Highway & Transit Improvements

The Pittsburgh region capitalizes on its advantageous geographic location – within 500 miles of half the people who live in the United States and Canada – with a comprehensive regional infrastructure network that enables efficient travel and distribution. The region was recognized as having North America’s No. 2 “Best Infrastructure” by Foreign Direct Investment (fDi) magazine, a Financial Times publication.

In order to ensure the region’s economic competitiveness, the Conference, its Affiliates and regional partners pay special attention to the region’s transportation networks.

Some current initiatives include:

• Bridging Transportation Gaps
• Interstate 376 Designation
• Public Transit – Port Authority Service Reform

Bridging Transportation Gaps
Through the Tri-County Airport Partnership (T-CAP), the Conference has been actively supporting the completion of the “Missing Ramps” connecting I-79 to the Parkway West (I-279). This will improve access to development around Pittsburgh International Airport, particularly from Butler County and northern Allegheny County.

Experts from the Urban Land Institute called the project "the region's highest transportation priority.” Construction began in September 2006 and is scheduled to be complete in early 2009.

Interstate 376 Designation
During the corporate site selection process, locations without easy access to the Interstate Highway system are often eliminated from consideration. Though the Parkway West is a divided highway that functions as an Interstate at Interstate speeds, the roadway as it runs past Pittsburgh International Airport and north into Beaver County is officially designated as PA 60.

The Conference and the T-CAP are working with federal legislators and regional leaders to secure a designation of the roadway as Interstate 376 that would run from the PA Turnpike east of Pittsburgh north to Interstate 80 in Mercer County.

T-CAP won a major victory in 2006 when the Federal Highway Administration agreed to the placement of signs designating the highway as “Future Interstate 376.” Work is continuing to secure the final designation as quickly as possible to make it easier to market the hundreds of acres of new ready-to-go business sites that are available in the airport market area.

Public Transit - Port Authority Service Reform
A healthy and robust mass transit system is essential to the economy and quality of life in southwestern Pennsylvania. For two years, the Pennsylvania Economy League of Southwestern Pennsylvania has studied the financing and operations of the Port Authority of Allegheny County and found it to be far less effective at attracting and serving riders than other big-city transit systems, with costs that were rising far faster than inflation.

The Conference has worked closely with the Port Authority board and Port Authority CEO Stephen G. Bland since his arrival in June 2006. Together, Mr. Bland and the board have undertaken major cost-cutting reforms at the agency. These include:

• cutting his own salary and benefit package
• reducing service by 15% in July 2007 to improve the agency’s efficiency
• eliminating controversial supplemental pension programs in place for certain Port Authority employees
• eliminating “health care for life” for non-unionized retirees
• requiring non-unionized employees to increase their annual contribution to health care premiums from 1% of annual wages to 3% of annual wages in 2008

In addition, through the agency’s Connect 09 initiative, the Port Authority is:

• undertaking a top-to-bottom review of its bus and rail network to improve service
• coordinating service with transit agencies in neighboring counties
• cooperating with those agencies on a common electronic fare card for the region

In July 2007, the state agreed to increase funding to the Port Authority. Even with this increased funding, however, further measures are needed to bring the Port Authority’s costs under control.