A new bus route taking commuters from Butler, Evans City and Jackson Township to Pittsburgh is tentatively set to begin in July 2018.

The Butler Transit Authority on Wednesday ordered five new coach-style compressed natural gas buses for the new service, authority executive director John Paul said.

The buses were made possible by a $2.6 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration and $634,895 from the state Department of Transportation.

Paul said the new route will start at the authority’s office in Pullman Center Business Park and make stops at the Forward Township municipal building on Evans City Road, EDCO Park on West Main Street in Evans City and the Route 528 Park and Ride in Jackson Township.

From there, it will go directly to the north shore in Pittsburgh where commuters can get access to other public transit.

“It’s a new level of service for people and hopefully they will use it. I believe there is a demand here not only out of central Butler County but out of the Cranberry region,” Paul said.

The route will cost $5 each way, but that will be discounted to $4 each way for commuters who buy a multiday pass.

Getting the new buses is not the only expense associated with the new route.

The authority has already lined up a $2.3 million grant from the federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality program and a $600,000 match from Pennsylvania for a new park and ride lot in Butler.

It will also seek grant money to pay for a new park and ride lot at the Forward Township building, which is at the intersection of Evans City Road and Ashstop Road. That project is estimated to cost about $3 million.The EDCO park parking lot will not need much renovation and will not be used during the three months every year when the pool is in use, Paul said.