Your safety is our first concern when you ride with Port Authority. As one of the largest public transportation systems in the country, we pride ourselves on our safe record and in the training of our employees to make sure that your ride with Port Authority is as safe as possible. We also take pride in our safety features that have been built and included in our vehicles and facilities.
In that regard, there are several passenger-oriented safety features with which you should become familiar. A simple checklist to keep in mind as you ride could come in handy in the unlikely event of a breakdown, accident or unusual event.Please read the information and keep it in mind to help us make your trip a safe, convenient and enjoyable experience.
Port Authority Police
Golden Rules
- Smoking, drinking and eating are not permitted on vehicles.
- Only radios with earphones are permitted on vehicles.
- Trash recepticles are provided at all transit stations and near bus stops.
- Please do not litter.
- Only baby strollers that are folded are permitted on the vehicles. Please move to the rear of the vehicle when you board.
- Seats toward the front of vehicles are reserved for Senior Citizens and patrons with disabilities or wheelchairs. Please respect their needs.
- Always stand behind the yellow line.
- Digital message boards and audio announcements are provided in key LRV stations. Please remain alert to messages because they provide you with important system information.
- Bicycles are only permitted on LRVs and only on Saturdays and Sundays.
- Due to changing traffic situations, vehicles may run late but should never be early.
- Exact change is required on all Port Authority vehicles. Operators carry no change.
On the "T", two-car trains are operated during peak hours Monday through Friday and during special events. The rear car serves only the high-platform stops. Anyone wishing to get off at a low-level stop must ride in the front car.
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Station Safety Features
Light Rail System
Underground stations at Gateway Center, Wood Street and Steel Plaza were designed with your safety in mind. Stations are well lit, contain open space with clear visibility and are equipped with video cameras on all levels that are monitored by the Port Authority Police and Security Services Department. Port Authority Police and Security officers also patrol the underground stations.
Additionally, red telephones, marked "Emergency - Port Authority Police," are strategically located in all stations. All elevators have doors equipped with glass panels for two-way visibility. LRVs travel above ground through densely populated neighborhoods in the South Hills. When driving your car or walking near grade crossings, be alert for LRVs, which can be very quiet while moving along the track. Crossings on the system are marked with railroad crossing signs and flashing red signals. Signs are also posted along streets before the crossings to alert motorists to the tracks ahead.
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Emergency Exits
Our vehicles are equipped with emergency exits and instructions on how to use them.
Buses:
Most passenger windows open outward. A decal near the window gives instructions on exactly what to do: "Pull Red Handle, Push Out Window at the Bottom" or, "Lift Here, Push Out Window at the Bottom". All buses have two emergency roof hatches that push open as emergency exits. The front and center passenger doors can be used as emergency exits. Instructions that detail how to open the door in case of an emergency are located at each door.
All new buses are equipped with a fire extinguishing system in the engine compartment. Buses are also constructed using flame-retardant and flameproof materials.
Light Rail Vehicles: (LRV)
All vehicle doors can be used as emergency exits. A posted decal, located at the top of each door, details how to open the door in an emergency. When boarding or leaving an LRV, be alert for a buzzer sound that will activate just prior to the doors closing.
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Pedestrian Safety
Never walk on the tracks. You may not hear an LRV approaching because they can run very quietly. Also, there are switches located in the tracks that operate automatically. Stay within designated crosswalks to access the opposite station platform. Always look both ways for oncoming traffic. Make sure that you have a clear path before crossing all light rail tracks or any of Port Authority's busways. This is especially important at transfer points - bus to LRV or vice versa.
Be particularly careful if you must cross the road after getting off the vehicle. Be alert for any vehicles traveling in the same direction that may be passing your bus while it is stopped at its service stop. Whenever possible, remain on the curb while waiting to cross and cross only at marked crosswalks, and then only after looking both ways.
Bus Lanes
Special lanes are reserved for buses only in downtown and Oakland. Always cross at the crosswalk and look both ways before entering streets with dedicated bus lanes.
Downtown
Reverse-flow bus lanes are provided on Smithfield and Wood Streets. The bus lanes are designated with bus-only signage and diamond symbols are painted on the pavement.
Oakland
The Fifth Avenue reverse-flow bus lane is reserved for bus only traffic between Jumonville Street and Bellefield Avenue. Buses travel outbound in this dedicated bus lane while four lanes of Fifth Avenue carry vehicular traffic inbound. The bus lane is designated with bus-only signage and diamond symbols are painted on the pavement. A railing is in place at the sidewalk edge along much of the roadway to keep pedestrians from stepping into the bus lane.
Be alert for buses traveling in both directions on Fifth Avenue. Remain on the curb while waiting to cross and cross only at marked crosswalks and then only after looking both ways. Never cross in front of the bus.
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Emergency Procedures
Two-Way Radios
All of our buses and LRVs are equipped with two-way radios with a direct line to our Operations Control Center (OCC). The operator is able to notify police and medics in a matter of seconds should the need arise. If there is a problem on any of our vehicles, alert the operator to notify the proper authorities.
Emergency Evacuation
If there is an incident on your LRV, calmly leave as directed, assisting senior citizens and any persons with disabilities whenever possible. If needed, all vehicles are equipped with a fire extinguisher in the operator's compartment.
If there is an incident in the subway, follow the walkway to the nearest emergency exit that leads directly to street level. As you pass through the subway, blue lights, located on the tunnel wall, indicate the presence of an emergency telephone. Also, fire extinguishers are strategically positioned on the wall adjacent to the walkway and at all stations.
In the Mt. Lebanon and Mt. Washington Tunnels blue lights are also used. In these tunnels the emergency telephones and fire extinguishers are placed together. In the event of evacuation, walk to the nearest unrestricted opening that will lead to the surface.
If there is an incident on your bus, please follow the operator's instructions. Calmly leave as directed, assisting senior citizens and any persons with disabilities whenever possible. Open emergency window exits or roof hatches, if necessary. All buses are equipped with a fire extinguisher near the operator's compartment.
Accident on a Bus or LRV
If an accident occurs on your vehicle, the operator will use the two-way radio to seek assistance. Passengers should remain on the vehicle or leave the vehicle as instructed by the operator. Do not move injured patrons. Let arriving medics assess injuries. Port Authority personnel periodically conduct drills with community emergency response units to better prepare for such incidents.
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