Many of the routes, frequency and service span improvements are intentionally focused on equity neighborhoods within the PRT service area.

• Fewer Routes, But More Frequent Service
  • Fewer routes are proposed, but more routes are operating every 30 min or better for all but in the late evenings. There are also more routes operating in the weekday late evenings.
• More Equity Communities Have Access to More Frequent Service
  • 143,000 residents in neighborhoods identified as having high concentrations of low-income and/or minority residents have access to 30-minute or better service. This is a 32% improvement over existing service.
• Buses are More Direct and Easier to Understand
  • Routes are more direct, efficient, and reliable in response to changing travel patterns
  • New crosstown routes allow regional mobility without first riding downtown to transfer
  • New one-seat ride connections from equity areas to work and shopping destinations

PRT developed three project goals in response to public input during the phase of engagement. An initial analysis shows the Draft Network 1.0 is addressing these goals in a number of ways.

Goal 1: Improve service quality and reliability by streamlining routes, making routes more direct, and improving on-time performance.

• Increase from 25 to 43 routes providing 30 minute or better service frequency
  
• Over 400,000 residents have access to 30-minute or better service – a 27% improvement
  
• Reduction of long routes, over 20 miles in length – by 50%

Goal 2: Prioritize equitable service by aligning routes with the land use and socio-economic changes since our network was created, better serving transit-dependent and vulnerable riders.

• 143,000 residents in equity communities* have access to 30-minute or better service – a 32% improvement
• Nearly 340,000 job locations have access to 30-minute or better service - an improvement of nearly 35,000 jobs

Goal 3: Expand transit connections to major job centers, healthcare facilities, shopping centers, and between neighborhoods.

• Over 605,000 residents have access to transit – an improvement of over 35,000 people
• Over 230,000 residents have a one-seat ride to Oakland - an improvement of nearly 21,000 people
• 99.4% of current PRT riders continue to have access to fixed route service within ¼ mile from their home

Notes:

• Metrics shown above based on service proposed during the midday on weekdays.
• Equity communities as measured by PRT’s Equity Index of Mobility Need.

Based on public input during Phase 1 of the project, one of the goals of Bus Line Redesign is to “Prioritize equitable service by aligning routes with the land use and socio-economic changes since our network was created, better serving transit-dependent and vulnerable riders.” The project team used PRT’s Equity Index of Mobility Need to identity the set of communities that scored highly in this index with special attention paid to improving transit access for residents of these communities to:

• Job centers;
• Education and training locations;
• Healthcare facilities;
• Grocery stores; and
• Shopping centers.

An initial review of the Draft Network 1.0 shows that 143,000 residents in equity communities (defined as the top 25% of block groups based on their Equity Index of Mobility Need score) would have access to 30-minute or better service – a 32% improvement. Nearly 340,000 job locations would have access to 30-minute or better service - an improvement of nearly 35,000 jobs. Connections from equity communities to key destinations would also be improved. Every route in the Draft Network 1.0 would run within a block of a grocery store, big box store that carries groceries, or shopping center, improving access for people living in food deserts. New routes would provide direct connections between McKeesport and Monroeville, the Hill District and Bloomfield, and Mt. Oliver and Oakland without having to transfer in Downtown Pittsburgh first.

Equity is also a priority for PRT’s engagement approach. The dates, times, and locations of pop-up events and stakeholder and community meetings, and the use of signage in communities have been designed to meet the needs of equity communities. All project materials and opportunities are provided in translatable and screen readable formats online to provide maximum opportunity for busy riders to provide feedback. The project team also held focus groups during the spring of 2024 to collect input and feedback from experts from the Accessibility and Equity non-profit communities in addition to those who serve PRT through its Committee on Accessible Transportation and Allegheny County Transit Council.

Click here to learn more about PRT’s engagement approach for this phase of the project.

PRT’s Equity Index of Mobility Need

PRT strives to go above and beyond the Federal Transit Administration’s Title VI requirements (prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, and national origin, including for limited English proficient persons) and created an “Equity Index of Need” to help in planning and prioritizing system, asset, and infrastructure changes and projects based on impacts to these groups. The Index includes groups which have been shown through research to have higher need for public transportation services than the general population.

Click here to learn more about PRT’s Equity Index of Mobility Need (PDF).

PRT developed three project goals in response to public input during the phase of engagement.

• Improve service quality and reliability by streamlining routes, making routes more direct, and improving on-time performance.
• Prioritize equitable service by aligning routes with the land use and socio-economic changes since our network was created, better serving transit-dependent and vulnerable riders.
• Expand transit connections to major job centers, healthcare facilities, shopping centers, and between neighborhoods.

This map below shows areas within a 5-min walk of current on-street bus service or a 10-minute walk from PRT's busways and light rail corridors. This is generally referred to as PRT's current coverage area.

Click here to view the enlarged map.

This project addresses the following values from PRT’s long-range transportation plan, NEXTransit, adopted in 2021.

• Accessible: infrastructure is fully available in every way to those with specific needs, such as physical or mental disabilities, those traveling with infants or small children, and those traveling with groceries or other goods.
• Affordable: this project makes it easier for those of all means, including the underemployed and unemployed populations, to utilize transit without needing to sacrifice other life sustaining activity, such as buying food, medicine or heating, to do so.
• Equitable: the project not only ensures the fair provision of services to those with limited means or higher risk, but affirmatively acts to better the services offered to these groups in an effort to combat historical and environmental imbalances in the community.
• Sustainable: the project enhances the health of communities and the natural environment through its design and operations with regard to energy use, water use, raw material use, land use, and waste production.