The West Busway is a two-lane bus-only highway serving the western portions of the city of Pittsburgh and several western suburbs. The busway runs for 5.1 miles (8.2 km) from the southern shore of the Ohio River near Downtown Pittsburgh to Carnegie,[1] following former railroad right-of-way on the Panhandle Route.[citation needed] It broke ground on October 27, 1994 and is owned and maintained by Pittsburgh Regional Transit, the public transit provider for Allegheny County and the Pittsburgh region. The transit thoroughfare was opened in September 2000.[2] Following the naming convention of each busway being designated by a color, bus routes that use the West Busway begin with a "G" for green.

West Busway
Idlewood station along the West Busway
Overview
LocalePittsburgh
Termini
Stations6
Service
TypeBus rapid transit
SystemPittsburgh Regional Transit
History
OpenedSeptember 2000
Technical
Line length5.1 mi (8.2 km)
Operating speed50 mph (80 km/h) (top)
Route map
Map West Busway highlighted in green
to Downtown via PA-51.svg PA 51
Sheraden
Ingram
Crafton
Idlewood
Bell
28X to Airport via I-376
Carnegie

Handicapped/disabled access All stations are accessible

In addition to running along the abandoned railroad right of way, the West Busway also reuses the historic Cork Run Tunnel, also known as the Berry Street Tunnel, which was heavily refurbished for the busway

The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), under its BRT Standard, has classified the West Busway as a "Basic BRT" corridor.[3]

Routes

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Four Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus routes currently serve the West Busway.

One route, G2 West Busway All Stops travels the length of the busway and also serves Downtown Pittsburgh, connecting with the East Busway, via West Carson Street (PA 51) and the Fort Pitt Bridge. Buses operate every 30 minutes.[4]

Another important route is the 28X Airport Flyer which uses the West Busway as far south as Bell Station where dedicated ramps connect the Busway to Interstate 376. The Airport Flyer has a stop restriction with buses outbound to the Airport only stopping to pick up passengers, with drop-offs along the busway prohibited. Buses operate every 30 minutes.[5]

Following the naming convention of each busway being designated by a color, most bus routes that use the West Busway begin with a "G" for green.

Route Route Name Destination Notes
 28X  Airport Flyer Pittsburgh International Airport Daily, stop restrictions
 G2  West Busway-All Stops Carnegie Daily
 G3  Moon Flyer Moon Weekday peak periods
 G31  Bridgeville Flyer Bridgeville Weekday peak periods

Stations

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Station Name Neighborhood/Borough Routes Notes
Sheraden Sheraden  28X   G2   G3   G31  Park and ride: 177 spaces
Ingram Ingram  28X   G2   G3   G31 
Crafton Crafton  28X   G2   G3   G31  Park and ride: 106 spaces
Idlewood  28X   G2   G3   G31  Park and ride: 33 spaces
Bell Carnegie  28X   G2   G3   G31  Park and ride: 34 spaces
Carnegie  G2  Park and ride: 163 spaces
 G31  stops nearby off-busway

References

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  1. ^ "Port Authority of Allegheny County West Busway". Federal Transit Administration. October 30, 2002. Archived from the original on September 23, 2008.
  2. ^ "Pittsburgh Celebrates 25th Anniversary of East Busway". Passenger Transport. American Public Transportation Association. May 5, 2008. Archived from the original on February 25, 2012.
  3. ^ "BRT Rankings". Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  4. ^ "Route G2 West Busway - All Stops Timetable" (PDF). Pittsburgh Regional Transit. February 18, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  5. ^ "Route 28X Airport Flyer Timetable" (PDF). Pittsburgh Regional Transit. June 18, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
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