PRT adjusts more than 40 bus routes, adds temporary T line

By Ciara McEneany / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh Regional Transit has implemented a new schedule for its bus routes over the weekend, part part of its tri-annual service adjustment, which the authority said was modified based on current ridership and will lead to enhanced service reliability. 

Updating more than 45 routes, PRT has also made changes to when buses will be in service, how often routes will be available for riders and added new trips, including a new temporary light-rail route between Allegheny Station and South Hills Junction. 

Some routes will experience detours as PRT works on its Downtown NexTransit Project.

The breakdown of changes for each route can be found on PRT’s website.

Here are the routes affected by those changes:

Weekday and weekend time adjustments

Service times during the weekdays and weekends have been adjusted to improve on-time performance.

• 1-Freeport Road

• 16-Brighton

• 31-Bridgeville

• 40-Mount Washington

• 43-Bailey

• 53-Homestead Park

• 53L-Homestead Park Limited

• 64-Lawrenceville-Waterfront

• 65-Squirrel Hill

• 69-Trafford

• 71B-Highland Park

• 79-East Hills

• 81-Oak Hill

• 89-Garfield Commons

• 91-Butler Street

• 93-Lawrenceville-Hazelwood

• G31-Bridgeville Flyer

• O12-McKnight Flyer

• P17-Lincoln Park Flyer

• P69-Trafford Flyer

• P71-Swissvale Flyer

Weekday time changes

Some weekday trip times have changed to improve scheduling efficiency.

• 71-Edgewood Town Center

• P10-Allegheny Valley Flyer

Other various route changes

• 17-Shadeland: Some trip times have changed. Weekday frequency in the late evening will decrease from 50 to 52 minutes.

• 19L-Emsworth Limited, 7-Spring Garden: Some trip times have changed. Downtown routing has been updated in regards to the NexTransit Downtown project.

• 29-Robinson: The route will end at CCAC West due to the closure of Pittsburgh Technical College.

• 39-Brookline: Some weekday and weekend trip times have changed to improve on-time performance. Weekday frequency decreased from 40 minutes to 60 minutes in the late evening.

• 54-North Side-Oakland-South Side: Some weekday trip times have changed, and two trips have been added to the evening peak to reduce overcrowding.

• 56-Lincoln Place: Some weekday and weekend trip times have changed to improve on-time performance. The timepoints on Richland Avenue at/opposite 6th Street for all inbound and outbound variants were removed. New timepoints have been established on Richland Avenue at/opposite 5th Street.

• 57-Hazelwood: Some weekday and weekend trip times have changed to improve on-time performance. Weekday frequency has been modified from 45-53 minutes to 50 minutes all day.

• 59-Mon Valley: The timepoints on Richland Avenue at/opposite 6th Street for all inbound and outbound variants were removed. New time points were established on Richland Avenue at/opposite 5th Street.

• 61A-North Braddock: A new time point was established on Forbes Avenue at East End Avenue. The stop on Forbes Avenue at South Braddock Avenue will no longer be served due to a safety request from operations.

• 61D-Murray: Some weekday trip times have changed to reduce crowding.

• 67-Monroeville: Some weekday and weekend trip times have changed to improve on-time performance. More trips will serve Forbes Hospital on the weekends. The last trip will depart Forbes Hospital at 11:27 p.m. on Saturdays and at 9:21 p.m. on Sundays, approximately one hour later both days.

• 71A-Negley, 71C-Point Breeze: Some trips have been added to the weekday morning peak to reduce crowding.

• 75-Ellsworth: Some weekday trip times have changed to improve on-time performance. The first two inbound morning trips will start from Baker Street and the last two outbound evening trips will end at Baker Street. One round trip has been added in the morning to address crowding.

• 77-Penn Hills: Some weekday and weekend trip times have changed to improve on-time performance. All inbound trips will now end at Liberty Avenue near the Wyndham Grand Hotel.

• 82-Lincoln: Some weekday trip times have changed to improve on-time performance. Morning and evening peak frequencies have increased to 15 minutes.

• 83-Bedford Hill: Some weekday and weekend trip times have changed to improve on-time performance. Weekday frequency has been reduced from 38 minutes to 40 minutes all day, and Saturday frequency has reduced from 48 minutes to 50 minutes all day.

• G2-West Busway: The route has been extended to Penn Park Station due to a long-term detour.

• O5-Thompson Run Flyer: Outbound trips will now stop at Stanwix Street at Penn Avenue.

• P1-East Busway - all stops: Some weekday and Saturday trip times have changed to improve on-time performance. Weekday evening peak frequency has been increased to six minutes to reduce crowding.

• P12-Holiday Park Flyer, P67-Monroeville Flyer, P16-Penn Hills Flyer: Some weekday trip times have changed to improve on-time performance. The route will use Liberty Avenue, Smithfield Street, Fifth Avenue, and Grant Street for the NexTransit Downtown project.

• P3- East Busway-Oakland: Two inbound “short” trips have been added to the schedule during evening peak hours. Short trips start at East Liberty Station.

• P78- Oakmont Flyer: Some weekday trip times have changed to improve on-time performance. Limited Harmar Park and Ride service will be in effect. Ten inbound trips will start at Harmar Park and Ride and 12 outbound trips will end at Harmar Park and Ride.

Riders with questions about the changes can contact PRT at 412-442-2000, on X @PghTransitCare or through live chat on PRT’s website.