East Liberty Transit Center: (Spirit St. and Busway Pedestrian Bridge)

The development of transit has shaped East Liberty during the past two centuries. From the opening of the Pennsylvania Railroad station in the 1850s and the electrification of the streetcar system in the 1890s, to the proliferation of automobile ownership in the twentieth century and the attempts to solve traffic problems with Penn Circle during urban renewal. Today, transit development is still affecting the neighborhood.

Completed in 2015, the East Liberty Transit Center aims at transit oriented development (TOD). TOD places residents and retail in close proximity to mass transit in order to encourage urban density (rather than sprawl) and discourage automobile use. The transit center increases accessibility to the MLK Jr. East Busway that runs along the ravine in which the Pennsylvania Railroad once ran.

This 2015 project was a catalyst for heated debates about the need for affordable housing in East Liberty. The tax abatement program in the East Liberty transit district has given public funds to private developers who have constructed luxury apartments and upscale commercial establishments. The public controversy centered around the 2015 demolition of the affordable housing complex, Penn Plaza, which displaced 200 tenants. While the displaced residents have been given affordable housing vouchers, none of those units are located in East Liberty. Critics argue that just as the neighborhood and transit system is being improved, many long time residents will no longer be able to live in the neighborhood.

Sources:

Deto, Ryan. “Pittsburgh affordable-housing advocates rally in East Liberty; decry public subsidies to luxury development.” Pittsburgh City Paper. March 9, 2017. Available at https://www.pghcitypaper.com/Blogh/archives/2017/03/09/pittsburgh-affordable-housing-advocates-rally-in-east-liberty-decry-public-subsidies-to-luxury-development

Deto, Ryan. “Recent Penn Plaza evictions highlight East Liberty's severe lack of affordable housing.” Pittsburgh City Paper. July 22, 2015. Available at https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/recent-penn-plaza-evictions-highlight-east-libertys-severe-lack-of-affordable-housing/Content?oid=1841883

EAST LIBERTY STATION: REALIZING THE POTENTIAL Transit Revitalization Investment District Planning Study. Pittsburgh City Planning. Published May 2012. Accessed April 19, 2019 http://apps.pittsburghpa.gov/dcp/elTRID.pdf