• April 15th, 2026
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The NFL Draft in Pittsburgh next week, April 23-25, is expected to result in citywide traffic congestion and extremely limited parking availability. Public transit, biking, and walking can be the most efficient travel modes for all travelers—even those not participating in Draft-related activities.

Read on for our comprehensive look at the transportation impacts before, during, and after the event as between 500k-700k visitors share the city's transportation system with our over 300k residents in the days ahead.

Last updated April 20, 2026.

Use public transit. Bike. Walk if you can. The NFL Draft is right around the corner, April 23-25, and as area residents prepare for the impacts, it is important to highlight that—perhaps now more than ever—public transit, biking, and walking can assuredly be the most efficient travel modes for all travelers (even those not participating in Draft-related activities.)

Bikesharing through the POGOH bike share program offers a unique and flexible option with both traditional pedal bikes and electric-assist bikes at stations throughout the city. Residents who rely on these programs for every day travel should be cognizant of the impacts to bike availability during these event days as the program has been promoted to visitors and is expected to be heavily utilized during the event as POGOH will be offering "bike valet locations" with POGOH members on-site to assist with bike parking at two core stations: North Shore Trail/Ft Duq Bridge and Liberty/Stanwix. Note that this valet services are available for POGOH riders only, not personal bikes.

Biking. For additional biking resources, check out the Bike the Draft Resource Guide from Bike Pittsburgh which "links together the regional trails to safer on-street routes."

On their website you can review Bike Pittsburgh's interactive Bike the Draft Parking Map which includes parking location suggestions that the organization has designated as "convenient to bike routes" along with bike dismount areas and uses red-X designations that represent hard trail closures. BikePGH has also. noted that many trail closures may start on April 21—citing Friends of the Riverfront as a reliable source for the latest information on trail closures and detours.

For example, the pedestrian bridge on the Fort Duquesne Bridge will be closed, moving both pedestrian and bike access to the Roberto Clemente Bridge (which will be closed to motorists.)

Remember to obey the rules of the road when biking, yield to pedestrians, use extra caution when biking near or around crowds, and always double-check nearby signage before leaving your parked car as ensuring it is parked legally and safely is your responsibility.

And don't forget that all Pittsburgh Regional Transit buses are equipped with a front rick that carry your bike: here's how to use it.

Ridesharing offers another alternative to driving alone and eliminates parking requirements for short trips, and designated pick-up/drop-off zones will be set up near the event footprint to get event-goers close without creating congestion at the gates. Carpooling offers viable alternative to driving alone—removing additional vehicles from the road and decreasing parking requirements.

And, of course, if working from home is available, telecommuting may be your best option until the estimated 500,000 to 700,000 visitors travel back to their home towns. For a frame of reference, that is over twice the City of Pittsburgh's just over 300k residents, or about one-third of the entire metropolitan area that includes not just Allegheny County, but Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland counties. Which means there is potential for nearly one million people traveling around the heart of Pittsburgh in the days ahead.

With tens, if not, hundreds of thousands of unfamiliar travelers simultaneously navigating our transportation system in the days ahead, it is imperative that everyone exercise patience while traveling, plan for extended travel times, and above all, use extreme caution no matter which mode of travel you choose.

In addition to the influx of unfamiliar drivers on our roadways—large and small—note that many private charter buses, shuttle buses, and more oversized vehicles than usual (including trucks, RVs, and large vans) are expected to be traveling throughout the area, as well, which may further contribute to extreme congestion due to temporary blockages or grid-locked intersections. Moreover, many more boats and personal watercraft are expected to heading to our river systems towed by large vehicles, again further contributing to extraordinary roadway conditions.

Be patient. Travel responsibly. Use extreme caution at all times.

The official event schedule is from April 23-25, but Pittsburghers can expect to see visitors arriving in town as early as this upcoming weekend, and many staying through the following weekend as our city's attractions are sure to draw extended tourism stays.

By most accounts, this is potentially the largest event the city has ever hosted, and the influx is expected to severely stress test transportation systems, so all travelers should plan for unprecedented roadway congestion and extended travel times citywide—not just in Downtown and North Shore where primary events converge, and not just during peak hours.

Visit Pittsburgh has assembled a "comprehensive multimodal transportation guide" that serves well as a public-facing, tourist-friendly resource educating travelers about how to effectively navigate the city's 90 unique neighborhoods for a "seamless experience while the world is watching."

For details regarding event accessibility services related to mobility and navigation, viewing and communication services, medical and dietary needs, service animals, restrooms, sensory-friendly spaces, and more, check out Visit Pittsburgh's transportation guide, as well.

Transit Impacts:

To best support the city's transit needs during this 3-day event, nearly all standard Pittsburgh Regional Transit routes will be operating on Saturday Service schedules.

Few exceptions continuing to operate on standard weekday service include: 51-Carrick, 54-North Side/Oakland/South Side, G2-West Busway, and P1-East Busway.

Other exceptions include 24 routes with no service during this period (with many service areas largely still servied by the addition of four new event-related flyer routes.) Impacted routes with no service incdlue: P3-East Busway-Oakland, 71-Edgewood Towne Centre, 65-Squirrel Hill, P67-Monroeville Flyer, and many more. Visit the PRT website for a complete list of route impacts.

Pittsburgh Regional Transit will operate four free "Football Flyers" originating from North, South, East, and West destinations on 15-minute intervals between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. on Thursday and Friday, April 23-24, and on 30-minute intervals on Saturday April 25.

All four flyers will serve bus stops near Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh as well as a stop near PNC Park on the North Shore. At time of writing, PRT has announced that there will be no fare for riders using these Football Flyers, light rail "T" rides, or the Monongahela Incline (courtesy of the Pittsburgh Organizing Committee, The Pittsburgh Foundation, and Sheetz—depending on the source.)

Note: Initial plans included a $25 Draft Pass deal for unlimited rides for a 7-day period on all PRT buses, light rail, and inclines which was available by downloading the Ready2Ride app.

Free "football flyer" route details: Brief descriptions of the travel routes for these four flyers are below, now available for free to all riders who may be traveling to/from mid-point destinations along these routes, as well, not specifically for the entire trip length.

• 99N – Starts at McCandless Park & Ride (9700 McKnight Rd), travels to Ross Park & Ride (5204 Perry Highway), and uses I-279 HOV Lanes to enter city
• 99E – Starts at Monroeville Mall and serves every station along the East Busway
• 99S – Starts at Large Park & Ride (219 Peters Creek Rd) and serves every station along the South Busway
• 99W – Starts at University Boulevard Park & Ride (9000 University Blvd) and serves every stop on the West Busway, the lower station of the Duquesne Incline, and the lower station of the Monongahela Incline

Light Rail Service: All fares on the Light Rail ("T") system including the Red, Blue, and Silver lines, as well as the Monongahela Incline will be free. No tickets, transit cards, or apps will be required to board these specific services during the three days of the Draft. The extends the typical "free fare zone" which usually strictly connects riders between all Downtown stations and the North Side station.

Please note that Allegheny Station will be closed from April 22-25.

The Red Line, Blue Line, and Silver Line light rail systems will be adding additional service with increased frequency during this 3-day event. The additional service on the Silver Line will operate between Library & Washington Junction only, so if you are traveling from the Library area on the Silver Line, you can transfer to a Red or Blue Line train at Washington Junction to continue inbound toward Downtown.

Park-and-Ride: Many transit stations include park-and-ride lots including several T-locations which offer free parking on a first-come-first-served basis. See "parking impacts" below for more details.

Note: PRT reminds travelers that, of course, plans may evolve and change in response to real-time travel impacts.

Regional Transit Service: Beyond city transit options, regional public transit agencies are also increasing service to Pittsburgh and to park-and-ride locations. This includes express trips to Downtown along with trips to park-and rides from Beaver County Transit Authority, Butler Transit Authority, Fayette Area Coordinated Transit, New Castle Area Transit, Mid-Mon Valley Transit Authority, and Freedom Transit (Washington County).

Road Closure Impacts:

Current road closures on the North Shore related to event preparations include: Casino Dr at Sproat Way, North Shore Drive at Chuck Noll Way, Reedsdale Street at Tony Dorsett Dr, Chuck Noll Way, Tony Dorsett Dr. (Note that following the event between 4/26-5/1, these same roads will again close to traffic along with the I-279 southbound Exit 1B; and then from May 7-10 Art Rooney Dr, West General Robinson, and Scotland Ave will be closed.)

During the draft event next week, additional road closures will occur throughout the North Shore and Downtown areas resulting in a significant impact to commuter travel and short trips during the event.

Those closures include:

• I-279 southbound Exit 1B
• Rt 65 southbound exit to Ft Duquesne Bridge
• Rt 65 northbound exit from Ft Duquesne Bridge and T1 ramp from Reedsdale
• Sixth Street Bridge (Roberto Clemente)
• Seventh Street Bridge (Andy Warhol)
• Sixth Street
• Commonwealth Place
• Liberty Avenue Extension
• Penn Avenue between Stanwix & 9th St
• Fort Pitt Bridge exit to Liberty Ave/PPG Paints Arena
• Fort Pitt Bridge on-ramp from 10th Street Bypass
• Federal Street
• Lacock Street
• West General Robinson Street
• Mazeroski Way
• North Shore Drive between Chuck Noll Way & Mazeroski Way)
• Sproat Way
• Note: Visit Pittsburgh notes that slight modifications may be made to this road closure plan as needed in order to provide access for various businesses and PNC Park events

Parking Impacts:

Visit Pittsburgh's advice: "Leave early, pack your patience, and plan your route ahead of time. Because the Draft is a massive, multi-day event, multiple phases of road closures will be in effect.

If you're actually heading to Downtown and the North Shore for draft-related events and choose to drive, parking lots and garages Downtown and at Station Square are options for those who want to then utilize the "T" light rail system or have the time to experience the Gateway Clipper ferry as a fun way to reach event activities on the North Shore.

Mobile & Web Apps: Using the ParkPGH app, anyone can track parking availability. The app boasts that users can see exactly which public lots have spaces available in real-time. Additionally, platforms like ParkWhiz offer a feature to reserve a spot in advance by booking your parking on their website – however at the time of writing, many facilities do not show April 23-25 dates available.

Share a Ride: As noted earlier, for all travelers who choose to (or must) drive, coordinating and carpooling is highly encouraged to help reduce the number of vehicles entering the Golden Triangle and adding to congestion en route. Moreover, ridesharing services like Uber, Lyft, and zTrip will surely be operating citywide and offer an alternative to finding parking at all, though riders should expect surge pricing to be in effect.

Parking Enforcement: No matter what, be absolutely sure that you are parked legally by following posted signage, as parking enforcement will be strict citywide and vehicles left in restricted areas will be ticketed or towed.

Park and Ride: Alternatively, Pittsburgh Regional Transit's park-and-ride locations offer an exceptional path to leaving your vehicle outside of the city, avoiding the congestion in many areas by traveling via dedicated busways for more efficient travel times to your destination. These lots are first-come-first-served and are expected to be a popular option for local commuters and tourists alike, so be sure to arrive early so that you can park successfully—and legally.

Note that each of the four event-specific "football flyers" being operated by PRT each start at an existing Park & Ride lot location north, south, east, and west of the city.

Parking is also available at several park-and-ride lots for drivers looking for an easy connection to then ride the T into the city, including:

• Library Park and Ride (4100 Brownsville Rd), Free lot
• West Library Park and Ride (6229 Library Rd), Free lot
• Bethel Park, Park and Ride (5081 Brightwood Rd), Free lot
• Washington Junction Park and Ride (400 Library Rd), Free lot
• South Hills Village Garage (1038 Village Drive), Paid lot*
• St. Anne’s Park and Ride (960 Rockwood Avenue), Free lot
• Castle Shannon Park and Ride (700 Mt. Lebanon Boulevard), Free lot
• Memorial Hall Park and Ride (1134 Grove Road), Paid lot*
• Mt. Lebanon Park and Ride (600 Shady Drive East), Free lot
• Dormont Park and Ride (1428 Biltmore Avenue), Free lot
• Potomac Park and Ride (2930 Belrose Avenue), Free lot
• Wabash Park and Ride (155 West Carson Street), Paid lot*

Source: Pittsburgh Regional Transit, Visit Pittsburgh, Bike Pittsburgh, OTMA