A program modeled on ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft could begin in Westmoreland County early next year as part of a recasting of the county transit system.

The Westmoreland County Transit Authority plan includes changes to existing routes and an emphasis on local service. The ride-sharing program would be another option.

“I would say my hope is to finalize the plan by early summer,” transit authority Executive Director Alan Blahovec said.

Route revisions and ride sharing are expected to begin in early 2025.

Planners spent the past year analyzing public transportation needs.

The full plan can be viewed on the authority’s website at westmorelandtransit.com, or in person at the agency’s Greensburg offices or at several local libraries.

Public comments are being solicited through Friday, March 22, and the authority is expected to approve the plan this summer, Blahovec said.

The authority operates 17 daily routes, including commuter service to Pittsburgh and local service to 33 communities in Westmoreland County. Its route structure has been in place for nearly two decades. Declines in ridership in recent years have been attributed to the system’s outdated service model and the coronavirus pandemic.

Ridership slowly started to rebound over the past year, officials said.

“In the post-covid environment, planning for the future has become even more important. This plan gives us a better guide to go in the right direction,” authority board Chairman Frank Tosto said.

The plan adopts several changes first proposed in a 2018 study but which never were implemented.

The most significant upgrade is what officials are calling the addition of micro-transit zones.

Passengers will be able to summon rides through the use of an online application to specific locations within a prescribed boundary.

The authority said it will operate a pilot program next year for customers in New Kensington, Arnold and Lower Burrell.

Plans call for a second zone in Irwin, North Huntingdon and Herminie in 2026.

The micro-transit zones will have a similar operational structure as the authority’s existing Go Westmoreland paratransit system. That provides subsidized trips for low-income, disabled and senior passengers, but the new service would be available to all riders.

Blahovec said the authority will look to purchase at least two passenger vans and software needed to operate the pilot program.

“We’re going to do as much as we can without additional funds,” Blahovec said.

The authority’s fixed-route bus service accounts for nearly half of the agency’s $16.3 million budget. More than $5.2 million in state funding is allocated toward the operation of the bus service, Deputy Director Ashley Cooper-Brounce said.

Westmoreland Transit could receive an additional $955,000 from the state as part of a spending plan pitched last month by Gov. Josh Shapiro. The governor’s budget proposed more than $282 million in additional funding for transportation programs throughout the state next year.

PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll lobbied for the governor’s proposal during an appearance Thursday in Greensburg and said the increased funding will enable the transit authority to begin service upgrades.

“That additional million dollars for Westmoreland County and for all the other counties will make a huge difference in terms of the board’s ability to deliver transit opportunities for folks in Westmoreland County,” Carroll said.

The authority’s plan also includes long-term proposals for service upgrades, such as new routes to Monessen and Murrysville, as well as more frequent and longer hours of operation on existing services.

There is no timetable to implement those additional areas of service.

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