PAT routes to change

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.

The new Web site has begun to do just that. The maps with blue and black lines have been replaced with large maps detailing not only the bus route, but also specifically what streets and landmarks the bus travels through.

These changes will impact the 78 percent of Point Park students who commute to Downtown for classes and other activities.

"I think that it's great," Mary Muncil, a senior dance and global cultural studies major, said. "It would be great to be able to get around [the city] more easily."

Many of the routes set to be improved are located between Downtown and Oakland. These buses are going to have extended hours - both earlier and later - and will run more frequently.

"There will be no more bunching of buses and then periods of no buses," said Ritchie, who expects many of the Downtown to Oakland buses to run every two to three minutes during rush hour and every six to eight minutes otherwise.

"It would be fantastic if you didn't have to stand out there and wait forever," Muncil said.

The Port Authority Web site has information regarding the new schedule changes, and there are a variety of resources available to passengers. Interactive maps and route conversion tools describe all the changes a rider will experience and a 31-page presentation detailing the new system. Riders can sign up for e-mails to alert them when their route is going to change. The customer service department is answering questions online, and route data can now be found on Google.

Port Authority claims the proposed changes will maintain some level of service for the majority of existing riders while improving service for 75 percent of those people. They expect to improve productivity - measured by passengers per vehicle per hour - by 10 percent.

Brochures and new route schedules will become available mid-February. In the weeks immediately preceding the change, employees will come out to major stops and talk to people directly to ensure that they are aware of the changes.

"It's going to require quite a bit of change from riders, employees and the general public to get used to," Ritchie said. "But we think in the end people will realize what we brought was quite a bit of improvement."