Introduction

The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP) requests proposals from qualified firms or teams of firms with the appropriate expertise to serve as a consultant and develop a multimodal mobility plan (the Plan) for Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The PDP strives to advance an accessible, welcoming, and safe multimodal transportation system that is informed by a shared vision while balancing needs and optimizing space in the geographically limited Central Business District (CBD, also referred to as the Golden Triangle).

Over the last ten years over $5.2 billion dollars has been invested in the Greater Downtown community with an additional $3.5 billion in the pipeline. As a result, a number of real estate development and transportation projects have been completed, introduced, or are in development in Greater Downtown. Similarly, new private and public investment in the Golden Triangle as well as surrounding neighborhoods of the Lower Hill District, North Shore, Strip District, Uptown, and South Shore, is already beginning to impact how people get around and experience Downtown.

Recognizing the emergence of new mobility technologies and building upon previous Downtown studies, planned roadway improvements, and projected land use changes, the Plan will develop a comprehensive strategy for the safe and efficient movement of people, transit, bicycles, vehicles, freight, and other means of transport across Greater Downtown. The goal of the Plan is to account for these changes and build a strategy to transform the Downtown mobility network into a 21st century system prioritizing the movement of people and optimization of the public right-of-way.

Consultant Selection Schedule:

RFP Release Date: Friday, May 31, 2019

Deadline for Questions: Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Responses to Questions Posted: Monday, June 17, 2019

Proposals Due: Friday, June 28, 2019

Interviews (if required): Week of July 15, 2019 (anticipated)

Consultant Selection: Week of July 15, 2019 (anticipated)

Contract Negotiation and Finalization: By end of July

Notice to Proceed: August

Background

In 1997, Mayor Tom Murphy unveiled The Pittsburgh Downtown Plan: A blueprint for the 21st century, a 10-year development strategy for Downtown Pittsburgh. The transportation component of this plan provided a framework for shaping the proper mix of modes that would best meet the diverse access, parking and mobility needs presented by the proposed development strategy in the plan. Many of the transportation projects identified in that plan have been completed, including the North Shore Connector and the First Avenue Light Rail Station. However, the plan also recommended numerous studies and policies that have not yet been created or adopted, contributing to an incomplete and disorganized Downtown transportation network not meeting its full potential.

In 2015 Mayor Bill Peduto and the PDP established Envision Downtown, an initiative to pilot short-term interventions designed to inform a 21st century vision for the sustainable and efficient development of a Downtown for all. Envision Downtown was charged to develop a Downtown Pittsburgh Public Realm Action Plan (PRAP) to baseline conditions and identify strategies to enhance public life and mobility in Downtown Pittsburgh. In 2018 the PDP commissioned an independent review of Envision Downtown to detail specific lessons learned and next steps related to setting priorities, planning projects, and coordinating stakeholders. As a result of this process, it was recommended that a comprehensive plan be developed to guide Downtown Pittsburgh's future mobility network.

Plan Objectives

This Plan is intended to serve as a seminal document that will guide transportation and development investments, projects, programs, and policies in Downtown Pittsburgh. We envision this Plan serving as a catalyst for enhancing the existing multimodal transportation network that is optimized for new development opportunities while still retaining the historical and natural assets of Greater Downtown. In service to this, the Plan has the following primary objectives:

• Accelerate progress towards a Downtown that relies less on single occupancy vehicles (SOV) trips while still providing a welcoming experience for all
• Define which modes should have priority on each street with the goal of optimizing the streets, sidewalks, and parking resources during peak AM and PM, and special event travel times
• Strengthen coordination, communication, and trust between core stakeholders
• Identify a shared set of Guiding Principles to use for future projects and policies
• Capital Project List and Funding Strategies
• Establish a systems-based Downtown mobility planning approach to evaluate the impact and identify trade-offs of projects

Scope of Work

The following Scope of Work details the distinct components and deliverables associated with phase one of the Plan:

• Existing Conditions Summary
• Guiding Principles and Objectives
• Scenario Planning and Goal Setting
• Mobility Network Plan

The deliverables included in this scope of work will inform future priorities and deliverables for subsequent phases of the Plan, which is expected to begin in summer 2020 and include, but is not limited to:

• Bus Routing Plan
• Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan
• Curbside and Parking Management Policies
• Special Events and Construction Protocols
• Capital Project List and Funding Strategies
• Streetscape Design Guidelines

Study Area

The Golden Triangle CBD is the primary study area for the Plan. The CBD is bounded by the Allegheny River to the north, the Monongahela River to the south, Point State Park to the west, and 11^th street to the east. The Plan will also consider adjacent neighborhoods and regional travel patterns to explore how changes in Greater Downtown and beyond will impact the CBD. The boundaries of Greater Downtown extend outside the CBD into the North Shore to the north, the South Shore to the south, and the Strip District, the Lower Hill District (Crawford-Roberts), and Bluff/Uptown to the east. A detailed map of the CBD and the adjacent neighborhoods that make up Greater Downtown is available in Appendix A.

More information about the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership's Downtown Pittsburgh Mobility Plan, including the full RFP, can be found at: https://downtownpittsburgh.com/mobilityrfp/