Shaler officials are joining residents and community organizations calling on Pittsburgh Regional Transit to not eliminate two bus routes serving the township’s Mt. Royal Boulevard corridor.
As part of PRT’s proposed Bus Line Refresh, the Route 2 Mt. Royal north of Etna and the P13 Mt. Royal Flyer would be eliminated because of low ridership.
A portion of the existing 1 Freeport route would continue to serve Etna riders, connecting them to Downtown and The Waterworks, according to Emily Provonsha, PRT’s manager of service development.
“The P13 Mt. Royal Flyer is not being replaced since it serves an average of just 25 riders a day,” Provonsha said.
In a March 30 letter signed by all seven Shaler commissioners to PRT Chairperson Jennifer Liptak, the township said it supports the continuation of the routes.
“Both routes provide a vital lifeline for many residents along Mt. Royal Boulevard, a main thoroughfare in Shaler Township,” the letter states. “We have been contacted by many residents of Shaler Township who rely on these two bus lines for necessary transportation due to their inability to drive. Discontinuing either or both routes would be inconsistent with PRT’s stated equity goals and would greatly hinder the ability of our low-income, senior and vulnerable residents to travel to the North Hills of Pittsburgh or downtown for important services such as doctor’s appointments and social services.”
Autumn Krohe, 28, is one of those residents. Unable to drive because of a seizure, she relies on the 2 Mt. Royal and other routes to go to work as a certified nursing assistant in Oakmont and get her medications.
“That’s my only way of getting around anywhere,” she said. “If that’s taken away, I don’t have any way of getting anywhere.”
Amy Schnarrenberger said she and her husband moved from Avalon to Shaler last year so their daughter could attend Shaler Area schools. They have a car, but her husband is unable to drive and relies on the bus to get Downtown for work.
Although he had been working remotely until January, Schnarrenberger said they made sure there was bus service before moving to Shaler. One route was cut before they moved in. The Thompson Run flyer he now uses is proposed to be cut, as is the next choice, Mt. Royal.
“He has no options to get into town other than inconveniencing the whole family,” she said. “We’re a little panicked and a little frustrated. We don’t want to move from the district. Our daughter is doing well at the school. We really like the community. We’re going to have to make some hard choices if anything goes through with these cuts.”
Beyond their own residents, Shaler commissioners argue that losing Route 2 would be devastating for people along Grant Street in Etna through Mt. Royal because of the corridor’s poverty rate and share of older residents.
“Preserving the entire route would be ideal and is our ultimate goal, but the most critical piece is maintaining the lower segment from Etna through Shaler,” the commissioners wrote.
Etna Mayor Robert Tuñón said the elimination of the P13 Mt. Royal Flyer and cuts to Route 2 Mt. Royal “would effectively sever access for many residents to essential regional destinations, employment centers and family networks.”
“PRT is a vital asset and connector for our community, and residents of Etna will be severely impacted by these proposed service cuts,” Tuñón said. “The designation of ‘increased wait times and no service past 11 p.m.’ will make everyday life significantly more difficult. Many residents are first responders and essential workers who work night shifts, and because these routes provide direct access to regional hospitals, the loss of late-night service is deeply concerning.”
Newly elected Shaler Commissioner Josh Fleitman was happy that commissioners came together to speak with one voice.
“These are not just bus lines. They are lifelines,” he said. “A lot of our neighbors do not have cars. They rely on these bus lines to get to things they need to live their everyday lives. Pulling the rug out from underneath all of those residents would be damaging to the entire community, especially our most vulnerable residents.”
Shaler commissioners argue that another reason to keep the entire route is because Hearth, a transitional housing program for single mothers and their children, is at the northern end of Mt. Royal Boulevard, and the Mt. Royal bus lines are relied upon for transportation for shopping, medical appointments and social services, the township argues.
In a statement to TribLive, Hearth said that any reduction or elimination of service along Mt. Royal would create immediate and significant barriers for the families it serves and the broader Shaler community.
“Even a partial route reduction would leave critical gaps, effectively forcing all Shaler residents to navigate unsafe, impractical or time-prohibitive alternatives,” the statement from Hearth said. “For families already working to stabilize their housing and finances, these disruptions can have cascading effects, including missed work, child care instability and increased financial strain that can ultimately jeopardize housing stability.”
While PRT is not holding any Bus Line Refresh informational meetings in Shaler, there are two in the general area, in Ross and Etna, in May. Fleitman encouraged Shaler residents to make their voices heard at one of the meetings or through the Bus Line Refresh website.
The Shaler community rallied once before to save the Mt. Royal service when it was on the chopping block and can do it again, Fleitman said.
“This is not a done deal. We have a chance to get PRT to make a better decision here,” he said. “It’s going to take all of our neighbors coming together to speak out with one voice like the board of commissioners did. We are going to stand up and speak out for those most in need in our community.”
PRT expects to finalize the Bus Line Refresh plan this summer and begin implementation in 2027.
Bus Line Refresh pop-ups
Pittsburgh Regional Transit has two pop-up information tents planned for the North Hills area:
• 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, near the bus stop at Ross Towne Center on McKnight Road in Ross.
• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, May 21, at the bus stop near Butler and Freeport streets in Etna.