Strategy: Connectivity
City/Central Core
Road connectivity is an important feature for locals in choosing to live and visit Pittsburgh, however, the overall connectivity of the city and the county, including public transportation, road, and flight connectivity was rated as relatively poor compared to other destination features.
Similar feedback was also provided by visitors who shared transportation options and road connectivity as areas for improvement in Pittsburgh. These are ultimately basic amenities that visitors require in order to enjoy an extended stay, travel between attractions, and to fully immerse themselves in the destination.
CI.1
Enhance Active Transportation Experience
So much of the richness of Pittsburgh as an urban destination is based in its collection of 90 neighborhoods. However, visitors have reported being unable to easily explore the city due to the lack of access and connectivity between neighborhoods and the attractions they host. As alternative low-impact transportation options continue to grow in the market- including e-scooters and bike share (POGOH, Pittsburgh’s bikeshare program, will be expanding by 22 stations in 2023 and recently announced a regional vision that will increase accessibility across the City) - Pittsburgh should focus on better knitting these systems and networks, as well as prioritizing people first streets and areas at the core of visitor-supporting neighborhoods such as Downtown, North Side, The Strip, Oakland, and Lawrenceville. Such efforts will help facilitate the ‘park-once-and-walk’ practice amongst residents and visitors; improve overall mobility and circulation within the city; and create a distinct sense of place.
ACTIONS
- Integrate micro-mobility systems through Google Maps to make last-mile trip planning easier for all riders.
- Support the creation of a citywide wayfinding system that builds on and complements Downtown signage efforts
CI.2
Expand and Promote Public Transportation Services
Public transportation is critical to the development of tourism in urban places not only as a means to arrive at a destination but as a means to easily and seamlessly explore a destination upon arrival. At this time, visitors to Pittsburgh are observed to use public transit at the highest rate during sports and event days at arenas owing to free bus service provided through direct agreements with the stadium and exhibition authority. Beyond peak days, public transit remains underutilized by visitors who may be less familiar with navigating the systems in Pittsburgh. To encourage ridership amongst visitors, Pittsburgh will need to expand networks to improve the efficiency of service to prove reliability and convenience, as well as leverage partnerships with tourism assets to incentivize visitors to get around the city by public transit.
ACTIONS
- Support the development of “Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s bus rapid transit project”, which connects Downtown to Oakland
- Support the research and development of alternative pilot circulator services between key tourism-supporting neighborhoods
- Develop a short-term transit pass program/package with hotels or short-term rental accommodation operators
CI.3
Create Waterway Connections Between Key Districts/Anchors
Pittsburgh’s history is deeply rooted in its navigable waterways and yet its use as a means of transportation today for locals and visitors remains limited. Beyond using Pittsburgh’s rivers for recreation, the City should test the feasibility of creating a system of daily passenger water bus service to all major destinations along its rivers. This may include stops at Kennywood, Sandcastle Water Park, Station Square, David L Lawrence Convention Center, Acrisure, PNC Park, Downtown, the Strip, and other attractions.
ACTIONS
- Pilot a summer riverboat shuttle service between key riverfront destinations
County/Region
Allegheny County enjoys over 200 miles of multi-use trails across nine County parks, supporting walkers, hikers, cyclists, and even horseback riders in certain segments. This incredible asset in the region offers visitors the opportunity to experience the natural wonders close to the City regardless of ability and interest. However, many trails remain disconnected – preventing further exploration of the lush green landscape by visitors.
CO.1
Fill the Gap's in the Region's Trail Network
In order to build a complete and safe riding/hiking experience, a coalition of partners in Allegheny County have conducted an analysis of trail systems to identify gaps in the network that may become new corridor “Connections” that both locals and visitors can use to interact with the ecology and heritage of the region. The coalition continues to build consensus around its regional network concept, the Allegheny Green Web, which includes 1) Connections between the nine County Parks, along the outskirts of the county; 2) Riverfront East/West Connections; and 3) North/South connections between the County Parks, the three rivers, and the center of the county.
ACTIONS
- Support Catalyst Project ‘Allegheny Green Web’ through funding feasibility studies to determine alignments for connections and through advocacy efforts to ensure public buy-in
- Support development of Turtle Creek Connector to connect Great Allegheny Passage to the Westmoreland Heritage Trail, and connect communities in the Turtle Creek Valley
- Highlight, promote, and improve access to trails as part of the destination offering
Airport
Flight connectivity is key to unlocking a city’s economic growth potential. Beyond supporting tourism and moving leisure travelers into the market, it also enables cities like Pittsburgh to attract business investment and new industries. At this time, however, the City ranks seventh in terms of direct flight connections against its competitive benchmarks, with 63 daily direct connections to other cities. Through the engagement process, representatives from various industries indicated growth opportunities with connectivity development, citing primary challenges in being able to attract business from the West Coast given limited flight connections.
Furthermore, with major advancements made in technology, travelers today – both leisure and business – have become accustomed to speed and convenience and are often looking for connectivity and accessibility in urban destinations, including a true one-seat express ride from airports to city centers. Although the City’s existing Airport-Downtown bus route is a fairly time competitive alternative to taxis/rideshares, average travel times range between 40-50 minutes, compared with competitors like Atlanta where travelers benefit from direct 30-minute train access from Hartfield Airport to the city core.
AI.1
Promote Public Transportation Between Airport and City
Pittsburgh International Airport is currently served by a city-airport bus route (the 28X Flyer) operated by the Pittsburgh Regional Transit Authority. Despite its time competitiveness and price-competitiveness relative to taxi and rideshare alternatives, the public transit option remains underutilized. In order to raise awareness of and educate travelers on this available amenity, VisitPITTSBURGH should work in partnership with the Transit Authority to create educational and advocacy campaigns to encourage the use of the service to/from the City. Major event days/weeks with large volumes of international visitors may be ideal pilot periods for marketing activations.
ACTIONS
- Create a marketing campaign to promote Airport express bus service with appropriate carriers with flights arriving near/around express bus service
- Support Pittsburgh Regional Transit Authority’s study of long-term train/BRT connection from the airport to downtown Pittsburgh.
AI.2
Advocate for Domestic and International Connectivity
While there are numerous benefits to improving air connectivity, including offering travelers more flight options and reduced travel times, enhancing business operations, and facilitating the flow of human capital and investment, it is largely driven by airline business models. Now with recent commitments to modernize the airport, Pittsburgh has the opportunity to work closely with current and new domestic and international airlines to widen the range of destinations and offer more frequent and flexible services that meet the needs of both business and leisure travelers.
ACTIONS
- Support the airport in the development of new routes through advocacy roundtables with industry leaders
