Public Engagement Helping Pittsburgh-Area Bus Rapid Transit Proposal Take Shape

"[The] Port Authority’s idea for a Bus Rapid Transit system is drawing interest from residents who would benefit from the proposal but also some concerns, including from disabled riders, who are worried that having fewer stations on the system will make it harder to catch a ride," reports Eliza Fawcett.

Here's the essential info on the proposed project:

The proposed system will have a core route that runs from Downtown to Wilkinsburg with two branches that split off in Oakland — one to Squirrel Hill and one to Highland Park. Unlike local buses, which have about six stops every mile, BRT buses will have four stops every mile, meaning that they’ll go farther, faster.

The article includes a lot more detail about the proposed project, where and how it could still be adjusted, and reactions to the project by some of the stakeholder groups described above. The feedback has come as part of an ongoing public engagement process that the Port Authority hopes to wrap up before a September deadline for federal grant money.