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On February 21, 1983 thousands of bus commuters celebrated the grand opening of Port Authority’s 6.8-mile Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway.
The four-day celebration featured an inauguration on February 18, 1983, followed by a free ride weekend on February 19-20. The following day, February 21, marked the official beginning of revenue service. Attending the inauguration and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Downtown entrance to the busway were Pittsburgh Mayor Richard Caliguiri, Wilkinsburg Mayor Richard Depperman and many other county and state elected officials. The Wilkinsburg High School marching band also performed at the celebration.
The East Busway proved to be an immediate success. The opening of the busway brought traffic-free express bus service to and from many of Pittsburgh’s East End communities. In fact, prior to the opening of the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway, the average bus commute between Wilkinsburg and Downtown Pittsburgh was about 45 minutes. Afterward, that same trip took only 15 minutes to complete.
In 2003, Port Authority constructed a 2.3-mile extension to Swissvale. Today, the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway travels through or touches the communities of Swissvale, Edgewood, Regent Square, Wilkinsburg, Point Breeze, Oakland, Homewood, East Liberty, Shadyside, Lawrenceville, Polish Hill, Strip District and Downtown Pittsburgh, providing easy walk-up or Kiss and Ride access to the busway stations. Nearly 26,000 daily riders continue to utilize the busway as a quick, easy, and efficient way to commute. In all, 32 bus routes serve the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway, including 29 express routes that circulate within many communities and then provide a non-stop commute into Downtown Pittsburgh via the busway.
Significant development has also taken root since the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway first opened a quarter of a century ago. An estimated $500 million worth of development in areas such as Downtown, East Liberty, Wilkinsburg, Homewood, and Shadyside has occurred alongside the East Busway.
"The Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway is one of the crown jewels of the entire Port Authority system. We are pleased to celebrate 25 years of service to commuters using the facility," said Port Authority Chief Executive Officer Stephen Bland. "From bringing customers into the city from our Eastern suburbs in a timely manner, to encouraging development in East Liberty and other communities, the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway is truly a transportation treasure that will benefit the region for years to come."
To commemorate the Busway’s silver anniversary, Port Authority’s Marketing Department prepared a small celebration that included banners along the busway, various prints ads and a trivia contest known as the "Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway Silver Anniversary Stumpers."
Riders may still participate in the trivia contest by picking up an entry form from the take one holders on all East Liberty Division buses or by printing out the questions below. The contest contains (10) trivia questions about the busway. Customers must return their completed entries for a chance to win one of (25) $25 Port Authority gift certificates. Entries should be mailed to:
Silver Anniversary Stumpers
Marketing Department
Port Authority
345 Sixth Avenue 3rd Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
The deadline to enter is March 21, 2008.
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