Survey on transit needs being conducted in 10-county area

After more than eight months of research, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission wants to hear from residents in the 10county region about where they want to go and how public transit could help them get there.

The agency is conducting an online survey through September as part of a study that will recommend a series of intermodal hubs or corridors to help transit agencies work together better. Dave Totten, a transportation planner for the commission, said it wants to hear from residents regardless of whether they use public transit.

“We want to hear from everyone about where they want to go so we can look at how we can get them there,” Mr. Totten said. “What we’re trying to focus on is where all these [transit systems] can connect. All 10 counties have possibilities.”

The ultimate goal would be for a commuter in an outlying county to pay one fare and follow one schedule to travel to Pittsburgh or some other central location even if they have to transfer several times to reach their destination.

The $230,000 study is an outgrowth of the regional long-term plan released last year and is partially paid for by the state Department of Transportation. It covers Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Fayette, Greene, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

But it dovetails with other studies underway in the region, Mr. Totten said, and planners are holding joint meetings and sharing data. For example, Port Authority is putting together a 25-year plan called NEXTransit; Pittsburgh is updating its long-range plan and developing a 2070 transportation plan; and Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is working on a mobility plan for the Golden Triangle.

“We’re all working together on this,” Mr. Totten said.

The commission and consultants have been conducting research since last fall and developing a computer model to show users how to make transit connections. The computer model establishes six groups called clusters as potential hosts for facilities: crossroads such as intersections along Route 8 in the North Hills; commercial corridors along narrow areas such as Oakmont or Route 30 in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties; a wider commercial area such as Canonsburg or New Kensington; a major district such as the Strip District or Oakland; a county seat; and employment centers such as Southpointe, Monroeville and Cranberry.

As people take the survey, the computer model displays potential transit connections to get them where they want to go.

After the survey is completed, the study will develop computer simulations showing where multimodal centers could be established and recommend a location for one center to be set up as a demonstration project. The commission also will hold a meeting with planners and transit agencies to discuss the recommendations before the study is released at the end of the year.

The survey is at https:// survey.smartmovesconnections.org/.