By SUSAN JONES
There’s one hard-to-miss change in Oakland since classes ended in the spring — the bright red bus-only lanes on Fifth and Forbes avenues.
Only public transit vehicles will be permitted to use the lanes. Bicycles, parking, loading and unloading are not permitted, according to Pittsburgh Regional Transit. In some areas along the corridor, red stripes indicate where motorists may use the bus lane to make right turns.
Signage will be updated to ensure both bus operators and motorists know how to use the corridor safely.
Although the color resembles paint, PRT says the lanes were created using an epoxy coating embedded with tiny red glass beads — the same treatment installed on the downtown bus lanes along Fifth and Sixth avenues.
Consistent with the downtown transit-only lanes, there will be a 30-day period (into mid-September) during which motorists will receive a warning for any unpermitted use of the bus lanes. After the initial 30-day period, motorists will be issued a ticket for traveling or stopping in the bus lane.
The lanes are part of the PRTX University Line bus rapid transit system. When construction for the University Line is complete, there will be 24 PRTX stations throughout Downtown, Uptown and Oakland. This includes five along Fifth Avenue from Craft to Tennyson avenue, and four along Forbes from Craft to Bigelow Boulevard.
Bus line refresh
Pittsburgh Regional Transit also has opened a public comment period through Sept. 30 for the proposed final bus-line refresh.
The bus-line refresh started out in 2023 as a complete rethinking of Allegheny County’s bus network. After more than 16,000 comments, the plan became a more targeted bus-line refresh, which PRT says, “keeps the service working today while strengthening reliability on the busiest corridors, expanding off-peak and weekend service, and improving cross-county connections.”
It has been more than 20 years since PRT last made network-level changes. Travel patterns have changed since the pandemic, PRT says, and ridership has returned more during midday, evenings and weekends than during peak commuting hours. At the same time, some routes are underused while others are overcrowded.
Through Sept. 30, riders will be able to explore the proposed final network, find their route, and provide public comment through a variety of events and tools.
Send an email to: buslinerefresh@RidePRT.org
Leave a comment via voice mail at: 412-566-5525
Mail in a comment form to: Pittsburgh Regional Transit, Attn: Planning and Service Development, Heinz 57 Center, 345 Sixth Ave., Third Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222
PRT also has held two public hearings, on Aug. 18 and 25, and has another scheduled for Sept. 10. The hearing will be from 9 a.m. to noon and 3 to 6 p.m. at the Heinz 57 Center. Participants will be able to comment during three minute blocks. Pre-registration is encouraged as blocks will fill up. Find registration information for the Sept. 10 hearing here.
The final changes will be implemented in the second half of 2027, after which riders will be surveyed and bus line performance monitored, and PRT will make course corrections as needed.
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.
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