The Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway is a two-lane bus rapid transit corridor serving the city of Pittsburgh and its eastern neighborhoods and suburbs. Owned and maintained by Pittsburgh Regional Transit, the busway is named after Martin Luther King Jr. and provides service to communities including Wilkinsburg and East Liberty.
The corridor has received a Bronze rating under the BRT Standard developed by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. Like other busways in Pittsburgh, it operates on a dedicated right-of-way designed to improve travel times and reduce roadway congestion.
History
The busway was developed along a former railroad right-of-way acquired by the Port Authority of Allegheny County from the Pittsburgh Railways Company in 1964. It came as part of broader efforts to modernize the region’s transit system and address increasing traffic congestion following the decline of streetcar service. The corridor was identified as a suitable transit route due to its direct alignment between Downtown Pittsburgh and the eastern suburbs.
The initial segment opened in March 1983, running between Penn Station in Downtown Pittsburgh and Wilkinsburg station. By using a separated right-of-way, the busway significantly reduced travel times compared to conventional bus routes, particularly during peak periods.
In 2003, the line was extended by to Swissvale, bringing its total length to . Edgewood initially opposed the expansion, over concerns about bus noise, air quality, and car and pedestrian traffic around stations. Edgewood has stated that it would prefer the busway be converted to a light rail line.
In July 2013, a further extension of the East Busway to an expanded Mon–Fayette Expressway was proposed. As of 2018, that proposal was still part of Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission's plans.
Routes
Following the naming convention of each busway being designated by a color, bus routes that use the East Busway begin with a "P" for purple. However, the P13 (Mount Royal Flyer) is colored purple and uses a "P" designation, but does not use the busway; instead, it travels via Route 28. The P1 ("East Busway–All Stops") is the main route, operating seven days a week and running the full length of the Busway between Swissvale and Downtown Pittsburgh, making all stops, before running a short loop through the central business district. It is the busiest Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus route by ridership.
All busway routes travel to downtown Pittsburgh, making a loop around before returning via the busway. The one exception to this is the P3 (East Busway-Oakland), which starts in Swissvale, but leaves the busway via the Neville Street Ramp, serving the business district of Oakland and terminating at Robinson Street.
Many of Pittsburgh Regional Transit's express and suburban Flyer routes also use the busway, but with stop restrictions, not picking up passengers at some busway stations in the inbound direction or dropping off passengers at some busway stations in the outbound direction. These routes operate primarily during weekday rush hours allowing buses to bypass the heavily congested Parkway East (Interstate 376), making for faster trip times. The East Busway is also used by some Westmoreland Transit routes, which run further into the Pittsburgh suburbs, ending in the cities of Greensburg and Latrobe in Westmoreland County.
As of February 2024, the Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus routes that use the East Busway are as follows: RouteRoute NameDestinationRoads TraveledNotesEast Busway–All StopsSwissvale stationEast BuswayDaily, all-day serviceEast Busway–Oakland5th Av & Robinson StNeville St/5th AvWeekdays only McKeesport FlyerMcKeesport Transportation CenterEdgewood Av/Rankin Bl/Kennywood BlWeekday peak hours only, stop restrictionsAllegheny Valley FlyerHarrisonRoute 28/Freeport RdHoliday Park FlyerHoliday ParkPenn Av/Parkway East/Golden Mile HwyPenn Hills FlyerAlpha Ice Complex, HarmarLeechburg Rd or Universal RdLincoln Park FlyerNadineLincoln Av/Mt Carmel RdMonroeville FlyerMonroeville MallWilliam Penn HwyBraddock Hills FlyerForbes HospitalBrinton Rd/Braddock Av/James StDaily, all-day service, stop restrictionsTrafford FlyerViaduct Way, TraffordArdmore Bl/Airbrake Av/Broadway BlWeekday peak hours only, stop restrictionsSwissvale FlyerSwissvale stationSavannah Av/Braddock Av/Woodstock AvLincoln Highway FlyerOlympia Park and RideArdmore Bl/Lincoln Hwy/Long Run RdOakmont FlyerAlpha Ice Complex, HarmarLaketon Rd/Verona Rd/Allegheny River BlWeekdays only, stop restrictions
Stations Station Name Neighborhood/Borough Routes Notes Downtown Amtrak: Floridian, Pennsylvanian Greyhound Lines Herron Polish Hill Negley Shadyside East Liberty East Liberty Homewood Homewood, Point Breeze North Wilkinsburg Wilkinsburg Park and ride: 748 spaces Hay Street Located on spur to Hay Street Hamnett Park and ride: 128 spaces Roslyn Swissvale Swissvale Park and ride: 163 spaces
See also West Busway South Busway Pittsburgh Light Rail
References
External links
Port Authority of Allegheny County: East Busway information page East Busway Schedule and Map – P1 & P3