Port Authority tool allows riders to gauge social-distance capacity on buses

A new tool from the Port Authority of Allegheny County will tell riders whether the bus headed for their stop is at a safe social-distancing capacity, officials said Monday.

The Room2Ride tool on the Port Authority’s website relies on the past two weeks of ridership data to let people know how many riders they can expect on their bus route at any given time, according to a release from spokesman Adam Brandolph.

Port Authority officials in April set limits on the number of riders for each bus size to help with social distancing amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic:

• 10 riders on a 35-foot bus

• 15 riders on a 40-foot bus

• 25 riders on a 60-foot articulated bus or T car

“As our region opens for business, we want to make sure that our riders are equipped with as much information as possible so they can make the best decisions for themselves,” Port Authority CEO Katharine Kelleman said in a statement.

The Room2Ride function will be color-coded, according to Brandolph. Blue means a vehicle is below social-distancing capacity, gray means it is at that limit, and orange means it is already beyond social-distancing capacity.

The data used to predict capacity will be updated weekly.