Tuesday, April 27, 2010

More Route Changes Coming June 13

Note: These changes do not include further scheduling adjustments or tweaks to routes that were already changed in April (the G2 or 28X, for example). Any adjustments to those routes will be announced separately prior to June 13.

Changes on the following 26 bus routes will go in effect on Sunday, June 13:

  • 6B Spring Hill
  • 11E Fineview
  • 13G Thompson Run Express
  • 13U North Hills-Oakland Express
  • 16F City View
  • 28K Moon Express
  • 41B Bower Hill
  • 44U Mt. Lebanon-Oakland
  • 46F Baldwin Highlands
  • 46G Elizabeth
  • 51A Arlington Heights
  • 51C Carrick
  • 53F Homestead-Lincoln Place
  • 55M Century III Mall
  • 56B Hazelwood
  • 56C McKeesport-Lincoln Place
  • 67A Monroeville
  • 67F Trafford
  • 67H Squirrel Hill
  • 68D Braddock Hills Express
  • 79D Mount Carmel
  • 86A East Hills
  • 86B Frankstown
  • E Elizabeth Flyer
  • HP Holiday Park Flyer
  • LP Lincoln Park Flyer

A brochure offering brief summaries of the changes is now available online by clicking here (link opens PDF file). This brochure will soon be available in hard copy at major schedule rack locations over the next week or two.

On May 5, we’ll post the routes’ new schedules (including maps) on our website and paper schedules will be available by mid-May. We’ll also be loading the new schedules into our Trip Planner so riders can make travel plans for June 13 and beyond.

We'll be sure to announce the release of this additional information here, on
our Twitter feed and at portauthority.org. If you’d like, you can also sign up to receive email notification of upcoming route changes.

This list encompasses routes that have not yet been altered per the Transit Development Plan. June will also bring some tweaks to routes that were already changed during our first round in April; we will announce those tweaks in the near future. More route changes will follow in September.

If you have specific TDP-related questions, please use
this form and a member of our staff will contact you. You may also call Customer Service at 412-442-2000 or for TTY 412-231-7007, or try us on Twitter at PGHtransit.

If you leave a question in the comment form on this blog, we will try our best to answer. Please note that a high volume of questions on this blog may make it difficult for us to answer each question individually.

30 comments:

  1. Are you going to add some slack time to the 61ABCD routes? Right now the schedules for those routes bear little resemblance to the times the buses actually arrive, especially during rush hour.

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  2. Nathan: Any schedule adjustments to routes not listed above will be announced in advance of June 13. Probably sometime next month. We'll keep you posted.

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  3. 61 series is not slacking the only buses that can overtake other buses and get to bus stop early than the time in shedule.

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  4. The service change PDF mentions that the 53L and 53 will begin service on JUNE 14 (MONDAY). However, part of the route it replaces (Northern half of 55M) operated on Sundays. Is it a typo because 53F was a traditional non-Sunday/Holiday Route? TDP presentation also said that the new 53 will provide service on Sundays. Notes in the June 13 PDF also said "weekend" service will go to the Waterfront which may indicate that it will operate on Saturdays and Sundays.

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  5. Again...where are the extra buses that were supposedly added to the G1 route?? i have not seen a single extra bus...could you please give an exact time that these buses supposedly come during rush hour? would be much appreciated

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  6. This makes no mention of the additional G1 buses that need to be added to the west busway. There needs to be more service to Carnegie, not just the rest of the busway.

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  7. Michael: 53 will provide service seven days a week and will start on Sunday, June 13, while the 53L will provide weekday-only service and begin on Monday, June 14. The PDF says that 53F will be revised starting Monday, June 14 because that route does not currently run on Sundays.

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  8. Anonymous at 9:15 am (2/28) and Anonymous at 11:11 am (also 2/28):

    This list only encompasses changes on routes that have not already been changed. It was not intended to include routes like the G1. This does not mean that there won't be any tweaks to routes like G1 starting in June, just that any adjustments to those routes will be announced separately.

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  9. In the brochure you list the new 53L routing as, "Inbound and outbound routings for 53L between Homestead and Downtown will be the same as current 53F routing". If this is true does this mean that the 53L routing will follow the same asymmetrical path the current 53F does? That is to say inbound on Parkway East, outbound via Blvd. of the Allies in Oakland.

    If this is the case this would directly contradict the final TDP report for the new 53 route which states, "Operate both inbound and outbound service via Boulevard of the Allies to serve Oakland in both directions (currently, only outbound trips serve Oakland).

    I ask this as a South Oakland resident who was excited to see the 53 series bus make more sense, but suddenly I am dismayed that the Port Authority would not be following it's own final recommendation.

    Any comments on this?

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  10. I think the 53F routing is better as it is now (express inbound and Blvd outbound) because the 65 will be providing Blvd of the Allies service and the 53F would take much longer on its inbound if taking the Blvd. The outbound routing is simply used to avoid lengthy traffic delays on the Parkway and remains a quicker way than parkway outbound. So, I would like to see the 53L to continue current routing because it is the only route where you can get to Downtown from Greenfield in 10 minutes (it may even be shorter than that sometimes). It would be nice if it was possible outbound, but PM rush has more delays and parkway routing would be counterproductive.

    In short, I think that keeping the asymmetrical path on this route would actually be the best approach to this route.

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  11. Regarding 53L/53F routing...

    When we tested the new route we found that the bus could not make the right turn onto the Greenfield Bridge from Beechwood Boulevard due to a telephone pole located on the curb. Thus the decision to change 53L back to current 53F routing using the Parkway and Boulevard of the Allies.

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  12. I suppose it really is no matter to me because while my thinking took into account using a new routing which would be Blvd. of the Allies both inbound and outbound, I didn't take into account that the TDP stated it would be changed to a peak-direction only bus between Homestead and Downtown. I had hopes that it would continue as a local service bus along the same route which would allow me easy access to Downtown, Greenfield, and Homestead from South Oakland even on off-hours. Even if the routing was changed this wouldn't be the case because it would become a peak-direction only bus over that stretch.

    Like Michael said, the new 65 would partially serve that function as the current 67H does now, but the service is limited and doesn't serve Greenfield or Homestead from South Oakland. I know of the 84B feeder bus between South Oakland and Forbes/Fifth, but it too has a quite limited schedule.

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  13. I have been a rider of the 100 and 33X for many years. I am having a difficult time adjusting to the new G1 and G2 routes. I park in Carnegie, and now forced to one bus, the G1. Unfortunately, getting on a G1 at 500pm in town is horrible!! There are at times 20+ rides at any given stop waiting to get on any west busway bus. These riders may not all be going to Carnegie, but just want to get on the bus. For the Carnegie riders, there is NO choice, and sometimes we cant even get on the bus!! What is wrong with the busses going all the way to Carnegie. The G2 can still go all the way to Carnegie and just turn around and head back to Bell Station. I dont understand who made the decision to switch all of this around, but it certainly wasnt someone that rides the bus to/from town. If all service to Carnegie stops except for the G1, maybe the Carnegie station needs an express that only goes from downtown to Carnegie, just the the 28K Moon bus. Although, I see that bus strolling by, empty, while all the G1 and G2 people are stranded.....geez, I cant understand that.

    We the people of this fine county should just quit riding the bus altogether. Maybe then PAT would start to listen to the riders input!

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  14. I agree with the comment above. Why all the changes on the west busway? The service before was smooth sailing for me traveling to and from town. Now it seems like I keep getting to work and back home later and later. Did anyone even bother to check how this would impact the riders that live at the last stop on this busway? The riders that board in Carnegie? Just doesnt make sense, and everyday I ride the bus, there is always someone making comments about how long the wait to TRY to get on a bus! This is just wrong! Just bring the 33X and 100 back. That would seem to solve the problem.

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  15. There needs to be more service to Carnegie, not just the rest of the busway.

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  16. i totally agree with these comments...if your are going to cut service to carnegie by more than half...than the G1 should just service carnegie...its extremely annoying that people that could get on a bunch of other buses including the G2 to get dropped off at sheraton and crafton crowd on the G1 making it impossible for those that have no other choice now to wait 40 minutes for a bus...and port authority came out with this big statement that they added buses...anyone here seen these extra buses?!?

    and on that note...i have yet to see a port authority person EVEN RIDING THE BUS to see how bad the overcrowding is...its such a messed up situation and june cannot come quick enough although i am still worried that nothing will really be done...

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  17. Please be sure that when the changes are implemented that schedules are loaded in to the schedule holders in all the buses.

    I frequently have a hard time getting a schedule for the 54c and other lines when riding it. Very often there are schedules for other routes on the bus, but none for the route I'm riding.

    This is especially important for me after route changes.

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  18. So yesterday got on the G1 at the second stop...completely filled up...passed every other stop downtown...WHERE ARE THE EXTRA BUSES PORT AUTHORITY...YOU ARE LYING TO US!!!

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  19. I agree with the poster above saying the G1 should be a carnegie express. Why not? Now there are 2 buses going to Moon/Robinson area and only 1 going to Carnegie, where the LEGAL parking lot is. Obviously Port Authority would rather cater to those in Moon than the working people of Carnegie. There was NOTHING wrong with the previous 33X/100 configuration!

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  20. ONE MONTH AND COUNTING....NOT SEEN ONE PORT AUTHORITY PERSON SITTING ON A G1 AT RUSH HOUR....AND YET THEY SAY WHEN YOU CALL THAT THEY HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM.....UNIONS ARE THE SCUM OF THE EARTH!!!!

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  21. The union is not the one messing this up port authority just wait till june 13th there will be alot more crying going on

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  22. I must ask why wouldnt you change the 53H with the 53F that must be to smart for this company also you change the routes to the P7,P10,P11,P12 but keep the P and PG flyer dont you think that will mess people up hello port authority wake up

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  23. So much animosity...

    If EVERYONE is so displeased with PAT's service and plan, I cordially invite any and all to participate in the monthly meetings of the Allegheny County Transit Council (ACTC). More info can be found here: http://www.portauthority.org/PAAC/CustomerInfo/GetInvolved/AlleghenyCountyTransitCouncilACTC/tabid/139/Default.aspx

    These are exactly the kind of issues that are discussed at the meetings, and we report directly to the Port Authority. I personally admit that the West Busway situation is troubling, but the TDP as a whole is a POSITIVE step for the Port Authority. There is no reason we should still use this piece-wise routing system established more than fifty years ago.

    So please, show up to an ACTC meeting and you're welcome to discuss any issues with PAT you have.

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  24. you would have animosity too if you had to stand and wait 40 minutes every night to go home as the bus that used to be a pleasant way home has turned into a nightmare and the people responsible refuse to fix the situation and instead raise rates...stop sitting in your trucks in the parking lots...get on the bus and actually see how terrible it is...we have called, emailed, written the paper...nothing is being done...so why should we sit in a meeting and get told that "extra buses have been added" when they haven't been...

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  25. Hi Nick....good info. Never knew about the ACTC. when you go to the website, however, it tells you "Wednesday meetings are scheduled for the third week of each month and are held in downtown Pittsburgh from 6 P.M. to 8 P.M. in the 5th Floor Board Room ".

    Where is the 5th floor board room? Do you have an email to send observations, suggestions, etc in case we can't attend?

    How do you get signed up to speak?

    Great suggestion, but the website is lacking specifics.

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  26. A few observations....the management screwed up on some of the scheduling (west busway is one example) and the unions make the situation worse by not being flexible to help out "the people" (again west busway - not allowing full service due to a printing error). Not allowing minor deviations from the printed schedules only hurts the people of this city. Management knows where they screwed up, but we have to wait until June to make the corrections. Why can't the union agree to some limited, minor tweeks between quarters to "help the people"????

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  27. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  28. Just so we're clear, I'm not affiliated with the Port Authority in any way except for being involved with the volunteer organization of the ACTC. I have never ridden the West Busway buses (except for the 28X) so I unfortunately don't know the specific situation pre and post April 4th. Given the language and simply how many people are bringing it up warrants investigation, and that's exactly the sort of things ACTC does. They are basically the community voice with enough political power to actually communicate to the Port Authority.

    I urge those persons concerned to come to a meeting (next one scheduled May 19th). It is scheduled 6PM-8PM, but I would suggest coming earlier as it's one of those "start early-end early" kind of deals. If people want their voices heard but cannot attend, I would be happy to speak for you.

    For those that want more information or would like me to forward your concerns/message to the council, you can email me at: Aloysius426@gmail.com

    I am with all of you in that we the customers should be doing all within our power to improve the Authority's service. ACTC will NOT ignore the plight of concern citizens, I will make you that promise.

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  29. Port authority wont tell anyone that the union is taking them to court over the june changes due to them screwing up again so we will see what happens soon

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