Public transit is the lifeblood of our communities, bringing thousands of riders to essential needs every day.
Even during this coronavirus outbreak, Public transit is vital for getting people to essential jobs and businesses. If you are still riding public transit, we want to hear from you. What are you seeing? What buses are full, which are empty? What can Port Authority be doing to keep its riders and drivers safe? How can PPT support you and our system through our advocacy?
Here’s what Port Authority riders are saying about transit during the Covid-19 outbreak:
Rider who takes the P1, 82, 86, 71s & 61s:
I currently work the night shift at the post office. I take a lot of buses – the P1, 82, 86, 71s & 61s – and have noticed crowded buses on both inbound and outbound. Port Authority should not delay action and add more buses so that riders can maintain social distancing and still get to where they have to go.
Rider who takes the 51 Carrick:
I don’t drive so I depend 99% on PAT. The reduced schedule has been a hartship […]. Since only 2/3 of the bus is available to passengers, sometimes it gets too close for comfort […].
Rider who takes the bus:
I don’t work, but I need to get to chemotherapy, other medical, and grocery shopping. I never learned to drive, so the bus is my only way to get where I need to go.
Rider who takes the 59 and P68:
I travel to get groceries. With the front (disability and elderly priority) seating closed off to passengers unless phsyically needed, the back of the 59 and P68 buses are more crowed than usual, meaning riders have to be in close proximity. […] Before COVID-19 I usually got grocery delivery, but with the increased demand, it is almost impossible to get, meaning I have to travel to the grocery store weekly. I want drivers to be safe. They are heroes during this time, but surely it is possible to open up even a few more seats in the front to keep passengers safer too. The bus drivers are incredibly kind, and helpful during this time. […] I am hopeful that they will not cut back on these routes, as passengers are already standing.
Rider who takes the 41 Bower Hill:
Some days everyone is sitting one behind the other with no empty seats between riders.
Are you riding transit during the outbreak? We want to hear from you:
With reduced routes, the larger articulated buses should be used more often. It gets moderatly crowded during rush hours. Also, it is sometimes nearly impossible for short people to get on/off at the back doors, the floor of bus usually hits me at mid thigh or higher if driver can’t pull whole bus to curb
Rider who takes the 82:
I ride the 82 Lincoln outbound and inbound to get groceries and do my business because I have no one else to help me with these things. PAT needs to run more buses and limit passengers cus they’re crowded and un-safe as is.
Rider who takes the 86:
I’m a resident at West Penn Hospital. I need the bus system to get to work everyday. The reduced hours in the morning are making it difficult to get to work on time.
Rider who takes the G1:
Still working downtown as I’m deemed essential. The drivers have been fantastic. Port Authority needs to keep hiring great drivers & maintenance workers that keep buses clean!
Rider who takes the bus and ACCESS:
I have to take the bus in order to get doctors appointments. Port Authority should have more buses running so that they’re not so crowded at times.
Rider who takes the 88:
As a grocery store employee, I continue to have normal shifts scheduled. I do think it’s important for food stores to remain open, and I like my place of work. It’s definitely concerning to get onto a packed back of bus while spending so much energy distancing from each other. I’ve been using a mix of bus and bike so that I’m not on the bus so much. However, I’d not be able to get to work without Port Authority.
Are you taking transit to make essential trips? How can Port Authority protect riders and workers?
I work at UPMC Presbyterian. I travel to Oakland from Garfield/Bloomfield. I’m on the bus maybe 10-15 minutes each way. Port Authority is working hard to get us through this.
Rider who takes the 87 who transfers Downtown to get to the Northside:
I ride two buses to get from where I live in Bloomfield to my job at an information warehouse on the Northside. The 87 outbound is crowded. Port Authority needs to get its buses back on a regular and reliable schedule so that riders don’t have to be waiting more time for transfers around other people and riding crowded buses.
Rider who takes the Blue Line & the bus:
I work at an essential job downtown and cannot afford parking so I rely on the bus. I take the T. There have been a few times since the outbreak that its been too crowded for comfort.
Rider who takes the 51, P1, and 68 Carrick:
I do not have a car or license so I have no choice but to get the bus for wherever I need to go.
Rider who takes the 1 Freeport:
I take the 1 Freeport bus to New Kensington. It still has lots of people on it, but its my only option to get to work. They should limit the number of people allowed on at one time and run more buses.
Rider who takes the 64 and 82:
My buses haven’t been too crowded, but hearing that there are crowded buses worries me. I use the bus to get to Target for essential home supplies, and Aldi in Homestead to get groceries because much cheaper than the Giant Eagle across from my house. Port Authority needs to disinfect the buses regularly and tell riders that the buses are disinfected regularly. They also need to pay PAT drivers hazard pay because they’re risking their health every day to provide a necessary public service.
Reporters say that the Mon-Oakland Connector costs just don’t add up.
On Friday, April 10th, Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) and data analysts at Tech4Society released a new report entitled The People’s Audit of the Mon-Oakland Connector, to evaluate the City’s proposed Mon-Oakland Connector shuttle roadway against resident proposals for expanded public transit services. The report demonstrates that minor Port Authority transit improvements would outperform even the best-case scenario for the Mon-Oakland shuttle roadway, and would better connect Institutions and residents within the corridor.
The People’s Audit of the Mon-Oakland Connector builds on years of resident-led resistance to the project from neighbors in Hazelwood, The Run, and Oakland. They have raised a number of tried-and-true mobility solutions that would provide real access to their essential needs:
“Even during this pandemic, I am still taking the bus everyday; to work in Oakland, to buy groceries in Squirrel Hill or Homestead, and to get my son to doctor’s appointments at Children’s Hospital. Because we don’t have weekend service on the 93, I have to take two buses and choose between arriving at work an hour early or late. Having the 75 to take us directly to Southside grocery stores and Oakland would be a huge benefit for me and my neighbors.”
Deanna Turner, Hazelwood Resident & Public Transit Rider
The outbreak has underscored why data-driven analysis is essential to drive responsible public investment in order to serve the needs of our neighbors. This report breaks down the available data to show that an investment in public transit will provide vast improvements for neighborhood and institutional mobility, at a fraction of the cost.
Media Contact: Laura Chu Wiens, Executive Director of Pittsburghers for Public Transit: (703) 424-0854
New Report Shows Public Transit is More Effective than Mon-Oakland Shuttle Roadway
On Friday, April 10th, Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) and data analysts at Tech4Society released a new report entitled ThePeople’s Audit of the Mon-Oakland Connector, to evaluate the City’s proposed Mon-Oakland Connector shuttle roadway against resident proposals for expanded public transit services. The report demonstrates that minor Port Authority transit improvements would outperform even the best-case scenario for the Mon-Oakland shuttle roadway, and would better connect Institutions and residents within the corridor.
The crisis of COVID-19 has illustrated why it is that communities like Hazelwood need transportation access to food and hospitals. At a time of diminishing public resources, it has also become more apparent that the City needs to responsibly guide investment to effectively meet shared transportation needs.
Bonnie Fan, a researcher with Tech4Society, said, “We wanted to answer questions the public has raised regarding the cost to build and operate the project, ridership capacity and projected need, and anticipated travel time between key destinations like hospitals and the universities. In all categories, the Mon-Oakland Connector fails in comparison to public transit improvements.”
There is no question that better public transit is needed in this corridor to ensure the viability of communities and the residents that live within them. Hazelwood is a food desert, so residents must travel to other communities to buy groceries. Healthcare access is limited, as Hazelwood residents have no direct public transit routes to the hospitals in Oakland on the weekend. Finally, as Hazelwood Green builds out, there needs to be robust mass transit in place to prevent environmental degradation and the congestion of single-occupancy vehicle commuting. These are all important transportation needs that require a comprehensive solution.
The report shows that investment in the resident-generated transportation plan to add weekend service on the 93 bus and extend the 75 to Hazelwood would accomplish all of these goals. Moreover, building the 2nd Ave Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor and consolidating the Oakland institutional shuttles would provide enormous benefits to the institutions and residents of the corridor.
Hazelwood resident and transit rider Deanna Turnersays, “Even during this pandemic, I am still taking the bus everyday to work in Oakland, to buy groceries in Squirrel Hill or Homestead, and to get my son to doctor’s appointments at Children’s Hospital. Because we don’t have weekend service on the 93, I have to choose between arriving at work an hour early or late, and take 2 buses. Having the 75 to take us directly to Southside grocery stores and Oakland would be a huge benefit for me and my neighbors.”
PPT hopes that this report will encourage the City’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) and stakeholder institutions to invest in long term, equitable public infrastructure and transit operating service rather than costly, short-term, and ineffectual solutions. The City’s anticipated $23 million capital dollars for the Mon-Oakland Connector could instead be an important down payment on the 2nd Ave rapid transit corridor, and address gaps in the neighborhoods’ bicycle and pedestrian networks. In addition, for a fraction of the anticipated $16 million 5-year operating expense, the foundations and institutional investors involved with Hazelwood Green could instead seed expanded Port Authority transit service.
Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) has joined the Keystone Counts Coalition to help ensure a fair and accurate count of the upcoming 2020 census, which is data that guides many decisions for the upcoming decade. There is a lot at stake in this Census, and historically-marginalized communities have been undercounted in the past. Ensuring a proper count has enormous impacts:
Why your participation in the 2020 Census is critical
ON RESOURCES: Federal programs allocate funding based on census data, so an undercount could drastically reduce the resources coming to Pennsylvania for education, healthcare, housing, Public Transit, veterans, seniors, and much more.
ON REPRESENTATION: Because U.S. House of Representatives is apportioned according to census data, Pennsylvania could easily lose one or more representatives after the 2020 census, especially with an undercount. Because state legislative districts are also drawn based on census data, communities that are undercounted would go underrepresented for the next decade.
ON COMMUNITY SUPPORT: Aside from funding and political representation, local government, philanthropic, and community leaders also rely on census data to know where to fund, build, or invest. Not being counted literally means becoming invisible to these decision-makers.
Now more than ever, you MUST do your part and take the 2020 Census
During this pandemic, the people who are now deemed invaluable to our country are often under ordinary circumstances the first of us to be forgotten. They are our grocery store tellers, meat packers, those who clean and sterilize our hospital. We have always known that these are the folks who should be heard, counted, and seen. Now is our opportunity to do that.
It’s now time for the federal government to step up to the plate.
These necessary safety interventions are costly, and COVID-19 is threatening to put our transit agencies on life support. Allegheny County transit riders are calling for emergency federal funding to cover the increased costs associated with COVID-19 and decreased revenue, at a scale comparable to the proposed airline industry bailout. Supermarket clerks, hospital environmental service workers, pharmacy technicians, and nurses still rely on public transit everyday to keep our communities healthy. The COVID-19 crisis has brought into stark relief the need for public transit systems to be considered essential services and as an extension of our healthcare and food system infrastructure. Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader McCarthy and Minority Leader Schumer must ensure that transit is provided the highest level of immediate, direct financial assistance in this forthcoming Emergency Funding Bill, and ensure that this money can be used for transit operations.
Don’t let Covid-19 kill public transit ?? Sign on for a Federal Transit Stimulus NOW
As the Covid-19 outbreak spreads through our communities, we are seeing firsthand how years of disinvestment, defunding, and deregulation are leaving our neighbors struggling to find the essentials they need: transportation, food, housing, healthcare, education, and more. This struggle is real, and our communities are coming together to support each other through our moment of need.
If you’ve been on social media the last week, you’ve no doubt seen many different lists of resources that are being made available to individuals, families, and small businesses. These efforts may be piecemeal, but they are vital for keeping us fed, sheltered, and surviving in a broken system that was never built to support us. Below are a few lists that we’ve found helpful in this time, it is by no means exhaustive. If you have any additions, please send us an email at info@ppt-test.jimkeener.com
All of that said, we cannot lose sight of the transformative opportunity of this moment
As we support each other with care and resources, it is essential that we recognize the transformative opportunity that is present in this moment. Movements for human rights that were impossible 1-week ago are possible today – evictions are frozen, mortgages and student loans are frozen, innocent people held in prison are being released, a universal basic income is moving closer to reality.
We will indeed rebuild our communities from this crisis – that is certain. But in this moment we have the chance to rebuild a system with love and compassion that puts the human rights of people first. Housing, transportation, food, healthcare, wages, childcare; as trillions of public dollars are being moved to help our country recover, we are seeing that yes, there is in fact money to pay for human rights. In this moment we have an opportunity to re-balance the scales and push for investment in people’s needs ahead of corporate profits.
Join PPT and transit riders across the county in making the call for a federal public transit stimulus to keep our communities moving past Covid-19:
Take Action Mon Valley is collecting different resources to distribute to residents throughout the Mon Valley. If you live in the Mon Valley and need resources, or if you are a caring neighbor who as resources to donate, check out their Resource Bank.
A helpful list designed specifically for family needs. With resources from food assistance, utility support, education, emotional support, etc. And a defined point of contact to ask any questions.
Join PPT to connect with our neighbors and make sure their needs are met during this time of Covid-19
The Covid-19 outbreak has laid bare the longer-term crisis of poverty and inequality in our country. Now, more than ever, we need protections for the 140million poor and dispossessed people in the U.S., not billions in bailouts for the wealthy. Join Southwestern PA organizations in the PA Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, for a virtual phonebank 3 different days this week to check-up on our neighbors, connect them with community resources, and invite them to an online screening of the new documentary about the Poor People’s Campaign next Saturday.
Phonebank schedule
Tuesday, 3/24, 3pm-5pm
Wednesday, 3/25, 6pm-8pm
Thursday, 3/26, 3pm-5pm
Each virtual event will begin with a training via this zoom here: https://zoom.us/j/7174265283 OR Dial: 646 558 8656 Meeting ID: 717 426 5283
Our virtual phonebank will begin on a Zoom video/phone conference with a short training on local Covid-19 updates, community resources, the PA Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, and logistics for the phonebank. Each phonebanker is encouraged to join on Zoom video through a computer/tablet if possible.
Download zoom here: zoom.us/download#client_4meeting Connect to zoom here before each phonebank: https://zoom.us/j/7174265283 OR Dial: 646 558 8656 Meeting ID: 717 426 5283
When you RSVP please let us know if you won’t have access to a computer or tablet so we can set you up.
COVID-19 must not threaten our system. Pittsburghers for Public Transit is joining transit riders across Pennsylvania and the nation to call on our elected representatives to pass a robust transit stimulus package. We need to protect and expand our public transit system during these challenging times so that we can move our communities forward.
Dear Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAAC) Board Members, PA House and Senate Transportation Committee Chairs, PA House Subcommittee on Public Transportation Chairs, the Federal Transportation Administration and Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader McCarthy, and Minority Leader Schumer.
Public transit is a public utility, and an essential extension of our healthcare and food systems.
The COVID-19 crisis has brought into stark relief the need for public transit systems to be considered essential services and as a necessary aspect of our healthcare and food system infrastructure. Public transit moves front line workers in our food and healthcare industries to their critical jobs — nurses, grocery and pharmacy clerks, hospital environmental service workers, pharmacy technicians, food warehouse workers.
Therefore we must provide emergency state and federal funding for transit agencies to cover the fare revenue shortfalls and increased operating needs.
Transit agencies are needing to shoulder the added and neccessary cost of purchase of safety materials, providing sick leave to workers, and increasing cleaning frequency. We must also ensure that there are also sustainable funding mechanisms in place to ensure the viability of public transit after this crisis passes, without cuts to these vital lifelines.
Moreover, given the changing state of emergency surrounding COVID-19, and the rapid response required to mitigate the worst consequences of this new and highly infectious disease, we, the undersigned, call on our transit agencies and elected officials to take the actions outlined below to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and keep transit riders and workers safe. Transit workers are in a position of high exposure to the public and the virus, and we must take all possible measures to ensure that they remain safe and healthy.
FEDERAL AND STATE EMERGENCY AID FOR PENNSYLVANIA TRANSIT AGENCIES
Initial reports from other large transit agencies indicate that the loss of ridership and fare revenue during the upcoming months will threaten the future of transit agencies. Our transit agencies need emergency federal and state funding to cover the increased costs associated with COVID-19 and decreased revenue, at a scale comparable to the proposed airline industry bailout. Additionally, there needs to be a plan in place to ensure the resiliency and sustained funding of our transit agencies after this crisis passes, and a commitment to treating transit service as a necessary public good and utility. The Port Authority of Allegheny County is particularly vulnerable to service cuts after this crisis because our agency disproportionately relies on funding from the Pennsylvania state legislature, which has not identified a revenue stream to address the impending Act 89 financial cliff. With proposed transit service reductions already in the works, it is important that legislators and transit agency board members lay out a commitment and timeline for service restoration after this crisis abates.
The Emergency Funding bill just released by the Senate Majority does not include relief for transit agencies. This is a dangerous omission that will lead to a crisis in our communities, particularly because existing federal funding formulas are designed to address capital needs, not operating needs. Legislators in Washington and Harrisburg must immediately pass relief funding for PAAC and all transit agencies.
INCREASE TRANSIT RIDER AND WORKER SAFETY
We are grateful that PAAC has increased station and vehicle cleaning in response to the pandemic, and have adopted numerous policy measures to ensure the well-being and safety of transit workers and riders.
We ask that Port Authority follow the lead of other transit agencies and implement rear-door boarding and a fare-free system to limit operator exposure. The front area should remain accessible only for riders with disabilities.
IN CONCLUSION
Transit riders and workers are depending on PAAC board members and elected officials to use their political power and influence for the benefit and protection of us all. During this time of Corona-19 crisis, our neighbors, cities, state and country need robust public transit stimulus to keep our communities moving and protect its riders and workers.
Mobility is a human right, but COVID-19 has shown that having sustainable public transit to support workers in vital industries like healthcare and food access is necessary for the survival of us all.
Sincerely,
Pittsburghers for Public Transit Alliance for Police Accountability Amalgamated Transit Union, LOCAL 1743 Casa San Jose CREATE Lab, Carnegie Mellon University Human Rights Coalition Fed-Up! PGH Bus Info Hotline Philly Transit Riders Union Pittsburgh Food Policy Council Pittsburgh Mennonite Church Sierra Club Thomas Merton Center Three Rivers Free Clinic for the People UrbanKind Institute
Join fellow transit riders in making the call for our elected officials and agency to take the steps necessary to protect and support our system and communities.
Each quarter the Port Authority adjusts its transit schedules and routes to account for rider’s requests, ridership shifts, construction, road closures and/or all of the other unexpected hiccups that might affect Pittsburgh roads.
Additionally, Port Authority’s new Bus Stop Consolidation program aims to eliminate 20-30% of stops in the entire system. PPT’s feelings about this program are complicated (Blog 1, Blog 2), but every 6-months PAAC plans to announce plans for stop consolidation on 4-6 new routes. We’re also going to begin including information about this program in these quarterly service adjustment blogs.
The @PGH_Bus_Info Hotline is a volunteer-run twitter account that gives riders updates on Port Authority’s daily happenings. The Hotline has no official connection to the Port Authority (again, it is a volunteer-run twitter account) but the updates are helpful nonetheless. The Hotline is a big supporter of PPT, and an enormous advocate for public transit. We’re thankful for they’re support and happy to share this rundown of the quarterly service changes compiled by the @PGH_Bus_Info Hotline.
Rundown of quarterly Service adjustments, with takeaways from the @PGH_Bus_Info Hotline
The @Bus_Info_Hotline’s overall takeaway is that this Quarterly Service Changes Update is full of Wow factor this time around!
A lot of PPT mini-victories here and other public goods being served this go around.
? So clap along with us cause we’re happy, and building a system for and by its riders.?
Route changes below will go into effect on Sunday, March 15, 2020:
2 – Mount Royal – Schedules have been adjusted and some time points have been removed from the timetable to improve on-time performance. Weekend service has been added between Millvale and downtown Pittsburgh via the Strip District.
@PGH_Bus_Info Hotline’s takeaway:
The expanded 2 service is amazing! To start on the super positive side, PPT and the Community can claim this as a Victory since Millvale is getting their bus service back on Weekends + holidays! This was part of a community campaign of the organization going back to 2016! Lots of people organized for a long time to make this happen. Thanks to everyone who was involved.
On the downside, the new 2 service only runs a loop through Millvale Loop and leaves out the Royal-Shaler-Etna and McKnight Corridors. Unfortunately, the new weekend service starts way late in the AM and ends too early in the PM. Another concerning trend that we’ve seen is that Port Authority has been making slight changes to improve On Time Performance (OTP) – things like removing bus stops, tweaking headways, removing trips, etc. We’re a little concerned that these small changes will have a big effect on riders. Port Authority should not move to sweep these changes under the rug, no matter how seemingly small. For an example of this, see the changes made last year to routes like the 77 and 69; which now mean that some 69 trips have been skipping Wilmerding, and weekend 77 headways are farther apart and have lost a trip on the weekend.
On the whole, the 2 sees some great changes, but there is room for further improvement.
4 – Troy Hill – Schedules have been adjusted and some time points have been removed to improve on-time performance.
@PGH_Bus_Info Hotline’s takeaway:
Current schedules with new ones given past treatment of the 77 and 69 routes. Tiny changes that may have a big effect on riders.
12 – McKnight– Schedules have been revised and some time points have been removed from timetable to improve on-time performance.
28X – Airport Flyer – Buses traveling to the airport will not serve Boulevard of the Allies and will remain on Fifth Avenue in Uptown due to construction.
@PGH_Bus_Info Hotline’s takeaway:
Scheduling revisions due to multiple ongoing as well as planned upcoming short and long term construction projects thru the next 1 to 3 years. Glad they decided to update the schedules instead of leaving bus riders with late buses for the next 3 years.
36 Banksville – Schedules have been adjusted and some time points have been removed to improve on-time performance.
@PGH_Bus_Info Hotline’s takeaway:
Current schedules with new ones given past treatment of the 77 and 69 routes. Tiny changes that may have a big effect on riders.
38 – Greentree – Trips operating to and from Mt. Lebanon will now operate along Greentree Road and through the West End and Carson Street. Travel times and some time points have been removed to improve on-time performance. Some trips have been adjusted to improve on-time performance.
@PGH_Bus_Info Hotline’s takeaway:
At the request of their local elected representatives and with community support West End and the community of Ridgemont have won extra service in the form of rerouted 38M trips! Chalk one for transit advocacy!
41 – Bower Hill – Schedules have been adjusted and some time points have been removed to improve on-time performance.
@PGH_Bus_Info Hotline’s takeaway:
Current schedules with new ones given past treatment of the 77 and 69 routes. Tiny changes that may have a big effect on riders.
52L – Homeville Limited – Schedules have been adjusted and some time points have been removed to improve on-time performance.
53 – Homestead Park – Sunday service has been added. Schedules have been adjusted and some time points have been removed to improve on-time performance.
@PGH_Bus_Info Hotline’s takeaway:
Another community victory after years of organizing! 53 will begin running 7-days a week with service added on Sundays. When we fight we win!
The only downside is in similar fashion to routes 2, 4, and 60; service will not start until late in the morning and will end far too early in the afternoon (6pm-ish).
We sincerely hope Port Authority extends service hours a bit in a future improvement.
53L – Homestead Park Limited – Schedules have been adjusted and some time points have been removed to improve on-time performance.
60 – Walnut-Crawford Village – Saturday service has been added. Schedules have been adjusted and some time points have been removed to improve on-time performance.
@PGH_Bus_Info Hotline’s takeaway:
This is definitely a community victory, and one that PPT would have organized for, but it turned out we didn’t have to!
PPT and some amazing operators that work with PPT including amazing West Mifflin operators like Sue Scanlon (who volunteers on PPT’s Coordinating Committee) had previously discussed a PPT Campaign for the 60 however it seems the battle was won before it started.
The 60 will begin running Saturday service but again will suffer like the 2 and 53 from the 11 FINEVIEW syndrome only worse. A Saturday schedule that feels like a Sunday schedule yet starts late in the morning and stops way too early for a Saturday. The biggest disappointment on the 60 is when they implied weekend service some expected Sunday too.
We sincerely hope PAAC will look at more services in future improvements or at a bare minimum making the schedule on the Saturday more in line with actual real Saturday service
67 – Monroeville – Weekend service has been extended to CCAC’s Boyce Campus.
@PGH_Bus_Info Hotline’s takeaway:
Great news for CCAC students and most especially folks working or traveling to UPMC East Hospital or even past Monroeville Mall.
Complete weekend schedule revisions and the announcements that 7 day a week service is being established beyond Monroeville Mall
The only disappointment is this expansion doesn’t do much to increase the span of service but Weekend riders will likely appreciate having options now
68 – Braddock Hills – Will no longer operate on the weekends. Weekend service will instead be provided by the P68. Schedules have been adjusted and some time points have been removed to improve on-time performance.
@PGH_Bus_Info Hotline’s takeaway:
Route essentially eliminated, but don’t Panic because of the new news on the P68. Read on to learn more!
Will run 7 days a week and provide a “1 seat ride with no transfer needed” for folks all along the 68/P68 route. ALL 68 trips have been converted to P68 – WHICH DOES IN FACT SERVICE THE EAST BUSWAY FULLY INBOUND, from Hay Street Ramp to Penn Station. The only exception being Wilkinsburg.
Unfortunately outbound still retains it’s stricter stop restrictions (see @PGH_BUS_INFO Twitter for an ongoing petition to remove nuscience stop restrictions).
The other upside to this 68/P68 expansion is its another prime example of expansion and modifications done the right way by PAAC. These changes effectively expand service hours on Braddock Hills service to a little past 9pm on Saturday’s (long overdue but still not late enough) and around 9pm on Sunday. It also adds a helper bus on the East Busway in between abysmal P1 service.
71 – Edgewood Town Center – Schedules have been adjusted and some time points have been removed to improve on-time performance.
@PGH_Bus_Info Hotline’s takeaway:
Unfortunately, we remain disappointed to see that 71 trips still after years of pleading have not yet been converted to P71 and that 71 as well as P71 service and direct services to Edgewood Towne Center still end way to early in our opinion. It remains our hope that someday 71 or P71 can run all day via ETC on Weekdays till say 11pm and hopefully gain lost weekend service it’s predecessors had.
G3 – Moon Flyer – Morning outbound and evening inbound trips have been modified to provide service to Cherrington Parkway.
@PGH_Bus_Info Hotline’s takeaway:
An out of nowhere but pretty good community surprise. Beginning in March reverse commute trips will begin serving Cherrington Corporate Center like the old 28K days. Our disappointment though is it’s a limited service only on reverse commutes and also does very little for the Airside Industrial Business Park on the opposite side of a non-pedestrian friendly higher or for the still underserved University Blvd and Robert Morris College parts of the Moon corridor
We hope more improvements can be forthcoming someday.
O5 – Thompson Run Flyer – Schedules have been adjusted and some time points have been removed from timetable to improve on-time performance.
O12 – McKnight Flyer – New service was added traveling outbound in the morning and inbound in the evening along Babcock Boulevard and Perry Highway and serving CCAC’s North Hills campus. Seven additional outbound AM trips and two inbound PM trips have been added to better connect the North Hills with downtown Pittsburgh.
@PGH_Bus_Info Hotline’s takeaway:
Another PPT Victory AND Community Victory! Previously part of PPT’s “Perry Highway Campaign”. After years of fighting, begging, pleading, suggestions and more PAAC has graciously used the 012 to restore some modicum of service to CCAC NORTH Campus and a sliver of Perry HWY that includes Pines Plaza, Manor Care, Northland Library, CCAC, and some walk-ability to Ingomar Road, Highland Road, Memorial Drive, and Sheetz.
Unfortunately this service is ONLY on reverse commute trips but for pass or multi-use fare product riders just barely navicable during peak/rush hours. We do hope that Mid-Day , evening and eventually other options are considered for Perry HWY + CCAC North
The other upside to this change is 012 will see some expanded service hours in both AM and PM Rush.
P7 – McKeesport Flyer – Schedules have been adjusted and some time points have been removed to improve on-time performance.
@PGH_Bus_Info Hotline’s takeaway:
Disappointed to see that no nonpeak service is added as of yet…
P12 – Holiday Park Flyer – Schedules have been adjusted and some time points have been removed to improve on-time performance.
@PGH_Bus_Info Hotline’s takeaway:
Disappointed to see no later morning or later evening trips and no added reverse commute trips but hopeful for the future
P13 Mount Royal Flyer – Some time points have been removed to improve on-time performance.
@PGH_Bus_Info Hotline’s takeaway:
Again disappointed that no reverse commutes added, yet disappointed the route still hasn’t returned to using the East Busway and Washington Blvd and disappointed no later AM OR PM trips added yet.
P71 – Swissvale Flyer – Schedules have been adjusted and some time points have been removed to improve on-time performance.
@PGH_Bus_Info Hotline’s takeaway:
Again as previously stated disappointed that no Midday – PM Evening or weekend services added but hopeful for the future
Blue Line Library – The Blue Line Library has been renamed the Silver Line Library to avoid confusion with the Blue Line South Hills Village.
@PGH_Bus_Info Hotline’s takeaway:
The hippest change on the list which Port Authority even has a small ad campaign for. Beginning in March the T gets an extra Silver Lining both literally and figuratively.
Yes. in case you haven’t heard the news; it’s shiny, it’s spiffy, and new.. the Blue Line Library ( BLLB ) becomes SILVER LINE Library!!! WOW! Mind blown?
The change had been considered in the past but wasn’t a top priority. The change is being made to hopefully lesson rider confusion by patrons that confuse the 2 current Blue Line variations and we gotta say the name and new schedules and signage look pretty swanky.
So when your S Hills commute is looking a little blue remember Port Authority has that silver lining!
Rundown of Quarterly Stop Consolidation, with takeaways from the @PGH_Bus_Info Hotline
@PGH_Bus_Info Hotline’s takeaway:
Riders have been making their voices heard in their call for a better process on Bus Stop Consolidation! They were able to slow down the process – PAAC moved their program to a 6-month timeline. This will give more time to better improve how they’re including riders as leaders in shaping the process. Check out PPT’s blog on this here.
This was an exciting quarter of Additionally, there may be more unexpected PPT Victory forthcoming such as 2 Mt Royal-Millvale on weekends and holidays 60 On Weekends and holidays and other positive changes between that. And keep on the lookout for potentially starting 24/7 service on a few routes next fall 2019 to 2020!
It looks to be another amazing year at PortAuthority and for riders despite a few missteps. We applaud the authority for continued system improvements but remind them that continued improvements must not stop or slow down!
Port Authority Customer Service can be reached via twitter, the website or a phonecall: 412-442-2000
The @PGH_BUS_INFO Hotline can be reached by phone @ 412-759-3335 ONLY When PortAuthority Customer Service is Closed/unavailable
The PGH Bus Info Hotline will be back on PPT’s blog in for the next set of Quarter Service Adjustments. See ya then! (And if you want, you can check out 2019’s changes in these blogs: Q4 changes here,Q3 changes here, Or Q2’s changes here)
PPT members are creating a graphic novel series on transit justice, and we want you to join in
PPT Members are planning big things for our March General Meeting. Together we’re creating a Transit Justice Graphic Novel series. The first topic will be on #FairFares. How will the world be different when we have organized and won #FairFares for everyone in Allegheny County? Join us at our March General Meeting to start the process with a creative brainstorm: March 11, 6pm Social Hour // 7pm General Meeting, 1 Smithfield St. A team of artists will help us sketch out the future of transit justice.
An expanded, accessible transit network to connect our region and beyond? A full fleet of electric buses? Walkable communities with family-owned businesses and affordable housing? A system without fares? A Green New Deal moved forward by transit labor? A transit agency led by its riders? Robust transit funding with corporations paying their fair share? Intersectional coalitions that organize boldly for collective liberation?
The true freedom to move?
Meeting 1: Transit Justice Graphic Novel Brainstorm March 11 // 6pm Social Hour // 7pm General Meeting 1 Smithfield Street
Led by our members, PPT is moving to create a 4-part graphic novel series to tell the story of how our future transit system looks when riders & operators have organized and won campaigns for transit equity.
Through a series of moderated brainstorming workshops, PPT members will develop a shared vision of how our communities are transformed by deep rider-led organizing. We’ll work together with writers and artists connected to the movement to create a story that actually illustrates what this future looks like.
The first meeting is March 11th to focus on a #FairFares future. Join us to brainstorm ideas and get involved in the project. More dates to come.
