South Fayette Park and Ride Opens in September

Beginning Sunday, September 5, Port Authority riders will have a new Park and Ride option in South Fayette Township.

The new South Fayette Park and Ride will be located at the former Star City Cinemas at the intersection of Hickory Grade and Millers Run roads. The lot will offer 125 parking spaces and will be free to use.

The new Park and Ride will be served by the following routes, which will be introduced with the September route changes:

• 31 Bridgeville (formerly 31D and 31E): This route will operate seven days a week between Downtown Pittsburgh and the Park and Ride via Millers Run Road, then along current 31D routing to Downtown.
• G31 Bridgeville Flyer (formerly 33D and 33E): This route will operate on weekdays only between Downtown Pittsburgh and the new South Fayette Park and Ride via Millers Run Road and Route 50 to Carothers Avenue, Main Street and Mansfield Avenue to the West Busway.

The new Park and Ride is the result of an agreement between Port Authority and South Fayette Township officials, including township commissioners and Township Manager Mike Hoy.

"The new South Fayette Park and Ride is a prime example of how organizations can work together to benefit the community," said Port Authority CEO Steve Bland. "We are deeply appreciative of their cooperation and commitment to improving public transportation in Allegheny County."

Port Authority Fourth of July Service Details

Pittsburgh, PA -- Port Authority's bus, T and Customer Service outlets will operate on the following schedules through the Fourth of July holiday:

• Friday, July 2: Bus and T service will run on regular weekday schedules, and Port Authority's Downtown Service Center on Smithfield Street will be open its regular weekday hours, 8 am to 5 pm. The Customer Service phone line will hold its regular weekday hours, 6 am to 7 pm, and the Authority's Twitter feed (@PGHtransit) will be staffed 8 am to 4 pm.

  
  

• Saturday, July 3: Bus and T service will run on regular Saturday schedules. The Downtown Service Center will be closed and the Customer Service phone line will hold Saturday hours, 8 am to 4:30 pm. The Authority's Twitter feed will not be staffed.

  
  

• Sunday, July 4: Bus and T service will run on holiday schedules. The Downtown Service Center will be closed and the Customer Service phone line will hold holiday hours, 8 am to 4:30 pm. Additionally, the T will run with two-car trains throughout the day and Port Authority will help relieve Mon Incline traffic following the fireworks display Downtown by operating a bus shuttle between the incline’s stations. The Authority's Twitter feed will not be staffed.

  
  
• Monday, July 5: Bus and T service will run on regular weekday schedules, but the Downtown Service Center will remain closed (reopening Tuesday, July 6). The Customer Service phone line will hold its regular weekday hours, 6 am to 7 pm. The Authority's Twitter feed will not be staffed (regular staffing will resume Tuesday, July 6).

For more details call Customer Service at (412) 442-2000 or for TTY, (412) 231-7007.

East Busway Rebuilding Begins This Week

Starting this week, Port Authority of Allegheny County will begin rebuilding nearly seven miles of the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway.

This week, contractors will begin raising drainage inlets on the shoulder of the busway. Work will be conducted on weekdays during daylight hours, approximately 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., opposite the dominant flow of traffic during peak periods. This work should not affect bus traffic during the week of June 28.

During the week of July 5, intermittent single-lane closures of up to 2,000 feet may occur. During those times, flaggers will be stationed on the busway to let alternating traffic through during the closure. Related delays are expected to be limited in nature. Work will begin at the Downtown end of the busway and move east to Wilkinsburg.

Inlet work is expected to last through July 12, at which time paving will begin. More extensive delays or detours may occur at this time. More details on the second phase will be released prior to the start of work.

Other East Busway improvements will include barrier and guide rail repair, and improvement to sidewalks and curb-cuts.

The work is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2010, and will help prevent wear-and-tear on the approximately 800 buses that use the busway everyday as well as create a much smoother commute for the busway's 25,000 daily riders. This project will span the length of the original busway, which opened in 1983. The easternmost section between Wilkinsburg and Swissvale stations does not need to be rebuilt, having opened in 2003.

The rebuilding project will cost $7.5 M dollars and is included in Port Authority's FY2010 capital budget, which ensures annual maintenance needs are met and the Authority's system is kept in a state of good repair.

Port Authority Board Adopts FY2011 Budget.

Today, Port Authority's Board of Directors adopted a $330 million operating budget for its Fiscal Year 2011 that projects a $47.1 million revenue shortfall.

The budget assumes the Pennsylvania Legislature will address its funding shortfall that has created the projected Port Authority deficit.

"We're not asking for a bailout—we simply want the State Legislature to adopt a measure that sustains a reliable funding source—not only for Port Authority, but for public transit statewide," said CEO Steve Bland at today's Board meeting. Read more remarks from Steve Bland.

To read the official news release announcing the budget adoption, click here. To read remarks from Board vice-chairman Guy Mattola, click here.

A PDF presentation on the FY2011 budget is also available on our website.

September Service Adjustments for West Busway

Port Authority will continue to adjust service along the West Busway to better meet ridership demands.

In June, Port Authority added extra service and lifted stop restrictions to provide increased service along the West Busway. More adjustments will go into effect on Sunday, September 5:

• G1 West Busway-All Stops will be renamed G1 West Busway-Robinson. The route will operate between the Mall at Robinson and Downtown Pittsburgh via the West Busway between Bell and Sheraden stations. All stops between Bell and Sheraden will be pick-up and discharge both inbound and outbound.
  
  
• G2 West Busway-Oakland will continue to use the designation G2 West Busway-Oakland, but will serve all West Busway stops between Carnegie and Sheraden stations. This restores direct service between Carnegie and Oakland. All West Busway stops will be pick-up and discharge both inbound and outbound. In Oakland, service on Bellefield, Forbes and Craft avenues will be discontinued. Instead, the G2 will continue down Fifth Avenue to Downtown using the Boulevard of the Allies, Crosstown and 7th Avenue Ramp.

Other routes that serve the West Busway include the weekday-only G3 Moon Flyer, which serves stops between Bell and Sheraden, offering pick-up and discharge inbound, and pick-up only outbound. The 28X Airport Flyer and a new route, the weekday-only G31 Bridgeville Flyer, will use the same busway stop restrictions as the G3 Moon Flyer. In June, stop restrictions on the 28X were lifted as a temporary measure to alleviate crowding on other routes.

Riders will see service along the West Busway every four to eight minutes during peak periods, every 10 to 15 minutes midday and every 15 to 20 minutes early morning and in the evening.