" I have had to go to the Foster Plaza area (near Westwood-Noblestown Rd.) several times before and after the transit changes for work related errands. Before the changes, it was rather an adventure to ride home later in the evening as I had to walk to Greentree Road for the next available trip to avoid waiting almost two hours in the evening to return to Downtown. "
writes Michael Sypolt on his blog, Pittsburgh Transit Guide, as he covers the third round of TDP changes.
about Michael:
In spite of owning a car, Michael remains a convinced public transportation supporter for reasons such as sustainability which he discusses on his blog. He had recently completed a two-way car free trip to a location outside Ellwood City.
He is also very knowledgeable when it comes to trip planning and helping other bus riders figure out route alternatives. He has developed a very useful map and public transit guide for Allegheny County that are available to the public on: http://www.publictransitguide.info/. You can also ask him about the best route alternatives on twitter : @TransitGuru
My understanding of one of the purposes of the TDP was to streamline service. I recall a presentation denouncing all the variants that some routes had to ensure everyone got where they needed to go.
ReplyDeleteIE 51A (currently 48) had the Wharton Square and UPMC South Side limited service (variant) to ensure disabled and elderly riders could get dropped off practically at the door to major points of interest in South Side. The TDP renumbered the 51A and streamlined service up and down E. Carson Street, thereby causing riders to walk several blocks. The routing is the pre-1997(c) routing in South Side.
It is give and take. Same thing with Foster Plaza. It is a shame there are places people can no longer take transit to, but it was forced by certain politicians and public perception.