Building on the East Busway; PRT Infill Station Study

Project Overview

The goal of Port Authority’s Building on The East Busway (BOTEB) project is to comprehensively plan TOD and multimodal improvements in the corridor along the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway, and study the potential for adding up to three (3) new infill stations. This TOD planning project will focus on a corridor containing four existing stations and three potential new stations along the East Busway. E. Holdings, Inc. has been contracted to assist with public engagement and outreach for the BOTEB project.

Core Services Performed:

Public Input Collection & Management
Stakeholder Coordination & Engagement
Graphic Design
Strategic Communications

Client: Pittsburgh Regional Transit

Prime: Michael Baker International

Timeline: January 2022 – September 2023

Engagement & Input

In an effort to center on current transit riders and those most likely to depend on transit for their primary mobility in the community, the team has created an engagement plan that includes tailored methods which include in-person and online meetings, pop-up input events, attendance at existing community gatherings and community organization meetings, static information tables and boards located at stations, mailers and survey cards, and online and mailed surveys. Our team created all materials and collateral for meetings and online engagement, including a project logo and branding guidelines.

As part of the station infill procedure, Station Area plans have been completed for Wilkinsburg and for Brushton. The team hosted three public meeting series as part of the development of the Station Area plans. Activities within each series included meetings with the Stakeholder Advisory Committee and the public, a series of in-person and online meetings, community pop-ups and mobile table events, and the project website.

In total our team hosted 2 online and 3 in-person meetings and 7 pop-ups, receiving over 480 comments. Throughout engagement the BOTEB project website was kept up-to-date with next steps, informational materials, and what we heard updates. The website also offered additional opportunities for input through surveys and interactive maps.

You can learn more about this project at https://www.rideprt.org/boteb