Development and residential patterns have changed dramatically in our region. Many urban neighborhoods have experienced significant population declines and demographic changes. New development and redevelopment has occurred and continues to occur in the City of Pittsburgh and adjacent older suburban communities. Newer Suburban areas have seen significant growth in ways that are not conducive to traditional transit approaches. This change in the makeup of Allegheny County and the region has evolved slowly in some cases and rather quickly in others. Although the existing transit service provides a high level of service to older neighborhoods in the City of Pittsburgh and adjacent suburbs, less service is provided to many of the newer communities in the outlying areas of Allegheny County.

The TDP will entail a comprehensive examination of the Port Authority’s services and new service options that are intended to revitalize the Port Authority’s bus service – to make service better match demand, to make it simpler, faster, more direct, and to implement innovative practices and services. The TDP will also strive to better integrate bus service with the Port Authority’s rails system and with the region’s other transit operators.

These changes will be designed to provide better service to existing riders, attract new riders, and improve the economic efficiency and service effectiveness of the system. They will also be designed to be implemented within existing budget levels, and to provide a foundation for future system expansion in the case that additional funding becomes available.

The study was strongly recommended by the Pennsylvania Transportation and Funding Reform Commission, which, among other findings, also called for greater coordination of regional services and better data collection to establish ridership patterns.