Allegheny County residents share concerns over PRT ‘Bus Line Refresh’ after final public hearing
SWISSVALE, Pa. —
Allegheny County residents and advocacy groups voiced concerns to the Pittsburgh Regional Transit board about the “Bus Line Refresh” plan on Thursday at the final public hearing before the board is expected to vote on the plan in November.
The proposed “Bus Line Refresh” plan, which aims to provide more frequent and reliable service for the majority of riders, has sparked concerns about potential service cuts for others.
“I’m hoping they’ll listen,” said Leeretta Payne, of the Hill District Consensus Group, referring to the concerns of residents in the Hill District and across Allegheny County who rely on PRT services.
“Any streets north of Centre Avenue, which includes Webster, Bedford, Wylie Avenue — those residents will not be able to get to Centre Avenue, where our central business district is located. But just in case you have to go to a doctor here on Centre Avenue, instead of paying $2.75, you now have to pay $5.50,” she said.
The PRT board is expected to vote on the plan in November. The agency says the proposal will create more frequent service, better reliability, and seven-day-a-week operations.
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Laura Chu-Wiens, executive director of Pittsburghers for Public Transit, said the plan does not account for the impact on all bus lines or riders.
“Communities like Baldwin, like Reserve Township, like Groveton, Penn Hills in the Hulton Arbors community, like CCAC North and Northland Library — those are communities that are all going to see the elimination of all service whatsoever,” Chu-Wiens said.
Hearth, a transitional housing in the North Hills that serves 20 women and 50 children, is at risk of seeing major cuts to the Mount Royal bus route. The route was originally slated to be entirely eliminated, but under the current version of the plan, it will be reduced to running only once in the morning and once at night on weekdays.
“All of the moms at Hearth are either working or in school. And so, for those who don’t have typical 9-to-5 work hours, this is a huge barrier to them,” said Christy Pietryga, CEO of Hearth.
Pietryga also expressed concerns about how the changes could affect Hearth’s future plans.
“We have, right now, a waitlist of over 35 families who need housing from domestic violence and homelessness, so this would really — we would question our plans,” she said. “Are we able to add more housing to this area if we can’t and won’t have reliable bus transportation?”
Public comments on the plan will still be accepted online at buslinerefresh.com until Sept. 30. The proposed changes are expected to be implemented in the second half of 2027.
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