Getting To and Around the 2026 NFL Draft

From April 23-25, 2026, Downtown and the North Shore will be the place to be in Pittsburgh. With the city expecting up to 700,000 visitors for the 2026 NFL Draft, how will residents and visitors move around? A multimodal transportation plan was designed to help residents and visitors enjoy the 2026 NFL Draft in an organized way, whether by transit, car, bike or foot.

Pittsburgh Regional Transit

PRT’s Football Flyer routes will offer free service throughout the weekend, with direct connections from the North Hills, East, South Hills, and West to Downtown and the North Shore.

Service Details:

• Operating Thursday and Friday, every 15 minutes and Saturday every 30 minutes
• Running daily from 10 am to 1 am
• Direct service to drop-off and pick-up locations near Point State Park and PNC Park

Routes Include:

• 99N (North Hills) – Begins at McCandless Park and Ride, with a stop at Ross Park and Ride, (utilizing HOV lanes on I-279)
• 99E (East) – Begins at Monroeville Mall and serves all stations along the East Busway
• 99S (South) – Begins at South Hills Village Park and Ride and serves all stations along the South Busway
• 99W (West) – Begins at University Boulevard Park and Ride, serving all West Busway stops, plus the lower stations of both the Duquesne & Monongahela Inclines

Skip the traffic and ride together.

Light Rail Service

PRT will also increase light rail (T) service between Downtown and the North Shore during peak draft hours.

The Red Line and Blue Line will operate from South Hills Village to North Side Station and will run every 15 minutes from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. The Silver Line will operate from Library to Washington Junction where riders can transfer to the Red or Blue Lines. Allegheny Station will be closed from April 22-25. Riders should use North Side Station during that period.

Use of park-and-ride lots along the light rail system is highly encouraged. All lots will be open, and most are free:

* Indicates lots that are paid parking

Road Closures and Traffic Changes

To support a safe and secure event environment, as well as a highly walkable experience for attendees, select streets in and around Downtown and the North Shore will be temporarily closed to vehicle traffic during draft week.

These closures have been carefully planned in coordination with public safety and transportation partners to balance event operations with the needs of residents, businesses, and commuters.

• Phase 1 Closures (March 28-April 12): Art Rooney Avenue, West General Robinson Street (to Tony Dorsett Drive), Scotland Avenue

• Phase 2 Closures (April 13-April 21): Casino Drive (from Sproat Way), North Shore Drive (to Chuck Noll Way), Reedsdale Street (to Tony Dorsett Drive), Chuck Noll Way, Tony Dorsett Drive, along with the closures in Phase 1

• Phase 3 Closures (April 22–April 25): Sproat Way, North Shore Drive (from Chuck Noll Way to Mazeroski Way), Mazeroski Way, West General Robinson Street, Lacock Street, Federal Street, I-279 Southbound Exit 1B ramp, Route 65 southbound ramp to Fort Duquesne Bridge, Route 65 Northbound ramp from Fort Duquesne Bridge, T1 ramp from Reedsdale Street, Sixth Street Bridge (Roberto Clemente), Seventh Street Bridge (Andy Warhol), Sixth Street, Fort Pitt Bridge on ramp from 10th Street Bypass, Commonwealth Place, Liberty Avenue Extension, Penn Avenue (from Stanwix Street to Ninth Street), Liberty Avenue/PPG Paints Arena Exit off Fort Pitt Bridge, and 279 HOV. Along with closures from Phase 1 and 2

• Phase 4 Closures (April 26-May 1): Casino Drive (from Sproat Way), North Shore Drive (to Chuck Noll Way), Reedsdale Street (to Tony Dorsett Drive, Chuck Noll Way, Tony Dorsett Dive, I-279 Southbound Exit 1B, along with the closures in Phase 1

• Phase 5 Closures (May 2-May 6): Reedsdale Street, Chuck Noll Way, Tony Dorsett Drive, along with the closures in Phase 1

• Phase 6 Closures (May 7-May 10): Art Rooney Drive, West General Robinson Street (to Tony Dorsett Drive), Scotland Avenue

Organizers have been meeting for weeks with business owners and residents in the impacted area to inform them of the closures and to answer any questions they may have. Slight modifications will be made to the road closure plan to provide access for various businesses and PNC Park events. Road closure reminders will be disseminated in advance of the start of each phase. Updates will also be posted on the NFL OnePass app, nfldraftpittsburgh.com and pittsburghpa.gov.

Pirates Game Day Access on the North Shore

Transportation and road closure plans have been designed to accommodate Pittsburgh Pirates’ home games at PNC Park.

On game days occurring during the weekends before and after the NFL draft, select road closures and traffic patterns will be adjusted to support fan access to the ballpark and surrounding areas.

Fans attending Pirates games can expect continued access to the North Shore, with clearly marked routes, available parking options and public transit service operating to support game day travel.

Additional details, including specific access routes and timing adjustments, will be shared in advance of each game to help fans plan ahead.

Getting Between Downtown and the North Shore

Traveling between Downtown and the North Shore will be easy and accessible throughout draft week, with several convenient options available for both residents and visitors.

Visitors are encouraged to choose the option that best fits their plans. Fans are encouraged to download the NFL OnePass app for all real-time event information. For more information, riders can visit www.rideprt.org.

Resources and Reminders

As you plan your Draft Week experience, keep these tools in mind:

• Comprehensive Draft Transportation Guide
• NFL OnePass App
• Draft Week Events Calendar
• Draft FAQs