Port Authority Plans To Redistribute Service To Meet Demand

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Bus riders, get ready for changes. The Port Authority of Allegheny County announced Thursday a redistribution of resources this fall to better serve passengers during the pandemic.

The Authority plans to modify 55 schedules overall.

Some of the changes will help passengers currently missing rides because of coronavirus capacity limits and service changes.

The Port Authority plans on adding weekend trips along several routes. Additional trips will be temporarily added on the 1-Freeport Road, 12-McKnight, 44-Knoxville, 51-Carrick and 59-Mon Valley.

There will be a permanent extension of the P68-Braddock Hills Flyer, which serves Forbes Hospital in Monroeville.

The authority is extending service of the 2-Mt. Royal to North Hills Village and extending every trip on the red line to South Hills Village.

"We are able to look at the number of people who are riding, when they're riding, where they're riding and match our service to what's appropriate for the ridership," said Adam Brandolph, the Port Authority spokesperson.

The resources will be trimmed from routes currently less traveled.

The changes come as ridership has plummeted 70 percent below average, according to PAT.

"It's difficult for us to justify having a bus that's only running with two or three people on it, where that same bus could be sent elsewhere and have 15 to 20 people on it," said Brandolph.

The Port Authority is deciding which routes will be scaled back. Developers are considering commuter routes because less people are coming downtown for work.

The official changes will be announced a few weeks before they go into effect on Nov. 22.