2020 Golden Triangle’s mobility network evolve to meet new demands and users, while continuing to retain its unique character and position as the center of the southwestern Phase 3: Street Hierarchy Map Pennsylvania region. April - May 2020 Plan Objectives Phase 4: High-Impact Projects • Accelerate progress towards a Downtown that encourages June - August 2020 multimodal trips creating an enjoyable experience for all. • Define mode priorities for each street with the goal of optimizing the network during peak travel times. Management Team Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP) • Identify a set of Guiding Principles and Goals to evaluate trade-offs for future projects, programs, and policies. City of Pittsburgh Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) • Strengthen coordination, communication, and trust between Downtown stakeholders and public agencies. City of Pittsburgh Department of City Planning (DCP) In This Report Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAAC) Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) This report summarizes the findings from investigations into Downtown’s demographics, existing conditions data, previous planning efforts, public survey, and community engagement Consultant Team activities. Arup Utile MonWin Consulting SmithGroup Nelson / Nygaard 2 Study Area The focus of the Plan is to ensure referred to as the Golden Triangle or that the Central Business District Downtown. The most detailed analysis is prepared to meet the needs of a and recommendations from this Plan changing neighborhood, city, county, will be focused on what is going to most and region. We recognize that many directly impact the CBD. people throughout the region call Downtown theirs, but for the purpose Greater Downtown: Includes the full of this report the following definitions neighbourhood boundaries of the will be used to provide clarity on the CBD, South Shore, North Shore, Strip study area’s boundaries: District, Crawford-Roberts (Lower Hill), and Bluff (Uptown). Greater Downtown Central Business District (CBD): is primary used when exploring the The City of Pittsburgh defined impact of current and future residential, neighborhood boundary of the Central developments, and destinations on the Business District (CBD) which is also CBD. Study Area Map Strip District North Shore Allegheny River Crawford-Roberts Downtown Mobility Plan Study Area Monongahela River Bluff South Shore Downtown Mobility Plan Study Area 0 500 1,000 Feet Greater Downtown Boundary Area ± 3 Who Uses Downtown? A Downtown for Everyone Visitors Greater Downtown has four primary groups that make up • There were over 13.2 million visitors to Greater Downtown in the most frequent users: residents, employees, students, and 2018. Of those, 9.2 million were attending an entertainment visitors. Greater Downtown has seen change in both residential or sports venue.6 population and commercial developments over the last ten • Over the course of a year, Greater Downtown sees years that has impacted how people get around and experience significantly more unique visitors than it does unique the CBD. Several planned and proposed developments are residents, employees, and students combined.7 expected to support this trend of continued growth and bring life to currently underutilized (or underdeveloped) portions • Many visitors are accessing important human and social of Greater Downtown, particularly in the North Shore, Strip services, including the courts and Public Welfare Offices, District, and the Lower Hill. while others are seeking out performing arts (21.0%), museums (20.0%), and other events (16.0%).8 1 Residents • Visitors who identified their reason for being Downtown • A total of 15,270 people live in Greater Downtown, or 5.0% as “pleasure” were most likely to use public transit, either of Pittsburgh’s total population (305,012 people). These bus or light rail, to get Downtown. However, this is more residents are primarily concentrated in the CBD and Bluff; conducive for daytime visitors than night-time visitors together, these neighborhoods account for 74% of all since many people, particularly those living in suburban residents in Greater Downtown. areas, have more limited availability of transit options and infrequent service at night. • Overall, residents are primarily young and White, with a median household income of $56,669. The median household income in Greater Downtown is almost $10,000 Students higher than the median household income of the City of • There are four public/charter schools in Greater Downtown Pittsburgh ($48,070) but is roughly $5,000 less than the (City Charter High School, Pittsburgh CAPA, Urban median household income of Allegheny County ($61,179). Pathways, and Passport Academy Charter School) with a total of 2,233 students enrolled in the 2017-2018 school year. • Black and Hispanic/Latino residents are concentrated in Crawford-Roberts and Bluff. These neighbourhoods also • Many 6-12 Pittsburgh Public School students outside of have Greater Downtown residents that demonstrate greater Greater Downtown rely on public transportation to get to income disparity than the nation, with more residents likely and from school, and many commutes require a transfer in to be in very high or very low earning brackets than in the the CBD, bringing thousands of students into the CBD every middle.2 day during the school year. • 51% residents in the CBD, Bluff, North Shore, and Strip • Three universities are in Greater Downtown (Community District reported that walking was their primary mode College of Allegheny County, Duquesne University, and of transportation to work or school, followed by using a Point Park University) with a combined enrollment of personal vehicle. approximately 40,443 students during the 2017-2018 school year.9 3 Employees • Point Park University is located in the CBD, with an • The CBD accounts for 16% of all jobs in Allegheny County.4 approximate enrollment of over 4,000 students. • More than 110,000 daily weekday commuters come to the • The 2016 Downtown Pittsburgh Pedestrian Traffic Study CBD, with only 1.4% of these employees both living and found that walking was the largest means of transportation working in Greater Downtown. Overall, 24.0% (25,572) of for students,