PAT routes to change
Sarit Gabrielle
Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: News
Notorious amongst its riders for running behind schedule, the Port Authority of Allegheny County has postponed route changes that were scheduled for March 14 because of an error in the computer system which schedules bus drivers.
On the day operators were to choose their routes, there was a glitch in the system.
"Some drivers chose routes based on erroneous information, thinking that they would have certain days off," Port Authority spokesperson Jim Ritchie said. "It was a managerial mistake, and we decided it was best to push everything back and let the drivers choose their routes with the correct information."
The decision was made in an effort to maintain reliable service. For riders, it means they now have more time to familiarize themselves with upcoming changes.
The first round of changes will go into effect on April 4. Approximately 60 routes will be changing, including the addition of the 75 Ellsworth route, which will operate between East Liberty, Shadyside, Oakland and the South Side Works.
These changes are part of a multi-year plan to overhaul the city's public transit system.
Rebecca Laslow, a senior English and secondary education major, commutes to Point Park University from the North Hills. Her bus ride takes over an hour, though it takes 20 minutes by car.
"There's a bus once an hour," Laslow said. "It's ridiculous."
According to Ritchie, that is exactly why the system is being revamped. Many of the current routes "no longer serve the demographics of the region or the business centers of the county."
Ultimately, Port Authority wants to make its service more attractive by implementing faster and more convenient and direct bus routes to match current demand. Port Authority intends on streamlining circulation to Pittsburgh by developing transit hubs and consolidating stops to provide consistency and increase productivity.
"We don't have a route system that is very easy to understand…it's difficult to look at it and see what to do," Ritchie said. He added that they wanted to make the system simpler for students and other people who come to visit the city.
On the day operators were to choose their routes, there was a glitch in the system.
"Some drivers chose routes based on erroneous information, thinking that they would have certain days off," Port Authority spokesperson Jim Ritchie said. "It was a managerial mistake, and we decided it was best to push everything back and let the drivers choose their routes with the correct information."
The decision was made in an effort to maintain reliable service. For riders, it means they now have more time to familiarize themselves with upcoming changes.
The first round of changes will go into effect on April 4. Approximately 60 routes will be changing, including the addition of the 75 Ellsworth route, which will operate between East Liberty, Shadyside, Oakland and the South Side Works.
These changes are part of a multi-year plan to overhaul the city's public transit system.
Rebecca Laslow, a senior English and secondary education major, commutes to Point Park University from the North Hills. Her bus ride takes over an hour, though it takes 20 minutes by car.
"There's a bus once an hour," Laslow said. "It's ridiculous."
According to Ritchie, that is exactly why the system is being revamped. Many of the current routes "no longer serve the demographics of the region or the business centers of the county."
Ultimately, Port Authority wants to make its service more attractive by implementing faster and more convenient and direct bus routes to match current demand. Port Authority intends on streamlining circulation to Pittsburgh by developing transit hubs and consolidating stops to provide consistency and increase productivity.
"We don't have a route system that is very easy to understand…it's difficult to look at it and see what to do," Ritchie said. He added that they wanted to make the system simpler for students and other people who come to visit the city.
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