CENTER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — We are less than three weeks away from the first round of the NFL Draft, and plans for how to get fans to Pittsburgh from neighboring counties are starting to take shape.
“It’s the biggest event we’ll do! That’s for sure,” said Mary Jo Morandini, General Manager of the Beaver County Transit Authority.
Morandini said they’ll be putting three more buses on the express route that will leave the Expressway Travel Center just off of I-376 in Center Township and go straight to downtown Pittsburgh for just $5 one way.
“Once you board that bus in Center, your next stop is the event!” Morandini said.
BCTA said it will also have its Route 5 bus running hourly on Friday taking riders from Ambridge to the city. The other bus routes around the county also provide connections in Ambridge.
“The connections with Route 5 are very, very good, so it gives everybody in the county an opportunity to get to the event,” Morandini said.
Beaver County bus riders who spoke to Channel 11’s Andrew Havranek said they like the idea, even if they’re not sure yet if they can make it to the draft.
“That would be really cool, so we can watch the draft,” said Jimmy Kinney of New Brighton.
“I have to see what’s going on with my work schedule,” said Dustin Taylor of Aliquippa. “I would not drive; I would be taking the bus.”
BCTA said it has learned many hotels in the area are already sold out, so this could be a good way for those fans to get to the city.
“I would not be surprised if those people hop don’t in their car and travel to the Expressway Travel Center, which is five minutes away and board the express four buses from that location,” Morandini said.
BCTA is waiting for more information from the NFL on where drop off will be in the city. But Morandini said they want to drop fans off close to T stations.
Pittsburgh Regional Transit announced a partnership with Sheetz last week, making rides on the T free during the event.
“We’ll try to do the best we can to get as many people as possible downtown,” Morandini said.
The buses that will take fans from Beaver County to Pittsburgh will hold 57 people, so they recommend getting to the station early.
BCTA recommends downloading their app for the most up-to-date information, but they have a list of departure times for those buses listed on their website.
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