Pittsburgh Regional Transit gets $150M grant for bus rapid transit project

PITTSBURGH – Pittsburgh Regional Transit has received a $150 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration for the Downtown-Uptown-Oakland Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, which is scheduled to begin construction Downtown in the fall after years of planning, the agency announced.

“The people in our neighborhoods are the greatest winners,” Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said at a ceremony announcing the funding. “We’re thankful for the Federal Transit Administration assistance securing the money needed for this city to grow and allow the project to finally happen. 

Now called the University Line, the BRT line is planned to include 23 new stations, bike lanes, intersection improvements, and accessible ramps.

 It’s being funded through a patchwork of federal, state, and local sources, with $19.3 million from the American Rescue Plan, $9.3 million from the US Department of Education’s Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Program, $30 million from Allegheny County, $8.8 million from the city of Pittsburgh, and $73.6 million from PRT. 

“This project is just the beginning of our work delivering infrastructure investments that prioritize the needs and safety of all people to build a future where inclusive transportation is a catalyst for equitable growth and a vibrant and connected western PA,” U.S. Rep .Summer Lee, D-12th District, said in a statement. 

PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman called the project an investment in Pittsburgh neighborhoods “that will serve to improve the lives of thousands of riders who travel within this corridor every day.”