PRT draft proposal and Duck Hollow Trail project put focus on getting around town | The Homepage

Residents told PRT they want bus service that serves Glen Hazel and allows access to Squirrel Hill, Shadyside and Oakland

By Lauren Coursey, Hazelwood Initiative Director of Engagement

The proposed trail begins at Hazelwood Green, goes through the neighborhood and connects to the existing Duck Hollow Trail. Image courtesy of Friends of the Riverfront

The Nov. 12 Greater Hazelwood hybrid community meeting was extremely well-attended, both in person and online. Residents learned about and shared their feedback on the feasibility study for a trail connection through Duck Hollow, and the Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s first draft of the Bus Line Redesign.

PRT Bus Line Redesign draft 1.0

Emily Provonsha, manager of service development at Pittsburgh Regional Transit and Ben Nicklow, a senior planner with the authority formerly called Port Authority, now known as PRT, presented the first draft of the Bus Line Redesign project. They focused on specific proposals that would affect Hazelwood.

The goals of the redesign are to improve service quality and reliability, prioritize equitable investment and expand connections. The project is in its third phase, which entails sharing the first draft of the redesign. The second draft will be shared with the public in the spring.

The presenters discussed the need for increased connectivity to jobs, services, healthcare and groceries, and more reliable bus routes that do not require downtown transfers.

They also proposed expanding the system of transit hubs and introducing microtransit zones in hilly areas with trickier street networks. Inside these zones, one of two options will be available to riders: Either on-demand service or a smaller public transit vehicle following a fixed route to connect riders to regular bus routes. The current redesign draft would put microtransit zones in Penn Hills, the Highlands, South Hilltop and McKeesport.

Bus line changes that would specifically affect Hazelwood include:

• D44, replacing 52L, 53, 53L and 56

• D52, replacing 56 and 57

• 053, replacing 57 and 93

These changes would provide better connections to Oakland and the Waterfront.

Residents at the meeting stressed the need for better service to Glen Hazel. They said lines that connect to Squirrel Hill and Shadyside would be more valuable to them, and that the 93 bus currently serves Hazelwood residents well. They need bus lines that take Hazelwood residents to Squirrel Hill and healthcare destinations in Oakland. View specific proposed changes and share your feedback at buslineredesign.com, or email buslineredesign@rideprt.org.

Three Rivers Heritage Trail

Katie Kovalchik, a landscape architect and project manager from the nonprofit Friends of the Riverfront, spoke to the meeting about the Hazelwood to Carrie Furnace Trail Connection Project. It aims to create a trail that pedestrians and cyclists could take from Hazelwood to the existing Duck Hollow Trail and on to the Carrie Furnace site. The organization held a public meeting last month on the same evening as the October community meeting, so this is the same update that was given then.

The proposed trail begins at Hazelwood Green, goes through the neighborhood and connects to the existing Duck Hollow Trail. The trail additions will be completely ADA accessible with a replacement of the Melanchton Street Bridge and a pedestrian bridge over the Glenwood Bridge, which alleviates safety concerns about trail users crossing the railroad tracks.

Ms. Kovalchik spoke about the community engagement process that led to where the project is now. It included Greater Hazelwood community meetings, walks with Tree Pittsburgh and Hazelwood Initiative, doorknockers, surveys and tabling at Rankin’s Community Day.

Friends of the Riverfront is open to hearing what residents would like to see on the trail as planning continues. Ms. Kovalchik addressed questions about the potential for charging stations and water fountains along the trail or at trailheads. There was also a discussion about the potential for lighting along the trail.

Friends of the Riverfront presented this project in its early stages at the September 2023 Greater Hazelwood community meeting. Funding came from the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County in 2021. The project’s goal is to study the design and engineering required to move the connection forward.

Friends of the Riverfront will continue to apply for grants for construction to keep building momentum on the trail connection project. Learn more about the trail connection here.

Hazelwood Initiative updates

Hazelwood Initiative will hold its board election during its regular monthly community meeting on Dec. 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Spartan Center. The board candidate bios were printed on Page 2 of the November Homepage. You may also read them here.

If you are a Hazelwood Initiative member and would like to vote in person, please plan to attend the meeting. If you would like to receive a paper ballot by mail, please call the office at 412-421-7234.