Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) launched its Bus Line Refresh: Familiar Routes, Stronger Connections — an updated proposal to improve the region’s bus network based on feedback from more than 16,000 riders, operators, and community members.

Originally introduced in 2023 as the Bus Line Redesign, the effort has evolved into a more targeted update that maintains familiar routes while improving reliability, frequency, evening and weekend service, and connections across Allegheny County.

“We heard clearly that the original proposal felt like too much, too fast,” said PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman. “The network didn’t need a complete redesign — it needed a refresh. We focused on making service more frequent, more reliable, and better aligned with how people travel today.”

Key Bus Line Improvements

Bus Line Refresh reinvests more than 10% of service hours from very low-ridership route segments into higher-demand areas.

Under the proposal:

• 99.2% of current riders remain within a quarter mile of transit service.
• 91% of riders near BLR stops retain a one-seat ride to Downtown.
• 20% more Saturday service and 18% more Sunday service.
• New one-seat rides to Oakland from communities including McCandless, Ross, Dormont, Brentwood, Millvale, Mt. Lebanon, Carrick, and the West Busway.
• 43 routes operate every 30 minutes or better (up from 27 today).
• 39 new one-seat rides regionwide.

Using PRT’s Equity Index of Mobility Need, improvements prioritize neighborhoods with higher transit dependence. The proposal would result in:

• 195,000 residents in equity communities are gaining 30-minute service (28% increase).
• 380,000 additional jobs are available at 30-minute intervals.

Public Engagement and Timeline

During this final planning phase, PRT will host more than 60 meetings and pop-ups across Allegheny County before hosting the required public hearings this summer.

Riders can explore proposed changes using the Find My Route tool and interactive map on a specialized website. Riders can also preview their trip on the Transit App through early May.

If approved by the PRT’s board this fall, implementation would begin in 2027.

“We’re going above and beyond to make sure this network works for the people who use it most,” Kelleman said. “Bus Line Refresh keeps what works and strengthens connections for the future.”