Service changes for June 2025 will include several bus stop and schedule modifications based on NEXTransit Downtown recommendations. These are briefly described below. More detailed information will be posted on PRT’s Service Adjustments page closer to the date the service changes go into effect.

8 – Will use 7th Street Bridge to enter Downtown, turn right on Liberty Avenue, turn right on Stanwix Street, turn right on Fort Duquesne Boulevard, then left at 7th Street to exit Downtown. This route will use the same routing and bus stops that the 13, 16, 17 routes use. Temporary bus boarding pads will be installed at the existing Stanwix Street bus stop and the Fort Duquesne Boulevard bus stop.

51L – Will use Smithfield Bridge to enter Downtown, turn left on Fort Pitt Boulevard, right on Wood Street, right on Forbes Avenue, right on Smithfield Street and will use a new bus stop with a temporary bus boarding platform at the southeast corner of Wood and Forbes Avenues.

77 – Will use Bigelow Boulevard to enter Downtown, turn right on Sixth Avenue, turn right on Grant Street, turn left on Seventh Avenue, turn left on Liberty Avenue, turn around at Gateway Center, continue outbound along Liberty Avenue, turn right Seventh Avenue, then continue onto Bigelow Boulevard to exit Downtown. This route will use new bus stops along the new outbound routing on Liberty and Seventh Avenues.

61A, 61B, 61C, 71B – Will use Fifth Avenue to enter Downtown, turn right on Liberty Avenue, turn right on Sixth Avenue, and continue onto Forbes Avenue to exit Downtown. These are the PRTX University Line Bus Rapid Transit routes, and five new stations have been established at Ross Street, Smithfield Street, Market Square, Wood Street, and Steel Plaza.

81, 82, 83 – Will use Centre Avenue, turn left on Washington Place, turn right on Fifth Avenue, turn left on Diamond Street, continue on Forbes Avenue into Downtown, turn right on Wood Street, turn right on Liberty Avenue, turn right on Seventh Avenue, then continue onto Bigelow Boulevard to exit Downtown. These routes will use new bus stops along the new inbound routing on Washington Place, Diamond Street, and a new bus stop with a temporary bus boarding platform at the northeast corner of Forbes Avenue and Grant Street, and a new bus stop in front of PNC Tower at the northeast corner of Forbes Avenue and Wood Street.

G2 – Will use Liberty Avenue to enter Downtown, turn right on Sixth Avenue, continue on Sixth Avenue at Center Avenue, turn right on Fifth Avenue, and then turn left on Liberty Avenue to exit Downtown. This route will the five new PRTX University Line Bus Rapid Transit stations established at Ross Street, Smithfield Street, Market Square, Wood Street, and Steel Plaza.

P1 – Will use the MLK Jr. East Busway to enter Downtown, turn left on Grant Street, turn right on Fifth Avenue, turn right on Liberty Avenue, turn right on Sixth Avenue, turn left on Grant Street, and turn right onto the MLK Jr. East Busway to exit Downtown. There is a new bus stop on inbound Grant Street at Strawberry Way, and the P1 will utilize three of the PRTX University Line stations including at Smithfield Street, Market Square, and Wood Street, and a new bus stop outbound on Grant Street at the US Steel Building.

P7, P17, P69, P76, P78 – Will use the MLK Jr. East Busway to enter Downtown, continue inbound on Liberty Avenue, turn around at the Gateway loop, continue outbound on Liberty Avenue, then use the MLK Jr. East Busway to exit Downtown. These routes will follow the current P10 routing Downtown as a long-term detour to avoid the upcoming Reimagine Smithfield construction project. There are many bus stop changes to these routes and new bus stops on Liberty Avenue.

Y1, Y45 – Will use the Smithfield Bridge to enter Downtown, turn left on Fort Pitt Boulevard, turn right on Wood Street, turn right on Forbes Avenue, and turn right on Smithfield Street. These routes will use a new temporary bus boarding platform at the southeast corner of Wood Street and Forbes Avenue.

7-Spring Garden – Downtown routing will use 9th St., turn right on Liberty Ave. and turn right on 7th St.

19L-Emsworth Limited – Downtown routing will use Fort Duquesne Blvd., turn right on Stanwix St., turn left on Liberty Ave., turn right on 7th St., and turn left on Grant St. to/from Penn Station.

P12-Holiday Park Flyer and P67-Monroeville Flyer – Downtown routing will use Liberty Avenue, Smithfield Street, Fifth Avenue, and Grant Street to reflect the NEXTransit Downtown project.

O5-Thompson Run Flyer – Outbound trips will now stop at Stanwix Street at Penn Avenue.

Several routes are scheduled for routing changes starting Sunday, February 18, 2024.

Routes 29, 31, G3, and G31 will now turn right at Stanwix Street to exit Downtown.

Routes 26 and 27 will now enter Downtown on Boulevard of the Allies, turn left on Stanwix, and left onto Fort Pitt Blvd. This aligns these routes with others coming from the same parts of town. The other routes from the West group have a different implementation date.

Routes 2 and 12 will now travel to Penn Station. Route 2 was originally planned to continue its current loop, but bus operators expressed the need for a better layover to support the on-time performance of Route 2 Mount Royal. The team concluded that this would not have a negative impact on riders, and would better support the needs of our operators. Starting February 18, the 2 and 12 routes will enter Downtown on the 7th St Bridge, turn left on Liberty Avenue, and end at Penn Station, following the same routing to exit Downtown. The other routes from the North Penn Station group have a different implementation date.

Routes 67 and 69 will now use Liberty Avenue and turn around at Gateway Station. This allows for a faster loop Downtown and supports rider connections to the North and West. These routes will use the ramp from Boulevard of the Allies to 7th Avenue, turn left on Liberty Avenue, and loop at Gateway Station.

Routing changes were implemented on Routes 65 and 77 on October 1, 2023. Due to the immediate need for a Downtown layover where drivers can take breaks, the City of Pittsburgh's Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) was able to support PRT in providing space for operators to park buses near Gateway Station. Because of this quick turnaround, these changes were implemented with our October 2023 service changes.

The 65 uses the Crosstown Boulevard from Boulevard of the Allies to 7th Avenue, turns left on Liberty Avenue, and loops at Gateway Station. The other routes from the East Highway group have a different implementation date.

Some routes currently using Smithfield Street will be put on long-term detours to avoid the construction of the City of Pittsburgh’s Reimagine Smithfield project, and PRT will delay NEXTransit Downtown route changes that would be impacted to minimize disruption to riders. The routes that will be modified after the completion of Reimagine Smithfield are the 52L, 53L, 56, 57, 58, 86, 88, 87, 91, P7, P10, P12, P16, P17, P67, P68, P69, P71, P76, P78.

The following routes have no proposed changes in the final NEXTransit Downtown Plan and will continue to operate as they do today: 1, 4, 6, 11, 13, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 24, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 44, 48, 51, 28X, O1, O12, P13, Y46, Y47, and Y49.

The project team talked to more than 400 people in the summer of 2022. Five main issues were identified:

• Service Reliability: Buses are not on time or are often clustered together with inconsistent frequency.
• Route Simplicity: The length and location of route looping can cause lengthy delays in trips while trying to exit Downtown.
• Station and Stop Amenities: Many bus stops Downtown lack basic amenities such as shelters and seating.
• Safety: There are safety concerns related to pedestrian and bicycle rider safety at many intersections within Downtown. In addition, many riders feel unsafe while waiting at certain bus stops due to a lack of lighting, basic amenities, and overcrowding.
• Wayfinding: While frequent transit riders know where they are going, many occasional riders and visitors need better on-street wayfinding signage to help them understand the transit network, particularly the bus routes.

This map shows the all routings as proposed in NEXTransit Downtown. Most of these route changes have been completed as of June 2025, but some will wait until after the City of Pittsburgh completes its Reimagine Smithfield project.

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.