Why not commute by bus from Washington to Cal U.?
Catch a bus from Washington, Canonsburg or Peters Township, transfer to another and alight at California University of Pennsylvania?
It’s an idea that could become a reality within a year according to a five-year plan adopted this week on a 6-0 vote by board members of Washington County Transportation Authority.
But adding a connection to the Mon Valley would likely mean eliminating some bus runs to McDonald.
The Washington County Transportation Authority might chose one or both routes that are part of this proposal:
- From the Canonsburg area to Monongahela via Donaldsons Crossroads, to Venetia/Finleyville on Route 88.
- Route 40 from Washington to Route 917 and Interstate 70 to Mid-Mon Valley Transit Authority’s hub at 1300 McKean Ave., Charleroi.
“We’re actually looking at reducing the number of trips to McDonald,” now the northern starting and ending point of several daily runs to Canonsburg and Washington, said Sheila Gombita, executive director of the Washington County Transportation Authority, which operates the Freedom Line commuter service.
Washington’s Freedom Line and Mid-Mon Valley Transit Authority have been operating independently, and mention of a merger a few years ago went nowhere.
But if the two transportation services could intersect, it would open up new destinations in Washington and Allegheny counties and the Mon Valley.
Ashley Altemare, director of marketing and planning for Mid-Mon Valley Transit exclaimed Wednesday, “Oh, wow! That’s great news. We would be agreeable to discuss routes, fares and connection times.
“It’s good that it’s moving forward and was approved,” continued Altemare, who serves on the Washington Transportation Authority’s advisory council.
Another proposed change during the same time frame would be eliminating Washington-to-Pittsburgh commuter bus service during midday.
Instead of traveling into downtown Pittsburgh from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, the commuter bus would connect with the South Hills Village T station. The plan calls for bus routes that include Washington and Canonsburg to use McClelland Road and travel Route 19 through North Strabane, Peters and Upper St. Clair to Village Drive and, potentially, locations in between.
The Pittsburgh commuter route already features service only to the T station Saturdays. It has no Sunday service.
The five-year plan, which was completed by Michael Baker consultants at a cost of $90,000, was prepared at the behest of Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.
The cost to the ridership when these changes take effect is, at this time, unknown.
“There is nothing in this particular plan that targets fares,” Gombita said.
Mid-Mon Valley Transit and the Freedom Line do not have a fare structure to handle transfers between systems. In its absence, riders would have to pay separate fares.
Within two to three years, the transportation authority is contemplating the addition of local service in the Canonsburg area that might include the business district, Southpointe and Canonsburg Hospital year-round and Town Park and its pool in the summer.
Between medium and long term, downtown Canonsburg could see a small-scale transfer center so commuters could wait for a bus indoors; and a park-and-ride lot in the Racetrack Road area, Gombita said.
The transportation authority also is seeking to improve amenities, such as real-time departure displays at its center or centers and supplements to its Twitter account that would also alert commuters via Facebook and, possibly, other social media platforms.
The authority’s consultant collected and categorized information earlier this year from both paper and online surveys.