Pittsburgh Regional Transit is almost done planning its “Bus Line Refresh,” a series of adjustments to the network that would eliminate 14 routes, add nine and change stops along dozens more.
Ridership plummeted at the start of the covid-19 pandemic and has not fully recovered. Recognizing this, Pittsburgh Regional Transit has spent nearly three years soliciting feedback on how to adjust its network to better meet riders’ needs.
In earlier stages, the new map was known as the Bus Line Redesign. PRT has since swapped out “redesign” for “refresh,” proposing less drastic changes it claims will create more frequent and reliable service across much of its footprint.
“We heard loud and clear … that folks were OK with change, but not as much change as we proposed,” Katharine Kelleman, Pittsburgh Regional Transit CEO, told a crowd of about 20 riders Tuesday night at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center in Downtown Pittsburgh. “What you’ll see here are more refined, targeted changes.”
The agency is on a community engagement blitz that includes more than 60 events to iron out any remaining issues.
PRT says 20% more people would have access to buses that come every 30 minutes or less under the refresh versus the redesign. The number of routes with 20-minute or better frequency would rise to 18 from 11.
Commuter routes would be deemphasized while weekend service would get a boost, reflecting post-pandemic ridership trends.
The proposed map is available on the Pittsburgh Regional Transit website.
Community engagement will last through May before giving way to formal public hearings.
Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s board is expected to approve a final version this fall, allowing implementation to start next year.
The cash-strapped agency says the new network will cost the same amount of money to operate as the current one.
Less than 1% of riders would lose service under the draft map. But plenty more could have their access to transit disrupted to some degree.
Harger Anderson-Jussen, 22, of Blawnox depends on bus Route 1 to attend classes at the Community College of Allegheny County’s North Side campus. The redesign would sever that connection and force Anderson-Jussen to transfer buses or take another route Downtown and then walk to class.
“It will be more complicated for me,” Anderson-Jussen said.
It’s a similar situation for Anna Porter, who takes bus Route 13 from her home in Brighton Heights to West View to shop at the Giant Eagle there. The redesign would mean she’d have to transfer buses.
She’s especially concerned for residents of senior high-rises along the route and the Giant Eagle workers who live on her street as well as others in the region who might not get a chance to weigh in.
“I’m just one voice,” Porter said.
