Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal that opens later this year has many elements designed to make things easier or more convenient for travelers.
It will eliminate the need to take a light rail train from the check-in building to another building to board planes. Open concourses are designed to make the facility more welcoming for travelers.
But it won’t be easier for Pittsburgh Regional Transit riders who use the 28X bus to leave the airport. In fact, it could be confusing or frustrating.
Right now, bus riders heading to the airport get off at one level of the terminal, and those who are leaving get on at another level. Between dropping off one set of riders and picking up the next, operators have a layover at the airport.
When the new terminal opens, the airport stop will be like many other bus stops in PRT’s system with riders getting on or off at the same place.
Here’s the problem: Operators who drop off travelers still have a layover, and federal aviation rules don’t allow them to take a break with a load of passengers on the bus.
Amy Silbermann, PRT’s chief development officer, said that means buses dropping off riders likely will have a sign that says they are out of service and no one can get on. That operator will then drive to the same layover spot they use now, and another empty bus likely will pick up passengers leaving the airport.
An additional concern, Silbermann said, is that the new road system around the new terminal means it will take operators several minutes longer to get to the layover site. This is expected to reduce the frequency of the 28X from every 37 to 40 minutes to every 40 to 43 minutes.
Silbermann said the situation won’t be ideal, but she expects that riders will adjust pretty quickly.
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.