Megabus reaches agreement on new stop in Downtown

Megabus has reached an agreement to move its Downtown bus stop to another spot in the Golden Triangle, officials said Wednesday.

The new stop will be on Penn Avenue Extension, near the Port Authority of Allegheny County's Gateway Station and 4 Gateway Center, said Joanna Doven, spokeswoman for Mayor Luke Ravenstahl.

"The spot is in one of the most vibrant parts of our city," Doven said, citing its proximity to the T light-rail line, Market Square and numerous restaurants and businesses.

The low-cost bus company has stopped at a curbside beneath the David L. Lawrence Convention Center since it began operating locally in 2007. But the city-county Sports & Exhibition Authority, which owns the facility, told Megabus to leave by Friday because it thinks buses interfere with convention activities and too many bus riders littered or asked to use the facility's bathrooms.

As part of the relocation agreement, the deadline to move will be extended to early next month, Doven said. Megabus' first day at the new location will be July 2. It did not pay to use the old location and will not pay to use the new one.

Charles Lenzner, who oversees Megabus' local operations and is general manager and president of Ohio Township-based Lenzner Coach Lines, said the convention center's covered stop was nice for riders. But the new location offers more amenities, particularly its connection to the T line that extends between the North Shore and South Hills.

"We had to trade off a little bit, but we got a great location," Lenzner said.

Megabus, which offers one-way fares for as little as $1, serves 11 cities from Pittsburgh, including New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Cleveland and Detroit. Pittsburgh is one of six hubs for Megabus, which employs about 80 drivers, baggage loaders, dispatchers and mechanics.