Editorial: Bus routes are connections, not prizes

Tribune-Review | Friday, January 17, 2020 5:28 p.m.

Bob Bauder | Tribune-Review

One of the hallmarks of a how well a community works is always transportation. Are the roads paved? Are they plowed? How bad is the traffic?

And how good is the public transit?

According to a report from trip-planning app Moovit, the people of Pittsburgh have it pretty good compared to the people waiting on the bus in other parts of the country.

Pittsburgh posted the shortest commute time for those using public transportation at a mere 38 minutes one-way; and most users had no transfers. Compare that to Miami’s 56 minutes or Los Angeles, where commuters may have to transfer three times or more to get where they’re going.

It does sound like taking the bus in Pittsburgh is a breeze. As long as you are actually in Pittsburgh.

Venture farther outside the city center and it might not be so easy.

The nonprofit group Building Block of Natrona is seeing that not enough public transportation in the Highlands communities means not just problems commuting to work but problems accessing food.

The group wants the Port Authority of Allegheny County to extend the 1 Freeport Road bus route, taking it to a Harrison housing complex and then on to Highlands Mall, giving more people a way to reach necessary stores and businesses. Passengers used to take the 5 Natrona route, but that went away in 2011.

“Demand for bus service is great throughout our entire county,” said Port Authority spokesman Adam Brandolph.

The Moovit report shows why. Where Pittsburgh has access, it works well. It’s tied with Boston for short average wait times at 11 minutes, and 22% of riders say they wait less than five minutes.

Is that because of its limitations? Pittsburgh commuters had the shortest average commutes at just 4.4 miles, compared to Miami’s 8.5 miles.

It’s important for Port Authority to take into account things like ridership and use and financial considerations in making the best possible use of its resources to provide service to the people most likely to utilize its buses.

Building Block of Natrona President Tricia Ritchie says her group has collected 500 signatures of those supporting more bus access.

A form to request service is on Port Authority’s website, and all requests are treated the same, Brandolph said.

“It’s not a popularity contest,” he said.

That’s true, and it shouldn’t be. But a bus route is hardly a lottery prize. It’s a necessary service that connects people living in an area with access to things they need. Strengthening those connections improves communities.