As a car-less denizen of PGH, I rely on PAT buses to get from Point A to Point B. Living in Oakland, PAT offers buses to many places I need to go (downtown, the grocery store, the airport, etc.). As a PITT employee, the price (free) is right. Having said this, I have several gripes: 1.) Buses almost never run on time, and there's no way to know when the next one is coming other than asking the other people at the bus stop how long they've been waiting. Come on, it's 2014--a GPS-enabled device should be in every bus so you can check to see where it is, or there should be a SMS alert system. Singapore had this for their buses in 2010! 2.) Some drivers can be surly or just downright ignorant. More than once, a bus has passed me when waiting at a stop for no apparent reason, or has failed to hold on for 5-10 s. as I huffed and puffed to catch it. For whatever reason, the outbound 28X seems to be especially problematic. True story: Last time I rode it, the driver didn't know where she was going, and we ended up crossing the Liberty Bridge, despite pax telling her this wasn't the route. To make matters worse, this was the last 28X of the night, so due to this detour, I didn't get home until after 1am. 3.) Regardless of which route you ride, the clientele can be a bit sketch. Some drivers will also let homeless people ride without paying/a voucher out of pity. On one occasion, a pax regaled the bus with nonsensical poetry (not sure if he was under the influence or just mentally incapacitated...), and the driver did nada about it (though it was amusing). 4.) The system of when to pay is nonsensical. Despite having a terminal degree and having lived in PGH for 3 years, I still haven't figured it out, and have to rely on cues from the bus driver. While I understand the reason behind it (the free zone downtown), there must be a less confusing solution. Get on it! 5.) For those who don't have a PITT or CMU pass, fares--including monthly passes--are expensive ($2.50 per trip). Pro Tip: For a round trip, when you pay for the first leg, ask for a transfer and use it on the second leg--this shaves $1.50 off your fare. 6.) Even in Oakland, where route options are better than in most areas of the city, there are no direct buses to some areas I'd like to visit (e.g., the Strip). Also, other than the P1 from downtown, buses serving the East Busway only run during rush hour on weekdays, and even the P1 only runs hourly off rush hour. I've ridden public transit in other cities, and for its size, PGH should have a better system and lower fares. For starters, the T (light rail) should be expanded to run east-west along the busways, given that it's currently a line to nowhere. read more

I cannot stand the Port Authority yet I'm an avid user of it b/c I hate driving especially during rush hour. Can you have degrees of hate...well apparently you can and in this contest the Port Authority wins out marginally - which is why it gets 2 stars rather than 1. I should clarify, I hate the bus system but don't mind the trolley or "T". But unfortunately, I've been destined to live in an area which only has bus trasport so I've been trying to manage and I'm so fed up with the constant delays and no-shows of the bus I try to take to and from the city. I have the option to take the G3 or 28X to get to and from the city in a reasonable amount of time. There are other bus options but from my research they take well over an hour to get to and from the city to the Robinson area. The G3 and 28X are the only "express" options. The G3 has been very reliable in my experience but the timings are a bit inconvenient. They operate from 5 AM something to a little after 8 AM and then resume around 3:00 PM until 7:00 PM during the weekdays only. So if I need to get a bus after 8:00 AM or before 3:00 PM then this option is out so I have to rely on the 28X. The 28X in my experience is constantly delayed or just does't show up and I make use of the schedule and the TrueTime app. You would think that a bus that runs every 30 minutes could get it together and show up at least within 5-10 minutes of it's supposed scheduled time. On most days, I wait over 20 minutes sometimes even 40 minutes and most of the time I'm at one of the first stops! I wish there was a better transit option in the Pittsburgh area or the infrastrucure of the city (roads, parking, etc.) was improved...I feel like I'm stuck in between a rock and a hard place. read more

Port Authority of Allegheny County are the worst drivers in Pittsburgh. They are unsafe and rude and don't give a damn about human life. They would rather try to run you over than to let you finish crossing the street downtown. PAT should mandate quarterly public safety and training sessions on customer service and people skills. PAT is the reason I stopped riding public transportation 30 years ago and they still haven't improved. They should take a lesson from Westmoreland County bus drivers. Westmoreland County is customer oriented and safe drivers. PAT buses cut them off on the busway and roads all the time. PAT drivers are unprofessional, discourteous and rude and dangerous behind the wheel. I often wonder how they got their jobs. read more

Well, it does get one from point A to point B in Pittsburgh. But it's expensive, at least compared to the Metro Transit in Minneapolis that I'm used to. On Port Authority, it's $2.25 for a ticket, and an extra $1 for a transfer (which only gets you on one more bus, not all the way to your destination if it requires a bunch of transfers.) Coming from a maximum of $3 for two and a half hours of bus rides (express bus during rush hour), Port Authority is steep. I had to grab cash a couple of different times just to make sure I could keep paying fares throughout the days. There's no day pass. Boo. If you're traveling a lot throughout the day, it adds up fast without some sort of pass. Also, the 28X doesn't pick up passengers coming from downtown into Oakland (or drop them off in the reverse direction.) Very frustrating, especially with a Megabus terminal only three blocks away from one of the stops. (There's also Greyhound and Amtrak downtown, if I remember correctly.) read more

Terrible customer experience. Sunday May 24th at 8:30 pm route 64 outbound, Centre and Graham stop. 2 people (including a senior woman) and me were standing at the stop, the bus came around 6 minutes late and didn't stop. I chase it and caught it at the next stop on a red light and when I asked the driver why he hadn't stopped he said it was probably us who didnt stand next to the stop. He kept on arguing loudly and even yelled and cursed. This driver should be taught customer service essential requirements. read more

The Port Authority bus system in Pittsburgh gets a lot of attention. There are lots of articles in the newspapers, regular protests, petitions, etc over route reduction and fare hikes and so on. Some people think its slow, unreliable and overcrowded. There's a general sense that its unfair that Pitt students ride for free while much of the Pitt staff do not. And, of course, the rest of the city has to pay too. But I think all this is just a testament to the health of the system. People - students at all the college and universities, long-term residents, downtown commuters, school kids - actually value and use the bus system. In other university towns (not to name names) the schools just give up entirely and shuttle their students around in private buses, which means, in the end, less ridership, fewer routes less frequently and less money for the public transportation. I also found the drivers to be considerate - especially of the elderly and disabled - and as helpful as they could be, given the demands on their time and attention. Depending on your living situation, the buses make it possible to live in Pittsburgh with one car, or none. And I found that it's safer to take a bus in the snow, too, (if not quicker, which it *sometimes* also is). read more

Very nice cheap quick bus service to airport. (28X). but i think i've found out what happens to all the old buses in Seattle, they are shipped to Pittsburgh, old polluting diesel buses seem to be the norm. they also run the inclines, which are pretty cool if not old. read more

I would give it a "1-star" review but the caption under "2-star" is more like it, "Meh. I've experience better." I have a love-hate relationship with PAT. The buses are unreliable timing wise and a majority of the drivers are jerks. From having to be 10 minutes early (I shouldn't have to play it safe!) to being prepared to wait for a couple buses since rush hour means over crowded buses ... PAT is like a powder keg. You just never know when its going to blow up on your commute. I do ride the bus daily. And yes, it would take me the exact amount of time to drive in/out to work. So honestly ... I treat PAT like I treat Airplane travel. I get there when I get there ... as lone as I get there safely the on-time part is something I have learned to stop prioritizing as long as I'm riding a PAT bus. ((Seriously tho, there's something wrong about having to make that concession!!)) read more

I sat on the trolley for nearly an hour because Port Authority's sends malfunctioning trolleys out and caused me to miss a funeral. On top of that, I was standing at the bus stop waiting for the 24 around 10am this morning and he looked straight at me and continued to drive right past me. I do not recommend any tourist to use port authority while they are in Pittsburgh unless you have all the time in the world to waste. read more

This review is based primarily with my experiences taking the 28X Airport Flyer to/from Pittsburgh Airport and Oakland. Pros: Convienient and cheapest option for a ride to the Airport. Cons: takes a long time (1.5hrs) and reliability is sometimes questionable. I've had one bus break down, one bus leave 10 mins early, and the very next bus was very very late. Also, my main complaint is that they do not have a designated area for luggage on the 28X bus. I understand that these buses weren't made to go to the airport, but maybe they should consider having a designated Airport service bus. There's nowhere to put your suitcase, so it ends up in the walkway or taking up a seat. read more

It worked, it was on time, and the 28x got me where i was going for all of $2.60. Besides that it was freezing cold, loud, and the older bus seats were fairly uncomfortable, I can't really complain. We did arrive 5 minutes early for a bus that never came. The next one arrived on schedule, but it was raining so we spent 20 minutes in the rain. That said, we took the bus many more times reliably than that one time when it didn't show. Overall, a pretty good system. read more

Don't ever get too comfortable with PAT--- they end up swiping everything out from under your feet, and then charging you a crapload for it. I can't believe they're slashing more routes, and charging more! Why would I pay you for continual service downgrades?!!? You're not even offering a bus to the airport anymore here soon--- Do you know how many people ride that bus to WORK at/around the airport. I tell you what.... Whoever runs your company is A DUMBASS to the 10th degree. Get your shit together. Seriously. Id rather walk from my work downtown, to my home in Oakland (thats an hour walk, and MORE than a mile) while Im 8 months pregnant, than pay you assholes to take me home. P.S. I didnt even want to give it ONE star. read more

Better than most transit systems in cities of this size. It gets you where you need to go, the bus fleet is reasonably new and clean, but there are some serious flaws. Lack of a clear vision for the future (AKA a REAL rail system!?), and smart fare cards (which is supposedly coming). Also, the unions need to stop strangling the cash out of the Port Authority. I mean seriously......bus drivers making 90k a year? Something is wrong with that. read more

The worst transit system I have ever used. Unreliable, rude drivers, never had a bus on time yet this year. I can't believe this hasn't been improved by the city yet, Pittsburgh Port authority is an embarassment and a massive waste of time. read more

I've only taken Port Authority transit in the summer. That probably colors my opinion on it, because they've never made me wait out in the cold. I think to me, the best thing about the Port Authority is that it exists. We're in a city that's really starved for decent transit options, and crippled by awful infrastructure, but the PAT buses have done me pretty well. I would not want to take the bus to get somewhere where I had to be there on time. That seems like it'd be a mistake. You can't really get one of these without waiting for a while. Still, once you're on, they're cheap, comfortable enough, and the drivers are really helpful. If you have questions about where you get off for what, they can answer them. But for weekend bumming-around, it sure is nice not to have to touch my car. Thank you, Port Authority, for saving me from driving. read more

Horrible bus service for the 51 on Brownsville never came waiting an hour then we had to run around the corner to catch the 51 after being cold read more

Port Authority could at least put on their website that a particular bus isn't coming because they don't have enough drivers. Instead you rather strange people!! How many P1s have drivers?? There's only 1 bus that goings up Beltzhoover Ave, which is the 43. You could've taken one of the P1 drivers to drive the 43 bus!!!!!! read more

I will always wish the drivers a good morning or a hello even though some do not return the polite gesture .. P17 Lincoln Flyer this morning. read more

October 4th, 2019 at approximately 1:37pm, bus 3241 drove recklessly into oncoming traffic on Sixth ave in between Smithfield St and Wood St while an Uber was unloading passengers. As the Uber started to move forward, the bus was forced come to a stop while facing an oncoming vehicle. The Uber allowed for the bus to cross back into the correct lane in order for it to avoid a head on collision and make its next stop. As the bus proceeded through the intersection of Sixth Ave and Wood St, there was an elderly gentleman with a walking stick (possibly visually impaired) that was nearly struck by this coward of a bus driver. Thankfully a passerby yelled and car horns blared for the gentleman to stop, which he did, narrowly being struck by this speeding erratic bus driver. The Pittsburgh city bus drivers are reckless! This is not the first time that I've seen such unprofessional, selfish and careless driving from this company. The drivers have no regard to anyone's safety; not even their own! They consistently cause gridlock downtown and drive as if they own the road. This driver in particular needs to be dealt with swiftly! I absolutely DEMAND a call back from this company about his behavior. Something will be done about this. I expect a follow up on this or I will take this up to the Mayor if need be. I greatly appreciate it. read more

Bus late? Oh get use to that and you might as well get use to the bus driving right past you if it's late to catch up on time. Bus not show up at all? Oh okay, well better luck next time, especially if it's something important. I guess I have to give it up to them, the PA consistently sucks. read more

Last night marked the second time in a week that I waited 30 minutes or more for a 71B in the freezing cold rain. I was 5 minutes early for the bus I was trying to catch. I can understand a delay during rush hour, but this was not. The bus was running every 20 minutes both times, according to the PAT schedule. When I gave up last night and went into my apartment, it was an additional 10 minutes before the bus went by...So let's review: I waited a total of 45 minutes for a bus that was supposed to be coming past every 20 minutes. For shame! From now on, I'll be hoofing it across the East End instead of buying a bus pass. It will be cold, but at least I'll be moving. read more

The Port Authority runs a convoluted and inconsistent transit network - I hate Uber's business model, but there's a good reason services like it have found such a hold on Pittsburgh. The buses stop running regularly between 10:30-11:30 on weeknights and around midnight on the weekends; some buses require you to pay on exiting, which is bizarre; the timetables on the weekends sometimes feature forty-five-minute gaps between buses and the T only serves the South Hills. In general, I'm disappointed as a new resident without a car to have discovered Pittsburgh to be such a car-centric city when there are so many ways the Port Authority could be improved and expanded. As I write this I'm fifteen minutes late to work due to a late 28x - if you need to be somewhere, leave 90min in advance or risk being as unpunctual as the buses. read more

Terrible. I called customer service for route detour information and the representative tried to tell me that there is no major detour for that bus. Instead of trying to get the correct answer for me, the woman continued to ask me if I was sure the street was closed because the bus in question was not on a detour per her pc. I told her the street is blocked by police since last week and that the closure has been all over the news. Finally, I told her nevermind on helping me and I preferred to ask the everyday riders of the bus. The woman really asked me to tell her the route detour once I found out and she really held the line for my return. read more

I only want three things from a transit system: 1. To get from point A to point B in a reasonable amount of time (less than an hour if in city limits) and in reasonable comfort. 2. Reliable service. If the schedule says a bus will arrive at a particular time, then the bus will arrive within about five minutes of that time. If the schedule says buses arrive every 10 minutes, on average, then I expect to wait no more than about 15 minutes. 3. Affordable fares and passes. Because price is one of the only areas in which public transit has the potential to be directly and immediately more convenient to a person than individual car ownership, prices to passengers should be kept to a minimum. Before moving here, I heard all sorts of trash talk about Port Authority, but really, it's a decent transit system. I use it to travel to and from all three of my jobs, and I have yet to be late because of the bus. As such, Port Authority easily meets my first two transit requirements. As for price, I miss San Francisco's $45 Fast Pass, but I'm willing to pay a premium for the reliability that Muni couldn't offer. Still, $75 for a Zone 1 pass is a LOT of money when you're paid minimum wage--which I'm sure is the case for many passengers. read more

The Port Authority is not perfect, but NO MASS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IN THE WORLD IS! Please do not tell me about that cool airport to hotel shuttle you took in Rome, or that Budapest's subway is cool. They each have issues galore, I am sure. PAT is not as far - reaching as it once was. Deal with it - the metro area is in population decline, or at 0% growth, if you prefer. Bus service cannot be a charity. You can choose to live in an area that is more bus/trolley accessible. Having said that, what are the positives? PAT has streamlined their service over the years, and updated it according to population trends. The 64 and 93 buses avoid downtown and serve well a north to south movement. Despite people's grumblings, most routes run well - looping into downtown, then quickly out. There is redundancy - you can take any one of SIX buses (probably more) to get directly from Downtown to Oakland - a movement that serves the needs of hundreds. I am appreciative for what I get from PAT. Yes, it's expensive, but the cable TV is not? Penguins tix are not? I made decisions on where to live partially based on using the bus. Nothing is perfect, but PAT is good enough. For all the insane bus drivers, there are 4 more that are safe, friendly, drivers. I am giving it only THREE stars, though, because: adhering to Sunday schedules is a crapshoot - sometimes the routes I need are 15 minutes late. And, I do not think it is wise that friends of the drivers stand there and converse while s/he is operating the bus. This happens all too often. Finally, too many times some are given a free ride. Again, I think they are friends or acquaintances of the driver. read more

I take the T all the time and normally have a great, stress free experience. Recently, this has not been the case. I took the T to a Steeler game this past Sunday and was severely disappointed. After freezing my ass off in the freezing cold and rain, I just wanted a relaxing ride home. Firstly, doors wouldn't open to let people out, causing them to miss their spots and forcing them to wait out in the cold for 6 minutes for the next train. This issue went unnoticed by the driver for the next 5 stops until she got annoyed enough by people complaining to consider it an issue. She then stopped the train without letting any passengers know what was going on, and out of nowhere opened the doors to our train and screamed at all of us to get out. She kept telling us to "get the hell out of the train, I won't ask again" as we're sitting there confused. We were just sitting there waiting with no clue what was going on and didn't appreciate the blatant rudeness, especially when we're paying for a ride. She then yelled at us for trying to get into the other car and said that we needed to just wait and that she'd open the doors in a second. She didn't open them for about 5 more minutes. I understand that this is public transportation and it is what it is, but after spending a miserable 3 hours in the freezing rain, I would've liked my experience to not have been as hostile. A driver should never scream at people just trying to ride home and shouldn't have an attitude for zero reason. This really disappoints me because my past T visits were great but recently they have fell short. I hope they find their pre-pandemic stride again. read more

Fares keep going up. Another service cut this month. I think I'd rather walk to work in the middle of the night!

Well, folks, it's a transit system. It's job is to get you from point A to point B and PAT does reasonably well at it. I ride the 61A or the 61B (whichever comes first) to work. My husband and I also use it when going to the Pirates or Penguins games or to the theater. It's cheaper than gas and parking. read more

The Pittsburgh bus system finally has real time tracking. Be sure to download one of the apps (PAT Realtime Tracker or Transit), so you can figure out where the buses are. For a city with cold and often bad weather, this is a much needed feature. Hope the bus drivers can use this in the feature to improve their spacing and prevent bunching. read more

Port Authority of Allegheny County employs some very, very bad drivers. A driver deliberately cut me off a few minutes ago on Liberty Avenue downtown. Further, the driver did not express that he was sorry for cutting me off and forcing me to swerve into oncoming traffic. The driver is a middle-aged man. He was driving the G2 bus. The bus number is 5525. I will call the Port Authority in a few minutes to lodge my complaint; however, I wanted to lodge it here too for two reasons. First, the complaint bears on the Port Authority's ability to keep its riders safe (because the driver almost caused an accident, which could have resulted in injuries to the riders of the bus). Second, if this driver causes an accident in the future, I hope this complaint will help injured parties make a case for negligent retention or negligent supervision against the Port Authority. read more

It's good if you want to wait 10 hours for a bus or trolley which I had to do all day long it gets worse you can't get wifi connection ether also the bus drivers are sometimes jerks read more

I've been a Port Authority rider for about eight months now. First of all, unlike in Vancouver, where the buses I rode seemed to consistently arrive 5 minutes early, I can trust Port Authority buses to be about 2-5 minutes behind the scheduled time, which is perfect. (It's saved me more than once when, say, I realize that I forgot to grab my umbrella and have to run back into my apartment.) The main problem is when there are holes in the schedule where a scheduled bus just never arrives, probably due to technical problems. That's happened to me at least once per month, but it's not so pervasive as to be a major issue. All in all, I've found the buses to be dependable and convenient. Pittsburgh has punishingly complex topography- it's full of craggy valleys, towering hills, and plenty of rivers and streams- so considering that there's nothing even CLOSE to a grid system, it's a major accomplishment to have a mass transit system set up so smoothly. read more

why don't port authority pittsburgh clean there damn buses?? most of them are filthy! you gotta bring paper just to sit down! stop praising your selves for terrible quality!! read more