Brackenridge resident Eric Hohman said trips to the grocery store won’t feel like a time crunch if proposed changes for Pittsburgh Regional Transit are approved in the Alle-Kiski Valley and beyond.
“As it is now, I have to get up to Walmart during the week because that’s when the buses run,” he said. “If they add weekend routes, I think that’s great.”
Expanded service is among major changes that could be on board for PRT riders in Tarentum, Brackenridge, Harrison and New Kensington.
The agency, through a Bus Line Refresh initiative, is revamping its network to “match how people travel today,” said Jake Stockman, PRT senior planner.
Ridership has dropped 40% since covid, he said.
The refresh is shaped by rider and operator feedback, and also by what PRT can deliver with the resources it has available, Stockman said.
PRT faced a $100 million deficit in 2026 and anticipates a projected $1.8 billion shortfall over the next 10 years.
“We’re basically finding opportunities to take routes with low ridership and reallocate to services where ridership is high, creating new connections,” Stockman said.
“We haven’t really assessed the network as a whole in over a decade.”
In the A-K Valley, changes would bring three new routes:
• The proposed N1 Allegheny Valley route would replace the Route 1 Freeport Road line. It would create new connections between Tarentum and East Liberty, while retaining connections to The Waterworks shopping plaza.
• The proposed L1 Allegheny Valley Flyer would replace the P10. It would operate from Tarentum to downtown Pittsburgh during weekday peak hours — adding a new commuter service to Pittsburgh for riders in New Kensington. The L1 and N1 would serve all local stops between Tarentum and East Liberty; the L1 would continue downtown via the East Busway.
• The proposed N3 would create a link between New Kensington and Highlands Mall in Harrison, traveling through Tarentum and Brackenridge. It would replace weekday, peak-only service in Harrison with extended daily service. The route would add service on River Avenue in Natrona and would also retain service to Creighton. The N3 would also connect to routes N1 and L1.
Tarentum Manager Dwight Boddorf said public transportation is critically important for many residents who rely on the routes to access employment, healthcare, shopping and other essential services. Reliable regional connectivity is also important for economic development and workforce access.
Borough officials have engaged in talks and provided feedback supporting the importance of maintaining and, where possible, expanding transit access throughout Tarentum and surrounding communities, Boddorf said.
PRT is expected to make final adjustments before a series of public hearings and a board vote later this year. Changes would go into effect in 2027.
Locally, changes would restore service historically offered and create more hyper-local service.
The new N3 would run daily, providing service on the hour.
“The general idea is to provide service up to Walmart in Harrison and to serve some more local neighborhoods, one of those being Sheldon Park,” Stockman said.
Access to a grocery store would provide real benefit to residents of the Allegheny County Housing Authority-run development that sits near Heights Plaza, where Community Market closed last year.
Sheldon Park hasn’t had daily bus service to Walmart since the last round of route cuts in 2011, Stockman said.
“The P10 goes to Walmart but it doesn’t run all the time,” he said. “If you’re trying to get there on a weekend there are limited options.”
“The N3 would be a seven-day connector.”
It would also stop at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison and continue to Central City Plaza in New Kensington.
Both destinations are expected to grow ridership. The P10 gets more than 100 weekday riders, Stockman said.
Tarentum’s Park and Ride, beneath the Tarentum Bridge, will remain a focal point for PRT.
“It’s a service priority so that people with higher need aren’t being left behind,” Stockman said.
PRT has collected about 20,000 public comments through pop-up events this spring.
Tarentum Council President Scott Dadowski said he appreciates the effort.
“We understand how important reliable public transportation is for many of our residents and families,” he said. “We support efforts that improve access and connectivity throughout the region.”
Comment continues to be accepted through May, both online at engage.rideprt.org/buslineredesign and in-person. The next scheduled pop-up is 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 27 at the Agnes R. Katz Plaza, 685 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh.
Proposed new routes
Here is a look at three proposed new routes in Tarentum, Harrison, Brackenridge and New Kensington:
• The L1 would operate from 5 to 9 a.m. and from 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays with service every 30 minutes.
• The N1 would run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. weekdays with service every 30 minutes. It also would run 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. every hour. Increased weekend service would also be available.
• The N3 would run from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays, providing service on the hour; 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays; and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays.