PRT to retire bus-only lane on Fifth Avenue in Oakland

Pittsburgh Regional Transit announced Monday that it will permanently retire a bus lane in Oakland after over 45 years of service. RELATED VIDEO: Red bus lanes installed on Downtown Pittsburgh streets, June 2025According to a release, the contraflow bus lane on Fifth Avenue in Oakland will be retired next month, marking the end of more than four decades of dedicated service. Beginning as early as January 4, 2026, PRT said nine bus routes — 54, 61D, 71A, 71B, 71C, 71D, 75, 93, and P3 — that currently travel outbound in the bus lane on Fifth Avenue will shift over to Forbes Avenue, where they will travel with the direction of general traffic and operate in mixed traffic until a new bus-only lane is established. The routes will serve existing bus stops on Forbes Avenue. The change will allow contractors to build a new protected bi-directional bike lane on Fifth Avenue as part of PRT’s University Line bus rapid transit project, which is expected to be completed in 2027. Meanwhile, construction of the Forbes Avenue bus lane and PRT station is creating challenges for tractor-trailers trying to turn left onto Forbes Avenue, off Moultrie Street.Construction barriers installed on Forbes Avenue have drastically reduced the turn radius for tractor-trailers. “Last night one of those big tractor-trailer tow trucks came, and they had to physically pull the trailer sideways to re-straighten it out so it wouldn’t drag that pole with it,” says Uptown resident Anthony Elder.In another instance, Uptown resident Aniya Kirby says she and her neighbors assisted a tractor trailer driver in backing his vehicle back up Moultrie, and back onto Fifth Avenue from where it came, because the vehicle couldn’t negotiate the left turn onto Forbes, “his truck was too long so we had to back him up because his truck would have hit into those wooden poles. We had to back him up to Fifth, turn him, and help him go straight.”The routing changes will be incorporated into PRT’s regularly scheduled service changes in February. PRT said that when the University Line project is finished, riders will benefit from “a modernized transit corridor with buses traveling in dedicated lanes outbound on Forbes Avenue and inbound on Fifth Avenue, improving reliability and travel times.”The bike lane on Fifth Avenue will enhance the safety of cyclists in the corridor, PRT continued. The release stated that with the changes, additional safety and accessibility upgrades will be implemented, including new sidewalks and curbs, ADA-compliant ramps, upgraded traffic signals, and enhanced pedestrian safety systems. Additional information regarding routing and stop changes will be announced soon. Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.

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