How to take transit, park and navigate the NFL Draft
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The North Side T station will be your friend during the NFL Draft. Photo: Ryan Deto/Axios
You can drive to and park at the NFL Draft, but local leaders really don't want you to.
Why it matters: When Pittsburgh hosts the draft April 23-25, hundreds of thousands of people will converge on the North Shore and Downtown, so the region is adjusting transit service, closing roads and explaining the best pedestrian and bike paths to use.
Driving the news: Local leaders unveiled their regional transportation plan for the NFL Draft on Wednesday, and one message came through: Avoid driving if you can.
- "Do not drive that week. Let us get you there," said Pittsburgh Regional Transit CEO Katharine Kelleman.
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Public transit
Pittsburgh Regional Transit will add four Football Flyer temporary routes with limited stops to help get people from the suburbs over to the North Shore easily.
- They pick up from park-and-ride locations in McCandless, the Monroeville Mall, Moon and Jefferson Hills.
- Riders pay the standard fare of $2.75 each way, and Kelleman suggests they take advantage of $25 weekly pass if they are using other parts of the system during the draft.
Light-rail, aka the T, will run more frequently.
- Red and Blue lines will see trains every 15 minutes on Thursday and Friday and every 30 minutes on Saturday.
- T service between First Avenue Station in Downtown and Allegheny Station in the North Side is free, like always.
Most bus service will run on the less-frequent Saturday service schedule, except P1, G2 and 54 bus routes, which will run on normal weekday schedules.
- The 28X bus from the airport will see expanded service.
The Gateway Clipper boats will also offer free rides between Point State Park and the North Shore, in addition to their usual service between Station Square and the North Shore.
Regional transit operators will offer enhanced bus service from the Mon Valley, as well as Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Lawrence and Westmoreland counties.
Road closures
A series of rolling road closures start this Saturday to prepare North Shore and Downtown to boost the walkability and "festival like environment" of the draft, said Visit Pittsburgh CEO Jerad Bachar.
- Phase 1 runs Saturday through April 12 and is similar to road closures for a Steelers home game, impacting only a few North Shore roads.
- Phase 2 (April 13-April 21) closes roads around Acrisure, but leaders said they will be open during Pirates home games.
- Phase 3 (April 22-25) closes most main roads in the North Shore and parts of Downtown.
- Closures between April 26-May 10 are for cleanup.
Walking and biking
The pedestrian path on Fort Duquesne Bridge — which directly connects the North Shore to Point State Park — will be closed during the draft for safety reasons, said Bachar.
- To accommodate the large pedestrian crowds, the Roberto Clemente Bridge will be closed to vehicles during the draft.
- Cyclists are encouraged to rent POGOH electric-assist bikes and use the trails and bike lanes to get around.
Parking
Expect rates to be higher during the draft, officials said, though city-owned lots will still be cheaper than private lots.
- The Second Avenue lot near the First Avenue T station will retain its usual rates.
- If you drive, Pittsburgh Parking Authority executive director David Onorato suggests aiming for the lots on the edges of Downtown, including on Second Avenue, Boulevard of the Allies and Grant Street.
What's next: The NFL will announce designated Uber and Lyft pickup and dropoff locations closer to the draft.
- An accessibility guide for visitors with disabilities will be released April 10.