Pittsburgh Regional Transit makes immediate route changes, including in the Alle-Kiski Valley

Bus routes in the Alle-Kiski Valley are among those that are affected by changes being made by Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT).

The changes include 20 altered routes, like those of the P16 Penn Hills Flyer and the P78 Oakmont Flyer, and 39 other routes with bus stop changes, like the 1 Freeport Road route.

Adam Brandolph, PRT’s deputy chief communications officer, said the changes are in accordance with the company’s ongoing projects: the NEXTransit Downtown Plan and the University Line Project. He said the authority adjusts routes about three times per year.

The purpose of the projects is to streamline better routes into Downtown and to integrate the five new PRTX stations being built.

Many of the changes focus on Downtown Pittsburgh, with buses accessing the city differently and increasing use of the East Busway to reach Downtown.

“The need to update Downtown bus routes was twofold: There was a need to modify some routes to accommodate the University Line. And, to the extent possible, we streamlined several routes so they share corridors with similar routes and, in many cases, to bring buses closer to the center of Downtown,” Brandolph said. “So, at least theoretically, more people would walk a shorter distance to/from their Downtown bus stop.”

To determine where different routes were needed, Brandolph said “the team looked at grouping like routings together, ensuring riders got far enough into Downtown to be able to access key destinations and make transfers to other parts of the system easily, where sidewalk space was available to support bus stops, and rider feedback from meetings and pop-up events.”

Locally, these routes will see changes:

1 Freeport Road: The route has not changed, including its swing through New Kensington, but some Downtown Pittsburgh stops locations are changed and some weekday trip times are changed. See the updated schedule here.

P10-Allegheny Flyer: Some weekday trip times are changed. See the updated schedule here.

67-Monroeville: There’s a change in Downtown stops and some trips times are changed. See the updated schedule here.

77-Penn Hills: The route into Downtown is changed in addition to changes in trip frequency and the elimination of one trip. See the updated schedule here.

P12-Holiday Park Flyer: The route through Downtown is changed. See the updated schedule here.

P16-Penn Hills Flyer: The route through Downtown is changed. See the updated schedule here.

P78-Oakmont Flyer: In addition to many bus stop changes, new stops have been added Downtown and some weekday trip times are changed. See the updated schedule here.

Riders should visit the PRT website to find a map and learn more about specific route changes.