Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s temporary shuttle service during track work on its Red Line has gotten off to a rough start in some areas.
Some riders told the board at its monthly meeting Friday that bus schedules are inaccurate, transfers aren’t synchronized leading to long waits, and trips from Beechview to Dormont that used to take five minutes last 40 minutes or longer.
The Red Line closed for 11 weeks starting on June 16 between Overbrook junction in South Hills Junction so crews could replace more than 1,000 feet of track. The agency set up a rail shuttle between Dormont Junction and Overbrook and established two new bus routes, the 41 Potomac from the Potomac Station and the 37 Castle Shannon from the Castle Shannon Station to Station Square on Pittsburgh’s South Side.
Andrew Hussein, vice chairman of the Allegheny County Transit Council, called the first two weeks of the temporary service “a dumpster fire” because of inaccurate schedules and poor connections. Rider Amy Zaiss of Beechview praised PRT’s communication about the changes but called the system “imperfect” and the shuttle transfers “less than ideal.”
“I think there is still more work to do,” she said.
After the meeting, CEO Katharine Eagan Kelleman said the agency will continue refining the temporary system but some of its options are limited with the track closure and tight corners where buses can’t safely make some turns.
“There just aren’t a lot of other options for us,“ she said.
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.