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52-457: The agency changed its public-facing brand to Pittsburgh Regional Transit in 2022, although it is still legally and commonly known as the Port Authority of Allegheny County. The agency is constituted as a port authority under Pennsylvania law, and is funded by state, local, and federal funds. PRT is led by a professional CEO, who is overseen by a board of directors appointed by Allegheny County,

104-675: A special-purpose district usually formed by a legislative body (or bodies) to operate ports and other transportation infrastructure. In Canada, the federal Minister of Transport selects the local chief executive board member and the rest of the board is appointed at the recommendation of port users to the federal Minister; while all Canadian port authorities have a federal or Crown charter called letters patent . Numerous Caribbean nations have port authorities, including those of Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Vincent and

156-411: A back-to-basics approach and to save costs on wholesale repainting and refurbishing. Their website began to use simple "PORT AUTHORITY" fonts, and some buses and light rail vehicles have been repainted with the standard "Port Authority" font. On June 9, 2022, at Gateway Station, it was announced that the Port Authority of Allegheny County was rebranding due to their name being a misnomer. It was said that

208-584: A chip the farebox can scan and recognize. Because individuals affiliated with the Universities ride for "free," the system serves only to authenticate the validity of the ID card, and no fares are calculated or assessed. Pittsburgh Regional Transit operates a 26-mile (42 km) light rail system called the "T" from downtown subway stations to neighborhoods and suburbs south of the city on surface tracks with right-of-way. The system comprises three lines, all of which have

260-434: A fare structure based on four main zones (1, 1A, and 2). The downtown area was an unnumbered Free Fare Zone , established in 1985 to encourage transit use in downtown and reduce stop "dwell" times (the amount of time a transit vehicle must remain stopped for passengers to board or alight). All rides within the downtown zone are free, at all times on the light rail system (called the "T") and until 7 p.m. on buses, seven days

312-409: A flat $ 2.50 single-ride fare for all riders who pay via ConnectCard, and $ 2.75 for those who pay with cash. The first transfer to another line made within three hours costs $ 1.00. Beginning January 1, 2022, ConnectCard users paid $ 2.75 single-fare ride with a three-hour free transfer period. Cash users still pay $ 2.75 per ride. Riders between Zones 1 and 2 used to pay a single-ride fare of $ 3.75, one of

364-485: A major increase in ridership. Due to the poor state of the economy at the time , fares increased and there was a brief strike in 1976. In spite of these setbacks, the South Busway opened in 1977 and plans for other capital investments were made. During the 1980s, with gas prices falling and population loss from the decline of the steel industry , ridership decreased and the agency lowered fares to attract new riders in

416-539: A northern terminus at Allegheny station on Pittsburgh's North Shore near Acrisure Stadium and the Carnegie Science Center : Pittsburgh's mass transit system also includes two unique funiculars (called "inclines" locally) from the top of Mt. Washington to its base along the Monongahela River, just across from Downtown Pittsburgh. In 2023, the two inclines had a combined ridership of 892,700. Both

468-586: A short extension of the East Busway was completed. The following year, the Overbrook light rail line was re-opened after a lengthy reconstruction. Construction also started on a light rail extension to Pittsburgh's North Shore near Heinz Field , known as the North Shore Connector . In spite of the capital projects expansion, the agency was in serious financial trouble by the middle of the decade. In June 2007,

520-477: A week between 4:00 am and 2:00 am, but many routes have more restricted hours, or do not operate on weekends, or on Sundays and holidays. In May 2001 the fleet installed its first bike racks, with all of its fleet being equipped with bike racks by 2011. In December 1977, the Port Authority unveiled its first dedicated busway , the 4.3-mile South Busway , which combined bus and light rail routes into an efficient and quicker connection between downtown Pittsburgh and

572-446: A week. Originally the free-fare zone applied only until 7 p.m. on both buses and light rail, but it was expanded to 24 hours on the latter in 1989. Zone 1 was the zone closest to downtown Pittsburgh, and Zone 2 comprised the outer half of Allegheny County and all stops outside of Allegheny County. A few routes cross briefly into neighboring counties. The system used an "outbound" pay system for daytime transit to and from downtown. Fare

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624-461: A white top with small red strip. Other noticeable features included side destination signs placed near the exit door and an unusual seating arrangement with one side facing forward and the other lining up to match the seating placed on the wheel well. PAT would continue ordering buses in that specification until 1995 when they ordered buses with both seating sides facing front except when on wheel wells. The side destination signs were moved immediately to

676-473: A zone 1 pass the cost of a weekly is the equivalent of 9.5 one-way trips, a monthly is equivalent to 34 trips, and an annual is equivalent to 377 trips. An annual pass is a 12-month subscription to monthly passes, which can be either mailed or picked up at the Downtown Service Center on Smithfield Street. Students and staff of several colleges in the area, most notably Carnegie Mellon University and

728-550: Is a play on the Pittsburgh/Allegheny County Belt System . Several capital expansions have been proposed from various sources. The construction of a light rail line from Oakland to Pittsburgh International Airport has been proposed by County Executive Dan Onorato and former Congressman Mike Doyle , projected to cost about $ 3.5 billion. Doyle has recently submitted a request to the Federal government to study

780-663: Is occasionally open to discussion. No distinction is made here between river and Great Lakes ports. The Minister of Transport is ultimately responsible for his patronage of Canadian port authorities, a useful map of which is electronically available at Transport Canada . With date of Letters Patent. Atlantic Great Lakes Pacific St. Lawrence Seaway Charter date in parentheses. Atlantic Gulf of Mexico Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Seaway Pacific Inland Rivers Listed from northwest to southeast. API stands for Administración Portuaria Integral (Integral Port Administration). Pacific Gulf of Mexico In

832-975: The Duquesne Incline and the Monongahela Incline have stations along Grandview Avenue atop Mt Washington and in the Station Square area at the base. The Duquesne Incline is owned by Pittsburgh Regional Transit, and The Society for the Preservation of the Duquesne Heights Incline operates it as a non-profit organization. It has the original cars and the original stations. Pittsburgh Regional Transit operates 700 buses, as of April 2014, in Allegheny County , and also service extends slightly into neighboring Beaver , Butler , Washington and Westmoreland counties. Some bus routes operate seven days

884-644: The Panhandle Route . It broke ground on October 27, 1994 and is owned and maintained by Pittsburgh Regional Transit , the public transit provider for Allegheny County and the Pittsburgh region. The transit thoroughfare was opened in September 2000. Following the naming convention of each busway being designated by a color, bus routes that use the West Busway begin with a "G" for green. In addition to running along

936-472: The Pennsylvania General Assembly . Between 2007 and 2010, Pittsburgh Regional Transit cut its annual expenses by $ 52 million and raised its revenues by $ 14 million to help alleviate a statewide transportation funding crisis. The funding crisis only grew worse, however. The state legislature assumed it would receive permission to convert Interstate 80 into a toll road to increase revenues, but

988-504: The University of Pittsburgh , ride the bus for free: students pay a fee each semester to the PRT. Pittsburgh Regional Transit installed new fareboxes on all buses in 2011, and has converted to a smart card fare collection system marketed as the "ConnectCard" starting in early 2012. The University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University use the new farebox system by equipping their ID cards with

1040-542: The "Ultra Violet Loop"; known to some as the "party bus", the UV Loop bus was special service operated on Friday and Saturday nights through the early morning, serving city nightlife and university centers. The UV Loop bus was part of special evaluative service supported in part by local foundations and businesses. While it was well regarded in the abstract, it never achieved the ridership and consistent service needed to continue without external support. The "Ultra Violet Loop" name

1092-547: The Authority to help reduce service cuts to only 15% on March 27, 2011. Since Governor Tom Corbett 's 2012 budget, Pittsburgh Regional Transit has renewed plans to cut service by 35% if the state fails to help with a projected $ 64 million budget deficit. Port authority In Canada, the United States and Spain, a port authority (less commonly a port district ) is a governmental or quasi-governmental public authority for

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1144-612: The Grenadines. Central and South America also have port agencies such as autoridad and consorcio (authority and consortium). In Mexico , the federal government created sixteen port administrations in 1994–1995 called Administración Portuaria Integral (Integral Port Administration) in Spanish, as result of the Ley de Puertos (Port Law) of 1993. These are organized as variable capital corporations ( Sociedad Anónima de Capital Variable ), with

1196-498: The PRT-sponsored ACCESS program, a private contractor provides door-to-door service to elderly and disabled passengers throughout the county, seven days a week from 6 a.m. to midnight. Reservations are placed one day in advance. The ACCESS program is noted as one of the first, most innovative and best in the nation. Between 2001 and 2004 the Port Authority worked with the local community group Ground Zero to create and operate

1248-633: The Pennsylvania General Assembly, and the Governor of Pennsylvania. PRT's customer service center and corporate headquarters are located in the Heinz 57 Center in Downtown Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh Regional Transit was created as the Port Authority of Allegheny County by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1956 to allow for creation of port facilities in the Pittsburgh area. Three years later,

1300-769: The Port Authority approved spending at least $ 1 million, including $ 837,993 in federal funding and $ 209,498 in county money, to study developing a rapid bus line from Downtown to the Oakland section. The study was projected to take 18 months and use no money from Pittsburgh Regional Transit's operating budget. The study resulted in planning for the new University Line which began construction in 2022. Rerouting existing bus routes and implementing other system changes began in October 2023. Pittsburgh Regional Transit operates more than 60 park-and-ride lots in Allegheny County . It owns 66 transit bridges, 11 highway bridges and four tunnels. Under

1352-403: The Port Authority began service, 150 GM "Fishbowl" buses were introduced to replace aging ones acquired from its predecessors, a new route numbering convention was introduced, and the fare system was streamlined. Due to urban sprawl , the agency introduced new routes that served new communities. In the following years, additional buses were ordered and several new transit garages opened. Many of

1404-670: The South Hills area. The Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway , which used express routes to connect downtown with nearby east side communities like Swissvale , Wilkinsburg and Homewood followed in February 1983. On Sunday, September 10, 2000, Port Authority opened its West Busway , which provides service from downtown Pittsburgh to Carnegie . In 2003, the East Busway was expanded by a few miles to Swissvale and Rankin . On July 22, 2011,

1456-589: The United Kingdom operators of ports and harbours become de facto port authorities under several pieces of legislation. Examples include the: West Busway The West Busway is a two-lane bus-only highway serving the western portions of the city of Pittsburgh and several western suburbs. The busway runs for 5.1 miles (8.2 km) from the southern shore of the Ohio River near Downtown Pittsburgh to Carnegie , following former railroad right-of-way on

1508-523: The abandoned railroad right of way, the West Busway also reuses the historic Cork Run Tunnel , also known as the Berry Street Tunnel, which was heavily refurbished for the busway The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), under its BRT Standard , has classified the West Busway as a "Basic BRT" corridor. Four Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus routes currently serve the West Busway. One route, G2 West Busway All Stops travels

1560-434: The agency also says will speed up trip times. Seniors 65 years and older and up to three children below 6 ride for free with a fare-paying rider; disabled and Medicare users, as well as children ages 6 to 11, pay either $ 1.35 in cash or $ 1.25 with ConnectCard, and $ 0.50 for transfers. The agency also voted to abolish the "pay enter/pay leave" fare collection policy in favor of all riders simply paying their fare upon entering

1612-451: The agency celebrated its twenty-fifth year of existence, and commuter rail to Versailles was discontinued. The agency was rocked by a four-week strike due to a labor dispute in 1992. The strike, coupled with changing demographic patterns, caused a decrease in ridership. New buses that were compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 were introduced early in the decade. In 1993,

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1664-413: The agency on more solid financial footing. One of the routes cut in 2011, the 55 Glassport, was restored in 2013. Although Pittsburgh Regional Transit is part of the local fans' folklore, its off-beat imaging is more notorious. Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s the bus fleet was very recognizable with its fleet of air-conditioned GM "Fishbowls" (from their 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1971 orders) sporting

1716-631: The agency went through with a 15 percent service cut in order to cut the deficit. In order to provide a dedicated source of funding, Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato introduced the controversial 10% Allegheny County Alcoholic Beverage Tax in 2008 to fund the agency. Later that same year, another strike was narrowly averted. The agency is planning a major service overhaul that will begin to go into effect in March 2010. Pittsburgh Regional Transit pays $ 168,763 annually to Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney and $ 48,750 annually to Greenlee Partners to lobby

1768-614: The badly deteriorated Overbrook light rail line was shut down, requiring trains to use the Beechview line. Several capital projects, such as the construction of a western busway and light rail extensions were considered. In 1998, the agency rebranded itself as "Ride Gold" with new paint schemes and a new marketing campaign. In 2000, the West Busway from the Ohio River to Carnegie was opened. Shortly thereafter, new bus routes to outlying communities such as Cranberry were established. In 2003,

1820-637: The bus regardless of destination, similar to the method used on most other American transit agencies. This change eliminated the free fare zone in downtown Pittsburgh, excluding rides on the "T" between Downtown and the North Shore which remain accessible for no charge. The agency also eventually plans to implement a proof of payment system, with riders required to scan their ConnectCards at kiosks on station platforms prior to boarding and Pittsburgh Regional Transit fare officers performing random inspections on board to ensure payment. Pittsburgh Regional Transit used

1872-409: The current side sign configuration. By 1972 it entered what was dubbed by fans the "Mod" era, as buses were given flashy new paint schemes. Buses were painted with color at the front and rear, slanted to line up with the windows, and a large white portion in between. In the 1980s, the classic 1960s white and red strip look was updated with a larger red strip accompanied by a black strip painted around

1924-425: The exterior, such as the words "move", "go" "ride" or "connect", combinations of "rockin'" and "rollin'", "ziggin'" and "zaggin'", or "here" and "there". On September 21, 2006, the then-Port Authority announced that it was retiring the "Ride Gold" campaign and that the bus and light rail fleet will follow the standard design and uniform colors of its Gillig bus fleet. The reason was the system's decision to return to

1976-417: The feasibility of the project. Since 2007, Pittsburgh Regional Transit cut annual expenses by $ 52 million and raised revenues by $ 14 million to help alleviate a $ 472 million gap in the state transportation budget. In late 2010, the PRT's board approved service cuts of 35% (45 routes) and fare increases. The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission approved a plan by Governor Ed Rendell to allocate $ 45 million for

2028-406: The federal government denied the request, leading to a gap in the state transportation budget of $ 472 million. On November 24, 2010, Pittsburgh Regional Transit's board of directors approved a massive service cut and fare hike to go into effect in March 2011, reducing service hours by approximately 35 percent, including the elimination of 45 routes. Pittsburgh Regional Transit's budget from the state

2080-447: The highest intra-urban fares in the country. Although doing so was estimated to lose $ 4 million in revenue for the agency, the 25-cent cash surcharge aims to recoup at least some of the losses, along with eliminating paper transfer tickets for cash fares and establishing a $ 2 surcharge for new or replacement ConnectCard purchases. These changes are also intended to discourage paying fares with cash in favor of increased ConnectCard use, which

2132-517: The intent of creating more private investment in a state owned sector. Port authorities are usually governed by boards or commissions, which are commonly appointed by governmental chief executives, often from different jurisdictions. Most port authorities are financially self-supporting. In addition to owning land, setting fees, and sometimes levying taxes, port districts can also operate shipping terminals, airports, railroads, and irrigation facilities. The distinction between inland and being marine

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2184-523: The left of the front door starting with the 1998 Neoplan AN-460 (articulated bus) order. This continued with the Neoplan Metroliner order but skipped the Neoplan AN-440LF order in 1999. The 2003 order of Gillig Advantage low-floors and all subsequent orders have conformed with the side sign next to front door configuration. It is worth noting that the 1980 GM's RTS buses acquired were specified with

2236-771: The legislation was amended to allow the Port Authority to acquire privately owned transit companies that served the area. This included the Pittsburgh Railways Company and 32 independent bus and incline operations. On April 19, 1963, the Board of Allegheny County Commissioners authorized the acquisition of 32 transit companies, including the Pittsburgh Railway Company , which had provided bus and streetcar service to Pittsburgh since January 1902, and an incline plane company, for about $ 12 million. On March 1, 1964, Port Authority Transit began service. Shortly after

2288-533: The length of the busway and also serves Downtown Pittsburgh, connecting with the East Busway , via West Carson Street ( PA 51 ) and the Fort Pitt Bridge . Buses operate every 30 minutes. Another important route is the 28X Airport Flyer which uses the West Busway as far south as Bell Station where dedicated ramps connect the Busway to Interstate 376 . The Airport Flyer has a stop restriction with buses outbound to

2340-533: The middle of the decade. Many new buses were ordered, and the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway opened in 1983. Also in the 1980s, construction began on the conversion of the remaining South Hills trolley lines to a modern light rail system. A subway in Downtown Pittsburgh, a major component of the light rail system, opened in 1985. The Beechview line followed in 1987, and the Library line a year later. In 1989,

2392-426: The new name better represented who they are and how they were viewed. On April 29, 2016, following several months of public hearings, Pittsburgh Regional Transit's board of directors voted unanimously to implement sweeping changes to the fare system in 2017, including a decrease in fares for some riders for the first time in over 35 years. The new fare system eliminated the current zone-based fare collection in favor of

2444-407: The part of the system with the heaviest concentration of transit routes and passenger boarding per stop. Pittsburgh Regional Transit sells non-discounted single-use tickets, and discounted weekly, monthly and annual passes. Each carries a small discount over earlier time-based passes and is valid for an unlimited number of trips/transfers in the specified zone(s) for that time period. For example, for

2496-413: The trolley lines acquired from Pittsburgh Railways were abandoned, and turned into bus lines, with only the South Hills lines via Beechview and Overbrook retained. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Port Authority hoped to introduce a modern rapid transit system known as Skybus with rubber-tired vehicles running on rails, but the plan fell through. In the early 1970s, the Port Authority entered what

2548-562: The window area, while a white background covered most of the bus exterior. This color scheme was in existence for roughly 20 years on the Flxible and NovaBus 'classics' series, although these buses were later repainted and refurbished into the uniform color livery up until their retirements. In 1998, PRT rebranded itself as "Ride Gold" to coincide with its 35th anniversary. In the early 2000s, Pittsburgh Regional Transit buses included various transportation-related words and phrases repeated across

2600-466: Was dubbed by its fans the "Mod" era, with buses repainted in splashy paint schemes. Several new flyer routes and routes to Oakland's university core were introduced as part of a new general marketing strategy. In 1975 the Port Authority took over the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad commuter rail line to Versailles , which it branded PATrain . These new routes, coupled with the 1973 oil crisis , generated

2652-561: Was paid when boarding on the "outbound" part of the route. This applies only on buses that serve downtown; on most that do not serve downtown, the rider pays upon entry. During the evening, on buses serving downtown, the method changes on many routes to "pay when boarding" (also known as "pay enter"), due to the possibility of riders trying to avoid paying the fare . In combination with the downtown Free Fare Zone , this fare collection system permits boarding to take place via all doors in downtown (except evenings), greatly reducing loading delays in

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2704-457: Was to be substantially reduced for 2011, and as chairperson Joan Ellenbogen noted, the PRT was legally required to adopt a balanced budget. Twenty nine routes were removed, thirty seven reduced, and a bus maintenance facility shut down. By 2013, the Pennsylvania legislature approved Act 89, a dedicated transportation bill. Act 89 provided dedicated funding to Pittsburgh Regional Transit, which set

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