Pittsburgh Port Authority Bus on the Smithfield Street Bridge · Tony Webster · CC BY-SA 2.0 · cropped
Pittsburgh Regional Transit will put its next tri-annual schedule book in force on Sunday, October 18, 2026, with new frequencies, extra late and peak trips, and downtown routing that drops outbound buses off Smithfield Street. The agency posted the dated list on its service-updates page and, in a September 18 notice, said the package is a regular ridership and reliability rewrite, separate from the Bus Line Refresh project.
Visitors who use the T, the 40-Mount Washington, or a South Hills or East Busway flyer to reach hotels, the inclines, or The Waterfront should open their route PDF before that Sunday, because several first and last trips move and some downtown stops shift to Wood Street. Pair the new card with our Pittsburgh things to do guide, then time the ride off the October 18 timetable, not the one still in your screenshots.
- When: Sunday, October 18, 2026, citywide printed schedules.
- Downtown: The dated list gives Wood Street outbound stops for 39, 40, 41, 43, 44, 48, and 51; check current routing before the timetable date.
- Added trips: Extra G2-West Busway late round trip and extra P12-Holiday Park Flyer peak trips.
- 40-Mount Washington: Earlier weekday start, later Sunday finish, tighter peak headways, wider midday gaps.
- Not this: PRT says the October 18 book is separate from the Bus Line Refresh project.
October 18 Is the Printed Schedule Date
PRT adjusts schedules three times a year. This round takes effect on Sunday, October 18, rewritten from current ridership to improve on-time performance. From the effective date, check the applicable route PDF for the new trip times and headways, and check live service alerts for the journey.
The September 18 operator notice names three buckets: frequency changes, extra trips on selected routes, and routing changes for The Waterfront and for downtown construction, including Reimagine Smithfield. The route PDF is the document in force on the 18th. Questions still go to 412-442-2000, @PghTransitCare, or chat on rideprt.org.
Keep this regular timetable adjustment separate from the Bus Line Refresh project. Deep Arrival already covered that separate stream in Pittsburgh PRT Redesign: What 20 Route Cuts Could Change. PRT says the October 18 book is not related to Bus Line Refresh.
Downtown Buses Leave Smithfield Street
The October 18 page lists Wood Street outbound routing for several South Hills and downtown routes. It uses future language for some routes and says Smithfield service has already been discontinued for the 48 and 51. Outbound trips will instead serve Wood Street between Liberty Avenue and Boulevard of the Allies, with stops at Sixth Avenue (Wood Street T Station), Fifth Avenue, and Third Avenue, because of Reimagine Smithfield.
The listed routes on the October 18 page include the 39-Brookline, 40-Mount Washington, 41-Bower Hill, 43-Bailey, 44-Knoxville, 48-Arlington, and 51-Carrick. For travel from October 18, check the route PDF for its listed Wood Street outbound stops and the applicable inbound stops. Before that date, check current routing; the operator already describes the 48 and 51 Smithfield changes as in place, but does not give a first reroute date here.
The 43-Bailey also extends to Penn Station in this book, and its last weekday trip to South Hills Junction ends at 12:03 a.m. instead of 11:50 p.m. From October 18, Sunday frequency on the 43 changes from 60 minutes to 80 minutes all day. Check that Sunday timetable when planning the return.
Extra G2 and P12 Trips
PRT is adding trips on two named routes to stretch the service day and cut crowding. The G2-West Busway gets a late evening round trip that arrives and departs Ross Street PRTX Station at 11:39 p.m., and the final trip to Carnegie Station will end at 12:02 a.m. instead of 11:39 p.m. That is a real last-train-style decision for anyone staying downtown and riding west after 11 p.m.
The P12-Holiday Park Flyer adds one morning peak inbound trip and one evening peak outbound trip to alleviate overcrowding. If you already stand through a packed P12, those two extras are the October 18 change that matters, not a one-minute time shift on another flyer.
Other routes get smaller clock moves rather than new trips. The 29-Robinson tightens early and PM peak frequency (50 minutes to 32 and 34 minutes) while midday stretches slightly to 52 minutes. The 31-Bridgeville and 38-Greentree pull last trips earlier, to 11:32 p.m. and 10:33 p.m., so a late mall or airport-adjacent return can miss the old last bus if you still use the current card.
Mount Washington and Waterfront Routing
The 40-Mount Washington is one of the clearest visitor routes in the book. Besides the Wood Street outbound shift, the first weekday trip from Duquesne Heights starts at 5:46 a.m. instead of 6 a.m., the first Saturday trip starts at 6:25 a.m. instead of 6 a.m., and the final Sunday trip to Penn Station ends at 11:59 p.m. instead of 10:43 p.m.
Weekday frequency on the 40 tightens from 40 minutes to 30 minutes at the peaks, then opens to 60 minutes at midday and in the evening. Saturdays improve from 80 minutes to 60 minutes all day. If you are connecting to the Monongahela Incline, use those new 40 times.
At The Waterfront in Homestead, the 53 and 53L will use modified routing around new Giant Eagle-area stops that have been on detour since July. Treat October 18 as the day that detour becomes the published path.
Checks Before Sunday, October 18
Open the PDF under your route name on the service-updates page and note the first trip, last trip, and downtown stops. A one-minute leave time is easy to miss. A Wood Street outbound stop is not, if you are standing on Smithfield with luggage.
Saturday, October 17, is still the current book. From the first Sunday trips on October 18, use the new frequencies, including wider midday gaps on the 40 and earlier last trips on the 31 and 38. The extracted October 18 page does not rewrite the 28X in the same block as the G2 and P12 adds.
Keep the Bus Line Refresh map off this decision. The dated book is scheduled to take effect on October 18. Before then, use the current applicable timetable and service alerts; do not apply the future trip times early.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Catch an outbound 39, 40, 41, 43, 44, 48, or 51 downtown | Check your route PDF for the listed Wood Street stops. Do not treat October 18 as the first reroute date for every listed route. |
| Ride the 40 to Duquesne Heights or the inclines | From October 18, note the 5:46 a.m. weekday start, 6:25 a.m. Saturday start, 11:59 p.m. Sunday finish, and 30-minute peaks. |
| Need a late G2 west from downtown | The October 18 timetable adds the Ross Street PRTX round trip at 11:39 p.m., with Carnegie ending at 12:02 a.m. |
| Ride a packed P12-Holiday Park Flyer | Look for the extra morning inbound and evening outbound peak trips in the October 18 PDF. |
| Shop The Waterfront on the 53 or 53L | Use the Giant Eagle-area stops that have been on detour since July; they become the published routing. |
Saturday, October 17, is the last day of the current book. Ride as you do now, and download the new PDF that night so Sunday is not a surprise.
Sunday, October 18, is the switch. First trips, last trips, Wood Street outbound stops, G2 late service, and P12 extras all follow the new cards from the start of Sunday service.
After October 18, midday gaps matter on the 40. Peak buses come more often, but midday and evening weekday waits stretch to 60 minutes, so a lunch-hour downtown hop needs a tighter plan than rush hour.
When do Pittsburgh Regional Transit schedules change in October?
The tri-annual adjustments take effect on Sunday, October 18, 2026. PRT posted the route-by-route list on rideprt.org/service-updates.
Where do downtown outbound buses stop after October 18?
The October 18 page lists Wood Street stops at Sixth Avenue (Wood Street T Station), Fifth Avenue, and Third Avenue for those routes. Some reroutes are already described as in place, so check the current PDF before October 18.
Does the 40-Mount Washington run earlier or later?
In the October 18 timetable, the first weekday trip from Duquesne Heights starts at 5:46 a.m., the first Saturday trip starts at 6:25 a.m., and the last Sunday trip to Penn Station ends at 11:59 p.m.
What extra trips is PRT adding?
The G2-West Busway gains a late round trip through Ross Street PRTX at 11:39 p.m. The P12-Holiday Park Flyer gains one morning peak inbound trip and one evening peak outbound trip.
Is this the Bus Line Refresh that would cut 20 routes?
No. PRT says the October 18 book is a regular service adjustment and is not related to Bus Line Refresh.
Where can I see my exact new timetable?
Click the route name on rideprt.org/service-updates for the PDF, or ask PRT at 412-442-2000, @PghTransitCare, or live chat on rideprt.org.
