PA: PRT closing 45-year-old Fifth Avenue bus lane in Oakland, likely leading to more traffic -- for now

Pittsburgh Regional Transit announced big changes will be coming to Fifth and Forbes avenues this weekend when the second phase of the yearslong project to better connect Uptown, Downtown and Oakland is set to begin.

On Sunday, the counterflow bus lane on Fifth Avenue will be permanently retired from service — marking the end of the lane that has been in service for more than 45 years.

Nine buses will be rerouted to travel outbound on Forbes Avenue, and those buses will travel with general traffic, PRT spokeswoman Melissa Rubin said in a release Friday.

PRT staff will be stationed at select bus stops along Fifth Avenue to help riders navigate the changes, Ms. Rubin said.

"It's a big change for our riders," PRT Chief Development Officer Amy Silbermann said during a press conference in Oakland Friday afternoon. "We've been talking about it for a long time."

The affected routes include:

• 54: After crossing the Birmingham Bridge, buses will begin the new route on Forbes Avenue down to Bellefield Avenue, then buses will turn right on Fifth Avenue and continue their regular route.
• 61D, 71A, 71C, and 71D: Instead of turning onto Robinson Street, buses will continue inbound on Fifth Avenue, turn left on Seneca Street, then left on Forbes Avenue where they will then continue on their regular routes.
• 71B: Outbound buses leaving Downtown will take Forbes Avenue to Bellefield Avenue in Oakland. Then, buses will turn right onto Fifth Avenue and back to their regular route.
• 75: After crossing the Birmingham Bridge, buses will begin the new route on Forbes Avenue down to Bellefield Avenue. Buses will then turn right onto Fifth Avenue and continue outbound on their regular routes.
• 93: Buses will begin their route at Craft and Forbes avenues. Buses will turn right and take Forbes Avenue to Bellefield Avenue. Then, buses will turn right onto Fifth Avenue then back to their regular route.
• P3: Buses will begin a new route beginning and ending at Atwood Station on Fifth Avenue instead of Robinson Street. They will travel inbound on Fifth Avenue, turn left onto Craft Avenue, and left onto Forbes Avenue. Buses traveling outbound will take Forbes Avenue to Bellefield Avenue, then will turn right onto Fifth Avenue and continue outbound on their regular route.

Ms. Silbermann said one lane on Forbes Avenue will ultimately become a dedicated bus lane, although that won't happen until next year, so the avenue will likely be more congested with traffic for the first part of this year as buses share the road with drivers.

The changes mark the beginning of the second half of construction on the University Line rapid transit project and will allow contractors to build a protected bi-directional bike lane on Fifth Avenue.

The project is expected to be completed by 2027 and, once finished, additional safety and accessibility upgrades will include new sidewalks and curbs, ADA-compliant ramps, upgraded traffic signals, and enhanced pedestrian safety systems.

In July, PRT opened five new bus stations Downtown with glass canopies at Ross Street, William Penn, Market Square, Wood Street and Steel Plaza.

Ms. Silbermann said a larger 60-foot bus station will also be built at Schenley Plaza and will open in 2027.

The University Line bus rapid transit project began with its first phase in October 2023 and costs $291 million in total with funding that includes a $150 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration.

Funding for the project also includes $19.3 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, $9.3 million from the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Program, $30 million from Allegheny County, $8.8 million from the City of Pittsburgh and $73.6 million from PRT.

The changes are aimed at improving public transportation for the more than 30,000 people PRT serves each day in the Downtown-Uptown-Oakland corridor.

"This is not about making buses rapid," Ms. Silbermann said. "This is about making buses move more reliably and continuously through the corridor."

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