Possible Port Authority of Allegheny County Service Interruption – Updated December 1, 2008

The leadership of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85 and the Port Authority of Allegheny County are very pleased to announce that they have reached a tentative contract agreement.

The terms of the tentative agreement will be reviewed by the Local 85 membership and will be voted on within the next few weeks. Following the ratification vote, a special Port Authority board meeting will be called to review the agreement and obtain final board approval.

This Web page will remain active until a final agreement is reached by both parties.

You can also visit www.PghTransitInfo.com for the latest information on the status of the negotiations between the Port Authority and its labor unions, including a side-by-side comparison of what the Port Authority is offering and what the unions are asking for, as well as the complete fact-finding report. The site is operated by the Port Authority. Other pertinent information can be found at www.KeepPittsburghMoving.com.

The University recognizes that a Port Authority service interruption may have an impact on many of our faculty, staff, and students and may create commuting difficulties and inconveniences. In order to assist our students and employees, who must continue to satisfy their school and work obligations during such an interruption, the University has created plans to assist with transportation to and from campus for students, faculty, and staff. The plan includes utilization of existing bicycle racks, car pooling, the expansion of the existing campus shuttle system, the introduction of new neighborhood buses for areas in close proximity to Oakland, the creation of park-and-ride shuttle locations outside of the Oakland area, and enhancements to the current on-campus parking system. These enhanced transit services and parking locations will be available to University passengers including Pitt, UPMC, Sodexo, and US Securities employees.

Expanded Campus Shuttle System:

Campus shuttle service will be expanded in an effort to provide transportation to University passengers who rely on public transportation. The expanded campus shuttle system will extend two to three miles in radius to include areas such as Shadyside and Squirrel Hill during the work stoppage. The stops along these new routes will be marked with Pitt/UPMC signage. These shuttles will drop off only at the transportation hub on campus, located on Bigelow Boulevard between Forbes and Fifth Avenues. From this location riders can connect to an existing campus shuttle route to move around campus.

In addition to these new routes, an existing route (20A North Oakland) will be extended into Penn Circle (to Ainsley Street at Penn Circle West) to accommodate University passengers living in that area. An additional stop at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC in Oakland will be added to the 20A North Oakland

See Shadyside and Squirrel Hill schedules and routes for more details. See expanded 20A North Oakland schedule and route for further information.

New Neighborhood Buses:

The University will provide service to neighborhoods in close proximity to Oakland by creating a series of neighborhood gathering points where University passengers can board a bus to campus. The final scope of this service may be dependent on a number of factors, including access to PUC-approved buses, and access to the gathering points. Buses will depart neighborhood gathering points on half-hour intervals and will “express” into Oakland with no pickup points along the route. In order to reduce the amount of time to complete the bus route, bus stops in the Oakland area will be limited to the Cathedral of Learning and Children’s Hospital in Oakland.

Neighborhood Gathering Points:

Edgewood
Homewood
Highland Park
Wilkinsburg

See Neighborhood Gathering Points for detail location and schedules.

See Bus System Map for Neighborhood Gathering Points.

Park and Ride Shuttles:

The University will provide service to communities outside of the Oakland area by utilizing remote parking locations along with shuttles to campus.

In an effort to accommodate the increased demand for parking spaces, remote parking locations are being identified from which shuttle service to campus may operate. The scope of this service is dependent on a number of factors, including access to PUC-approved buses and access to the remote parking locations.

This is a combined operation with UPMC. These new park-and-ride shuttles will drop passengers at the Cathedral of Learning and Children’s Hospital in Oakland, where riders will be able to connect with the existing shuttle system to move around campus.

5. East Park and Ride - Monroeville Mall

Up to 500 spaces available.
Cost will be $2.75 per space per day.
Shuttle hours of operation are projected to be Monday through Friday:

Morning peak period 5 - 10 a.m.
Afternoon peak period 3 - 8 p.m.

Hours are subject to change based upon demand.

6. North Park and Ride- Strip District at 21st and Smallman Streets

Up to 250 spaces available.
Cost will be $3.75 per space per day.
Shuttle hours of operation are projected to be Monday through Friday:

Morning peak period 5 - 10 a.m.
Afternoon peak period 3 - 8 p.m.

Hours are subject to change based upon demand.

7. West Park and Ride - Fifth Avenue, Uptown

A total of 300 spaces available in nine parking locations along the Uptown Fifth Avenue corridor.
Cost is being finalized.
Shuttle hours of operation are projected to be Monday through Friday 5 a.m. - 8 p.m.

8. South Park and Ride - Sandcastle

Up to 500 spaces available.
Spaces will be provided free of charge Monday through Friday.
Shuttle hours of operation are projected to be Monday through Friday:

Morning peak period 5 - 10 a.m.
Afternoon peak period 3 - 8 p.m.

Hours are subject to change based upon demand.

9. Showcase Cinemas North – McKnight Road

Up to 250 spaces available.
Spaces will be provided free of charge Monday through Friday
Shuttle hours of operation are projected to be Monday through Friday:

Morning peak period 5 - 10 a.m.
Afternoon peak period 3 - 8 p.m.

Hours are subject to change based upon demand.

10. Parkway Center Mall

The number of spaces available is being finalized.
Cost is being finalized.
Shuttle hours of operation are projected to be Monday through Friday:

Morning peak period 5 - 10 a.m.
Afternoon peak period 3 - 8 p.m.

Hours are subject to change based upon demand.

11. South Hills Village

Up to 2,200 spaces available.
Spaces will be provided for $2 per space, Monday through Friday.
Shuttle hours of operation are projected to be Monday through Friday:

Morning peak period 5 - 10 a.m.
Afternoon peak period 3 - 8 p.m.

Hours are subject to change based upon demand.

12. Neville Island

Up to 500 spaces available.
Spaces will be provided free of charge Monday through Friday.
Shuttle hours of operation are projected to be Monday through Friday:

Morning peak period 5 - 10 a.m.
Afternoon peak period 3 - 8 p.m.

Hours are subject to change based upon demand.

See Bus System Map for new park-and-ride shuttle locations.

Enhancements to Campus Parking System:

There are more than 700 transient parking spaces on campus. These transient parking spaces will be restricted for parkers with valid Pitt IDs who must drive to work but who do not currently have parking permits. Daily rates in University-owned garages and lots will be discounted to $5 per day. Carpooling with other employees is encouraged. The University recommends use of the following garages/lots:

Soldiers & Sailors Garage
O’Hara Garage
OC Lot
Panther Hollow ($4 per day)

The existing shuttle service for OC Lot will remain in place.

Other Alternatives:

Weather permitting, individuals may consider bicycling to campus. There are bike racks on campus that can accommodate more than 500 bicycles. Bike Pittsburgh is another resource at www.bike-pgh.org.

If the potential of a Port Authority work stoppage has a direct impact on your commute to Pitt, we encourage you to visit our regional ridesharing partner, CommuteInfo. CommuteInfo serves a 10-county region and provides free ride-matching services and resources to commuters interested in carpooling or vanpooling to work. Visit www.commuteinfo.org to learn more and to register for a ride-match list, which will be sent to you within a few days.

More work stoppage information will be provided when available and necessary.