Beyond the East Busway: Our Transit Future
Help Plan Public Transportation in the Eastern Suburbs and the Mon Valley
Hi, I’m Ms. Debra Green.
I live in the City of Duquesne.
I ride the bus everyday and I am a coordinating committee member with Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT).
...and Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) is a group of people like you.
We are transit riders, transit workers and residents who are advocating for a public transit system that’s accessible, affordable and available for all of us.
We know that transit riders and transit operators are experts, and together we can make buses work better for all of us.
Now, we’ve got a problem here in the Mon Valley & Eastern Suburbs:
As transit funding has been cut, so have our routes.
The Mon Valley & Eastern Suburbs Need Better Transit
The Mon Valley & Eastern Suburbs Need Better Transit
Communities south and east of the busway have lost many of their transit lifelines over years of service cutbacks.
These are routes from 2006.
...and these are the routes in 2019.
Of the current routes, these are the fast routes...
...these are the frequent routes...
...and these are the routes that are both fast and frequent.
These routes include the Busways and the T.
Fast and frequent service to these areas can better connect these areas to the entire network.
If you can get to a fast and frequent route, you can get anywhere.
The buses can be slow, especially when stuck behind cars or at long stoplights.
From Braddock to downtown, the bus ride averages 70 minutes.
On the non-express buses, it’s 60 minutes from Monroeville to downtown, and around 75 minutes from McKeesport to downtown.
And many of us don’t have downtown as our final destination.
Commute times are the SINGLE BIGGEST INDICATOR of whether a household can emerge from poverty.
You can see that having an effect on our communities, especially for those of us that rely on transit.
The maps that follow show the following population statistics:
1. % of Population 65+ with Disability Status
2. % Of Population Below the Federal Poverty Line
3. % of Population less than 18 Years or greater than 65 Years Old ("Dependent Population")
4. % of Commuters with a Travel time greater than 60 minutes
5. % of workers commuting by public transportation
The lighter areas on the maps indicate higher percentages of people. You can click on the map to learn more about specific areas.
These are the people and communities in need of better service.
Communities in Need of Better Service
% of Population 65+ with Disability Status
% Of Population Below the Federal Poverty Line
% of Population <18 Years or >65 Years (Dependent Population)
% of commuters with a Travel time greater than 60 minutes
% of workers commuting by public transportation
We’ve worked together to come up with a solution.
Launched in 2018, the Riders’ Vision for Public Transit articulates the needs and concerns of transit riders throughout Allegheny County.
At the top of the list: the East Busway
Extending the East Busway to Monroeville and to McKeesport could make buses so much faster and more reliable.
An East Busway extension doesn't require a new roadway.
We can make the streets we already have work for us
We could get the same benefits of the East Busway on existing streets for cheap.
Painted "Bus-Only" Lanes
Traffic Lights that give buses the priority
Bus Stops spaced further apart, but improved with nicer shelters, seating, and modern bus signs with arrival information
These things together are “bus rapid transit” or BRT
Here's How We'll Do It: Together
We’ve created a participatory transit planning tool that helps riders visualize and choose the best East Busway extension option. We’ll also ask you to identify and rank important places that are under-served by transit in our communities.
This Is Just The Beginning
We want you to join us in designing better transit in the Eastern Suburbs and the Mon Valley, using our rider-led planning tool.
Once we have the plan, we’ll collectively call on our transit agency and elected officials to make our vision a reality.
Now let’s get to work!
Take the Beyond the East Busway survey!
eastbusway.pittsburghforpublictransit.org/survey
Acknowledgements
Images & Text | Pittsburghers for Public Transit
Transit Route Data | Port Authority of Allegheny County
Demographic Map Data | US Census
Map and App Design | CivicMapper
Transit Consulting | EvolveEA
Funding Support | Heinz Endowments
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Images & TextPittsburghers For Public Transit
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Transit Route DataPort Authority of Allegheny County
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Demographic Map DataUS Census
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Map and App DesignCivicMapper
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Transit ConsultingEvolveEA
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Funding SupportThe Heinz Endowments
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