Transit authority OKs purchase of replacement Go Westmoreland buses; ridership rising

Westmoreland County Transit Authority board members approved the $2.1 million purchase of new buses for the agency’s shared-ride paratransit system.

The smaller, 12-seat passenger buses are in the popular door-to-door subsidized service used by seniors and disabled riders and are among the fleet of 58 vehicles in the Go Westmoreland system.

Funds from state grants will pay for the bus purchases, authority Executive Director Alan Blahovec said.

The new vehicles, which will likely be put on the streets in late 2026, will replace vehicles purchased in 2014 that will soon be too old to safely operate, officials said.

The authority last year purchased eight new buses for the paratransit system. Five of those vehicles were delivered this month, with three more expected to arrive in the next week.

“It’s the best thing we’ve done, and it’s good for the disabled,” said board Chairman Tony Lizza. “It’s great that the state paid for it and it doesn’t cost us anything.”

Go Westmoreland provided nearly 15,000 rides in September. During the past year, it has seen a 3% increase in riders, according to Deputy Director Ashley Cooper-Brounce.

The authority also operates a fixed-route bus system that includes daily commuter service to Pittsburgh and local routes throughout Westmoreland County.

Forty-one buses make up the authority’s fixed-route system with 15 daily routes and limited service on Saturdays.

Ridership on the fixed-route system has increased by 4% over the last year.

“We’re continuing to steadily see our ridership creep up,” Cooper-Brounce said.

Ridership on both systems crashed during the coronavirus pandemic and has slowly rebounded over the past several years. Ridership reached nearly 18,300 in September. If current trends continue, the authority will see its highest number of passengers this year since the pandemic, officials said.