Pittsburgh residents voice concerns amid consolidation of four PRT bus routes
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - In an effort to save four bus routes from being consolidated, transit riders took to the streets of downtown Pittsburgh Friday morning to voice their concerns.
Dozens of people showed up at the intersection of 6th Ave and Wood Street saying that they want bus routes 71A, 71C ,71D and 61A to stay in service.
They say that cutting these routes will sever direct access to places like Mercy Hospital, Duquesne University and PPG Paints Arena for people living in the East End and the Waterfront, through Oakland, Uptown and Downtown.
One rider, Uptown resident Helen Pereillaex, said that she questions the data that Pittsburgh Regional Transit is using to justify these route changes. She says that PRT did not talk to the communities before they decided to change these routes.
"They haven't asked us how we feel," she said. "And it makes us feel like they didn't take us into consideration."
The changing routes are set to start Sunday, Oct. 1 and PRT said that they don't have enough operators to keep these lines going as is.
"It's not every day that we have the opportunity to make changes in service that will reduce the burden on our already stressed operators," according to PRT spokesperson Adam Brandolph.
The statement went on to say that, though a small number of people may now need to make transfers to get where they are going, the shortening of these four bus routes will help improve the reliability of the entire PRT system.
