Bus system between Oakland, Downtown progressing

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The Port Authority is down to two possible routes for a Bus Rapid Transit system between Oakland and Downtown and expects to have a preliminary design ready to submit to federal officials within two years.

A consultant working for the agency has narrowed the possible path for the system to two choices, one using Fifth and Forbes avenues and the other through the Uptown neighborhood, Keith Wargo, assistant general manager for engineering and technical support, said Thursday. A series of public meetings will be held early next year for public input before consultant Parsons Transportation Group recommends the final route for the system.

In preparation for that, a Port Authority committee Thursday recommended the agency award a $2.4 million contract to CDM Smith Inc. of Boston to begin the preliminary design of the BRT system. The full board is scheduled to vote on the contract next Friday.

Mr. Wargo said Smith’s role will be to do preliminary engineering on the design of the system based on the chosen path and develop an estimated cost for the project. That will be used to submit the project to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission for approval and to the federal Department of Transportation for funding within the next two years.

The project is a joint effort of the Port Authority, Allegheny County and the city of Pittsburgh.

Although details haven't been finalized, a Bus Rapid Transit system would set aside paths dedicated to moving buses quickly with limited stops and encourage development around the stops. The system could include dedicated lanes on existing roads only for transit vehicles and/or separate structures such as the East and West