Pittsburgh Magazine: Don’t let the fear of where to park stop you from experiencing the Cultural District’s many wonders. From world-class symphonies and Broadway shows to inventive dining experiences, Downtown has a lot to offer to those willing to venture out. Here are four tips that will make navigating Downtown’s parking situation a breeze.
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When me and my mom came initially to do move in and stuff we were amazed by how good the traffic situation and parking situation was. In Seattle most anywhere and especially downtown its pretty much a death sentence to drive unless you want to spend 2 hours circling looking for one parking spot, only for it to be taken from right under your fingers. There were a couple spots where I discovered that I am actually quite good at parallel parking and nailed it first try many times. I think most people try to adapt with their parking for the situation, but at the end of the day if you just follow the same formula over and over again, you will get the perfect smooth parallel park every single time. Also the public transit here is really good so im not totally sure why you would bother driving anyway.
"What's the parking situation?" It's a necessary, if not especially exciting, question that you'll have to think about before you go basically anywhere in 95% of America. As a resident of one of America's premier car-centric cities, I've been frankly surprised that Pittsburgh's public transit system is somewhat maligned; PRT is vastly superior to Ride KC, and I've found little to complain about regarding the bus system here. However, I'm able to recognize that PRT isn't necessarily the most useful system if you don't live in the city center, so cars are the most logical choice for many people -- especially if you're going to the Culture District to see a performance and you'll be leaving at 11, maybe 12. I've never had a bad experience on public transit, but my experiences are not universal. As much as I wish everyone would take the bus everywhere, it's just not plausible. I'm grateful, therefore, for articles like these, that encourage people to make use of the great circulatory system that keeps Pittsburgh moving, while also conceding to reality.
This article actually finds me at a comedic time because I worked downtown and in the Cultural District all summer, and it took me a good week or two to find my perfect parking place. Parking is always so expensive, and a lot of garages and they charge upwards of $20 a day, so I had to do a lot of research to find my Niche parking spot. I agree with being patient, you will find a spot, and I also learned that you can park on the street. That's news to me. Also, I'm glad I read this because thank gosh for $6 parking. I will be using that from now on when I go to the Cultural District. This article is super helpful for affordable parking, but honestly, once you get used to Downtown parking, it's not as bad as you think. The cheapest parking I found was $10 at the Mon Wharf for the entire day, but I'm glad to know there's an even cheaper option.
I know this was the vein of some team members' existence this summer. Luckily most folks were given parking passes. But even then the cultural district parking garage was a good six blocks away. Not very convenient for our team members who had to bring sets, props, costumes, lights, or dogs in their own vehicles. Luckily for me, I wasn’t driving so I did not have to deal with the parking chaos. Granted that meant I was at the mercy of the 67/69 buses, which were fine 90% of the time. There was only one egregiously late day when I got there 15 minutes late. I also biked one day! Which was slightly terrifying but fun in hindsight! There are wonderful bike paths through the strip district. Getting there from campus is a little perilous with some street biking, but once you’re down there it's a much better ride. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice the bike protected paths were in the cultural district itself.
Growing up, I was always told that Pittsburgh was full of horrible drivers. Now that I’m older and am driving myself around, I think that the East Coast is full of bad drivers. I have never avoided an event because of the driving situation, but I've definitely worried about parking downtown. I have been looking for theatre internships for the past few summers now, and the logistics of parking in the city is what has held me back from committing. After reading this article, I realize I need to be more exploratory with my parking options. I hate paying for parking (as I’m sure everyone does), and I never realized that there are indeed cheaper spots throughout the city. The next time I drive downtown, I plan on taking the time to seek out a side street somewhere. It’ll be a little adventure, and I’ll get some extra steps in on my walk to my destination!!
When I went downtown for my Pittsburgh Project I did notice that the parking situation was difficult to say the least. The bus took us right to the center of the district, however the streetparking available was small and definitely a difficult process if you were trying to go to a show and were running a little late. The public transport system in Pittsburgh does not solve this problem cleanly because of the limited access. Personally as I do not have a car and do not intend to have one during my four years this issue is not that large for me but I can see how this could be a struggle for those coming from the suburbs who need to drive into town to see shows but have nowhere to stop. This creates a layer of friction in bringing new theater goers into shows that worries me as more and more media becomes available on streaming.
Coming from a relatively small town full of suburban sprawl, driving and parking in Pittsburgh is mildly terrifying. Even though Pittsburgh isn't the largest or most bustling city, the streets are always full of cars, bikes, scooters, and pedestrians, and while the drivers here seem more aware of their surroundings than the drivers back home, they also seem to be bigger risk takers. All that goes to say that I really appreciate a parking guide like this one to help people understand their parking options and to decide which one is the best for their purpose. I also really liked that this article first and foremost highlighted the bus system as a great way to get around, since the bus system here is really quite great, and having good public transit is a luxury that a lot of places aren’t afforded. The buses here aren't perfect, and they can be late or slow, but they make navigating the city a lot easier and shouldn't be taken for granted.
None of this really applies to me this year since I didn’t bring my car up to school, but there's a good chance I'll have my car here next year, so learning this now is useful. As someone who didn't grow up in Pittsburgh, I had little idea the parking situation was this layered (like an ogre) between the price gap between street parking and garages, the after-4-p.m. discounts, and things like the Smithfield-Liberty Garage's flat $8 rate.
That said, I have to push back a little on the line about Pittsburgh's transit not being "nearly as robust" as bigger cities. Coming from Houston, where public transportation is barely an afterthought, PRT buses are semi-reliable and easy to navigate by comparison. And the POGOH bike stations are everywhere, which isn't something Houston really has at all. It’s nice to get some exercise when traveling somewhere. They even have a little strap to hold my leftover tacos from the Pitt Taco Festival. So while the article's right that transit isn't perfect here, it's still a huge step up from what I'm used to.
Being in Pittsburgh made me realize how much more convenient everything would be if we had a car. We wouldn’t need to get to certain bus stops to get somewhere, no need to wait for the next bus if the current one is full, no need to worry about not having enough space to fit my groceries, no need to wait extra time in waiting for the bus to arrive and having to go through many stops before arriving to the one I need. But because every time I was a passenger on the car, I never notice how many things you have to consider to get the car parked. I like how this article reminds people to be aware of the cost, locations, and safety precautions regarding parking in Pittsburgh. I wish I can get a drivers license and a car to freely zoom around.
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