A ban on Port Authority buses in Market Square scheduled for May could be the beginning of changes to the system that could include no more bus routes into Downtown.
Port Authority's plan to redraw its route system next year -- called Connect '09 -- will include proposals to pull most routes out of Downtown, similar to the scheduled removal of buses from Market Square.
The transit agency wants to make its network of routes more efficient, possibly by funneling riders from suburban bus routes to busways and the T line, and using only a circulating bus shuttle system Downtown.
The agency initiated the 18-month Connect '09 project in June.
"You may see less buses in Downtown Pittsburgh," authority spokeswoman Judi McNeil said. "That's certainly going to be a subject for discussion when we have public hearings."
Authority officials plan to hold public meetings at six locations across the county in late spring or sometime this summer.
A first round of meetings would provide details about the agency's plans and offer opportunities for people to consider the pros and cons of any changes.
A second round would show the agency's proposed changes and seek feedback.
Pulling buses from Market Square appears to be certain. The only unknown is exactly when that will occur, McNeil said.
No decisions have been made regarding other Downtown routes. That won't happen until after the public hearings. Those changes, once decided, aren't expected to be implemented until 2009.
"We don't have any plans at this time for permanent changes to other bus loops Downtown," McNeil said. "But there is no doubt there will be some proposed."
There's no clear solution endorsed by local businesses, according to Ken Zapinski, a vice president of transportation at the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.
"I don't know anybody who's really happy with the way bus circulation takes place Downtown," he said. "That doesn't mean everybody has the same solution."
One concern is whether pulling buses from Downtown streets would create significant problems for disabled and elderly riders, who then would have to walk farther to their destinations, McNeil said.
The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership wants the authority to consider having better placement of Downtown bus stops, enhancing evening bus service and making the T easier to use by making changes such as showing the next train's arrival on a street-level sign, said Mike Edwards, the group's president.
Edwards has submitted recommendations to Port Authority about how to best route buses through Downtown.
"We'd love to see the T integrated more fully into how the buses work Downtown. People might use the T if they knew when the next train was coming," he said. "We also think there should be a renewed emphasis on walkability, pedestrian safety and environmental sensitivity."
