Access Transportation Systems, Inc.

Main Office

Office Hours

Phone Numbers

Check out adaptive equipment for persons with disabilities at Wheelchair Net.

Introduction

ACCESS is door-to-door, advance reservation, shared ride transportation provided throughout Port Authority's service area and serves primarily senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

Service is provided from 6:00 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, and at such other times and places that Port Authority fixed route service is in operation. There are no restrictions on the purpose or number of trips which may be taken by riders, except that riders are required to share their vehicle with others traveling in the same direction and at the same time.

ACCESS is sponsored by Port Authority of Allegheny County and is operated by ACCESS Transportation Systems, Inc., a subsidiary of Multisystems, Inc.

Registering A Complaint with Access

Complaints must be registered with ACCESS central office, not with the local carrier providing your service. One must file a complaint by telephone, in writing or in person at the ACCESS office.

Service Area

All of Allegheny County. Service is also provided from Allegheny County to points 1 ½ miles outside Allegheny County.

Service Reservation Requirements

To place a reservation for ACCESS service, call ACCESS at (412) 562-5353. All trip orders must be placed one day in advance between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. You may call your carrier on Friday for Saturday, Sunday or Monday reservations, but this is not required. Trips may be ordered up to 14 days in advance.

• Carriers will not accept any orders for transportation before 7:00 a.m. or after 3:30 p.m.
• Standing orders may be placed once and kept on file with the carrier, as long as the trip has the same pickup and return times and destination, three days per week. A cancellation rate of more than 50 percent may result in cancellation of the standing order. Standing orders are automatically canceled on major holidays.

ADA Eligibility Requirements

Disability alone does not create eligibility; the decision is based on the applicant's functional ability to use the bus and is not a medical decision. At the same time, unavailability of fixed route service does not constitute eligibility.

All persons seeking eligibility for the ACCESS ADA Program must appear in person at the central ACCESS office for evaluation. The purpose of the evaluation is to determine whether the applicant can ever use Port Authority fixed route service, even after training, and if not, what specific circumstances create a barrier to the applicant's independent use of Port Authority fixed route service.

Paying for a Trip

All ACCESS fares are predetermined and the driver will tear the ticket out of the booklet when you board the vehicle.

Cash cannot be substituted for tickets. Each eligible 65 Plus passenger must pay his/her own fare with his/her own tickets.

Your ticket cannot be used by any other rider. Be prepared to show your ACCESS I.D. card to the driver.

If you are taking a companion under the age of 65, ACCESS offers a special fare of one pink ticket ($2.50) each way for that companion.

Only people under age 65 may use pink tickets, and you and your companion must be picked up and dropped off at the same place.