Thursday, April 1, 2010

April Route Changes: A Few Last Reminders

The first round of Transit Development Plan route changes will go into effect on Sunday, April 4. Most of you have probably already checked to see if your routes are changing (if you haven’t yet, click here) and have grabbed copies of the new schedules.

Here are a few additional things to keep in mind next week:

Downtown Routing & Detours

Routes that are changing will keep their Downtown Pittsburgh routing and any existing detours will carry over.

For example, if you normally ride the 100 West Busway-Oakland, you’ll be using the same Downtown stops you currently use to ride the new G2 West Busway-Oakland. The detour affecting service on Seventh Avenue between Smithfield and William Penn Place, for example, will still be in effect and will carry over to the new route.

Detours outside of Downtown will also carry over where applicable, such as the Saxonburg Boulevard detour, which will carry over from D Middle Road Flyer to the new P11 Middle Road Flyer.

Streamlined Downtown circulation is part of the Transit Development Plan, but won’t be put into effect for some time, likely after all routes see changes.

Please keep in mind that the new hand schedules show each route's permanent stops. Detours override these stops where applicable.

Customer Service & Twitter

Customer Service will hold its regular hours on Sunday, April 4 (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) and Monday, April 5 (6 a.m. to 7 p.m.).

Because we anticipate greater than normal call volume on these days, we recommend that riders call ahead of time with their questions if possible.

Port Authority’s Twitter feed will hold its regular weekday-only hours, monitoring the feed Monday, April 5 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Park and Ride Lots

If your route is changing and you’re looking for options, be sure to check out the
Park and Ride information on our Web site.

32 comments:

  1. ok port authority seriously is screwing the west busway....the buses comes about every 4 minutes now during rush hour and still routinely pass up the last stops because they are too full and now they are decreasing it to every ten minutes!!! its absolutely nuts and obviously they have not ridden any of the buses during rush hour...and don't give me crap that the G2 will relieve it because it doesn't come into carnegie anymore!!...come monday i hope everyone that rides the busway calls in to complain because you will be waiting 30 to 40 minutes as buses pass you by before you will be able to catch one....bad planning port authority...seriously no thought put into this one at all...

    ReplyDelete
  2. i second that...no thought put into this port authority. you really don't seem to know which buses are completely full and the 33x and the 100 are always full from 4:30 to 5:30. so why the decrease! must have some really stupid people working or just too lazy to come actually sit on one of these buses at rush hour. because if you did you would know that having a bus come every ten minutes is completely insane during rush hour. you will have people fighting to get on at the first stop to avoid waiting ten, twenty, thirty minutes to get home. horrible horrible planning

    ReplyDelete
  3. port authority seems to have put little to no thought into any of these changes. not only have the decided to change the names of all the routes, they think it's a good idea to change all the schedules at the exact same time? but hey it's ok because all those business people and pitt/cmu students living in shadyside will have TWO bus routes going down through highland/ellsworth to get them into oakland and downtown! forget that they are reducing amount of trips to do this and now we will be fighting for more space on the already overpacked buses during rush hour. oh and extra thanks for giving us even less service on the weekends, PAT! it's great to know you are really concerned about your riders that need the bus vs. those that just choose to ride in m-f. i can't wait til they jack up pass prices again because ridership will plummet over the next several months. at least we know the traffic police will keep busy as the roads become more and more jammed up with fed up commuters giving into driving their jalopies into the city.

    ReplyDelete
  4. exactly...i seriously would consider driving in rather than watching bus after bus pass me by because they are jammed full of people..can't wait for the first fight to break out when people get so tired of waiting that they start shoving to get on...i was told an outside consultant came up with this plan...all i know is its extremely obvious that no upper port authority person ever sat on a 33x during rush hour and saw how jammed it got...and this is with them coming every 3 to 4 minutes!!!!!! decrease it in half..yeah that sounds like a perfect plan..idiots...seriously there are a bunch of idiots that must be running this thing...i'm considering printing flyers with the names of all local carnegie politicians and the port authority complaint line so that everyone has it...i'd like to see them wait 40 extra minutes standing outside waiting for a bus when they want to go home every day...

    ReplyDelete
  5. yes change is coming but you didnt program the head signs for the new 59 so they are running buses 2day with 59A on the head sign what kind of fools are running the show and these changes are for the best good luck with the changes and your not even ready

    ReplyDelete
  6. well just got off the G1...it was completely full at the carnegie stop and passed up later stops...great going port authority...you are making the people late to work that pay for your overpriced salaries...put more buses on the busway!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is the WORST idea I've ever seen. It takes me an HOUR AND A HALF to get work because the G2 goes on the west bus way, through downtown, onto the east busyway and then all the way through oakland. seriously who came up with this? It's packed no matter what time you get on...and do you really expect people to keep paying for bus passes when it takes them hours to get to work?

    ReplyDelete
  9. I moved out of my old neighborhood just in time! The only bus I had to get to and from work is discontinued. I wonder what the riders are doing now without the 3M and AV that no longer go along the river in Brackenridge and Natrona. I understand they need to drive to the Park-n-Ride in Tarentum - if they can get a ride!!??!! I would have been stranded. I also wonder how much fore-warning they had. I would have had to move, with no friends/family in my neighborhood with a car going to work the same time I did.

    ReplyDelete
  10. P.S. to discontinuation of the 3M and AV to Brackenridge and Natrona: To walk to the Tarentum Park-n-Ride from the far end of Natrona where I lived would not have been an option for me. It is nearly 3 miles, it took me 50 minutes when I used to have to walk it if I missed a bus, and I'm 50+ yrs old now and haven't walked that road for a few years.

    ReplyDelete
  11. keep calling and complaing...that's the only way this is going to get changed...especially the G1 and G2 situation which is the most horrible planning i have ever seen...

    ReplyDelete
  12. While minor compared to other posts. Why did you change the size of the signage on the Trolley. If you going to make two routes the same color (South Hills Village and Libary) then dont you think you ought to clearly mark them? Please dont make them fancy. Just keep it simple like "BLUE LINE - South Hills and BLUE LINE - Library" in BIG LETTERS.

    You know, do it like you post "GO PENS" on the signs. Now do that with information critical to riders so they can get home on time.

    ReplyDelete
  13. When will the next round of changes be and when will that announcement come out?

    ReplyDelete
  14. I heard your so-called representative speaking on KDKA radio this morning. The angry rider speaking was correct. The G1 in Carnegie now fills up in Carnegie. The rep who responded to the complaint was incorrect in saying another bus would be by in 10 minutes. People at the last two stops are routinely passed up, sometimes up to three times. Now eveyrone is piling up in line at the Carnegie station and cluttering that location. What you have done is effectively force more people to have to pay for transfers, and those on routes that don't require transfers are punished by being packed into unsafe overcrowded buses. We are not incompetent, uneducated or stupid. We see that this is actually accomplishing.

    ReplyDelete
  15. it took me forty extra minutes to get to carnegie last night...unacceptable port authority!!!! they should make you stand by your car for 40 minutes after you are done work for the day and see how much you like it!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi, everyone.

    We understand some of you are upset and you're welcome to share your concerns here. We do read and collect all these comments. However, please refrain from using profanity on this blog. Posts with profanity will be deleted.

    If you'd like to file a formal complaint via our web site, please use this online form: http://www.portauthority.org/PAAC/CompanyInfo/ContactInformation/Complaints/tabid/168/Default.aspx

    If you have a question about route changes, you may use this form and a member of our staff will contact you: http://www.portauthority.org/PAAC/CustomerInfo/RouteChanges/AskaQuestion/tabid/522/Default.aspx

    ReplyDelete
  17. i've never seen such incompetence in my life...this morning there were four port authority goons standing at bell station on the busway all laughing and looking at how crowded the bus was (and yes they fill up at carnegie now)..how dare they get on the radio and say oh well another bus is coming in ten minutes...there are people getting passed by three or four buses...thats 30 or 40 minutes!!!..i called and complained this morning and while the lady was nice she said they weren't considering changes until FREAKING JUNE...i'm sorry but there is no way...put more buses on there now...as a previous poster said its extremely dangerous how crowded these buses are getting as people try and push on in order to not have to wait for an extra half hour...WAKE UP PORT AUTHORITY!!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. good luck complaining does...i've called every single day and nothing is happening...and i've never gotten a response to the emails either...hey port authority we pay for your salaries...why don't you listen to us and put some more buses on the busway...its not that hard...we see them sitting there in the parking lots just sitting there on their union breaks...make them work like the people they carry have to work all day...

    ReplyDelete
  19. port authority - sincere question here - are they going to put more buses on the busway? As previous posters have said the ride to carnegie is hell. If you are lucky enough to get on a bus, it becomes so crowded that it is extremely dangerous and then takes forever to unload. If you don't catch the bus, you will be passed three or four times making the commute up to an hour later than what it was. Why are you punishing the commutors that faithfully take the bus every day? You are seriously making me consider looking into driving downtown and from the conversations on the bus, a lot of people are saying its not worth it. I have ridden the bus for four years and for the most part consider it a very easy way to get downtown and out. Now its horrible and it sincerely makes me feel anxiety at the end of the day as I frantically try to get to the bus stop to catch the first bus out so I make it home at a decent hour!! Please don't ignore us!

    ReplyDelete
  20. HEY PORT AUTHORITY ITS NOT "SOME" OF US LIKE YOU WOULD LIKE EVERYONE TO BELIEVE. EVERYONE WHO RIDES THE BUSWAY IS MAD AS HELL AT THE WAY YOU ARE TREATING THIS PROBLEM. PUT MORE BUSES ON THE BUSWAY!!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I recommend everyone here who agrees with the negative impact and disservice the Port Authority has unleashed on its riders speak with KDKA Radio to support the rider interviewed, and I encourage you to speak with all other forms of media as well, in large numbers. In addition, county representatives need to be contacted. I will be happy to post information here on this site in contacting the elected officials that apparently the Port Authority employees are telling us to contact.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I just wrote to the Post Gazette. Port Authority out and out lied to him in his article saying that while the G1 is overcrowded its not that bad and that it comes every five minutes! LIARS! It comes every ten and usually more like fifteen minutes. Talk to everyone you can and organize on the buses. Don't take it out on the bus drivers, its not their fault. Its upper union that made these changes because it doesn't effect their lives one bit. Believe me they make enough money that they would never have to ride the bus anyway. Whoever posted the last one..please post the representatives. I would love to call!

    ReplyDelete
  23. You can start here, this is a list of all county coucil members with contact numbers:

    http://www.alleghenycounty.us/council/members.asp

    Copy and paste this into your browser. This site can also help you find out, if you're not sure, which rep is yours

    ReplyDelete
  24. Port Authority = FAIL

    ReplyDelete
  25. you know what is funny...except for getting on and saying not to swear...port authority has not answered any of the complaints raised on this blog...so much for listening to the people...i thought this was why it was created? Where are you Port Authority? Why are you hiding? Why don't you answer some of these questions and concerns?

    ReplyDelete
  26. notice how port authority has not answered any of the concerns written on this page? they are deliberately ignoring the riders...

    ReplyDelete
  27. We have noted every concern posted on this blog regarding the West Busway. Sorry for not responding yet but I want to offer something specific for you. I'll post something with far more detail this afternoon. This is a priority for us. We understand the issues and already have started making a few changes that will help. I'll post again shortly.

    ReplyDelete
  28. What we want to hear is you you are going to reverse the problem you have caused where there wasn't a problem before. I can speak for myself in saying that both e-mails and phone calls go unreturned. The staff at along the West Busway this week has been very condescending and rude, even to go so far as to thinly veil insults at riders and question their level of education. I heard one person say "what do you expect, it's public transportation"? Am I to assume that you are indeed not responsible for providing us a decent product, in this case, a safe, comfortable and clean ride? What happens when someone in a wheelchair wants to board a bus in Sheraden and can't because every single bus is packed beyond capacity? And why am I seeing two G2 buses back to back, one right behind the other, picking up the few who are able to use it, to every one G1 that comes and packs everyone else in who has the misfortune of having to travel to Carnegie? The answer we want and will not stop until it happens is "your bus service will be restored to the lever of service it was up until Apriv 3rd."

    ReplyDelete
  29. i second that...port authority has not returned emails or calls and they stand at the bus stops laughing and joking around as buses pull up loaded to the gills with passengers..its unsafe! and yes we do expect better service since you continually raise the rates on the bus!! if you were a private company you would have been run out of this town years ago..

    i have heard that they might let the G2 drop off at bell as the "solution" to this problem..listen up port authority that does nothing to alleviate the problem..carnegie is the biggest stop and the buses are full all the way from pittsburgh to carnegie...make the G2 circle the carnegie station before heading out to robinson and you might help the overcrowding...or add more G1 during prime rush hour...it doens't take a rocket scientist to figure out what's wrong here..

    ReplyDelete
  30. First time poster but glad to know how many others of you are fed up here! What makes me angry is there has not been a single Port Authority figure riding the bus at rush hour to see how crowded they get and yet they go on the news and act like they know what is going on. You have no idea! You aren't riding them to see how bad it is so shut up and fix the problem. And I was on a bus yesterday that could not fit a handicapped person on. I also watch the faces of people downtown that just want to go home that are passed over and over again by overcrowded buses. Whatever idiot thought decreasing the busway buses in half was a good idea was seriously either stupid and/or a union thug. Port Authority would never survive if they had competition. Who raises rates and then turns around and cuts service? Oh yeah, somebody run and supported by tax dollars rather than someone actually trying to compete for our service. Boo to Port Authority for the mess they made of a route before April 3rd that was a pretty pleasant ride home!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Fix the route to where it was. It used to be that if you missed a bus there was another one coming in 3 or 4 minutes so it wasn't a big deal. Now if I miss that first bus at 5:03 I quite literally get home 45 minutes later!!!! And that is only if I can catch the next bus out of town. Usually that one fills up at the first two stops!! Never had a problem with the busway till now but boy did you guys royally screw this up!

    ReplyDelete
  32. We have a new post on the West Busway and other TDP-related information on this blog. Please click here to get to the new post.

    ReplyDelete