With massive crowds expected to flood the city for one of the NFL’s biggest events, Pittsburgh is starting to shut down streets ahead of the fast-approaching draft.
The road closures are part of a regional transportation plan for next month’s NFL Draft. Transportation leaders and Pittsburgh officials unveiled the plans Wednesday at the North Side T Station lobby.
To accommodate thousands of visitors, the three-day event will feature frequent light rail service, adjusted bus routes, park-and-ride options outside the city, designated pedestrian corridors and a network of road and bridge closures designed to keep access smooth.
There are six phases of road closures, which will compound on each other as the draft approaches, with some closures continuing beyond draft weekend. They are as follows:
• Phase 1 closures (March 28 to April 12): Art Rooney Avenue, West General Robinson Street (to Tony Dorsett Drive), Scotland Avenue
• Phase 2 closures (April 13-21): Casino Drive (from Sproat Way), North Shore Drive (to Chuck Noll Way), Reedsdale Street (to Tony Dorsett Dr), Chuck Noll Way, Tony Dorsett Drive, along with the closures in Phase 1
• Phase 3 closures (April 22-25): Sproat Way, North Shore Drive (from Chuck Noll Way to Mazeroski Way), Mazeroski Way, West General Robinson Street, Lacock Street, Federal Street, I-279 Southbound Exit 1B ramp, Route 65 southbound ramp to Ft. Duquesne Bridge, Route 65 Northbound ramp from Ft. Duquesne Bridge, T1 ramp from Reedsdale Street, 6th Street Bridge (Roberto Clemente), 7th Street Bridge (Andy Warhol), Sixth Street, Ft. Pitt Bridge on ramp from 10th Street Bypass, Commonwealth Place, Liberty Ave Extension, Penn Avenue (from Stanwix Street to 9th Street), Liberty Ave/PPG Paints Arena Exit off Ft. Pitt Bridge and 279 HOV, along with closures from Phase 1 and 2
• Phase 4 closures (April 26 to May 1): Casino Drive (from Sproat Way), North Shore Drive (to Chuck Noll Way), Reedsdale Street (to Tony Dorsett Dr), Chuck Noll Way, Tony Dorsett Dive, I-279 Southbound Exit 1B, along with the closures in Phase 1
• Phase 5 closures (May 2-6): Reedsdale Street, Chuck Noll Way, Tony Dorsett Drive, along with the closures in Phase 1
• Phase 6 closures (May 7-10): Art Rooney Avenue, West General Robinson Street (to Tony Dorsett Drive), Scotland Avenue
Officials expect 500,000 to 700,000 people to attend the draft, which begins April 23 and runs through April 25.
All transportation details will be available on the NFL OnePass app, which Jerad Bachar, president and CEO of Visit Pittsburgh said is the “one-stop shop” for all draft-related information.
Select road closures and traffic patterns will be adjusted to accommodate Pittsburgh Pirates home games at PNC Park.
Included in the plan are four special “Football Flyer” express bus service routes, which will be in operation during NFL Draft week to help move fans to the event areas.
They will run about every 15 minutes April 23 and 24 and every 30 minutes April 25, operating daily from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.
The four Football Flyers, which will drop off and pick up passengers near Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh and near PNC Park on the North Shore, are as follows:
• 99N — start at the McCandless Park and Ride (9700 McKnight Road), travel to the Ross Park and Ride (5204 Perry Highway) and will use the HOV lanes on I-279
• 99E — start at the Monroeville Mall and serve every station along the East Busway
• 99S — start at the Large Park and Ride (219 Peters Creek Road) and serve every station along the South Busway
• 99W — start at the University Boulevard Park and Ride (9000 University Boulevard), serve every stop on the West Busway, the Lower Station of the Duquesne Incline and the Lower Station of the Monongahela Incline
PRT is also planning to increase light rail T service between Downtown and and the North Shore during peak draft hours.
The Red Line and Blue Line will operate from from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. from South Hills Village to North Side Station and will run every 15 minutes. The Silver Line will operate from Library to Washington Junction, and riders can transfer to the Red or Blue lines.
Allegheny Station will be closed from April 22-25. Riders should use North Side Station during that period.
“(The routes) are designed to bring riders directly from park and ride locations and into the center of the event,” PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman said. “Do not drive that week.”
Draft weekend
Public transit service will expand throughout the draft, Kelleman said.
PRT will add frequency and capacity on select routes, while buses will operate on their normal routes unless otherwise noted, she said.
Draft weekend service will include:
Regular fares will be in place, she said, but there will also be a special Draft Pass that will be offered in the Ready2Ride app beginning April 1 — providing unlimited rides for seven days for $25.
Current PRT fares cost $2.75 for a full fare and $1.35 for half fare, which are both valid for three hours with unlimited transfers. Cash fares for half and full fare are priced the same but are valid only for a single ride.
A day pass costs $7 and is valid from the start of service until the end of service within a single day, seniors and children under five ride for free with a fare paying adult.
“Our plan for the draft is about balancing the needs of the thousands of fans coming to Pittsburgh and meeting this special moment while continuing to deliver for the people who rely on us every day,” Kelleman said. “No matter why you’re traveling that week, our goal is to make transit the easiest and most reliable way to get there.”
Park-and-ride lots will all be open, PRT said, and most are free. They include:
More information can be found by visiting www. rideprt.org.
Once fans arrive at the draft site, which spans between the North Shore and Point State Park, officials said there are several ways for people to travel between the two locations.
People can walk across the Roberto Clemente Bridge, which will be closed to vehicle traffic, take the T to the North Side Station via the Gateway, Wood Street, Steel Plaza or First Avenue stations or take a Gateway Clipper Fleet river ferry between the two.
Personal watercraft and private boats will not be permitted near the draft footprint from April 23-26. The following safety zones will be enforced along adjacent rivers, and boaters should avoid these restricted areas:
For rideshare options, there will be designated Uber and Lyft pick-up and drop-off locations near the event footprint, and designated areas can be viewed on the NFL OnePass app.
And for anyone who wants to cycle, POGOH, Pittsburgh’s public bike-share program that offers both traditional pedal bikes and electric-assist bikes at stations across Downtown, the North Shore and surrounding neighborhoods will be available. Fans will need the POGOH app to unlock bikes.
Parking
Garages and lots on Pittsburgh’s North Shore are expected to fill quickly, with street parking to be very limited. Drivers should reserve parking in advance, officials said.
Fans who drive are encouraged to park in Downtown and Station Square lots and garages, with carpooling strongly encouraged.
Parking availability can be viewed on the ParkPGH app, and reservations can be made through platforms like ParkWhiz, according to the announcement.
Officials said parking restrictions will be enforced during draft week, and vehicles in restricted areas may be ticketed or towed.
The NFL will release a comprehensive Accessibility Guide on April 10, which will detail ADA and mobility services. Officials said the draft footprint will be fully accessible.
Private charter buses and oversize vehicles can get parking at PPGpublicparking.com or by calling 412-231-5746. No pick-ups or drop-offs will be permitted near the draft footprint due to security restrictions.
“However they arrive, we want people to come on down,” Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said.
Traveling to Pittsburgh
Outside of the city itself, fans traveling from across southwestern Pennsylvania and other counties will be able to access the city via regional transit agencies — that will have expanded and coordinated service throughout draft week.
The following regional providers are set to operate enhanced service, which will include express routes, extended hours and connections to part-and-ride locations with direct links to Pittsburgh’s transit system: