New 25-Year Transit Plan in the Works in the Pittsburgh Area

A new 25-year transit planning process for Allegheny County will allow the flexibility to keep up with technological advances.

1 minute read

June 4, 2019, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Port Authority Bus in Pittsburgh

David Fulmer / Flickr

The Port Authority of Allegheny County is embarking on a new 25-year transit plan, reports Ed Blazina.

The Pittsburgh-area transit authority will spend 18 months devoted to deciding plan where the agency should provide service, rather than deciding which mode of service will be used, according to Blazina's explanation of the process. 

"With new modes of transportation arriving every few years — self-driving vehicles and shared services such as Uber and Lyft were just forward-thinking ideas five years ago — the agency can pick the vehicle to follow the transit road map when the time comes," writes Blazina.

The Port Authority last produced a transit plan for the country in 2006, working with the nine counties represented in the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. "This plan will consult other counties so it is compatible with their plans and services and will go to the SPC for approval […] but it will concentrate on Allegheny County," according to Blazina.

Sunday, June 2, 2019 in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3, 2025 - Governing

White park shuttles with large Zion logo on side and red rock cliffs in background in Zion National Park.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”

Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

5 hours ago - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Chart of federal transportation funding comparing Biden and Trump administration spending.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden

Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

6 hours ago - Transportation for America

Close-up on yellow and black TAXI sign on top of beige car in central Munich, Germany.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence

Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.

7 hours ago - Bloomberg