Transit Working Group (new!)
Effective transit is the lifeblood of any urban environment. Without high quality and accessible transportation, neighborhoods become overrun with traffic and suffer from accelerated disinvestment and decreased economic opportunities for all – especially the most vulnerable of society. Urban reinvestment, through a comprehensive and equitable approach to transit and transit-oriented development, unlocks the revitalization potential of these markets.
The transportation planning and development processes, however, has often occurred with little regard for neighborhood needs and excluded important segments of the population, most notably low- and moderate-income and minority households. These are the very populations most reliant on transit and stand to gain the most from the improved access to jobs and reduced transportation costs provided by high quality transit access. For the system to truly work, planning by agencies – for agencies – must evolve into a community-centric process that encompasses the needs of all stakeholders.
Building on the momentum of a January, 2009 symposium of over 170 community leaders, transit officials, and private developers, PCRG is convening the many organizations, communities, and groups interested in transit to bring the public voice to the planning process. This regional effort involves multiple stakeholders, including:
- Non-profit policy, technical, and advocacy organizations
- Neighborhood groups and community development corporations
- Local and regional public agencies
- Philanthropic organizations
From these, PCRG will bring together the multiple viewpoints to create a common understanding and priorities for advancing transit and transit-oriented development within the Pittsburgh region. This will also help ensure the city’s access to local, state and federal funding pots for transportation by providing the necessary community voice to the planning and development processes.
The group will ultimately draft and approve a comprehensive transit and transit-oriented development action plan for the region. This action plan will identify short-term and long-term priorities and some of the investment and policy changes needed to make transit-oriented development a reality in the Pittsburgh region.
