Pittsburgh's Planned Bus Rapid Transit Could Leave Some Riders Behind

A proposed bus rapid transit route connecting Pittsburgh to the neighborhood of Oakland will surely benefit many commuters, but other transit commuters, including some of the poorest in the region, will face new hardships.

October 3, 2017, 9am PDT | James Brasuell | @CasualBrasuell

The Locally Preferred Alternative for the proposed bus rapid transit route.

Port Authority of Allegheny County

[Updated: October 12, 2017] Ed Blazina updates the status of proposed bus rapid transit route between downtown Pittsburgh and the neighborhood of Oakland, which planners have been refining for at least 18 months, and in the public consciousness for much longer.

While the $195 million project waits for funding from the Federal Transit Administration, Port Authority of Allegheny County planners are holding hearings to explain the projects impact on regular bus riders in eastern neighborhoods and suburbs in the Monongahela Valley.

"Many routes used by those riders, such as the 61A, B and C, would end in Oakland when the new system becomes available, and riders would have to transfer," according to Blazina. So the Port Authority is considering "whether to reduce outlying service, charge for transfers and establish express routes from some communities."

[Updated to reflect the actual location of Oakland in the Pittsburgh city limits.]

Full Story:

How will 'rapid bus service' impact outlying areas?

Published on Tuesday, October 3, 2017 in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette