Get your kicks on Route 64

When I'm not shopping on Butler, my favorite place to go is Shadyside. It makes a nice walk with the dog. Or a great bike ride on a nice day.

Note: nice day. If Saturday or Sunday brings a thunderstorm -- frequent lightning strikes, an unpredictable deluge of rain -- biking is out. Walking all the way to Shadyside seems like an ordeal, and finding a place to park in Shadyside seems even harder. 

The Port Authority of Allegheny County has offered us an alternative. A new bus route. Destination Lawrenceville. The route from L' leads to the Waterfront. But what lies in between?

The Lawrenceville Vibe hopped aboard Bus 64 to find out.

We start in the middle of a construction zone, AKA the corner of Butler and 40th. Orange netting and sidewalk signs currently do their best to hide the bus stop, which sits in front of Arsenal school right next to the historical marker celebrating Steeler quarterback Johnny Unitas.  

Route 64 chugs up 40th to Penn. Then we're off to Children's Hospital, where we swing down Friendship. Staying on the "back roads" of Bloomfield we make good time, even with frequent stops.

We head to West Penn Hospital and turn on Millvale past the hospital's ER entrance. On Liberty, we turn left.

We zoom up Liberty past the Honda dealership and cross Baum to Aiken, with the Marriott on our right. 

We hang a left on Centre Avenue, reaching the first two of our possible destinations: Panera Bread and Giant Eagle's Market District.

Then we rattle our way up South Negley Avenue into the heart of Shadyside. There's a stop on Ellsworth, but we hop off at Walnut Street. Total transit time: about 10 minutes!

Walk for a few blocks, and we can browse for the latest gizmos at the Apple Store, or have fun at Victoria's Secret, or see what new Stila eyeshadows Sephora has in store.

You may not think of taking the bus on the weekend, but it makes a nice change of pace. Bus tickets are $2 one way, and $2.75 with a transfer, which can be used for the round trip fare. 

Route 64 leaves Butler and 40th about every 25 minutes on the half hour. Hassle free transportation. Good for the environment and good for you too.