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79-599: Pittsburgh Railways was one of the predecessors of Pittsburgh Regional Transit . It had 666 PCC cars, the third largest fleet in North America (after Toronto (745) and Chicago (683)). It had 68 streetcar routes, of which only three (until April 5, 2010, the 42 series, the 47 series, and 52 ) are used by the Port Authority as light rail routes. With the Port Authority's Transit Development Plan, many route names will be changed to its original, such as

158-422: A 6-road outdoor yard. While containing fewer tracks than yards like Craft Avenue, the length of the tracks allowed storage of many more cars per road, especially outdoors. Tunnel served lines 23, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42 and 43 (later the 42/38), 44, 46 (later 49), 48, and later the 47 and 53 lines to Carrick, and the final North Side lines 6/14 and 21. It also shared storage duties for the two Interurban lines with

237-476: 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 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

316-593: 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

395-434: 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

474-674: A former carbarn in Rankin used only for dead storage of retired cars. A large (16 track) facility with several administration buildings at Craft Avenue and Forbes Avenue in Oakland . It served routes 50, 64, 66, 67, 68, 69, 75 and 81. Craft Avenue assumed storage duties for East End facilities that were closed such as Homewood, Herron Hill and Highland Park, as well as Carrick on the South Side; thus it eventually also served routes such as 22, 71, 73, 76, 77/54, 87 and 88. Craft Avenue ceased to be

553-494: 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

632-440: A manufacturer and distributor of professional fire and burglar alarms and other security systems. On February 3, 2000, Pittway was acquired by Honeywell . Double deck cars were used by PRC between 1913 and 1924, a rarity for such cars in the U.S. Conventional single-deck stock formed the majority of the fleet. PRC operated 666 PCCs on 68 routes; the second-largest fleet of new cars (after Chicago ), starting with number 100,

711-517: 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 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

790-558: 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

869-483: A single-ride fare of $ 3.75, one of 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

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948-411: 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 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

1027-569: A streetcar facility on January 28, 1967 when all East End lines were converted to bus. The site is now occupied by the Magee-Womens Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center . Glenwood Car Barn served the 55, 56, 57, 58, 65 and 98 routes and housed approximately 54 cars. Homewood car barn was begun in 1900 and grew to be one of the two largest installations of Pittsburgh Railways, with 110 cars housed there. Also

1106-476: A transfer is provided to the Red Line , which reaches the same location via Beechview . Beyond Washington Junction the line splits. The South Hills Village branch was created in 1987 to complement the Red Line , which runs through Beechview before reaching the same terminus. This line was originally operated using PCCs, most notably the 4000 series , because the new light rail cars were incompatible with

1185-479: 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

1264-447: 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

1343-462: A year later. In 1989, 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

1422-483: 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

1501-572: 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

1580-417: 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 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

1659-587: 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, the Pennsylvania General Assembly, and the Governor of Pennsylvania. PRT's customer service center and corporate headquarters are located in

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1738-598: The Blue Line – Library , and in 2020 was renamed the Silver Line - Library. The Washington line was cut back to the county boundary at Drake in August 1953 and eventually became the 36 Shannon-Drake . This in turn became the southern portion of 42 South Hills Village (excluding the new link from Dorchester to South Hills Village , which was built in 1984). The final portion of the interurban from Dorchester to Drake

1817-1023: 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

1896-664: 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, the legislation was amended to allow the Port Authority to acquire privately owned transit companies that served the area. This included

1975-814: The Monongahela River on the Panhandle Bridge , stopping at Station Square before running through the Mount Washington Transit Tunnel . At South Hills Junction the Library branch rejoins the Beechview line and the former Brown Line , which ran over Mount Washington through the Allentown neighborhood. The Blue Line continues south through Beltzhoover, Bon Air, Carrick , Brookline, and Overbrook . At Bethel Park

2054-663: 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

2133-899: The Point Bridge was closed to traffic, although 30 1000- and 1100-series PCCs made surplus by the conversion were scrapped there. The property was sold to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh ; the barn proper was converted in 1968 to the Church of the Ascension, while the yard office was converted to classrooms, parish offices and a parish hall . Keating car house was built in 1921. It served routes 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15 and 21. The remaining trolley routes from Manchester car house (6, 13, 14, 18 and 19) were moved to Keating in 1959. The final North Side trolleys (6/14 and 21) were transferred to South Hills Car House in 1965 and

2212-412: 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

2291-548: 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

2370-690: The 100 was converted to instruction car M-11. Because replacement parts were no longer available, cars 1784 (originally 1603, and subsequently renumbered 1976) and 1779 were rebuilt in 1976 and 1977 respectively, with LRV -style flat fronts. In 1981 PATransit constructed cars 4000–4013 on new frames that utilized a mix of new parts and components salvaged from retired 1700-series cars. The last four PCCs were finally retired on September 4, 1999, having been replaced by Siemens SD-400 Light Rail Vehicles. A number of Pittsburgh streetcars have been preserved. Pittsburgh Railways operated 68 streetcar routes. A notable, unnumbered, tripper (unscheduled extra) service

2449-578: The 1980s, the classic 1960s white and red strip look was updated with a larger red strip accompanied by a black strip painted around 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

Pittsburgh Railways - Misplaced Pages Continue

2528-696: The 41D Brookline becoming the 39 Brookline. Many of the streetcar routes have been remembered in the route names of many Port Authority buses (e.g. 71 series). 1895 to 1905 was a time of consolidation for the numerous street railways serving Pittsburgh. On July 24, 1895 the Consolidated Traction Company (CTC) was chartered and the following year acquired the Central Traction Company, Citizens Traction Company, Duquesne Traction Company and Pittsburgh Traction Company and converted them to electric operation. On July 27, 1896

2607-503: The 62nd St. Sharpsburg Bridge was closed. The Tunnel (also referred to as South Hills) car barn, located along Curtis and Jasper Streets next to South Hills Junction and the south portal of the South Hills Tunnel , was the car storage facility for many, and eventually all, South Side lines, and one of the most important such facilities on the entire system. It consisted of a 4-road brick shed with administrative offices, plus

2686-682: 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. Blue Line %E2%80%93 Library The Blue Line is a Pittsburgh Light Rail line that runs between Downtown Pittsburgh via the Overbrook neighborhood to South Hills Village (formerly 47S South Hills Village via Overbrook ). The line from South Hills Junction to Castle Shannon (now called

2765-686: The Charleroi interurban line began in 1895 in Monongahela City , with the construction of a small street railway by the Monongahela City Street Railway Company. In 1900 the line was extended north to Riverview and in 1901 extended south to Black Diamond Mine. Here it turned inland, south along Black Dam Hollow (the former roadbed is now known as Trolley Lane). It met the northern end of the newly constructed (1899) Charleroi & West Side Street Railway at

2844-765: The Duquesne-McKeesport area resulted in the replacement of trolley services with buses on September 21, 1958. The replacement of the Point Bridge with the Fort Pitt Bridge precipitated the abandonment of many routes to the West End, all on June 21, 1959. PRC was engaged in ongoing litigation over the failure of the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission to provide streetcar tracks on the new bridge. In

2923-465: The Library branch which was later adopted exclusively by the Silver Line . The Pittsburgh Light Rail has three types of stations. They are low platform, high platform, and underground. High platform and underground stations are wheelchair accessible as the train doors are level with the platform. Low platform stations are not wheelchair accessible as they require passengers to climb stairs to board

3002-585: The Overbrook Line) was first constructed by the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Railroad between 1872 and 1874. In 1905 Pittsburgh Railways leased the route and between 1909 and 1910 converted it from narrow gauge to dual gauge and installed overhead power for trolleys. Mid-20th century PCC streetcars continued to operate on the Overbrook Line until 1993, when concerns about the safety of

3081-605: The Overbrook line due to its age and condition. Service was suspended when the Overbrook Line closed in 1993, but was reinstated after that line was rebuilt and reopened in 2004. On June 25, 2012, the Port Authority closed two stations on the South Hills Village Branch as part of a system-wide consolidation: Santa Barbara and Martin Villa . Until February 2020 the line consisted of 36 stations including

3160-508: 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

3239-782: 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

Pittsburgh Railways - Misplaced Pages Continue

3318-406: 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

3397-694: 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,

3476-751: The United Traction Company (UTC) was chartered and absorbed the Second Avenue Traction Company, which had been running electric cars since 1890. The Southern Traction Company (STC) acquired the lease of the West End Traction Company on October 1, 1900. Pittsburgh Railway Company (PRC) was formed on January 1, 1902, when STC acquired operating rights over CTC and UTC. The new company operated 1,100 trolleys on 400 miles (640 km) of track, with 178.7 million passengers and revenues of $ 6.7 million on

3555-435: 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

3634-657: The barns in Charleroi and in Tylerdale (Washington). As the nucleus of the surviving PAT trolley lines, Tunnel barn survived into the mid-1980s, when it was demolished after being replaced by the current PAT storage and maintenance facility at the end of the South Hills Village branch off the Drake line. The West Park car barn in McKees Rocks was a large facility with two barns and several outdoor sidings. It

3713-644: 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

3792-441: The capital projects expansion, the agency was in serious financial trouble by the middle of the decade. In June 2007, 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

3871-532: The decade. In 1993, 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

3950-493: The destination, e.g. Shannon-Washington . Inbound cars were signed simply Pittsburgh . Pittsburgh Railways inherited many different car barns from the companies that formed it, many of which were closed during the final years prior to take over by the Port Authority. At the time of the PA takeover on February 28, 1964, only Craft Avenue, Keating and Tunnel (South Hills) remained as streetcar facilities, together with Homewood Shops, and

4029-435: The early 2000s, Pittsburgh Regional Transit buses included various transportation-related words and phrases repeated across 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

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4108-529: The early twentieth century. PRC faced constant pressure from the city to improve equipment and services. Workers walked out when a pay raise was rejected. On July 26, 1936, PRC took delivery of PCC streetcar No. 100 from the St. Louis Car Company . It was placed in revenue service in August 1936, the first revenue earning PCC in the world. Large scale abandonments of lines began in the late 1950s, usually associated with highway or bridge work. Highway improvements in

4187-504: The end the company was allowed to abandon 27 miles (43 km) of street track in situ and was awarded $ 300,000 as compensation. The litigation marked the beginning of significant abandonments: 90 percent of the network was dismantled over the next decade. PRC Interurban Division ran an interurban trolley system linking Pittsburgh with towns in Washington County such as Washington , Charleroi and Roscoe . The origins of

4266-594: The facility became the bus-only Ross Garage. Millvale car barn was built on the site of the Graff, Bennett Mill which burnt down in 1900. It catered for services 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The car barn at 48th and Plummer Street in Lawrenceville served the 94 Aspinwall, 95 Butler Street, and 96 East Liberty via Morningside services. It replaced the Butler Street Cable and Horse car barn at 47th and Butler. It

4345-422: 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

4424-463: The first PCC to enter revenue service. The company took delivery of car 1600 in 1945, which was the prototype for the over 1,800 post-War “all-electric” PCCs built in North America. Cars 1700–1724, which were delivered in 1948, were equipped with special features for use on the interurban lines to Washington and Charleroi. These included B-3 trucks and a roof-mounted sealed-beam headlight. (Cars 1615–19 and 1644–48 were similarly modified in 1948.) In 1950

4503-491: The first time in over 35 years. The new fare system eliminated the current zone-based fare collection in favor of 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

4582-436: The line led PAT to suspend service there pending reconstruction. This former Pittsburgh Railways trolley line had never been updated to current light rail system requirements. After receiving federal funding for Stage Two of the light rail system development, the Overbrook line was reconstructed as a fully rebuilt double-tracked line served by modern light rail vehicles, making this line a considerably faster commute. The line

4661-526: 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

4740-520: The now-disused Lock number 4 in North Charleroi . The Charleroi interurban line was cut back to the Allegheny County border at Library (Simmons loop) in June 1953 It continued to operate until the 1980s as 35 Shannon-Library and became the southern portion of 47L Library via Overbrook when Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) replaced trolleys. The trolley loop was removed in 2004. In 2010 this line became

4819-409: 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

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4898-662: 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 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

4977-495: The shops remained in use until January 1967 when all East End lines were closed. The large site is now used for a mixture of residential and commercial premises, with the last remaining railway buildings converted first to a skating rink and then in 1997 to a bowling alley and entertainment venue called the Homewood Coliseum. Since 2000 the complex has also housed The Trolley Station Oral History Center . Ingram carbarn

5056-401: The side sign next to front door configuration. It is worth noting that the 1980 GM's RTS buses acquired were specified with 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

5135-435: The site of PRC's heavy repair shops, it covered four blocks from 7100 to 7400 on the south side of Frankstown Avenue, bordered by North Lang Avenue to the west, Felicia Way to the south and Braddock to the east. On May 18, 1955 Barn No. 2 was destroyed by fire along with all of the equipment within it, which included PCC trolleys 1026, 1051, 1155, 1220, 1281, 1294,1600,1648, 1682,1701,1725. Homewood car barn closed in 1960, though

5214-403: The standard design and uniform colors of its Gillig bus fleet. The reason was the system's decision to return to 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

5293-415: 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

5372-401: The year. PRC had over 20 car barns in the city as well as power stations. 1918 was the company's peak year, operating 99 trolley routes over 606 miles (975 km) of track. The lease and operate business model proved hard to support and the company declared bankruptcy twice, first in 1918 lasting for 6 years and then again in 1938, this time lasting until January 1, 1951. Company costs rose in

5451-438: Was announced that the Port Authority of Allegheny County was rebranding due to their name being a misnomer. It was said that 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

5530-509: Was bounded by Third Street to the north, Chartiers Avenue to the south and Rox Street to the east. It closed in 1931, but remained a storage facility for scrap trolley parts. The building was demolished in 1951. 5 Generation Bakers now occupies the southern part of the site with a bakery and a retail outlet in a former supermarket building, with new housing to the north. Pittsburgh Regional Transit The agency changed its public-facing brand to Pittsburgh Regional Transit in 2022, although it

5609-456: Was closed in the summer of 1954, with services 94 Aspinwall and 95 Butler Street routes being assigned to Manchester Car House until June 1959. They then transferred to Keating Car House until replaced by bus routes on November 13, 1960. Service 96 East Liberty was transferred first to Bunker Hill car barn then Homewood Car House until June, 1960. It was then transferred to Craft Avenue car house, also being replaced by buses on November 13, 1960 when

5688-474: 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

5767-451: 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 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

5846-552: Was opened. Shortly thereafter, new bus routes to outlying communities such as Cranberry were established. In 2003, 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

5925-563: 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

6004-438: Was renamed 47 Drake , finally closing in 1999 and bringing to an end PCC Streetcar operation in Pittsburgh. The company acquired G. Barr & Co., a manufacturer of aerosol cans, in 1962, and bought Alarm Device Manufacturing Company (Ademco) in 1963. It received $ 16.558 million for the sale of the streetcar system to the Port Authority in 1964. In 1967, it was renamed to Pittway Corporation . Later, Pittway became best known as

6083-559: Was reopened on June 2, 2004, following major work which included doubling of the track and elimination of 22 traditional street level trolley stops in favor of eight new LRV style stations with platforms. The line starts at Allegheny station on the North Shore, makes an additional stop at North Side , then proceeds under the Allegheny River and continues underground to Gateway , Wood Street and Steel Plaza . The line then surfaces at First Avenue . Leaving downtown, it crosses

6162-728: Was signed Stadium - Forbes Field , for Pitt Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers football games and Pirates baseball games. Pitt Stadium and Forbes Field were convenient to the lines on Fifth Avenue and Forbes Avenue , both two-way streets during the trolley era. This service, which probably last ran in fall 1966, was no longer possible after the East End lines closed in January 1967. The Interurban lines did not use route numbers. Outbound interurban cars were signed for their outbound destination, namely Charleroi , Roscoe or Washington ; some PCC rollsigns instead prefixed Shannon - to

6241-478: Was the main storage facility in the West End. Located on Berry Street in Ingram Borough on routes 30 and 31, it also served routes 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 34. It consisted of a 4-road brick shed housing 20 cars, an 8-road open yard capable of holding about 120 cars, and a brick administration building. Ingram ceased as an active facility after June 21, 1959 when all the West End lines were abandoned after

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