Pittsburgh Climate Initiative: Climate Action Plan

Over the last couple of years, the Pittsburgh Climate Initiative group, made up of institutions, nonprofits, City and County government officials, and the business community, has re-convened in order to collaborate, create, and develop the third iteration of the Climate Action Plan (PCAP 3.0) for the City of Pittsburgh. Overall, the goal of the climate action plan is to analyze and implement strategies, policies and projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within city limits and mitigate Pittsburgh’s contribution to global climate change.Currently, the Pittsburgh Climate Initiative group is in the process of developing implementation strategies for each of the different subcategories for PCAP 3.0, including transportation and land use, energy, and waste. PCRG has been continuously engaged and involved with the development of transportation and land use chapter, by providing leadership, technical assistance, research, and case study analysis.Combining the concept of the “smart spines” from Pittsburgh’s Smart Cities Application with Port Authority’s frequent transit service network cloud led PCRG to creating the image below. This incredibly simple map tells a big story: Pittsburgh’s current transit service is strongest in the East End, areas of the North Side, and areas along the light rail south of the city. The challenge for the transportation and land use group – how do we create even more connected, multimodal transit service for the city and how do we strengthen the existing transit corridors identified as having frequent service?