Ah, Monday. We survived the Sunday scaries!

🌧️ Today's weather: Chance of rain, high near 71.

🎧 Sounds like: "The Passenger," by Iggy Pop.

🎂 Happy birthday to our member Tawnya Hartberger!

💯 Situational awareness: "The Pitt" is looking for extras as it films exterior scenes for Season 3 in Pittsburgh late next month. Apply here.

Today's newsletter is 998 words, a 4-minute read.

Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) is moving forward with a major bus network redesign.

Why it matters: Public transit users have adapted their habits since the pandemic — less workday commuting and more weekend use, for example — and PRT wants to adjust its network to better accommodate riders.

The big picture: The redesign will eliminate routes to some outlying communities to increase frequency on the existing network, boosting service to low-income and car-free households, according to an analysis by advocacy group Pittsburghers for Public Transit.

By the numbers: The redesign will impact 90 of PRT's 95 bus routes:

• 20 routes will be eliminated.
• 14 new routes will be added.
• 56 routes will be modified.

Zoom in: Some of the commuter routes being eliminated, like the P7 McKeesport Flyer, have declined in ridership since 2019.

• Many suburban communities like Ross, Monroeville and South Park would see their service cut.
• White Oak and parts of Penn Hills would lose service entirely.

Yes, but: The 64 route would be extended, creating new connections for East Liberty and Millvale to Squirrel Hill and Homestead.

• Wexford and the McKnight Road corridor would see new service.
• More routes that used to end Downtown would travel through or terminate in Oakland.

Zoom out: PRT says 99.4% of its current riders would have transit access within a quarter-mile of their existing stops.

Airport service would likely be faster. The 28X out would use the East Busway and parts of the coming-soon University Line, add a Carnegie stop and bypass its old service at Robinson Town Center.

• The shopping center would be served by the 25 and 29 routes instead.

Pro tip: Check if your route will be altered here, and see a map of the proposed changes here.

What's next: People have until Sept. 30 to comment on the proposed redesign.

• Submit comments here.

Go deeper

Pennsylvania is moving up the EV-readiness ranks as its public charging network expands.

Why it matters: High gas prices are making electric vehicles more attractive to drivers, though they remain a small share of vehicles on state roads.

Driving the news: Pennsylvania ranks No. 18 nationally for overall EV readiness, per the 2026 HERE Technologies-SBD index, which weighs registered EVs, public charger availability and average charging power.

• That's up from No. 32 in 2025.

Zoom in: Pennsylvania has 44 public chargers per 1,000 miles of road — below the national average (60) and neighboring New Jersey (185) and New York (192). But its growing network and average charger power helped push its overall readiness well ahead of Midwestern states.

• Pennsylvania has more than 2,000 charging stations, per federal data.

Yes, but: EVs accounted for 3.65% of Pennsylvania's new vehicle registrations in the first quarter of 2026, per the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, ranking the state No. 30.

• Plus: High prices are holding back two in five potential EV buyers, per a HERE survey.

What they're saying: "Charger accessibility is the most critical element of EV adoption," said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll.

Between the lines: Pennsylvania is a national leader in building federally funded fast-charging EV stations, per PennDOT.

• The state recently opened its 50th National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) station and has awarded more than $100 million in federal funding for public chargers.

Threat level: Federal funding cuts to the Biden-era NEVI program and shifting Trump administration priorities could slow progress.

• The state has moved faster than most to deploy NEVI funding, which saw a sluggish rollout nationwide.

What's next: Gov. Josh Shapiro's administration earlier this month directed another $32 million in federal funding to expand community EV charging across eastern Pennsylvania.

• PennDOT plans to have universal charging stations at all 17 Turnpike service plazas by next year.

Keep reading

Our newsroom helps you follow the people, decisions and stories shaping Pittsburgh — wherever they're happening.

Why it matters: Your membership supports the local reporting that keeps you informed, engaged and connected to the place you call home.

💪 Become an Axios Pittsburgh member today and help keep trusted local journalism strong.

Thanks for supporting the news that keeps you connected.

📈 PRT ridership increased 6.4% on weekdays, 4.2% on Saturdays, and 8.3% on Sundays this July compared to July 2025. Ridership had been declining since the pandemic.

• Weekday ridership gains were driven entirely by bus gains, while Saturday and Sunday increases included jumps in bus and light-rail riders. (Press release)

⚖️ UPMC will stop providing gender-affirming care to patients under 19 for 10 years and pay $950,000 to settle a Trump administration investigation amid efforts to obtain private records of UPMC patients who sought such care. (WESA)

⚾️ The Pirates were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention on Friday. (SI)

🚘 Waymo announced Thursday the company is testing its vehicles autonomously in Pittsburgh, with professional drivers still behind the wheel.

• The company previously tested in manual mode and plans to eventually offer fully driverless rides here. (Business Times)

Oakland now has two bus-only lanes: one on Fifth Avenue and the other on Forbes Avenue.

Why it matters: The lanes are part of Pittsburgh Regional Transit's University Line, which is extending from Downtown, through Uptown and into Oakland.

• The bus-rapid transit line will have 24 modern stations and lanes dedicated only to buses.

Pro tip: Non-public transit vehicles — even if parking, loading or unloading — are not permitted. Same for bicycles.

• Ticketing will begin Oct. 1, per PRT.

Fun fact: The red isn't paint. It's an epoxy coating embedded with tiny red glass beads, per PRT.

What's next: The University Line is expected to be finished sometime in 2027.

🍿 Chrissy has been timing how long movies take to start after the listed showtime.

• Trailers and ads are 30+ minutes at major theater chains in the area. Much less at indie theaters.

📽️ Ryan prefers watching movies at The Manor because they show just a few minutes of trailers.

Thanks to Chloe Gonzales for editing this newsletter.