How Many People Rode the Bus During the 2026 NFL Draft?

PHOTO BY OLLIE GRATZINGER | THE 99N WAS ONE OF THE FOUR FOOTBALL FLYER BUSES PRT OPERATED DURING THE DRAFT

If you rode a Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus during the 2026 NFL Draft, you were one of nearly half a million.

PRT has released its final numbers from the weekend of the Draft, which organizers say was one of the most successful major events in the region’s history. Over the three-day period from April 23-25, PRT recorded 485,387 rides — a 51% increase compared to the average ridership for two typical weekdays and one Saturday. 

PRT’s four special Football Flyer routes, which shuttled visitors from park-and-ride lots into the city from all four cardinal directions, carried nearly 60,000 riders alone. Thanks to support from the Pittsburgh Organizing Committee and The Pittsburgh Foundation, all Football Flyer service was fare-free.

“PRT helped make the Draft accessible to everyone,” Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato says in a statement. “This was a moment for Pittsburgh to shine, and transit made it possible for hundreds of thousands of people to be part of it while also delivering real economic value for our region.”

The busiest day for bus service, not including the Football Flyers, was Thursday, April 23; 108,697 riders took the bus that day. Thursday was also the busiest day for light rail service, which shuttled 51,125 riders to the Draft that day. 

For the Football Flyers, Friday, April 24 was the busiest, with 28,473 travelers, and Saturday was the busiest for the Incline, which served 3,397 that day.

On Thursday, PRT served 182,707 total riders across its system. Friday was the busiest day overall, with 188,154 total riders, and on Saturday, 114,525 people took advantage of public transit.

Overall, 290,269 riders took advantage of bus service; 59,691 rode the Football Flyers; 128,495 rode the light rail; and 6,932 traveled on the Monongahela Incline.

Across its footprint, PRT also generated more than $1.2 million in revenue through advertising, sponsorships and strategic partnerships; the transit network says these numbers reflect the value of public transit, not just as infrastructure, but as an economic engine.

Key contributions included approximately $494,000 in advertising sales, along with major investments from regional partners. VisitPITTSBURGH contributed $350,000 to support expanded bus service, while Sheetz, the Pittsburgh Organizing Committee and The Pittsburgh Foundation funded fare-free access across key parts of the system.

PRT says it redeployed service where it was needed most throughout Draft weekend; light rail service operated every 15 minutes — and every 7.5 minutes in Downtown and the North Shore. Local bus routes outside of the Draft footprint operated on a Saturday schedule, allowing resources to be diverted toward the event. While some riders lamented a decrease in bus service around the city, especially for commuter routes, PRT says it continued to serve riders across the county, “ensuring that life didn’t stop” even as the city hosted a national event.

“This was Pittsburgh at its best: public agencies, private partners, and community leaders coming together to deliver something big,” PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman says in a statement. “Transit was at the center of that success. We connected people to opportunity and showed what this region can do when we invest in a system that works.”

Beyond the direct financial impact, PRt adds that the Draft served as a powerful showcase for the reach and visibility of public transit. PRT vehicles, stations and facilities connected brands with hundreds of thousands of riders and visitors, highlighting the system’s role as a platform for engagement and investment.

“The level of exposure and energy we saw during the Draft was incredible,” says Terri Landis, PRT’s advertising director, in a statement. “It showed that transit isn’t just about getting from point A to point B — it’s a dynamic part of the region’s economic and cultural life.”