Traffic expert weighs in on NFL draft coming to Pittsburgh

Traffic experts say the NFL draft will be a test for Pittsburgh's roads. 

In a release from Carnegie Mellon University, Sean Qian, who directs the school's mobility data analytics center, said there are going to be more people on the roads than usual, even though Pittsburgh Regional Transit has warned people not to drive. 

The big issue is going to be the bridges and tunnels. Other congestion points could be traffic lights if they run on a time-of-day setting as opposed to real-time traffic flow.

For people coming from the direction of the airport, there could be more cars clogging the roads with people from out of town. To counter that, Qian suggested shifting your travel time and checking traffic conditions before you leave.

As for ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft, Qian said that might not be the best way to avoid traffic because they sit in the same traffic as other cars. As for the traffic apps on your phone, those can be a challenge as they measure what is going on at the exact moment. So, if there's an influx of people all at the same time, it won't catch it until it becomes a problem.

His best advice is that of the PRT's: take public transit, as it can fit more people than just one vehicle. If you are close enough, biking and walking are recommended, too.

According to Visit Pittsburgh, it plans to have more details on transportation this week.