NEXTransit Downtown; PRT Downtown Bus Rerouting Plan
Project Overview
NEXTransit Downtown is one of the first implementation projects to come out of NEXTransit, the Long Range Transportation Plan adopted by Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) in 2021. The goal is to reconfigure PRT’s downtown bus routing to accommodate upcoming changes due to the upcoming Downtown-Oakland Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, as well as generally making downtown transit routing more efficient, effective, safer, and more user-friendly.
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 – Present
Community Engagement
E. Holdings, Inc. (EHI) is serving as the community engagement lead, as a sub-consultant to Michael Baker International. In this capacity, EHI is facilitating monthly project steering committee meetings, managing a large stakeholder advisory group comprised of over 100 local and regional organizations, and implementing extensive public outreach to ensure that all transit riders have an equal and equitable opportunity to participate. Overall goals for engagement include:
- Inform and educate the public
- Make and build connections
- Encourage continued participation
- Use input to shape planning efforts
- Identify opportunities for PRT to leverage and build public acceptance
During the first round of engagement, the project team talked to over 400 people through a combination of online public meetings, in-person pop-up events at bus stops and farmers markets, a project website featuring an interactive mapping and comment form, and a street team collecting public survey information.
You can learn about this project at nextransit.network/downtown

