Westmoreland transit puts changes on hold amid funding uncertainty

Long planned revisions of Westmoreland County’s public transportation service are on hold as officials await clarity on funding.

Substantial alterations in the county transit authority’s fixed-route bus system were expected to be launched this year, including the start of a pilot project to convert a small portion of the service to a ride-sharing model.

“We haven’t done that that yet and we’re waiting until the funding situation plays out. ‘Micro transit’ has been working in some counties but not in others, so we’re not sure what will happen here,” said transit authority Executive Director Alan Blahovec.

A service enhancement plan unveiled last year called for implementation of a micro transit zone in the New Kensington and Lower Burell area this year. Instead of bus service, passengers could summon rides to specific locations within a predetermined zone, similar to how ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft operate.

Additional micro transit zones in Irwin, North Huntingdon and Herminie were to be implemented next year.

Those plans, along with other undesignated changes to the authority’s fixed-route bus system identified in the service update, including creation of new routes and the elimination of others, have been put on hold.

Some minor adjustments, such as adding and subtracting stops on existing routes and timing changes have been implemented, Blahovec said.

“Work on potential changes is going on in the background and we’ve made smaller changes, but we need to make sure there is sustainable funding before we can implement change to what we do,” Blahovec said.

The authority’s board is expected to consider its 2025-26 operating budget in June — which substantially relies on state funding.

Gov. Josh Shapiro in his 2025-26 state budget proposal allocated an additional $292.5 million for mass transit and increased that amount to $330 million in the 2029-30 fiscal year.

State lawmakers have yet to approve a new budget.

Westmoreland’s transit authority currently is operating with a nearly $17 million budget, with about half designated to run the system’s fixed-route bus system.

The other half of the authority’s spending is used to operate Go Westmoreland, a paratransit shared ride program that provides subsidized door-to-door service on smaller vehicles for low-income and disabled riders.

Funding challenges

Blahovec earlier this spring said the authority has enough funding in reserve to maintain current services levels for about two years.

In neighboring Allegheny County, funding uncertainties has left Pittsburgh Regional Transit considering major service cuts. The agency recently held public hearings on its proposed plan to impose a 25-cent fare hike, the elimination of 41 of its roughly 100 bus routes and the agency’s light-rail Silver Line because of its $100 million deficit in 2026.

Westmoreland County’s transit fixed-route bus service includes 17 daily routes, including commuter service to Pittsburgh and local service to 33 communities in the county.

After several of years of slow growth following the covid-19 pandemic, ridership has leveled off. Officials said ridership on the authority’s fixed-route bus system has declined 1.1% over the last 12 months. Go Westmoreland ridership has grown by 3.3% over the last year.

“Our transit model has changed,” said authority board member Dan DeBone. “We’re trying to have more and better services and the micro transit stuff will be really important over the next couple of years.”

A draft proposal of a new strategic business plan was presented this week to authority board members.

It includes a series of management goals designed to improve the transit agency’s leadership and prepare it for future changes. Officials said the business plan will work in concert with the operating assessment finalized last year.