MORGANTOWN — Citing declining ridership, the Mountain Line Transit Authority approved a fare reduction for its Grey Line service to Pittsburgh.
Beginning in August, rides to Pittsburgh — including stops at Waynesburg, Pa.; Washington, Pa.; the Pittsburgh International Airport and Pittsburgh Greyhound station — will be reduced from $25 to $15 each way.
The reduced fare was approved for a six-month trial period on Wednesday by the transit board.
Mountain Line General Manager Dave Bruffy explained that a number of factors, including a $20 fare offered by Greyhound for similar service, have cut into the Grey Line’s numbers.
In June of 2018, 901 riders made the trip with Mountain Line. This past June, that number was down to 685.
“We’ve seen that continue to decline. We’ve surveyed riders and continue to look at possible causes for that. I think it’s a variety of issues, but the price point is something that we fear may be limiting people’s uses of the Grey Line service,” Bruffy said.
He said Mountain Line will offset the reduced fare with roughly $36,000 in funding comprised of a $10,000 increase in state allocations and available grant dollars.
If the reduced cost doesn’t reverse the decline in riders, Bruffy said Mountain Line would explore whether a schedule change would be feasible.
The Grey Line runs seven days a week at 6:15 a.m. (southbound) and 7:55 a.m. (northbound) — and six days a week (no Saturday) at 12:30 p.m. (southbound) and 5:20 p.m. (northbound). It also runs northbound at 2 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
In other Mountain Line news, Bruffy said the locations of four downtown bus shelters are being finalized.
According to Bruffy, the general locations are:
- At the intersection of Spruce and Pleasant streets, near the city parking lot.
- On the Walnut Street side of the Morgantown Public Safety building, near the Walnut Street Bridge.
- In front of the public safety building off Spruce Street, or in the parking lot opposite the Morgantown Public Library
- At the corner of Garrett Street and Don Knotts Boulevard. Bruffy said this location has not been confirmed.
Mountain Line ordered a total of 10 shelters for about $105,000. The city of Morgantown will pour the pads for the structures.
Along with those going downtown, new shelters will be placed at the Sabraton transfer point near Goodwill, at Fort Pierpont and in the lot at the Westover depot.
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