PA: PRT gets $350,000 to expand bus and light rail service for NFL Draft weekend

Pittsburgh Regional Transit will expand its bus and light rail service for NFL Draft weekend from April 23-25, following a cash infusion from VisitPittsburgh that will cover operating costs.

The service upgrades mark the latest step in what VisitPittsburgh President and CEO Jerad Bachar deemed a “multimodal transportation strategy” to improve access to draft sites Downtown and on the North Shore. The draft layout will be bisected by a river for the first time in its history — a quirk emblematic of Pittsburgh but one that could provide some transportation headaches for out-of-town fans.

Under the agreement — authorized Thursday during PRT’s monthly committee meeting Downtown — PRT will create “park-and-ride” services north, south, east and west of the draft site, with new temporary bus routes, Mr. Bachar said Thursday morning.

PRT will also expand its light rail service, increasing frequency to make it easier for fans traveling from Downtown or the South Hills, he said.

In exchange, PRT will receive $350,000 from the Greater Pittsburgh Convention and Visitors Bureau Educational Foundation, a nonprofit managed by VisitPittsburgh, to “help support the additional service and offset PRT’s cost for providing that service,” PRT Chief Legal Officer Mike Cetra said.

“[I] could not have imagined this process without the incredible engagement that we’ve received from PRT and all of our partners,” Mr. Bachar said, adding that the nonprofit’s funds are sourced from contributions made by VisitPittsburgh, the city of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County and the state.

Mr. Cetra said that PRT will receive the money within 30 days following the completion of the expanded service.

PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman confirmed that expected maintenance costs are included in the funding.

Mr. Bachar and other local leaders have estimated that 500,000 to 700,000 visitors will come to experience the draft footprint in Downtown and on the North Shore during the three-day event. Officials have said it will be the largest event the city has ever hosted.

But Mr. Bachar noted that Downtown hosted about 300,000 people for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade last weekend without any major issues.

“We shouldn’t let that number scare us,” he said.

VisitPittsburgh has spent the past year working with the NFL’s transportation engineers and local stakeholders to develop a plan to manage the crowds on draft weekend.

In addition to public transit, visitors can use the Downtown parking garages and the Gateway Clipper fleet, which will offer rides from Station Square and Point State Park to the North Shore, Mr. Bachar said.

VisitPittsburgh is also talking to Uber — a national partner for the NFL — about a ride-hailing partnership, and Bike Pittsburgh about how cyclists can access the city’s trails leading to the draft site, he said.

“There’s a huge opportunity for us to get people Downtown in a pretty efficient manner,” he said.

Mr. Bachar said that VisitPittsburgh will roll out the full transportation layout within the next week, including regional transit options and the locations of the park-and-ride spots.

The city tentatively plans to close lanes on Liberty Avenue, Penn Avenue and Sixth Avenue across the Roberto Clemente Bridge, while existing bus and light rail routes should remain unchanged, he said.

Construction of the Draft Theater and Mainstage on the North Shore will begin in late March or early April. The NFL and local officials have held several meetings with residents and business owners to get input on reducing congestion during construction, officials said.

Pittsburgh’s makeover ahead of the draft has continued in other, more permanent ways. Last year, city officials unveiled a system of nearly 100 wayfinding signs spread across Downtown, Oakland and the North Side, each listing the locations and distances of nearby landmarks that could help disoriented fans.

Meanwhile, both the $16 million Market Square modernization and the $31 million, 4-acre Arts Landing project are nearing completion, providing plenty of space and entertainment when crowds gather next month.

VisitPittsburgh has estimated that the draft will generate between $115 million and $215 million in direct spending locally, and that as many as 55 million people will view it on television.

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