Backround:
I live on the southside, near the works. My mom and sister live in McKeesport. I use to teach guard at McKeesport High School and took the 56 C from the 10th street bridge to Penn State Mckeesport. Didn't need to take it much and not at all over the summer. I'm now car free and I was relying on it to get to see them.
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The bus doesn't go to Penn State anymore. I pulled up the schedule because all 56c's didn't go all the way to Penn State, so i'm looking, i'm looking, and nothing. I've heard about cuts, fare raises, etc. but I didn't realize until now. Yes, I live in my own little world. Yes, it's hard for me to realize the severity of the situation until it involves me. Remember, I'm the girl that doesn't know how to change a flat. I don't want to talk about that. I want to know if this has happened to anyone else. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to get to there?
Also, we have this thing called "international village" every year and there we people from the McKeesport trail there and they gave me a paper about rack and roll. I wanted to laugh. I can't even get to my moms house now, how the hell am I going to successfully rack and roll?
With the TDP there were several bus routes changed around the McKeesport/Braddock/Versailles area. I would say to double check that there isn't one of the new routes (like numbered 59-63 or so) that might connect McKeesport with the Penn State campus.
No changes since June, and those were fairly minor, but there were some McKeesport area changes back in April. The 61C hasn't changed to speak of, and at least gets you out there.
http://www.publictransitguide.info/ has better maps than Port Authority for the changes coming in Sept (not cuts, per se), and the true cuts that may very well happen in January. Get the big PDFs, very easy to make sense out of.
The new 61 goes past the campus, but doesn't run from Downtown, 2nd Ave or SSide. So, a P7 or 61C to a 61 would probably be your best bet, but I don't know about schedules or connections. Having a bike under you will help.
Google Transit is pretty good at finding reasonable connections. (For your route, though, it often suggests a 35 minute walk up the hill to Penn State would be quicker than waiting for the infrequent #61.) PAT also has a route finder on its web site.
shame you can't rack and roll to your mom's house. you've got a big ol' cargo bike, yeah? i applaud the choice, but it sucks that it limits you in this area.
@ hiddenvariable
I have a cruiser bike I use for work commuting. I'd use that to rack and roll.
Thanks for the suggestions! I'll have to check out that route finder.
And that hill is a bitch to walk up, bad sidewalks and all.
