The Butler Transit Authority says ridership is increasing but it’s still not at pre-pandemic levels.
Executive Director John Paul says the authority is still offering their full service of commuter routes to Pittsburgh, but that some workers are still on hybrid schedules.
“People are slowly returning to office work in Pittsburgh and in downtown. But some aren’t there five days a week. There are new split schedules where some of them go in a couple of days a week, and then they don’t. As time goes on we’re hoping more and more people return to our service,” Paul said.
Paul said they handled 400 more trips this past month than they did in March 2021. Meanwhile, local rider levels are up but still behind from previous numbers.
“The local routes are about 75 to 80 percent of where they were for ridership before COVID,” Paul said. “Not what we want it to be, but people are returning and it just shows that need in the community for that service.”
Paul also reminded riders that masks are now optional when riding the bus.
