Port Authority of Allegheny County was created by legislation enacted by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1956, giving it responsibility for planning and developing port facilities to serve the Pittsburgh area. In1959, the Act of 1956 was amended to permit Port Authority to acquire privately owned transit facilities and to own and operate a public system of mass transit, and in March, 1964 Port Authority exercised its power of eminent domain for the first time and assumed control of the Pittsburgh Railways Company.

By authorization of the 1959 legislation, Port Authority in June 1960 engaged the firm of Coverdale & Colpitts to prepare a plan of an integrated system of transit for Allegheny County for use as a basis for acquiring and consolidating the independent transit lines.

A report of the study findings, "Plan and Recommendations of the Port Authority of Allegheny County for an integrated System of Mass Transportation," was submitted to the County Commissioners on September 20, 1961.

Following review, the commissioners returned the plan to Port Authority for further study and additions. Consequently, a supplemental report by Coverdale & Colpitts, including cost estimates for acquiring private companies and financing the integrated system, was submitted to the commissioners on March 8, 1963.

In ensuing weeks, the commissioners conducted a series of five public hearings in various sections of the county to answer questions about the integrated plan and receive comments.

On April 19, 1963, the Board of County Commissioners adopted the recommendations and authorized Port Authority "to proceed with all diligence to implement the plan for an integrated mass transportation system."

The Port Authority then proceeded with final negotiations for the purchase of 30 independent bus companies, Pittsburgh Railways Company properties and an incline plane company, as recommended by the Coverdale & Colpitts study.

On March 1, 1964, all public transit in Allegheny County was operated by Port Authority. Acquisition of 32 other transit companies, through amicable negotiations and without federal or state financial aid, was completed in August, 1964. Shortly thereafter, a unified fare and transfer system became effective on a countywide basis for the first time in local transit history.

The Early Years

Prior to the inception of operations by Port Authority Transit (Authority) in 1964, urban transportation was operated at private enterprise in the Pittsburgh area with the Pittsburgh Railways Company the dominant force.

Originally chartered in 1900 as the Southern Traction Company, Pittsburgh Railways in January, 1902 became the operating manager of more than 100 street railways properties owned or controlled by the Philadelphia Company, Consolidated Traction, United Traction and Southern Traction. The latter three companies were merged to form Pittsburgh Railways. By 1910, before the Model T Ford revolutionized urban transportation, Pittsburgh Railways was transporting some 600,000 passengers daily over 581 miles of track. By 1918, its peak year of operation, the company had 606 miles of track accommodating 99 trolley routes.

However, largely because of its obligations to investors previously associated with independent streetcar companies, Pittsburgh Railways was in financial difficulty from the outset. Eighteen of its first 50 years were spent in bankruptcy proceedings.

Fares rose from three cents to five cents, then to six cents in 1917 and 10 cents in 1919. In that year, 3,000 motormen and conductors walked off the job after their demands for a 12-cent hourly pay raise were rejected.

Pittsburgh Railways Company was under constant pressure from the City of Pittsburgh administration and Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce to improve service and equipment. Traffic congestion on downtown streets was another major concern, dating back to 1902 when the first of many proposals were made for a downtown subway system.

A bond issue to provide $6 million in city funds for subway construction was approved by voters in 1919, and in 1926 city council was asked to issue $26 million in additional bonds. But these, along with subway plans advocated in 1926 and 1932, were abandoned because of disagreement over routing and conflict and indecision among public officials.

Depression and Post-War Problems

Although beset by continuing financial problems and declining ridership during the depression years, in 1936 and 1937 Pittsburgh Railways placed into service the first 100 Presidents’ Conference Cars (PCC) trolleys. By 1949, a total of 666 PCC cars had been purchased. With post-World War II escalation of automobile production, highway construction and suburban growth, transit service, ridership and revenue plummeted at a more rapid rate. In addition, during the 1950s, service was disrupted three times by major labor strikes for prolonged periods, once for nearly two months.

Within a 13-year period between January, 1948 and December, 1961, the fare structure was adjusted upward 13 times. The base cash fare increased from 10 to 30 cents on trolleys and from 15 to 35 cents on buses. By 1963, ridership fell to 74.4 million riders. The company was reorganized in 1951 but continued on a course of self-liquidation.

During a six-year period through 1960, Pittsburgh Railways’ net profit averaged 1.6 percent of its gross revenue. In three of the six years, the company had net losses ranging from $144,000 to $309,000. In 1963, the base wage rate for operators was $2.90 per hour, equal to those in Boston and exceeded only by operators employed by the New York City transit system.

During the 1950s, in addition to Pittsburgh Railways’ vehicles, 16 independent lines operated buses into downtown Pittsburgh and 21 others provided service to suburban areas. This resulted in intense competition and inadequately maintained and obsolescent rolling equipment. Each line had its own fare structure and there were no transfer privileges between any of the separate bus lines.

Many of the independent companies were small, family-owned enterprises netting insufficient profits to invest in new buses. In 1960, more than half of the buses in private ownership were more than 10 years old, and many dated back to 1947-49 – some even to 1939-40. Through the 1950s, about half of the independent companies were either losing money or breaking even. Those few on the profitable side of the ledger derived their principal revenue from the operation of chartered buses and subsidized school trips.

The Authority Years

It was this situation that prompted public and civic groups, led by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, to urge public ownership as a means of bringing about a unified, countywide system of transportation. These moves resulted in legislation which in 1956 created the Port Authority of Allegheny County and in 1959 empowered it to own, control and operate public transit in Allegheny County and small portions of contiguous counties.

The legislation directed Port Authority to acquire all transit properties which generated at least 80 percent of their revenue miles within Allegheny County. Through private negotiations, 30 bus firms and two inclined plane companies (Duquesne and Monongahela) were acquired at a total cost of approximately $12 million. Following three years of litigation, the Port Authority and Pittsburgh Railways reached an out-of-court settlement of $14.2 million, plus 5 percent interest.

The Authority’s first task was to consolidate 33 separate fare structures and begin the job of merging 38 different operating centers and garages into six operating divisions. The state required the Authority to equalize wages upward to the level of Pittsburgh Railways. Wage scales of the other companies ranged upward from a low of $1.60, and the wage equalization requirement immediately added $3.2 million to annual operating costs. At the start of public operations in March, 1964, the basic hourly rate was set at $3.02 per hour under a union contract agreed upon prior to the Authority’s operating inception. Thereafter, wages rose in accord with contractual cost-of-living escalator provisions and compulsory binding arbitration awards, as also required by state law. The Port Authority, contending that the binding arbitration clause was unconstitutional, appealed to the State Supreme Court but was overruled.

Two months after beginning operations, the Authority placed into service 150 new air-conditioned buses to replace acquired buses which had deteriorated and aged to the point where they were beyond rehabilitation.

In 1965, the Authority’s first full year of operation, with the base fare at 30 cents plus an additional five-cent premium for express bus trips, ridership increased by almost 10 million as new routes were started and old ones extended to serve developing suburban areas.

In 1947, when public transit ridership hit a peak of 280 million, more than one million persons – about 70 percent of the Allegheny County population – resided in 19 of the county’s 129 municipalities. All were close to urban population centers accessible by trolley lines. Most of these, along with older industrial communities, experienced substantial population losses after 1950 while newer municipalities in outlying areas gained.

The suburban housing and shopping center boom of the 1950s and 1960s compelled the Authority to add and extend service to meet the needs of a population dispersing throughout the 730 square miles of Allegheny County and parts of adjoining counties. For the first time, transit service was provided to areas which had been sparsely populated and rural in character, requiring Authority buses to travel longer distances. This was reflected in an increase in vehicle miles operated by the Authority from 30 million in 1964 to 35 million in 1965 and more than 40 million in 1975.

Meanwhile, the number of private passenger autos registered in Allegheny County climbed from 359,000 in 1952 to more than 827,000 in 1982, creating substantially more competition for public transit than private operators ever confronted.

In 1976, however, with operating costs propelled upward by double-digit inflation rates, an escalating cost-of-living consumer index and insufficient government subsidies, the Authority was forced to turn to fare increases, service cutbacks and other operating economies in order to meet budget requirements.

Despite the growing severity of fiscal problems, the Authority managed not only to maintain but increase ridership against the tide of significant losses in the urban population and phenomenal growth in auto ownership and use. The opening of the South Busway in December, 1977 was a factor in the ridership gain.

Both the Monongahela and Duquesne inclines were declared National Landmarks in May, 1977.

Ridership Trends

Authority ridership reached an all-time high of 112 million in 1980, principally as the result of threats of auto fuel shortages and soaring gas prices. As that situation eased and motorists became accustomed to paying high prices for gas, ridership dropped off while high inflation rates continued to exert an adverse impact on transit operating expenses.

Facing cutbacks of federal operating aid, which had been initiated in 1974, the Authority was compelled as a last resort to turn to the farebox for increased revenue in 1981 and again in 1982. In the latter year, the base fare rose to $1. Ridership again turned downward as the consequence of higher fares, reductions in off-peak and weekend service, industrial plant closings and large-scale layoffs. In 1982, the unemployment rate more than doubled.

Another factor affecting ridership trends was the loss of population in Allegheny County, and particularly the City of Pittsburgh and other inner-zone communities and mill towns. In aggregate, the cities and towns in the inner-urban area traditionally have comprised about three-fourths of the public transit market.

In 1960, the City of Pittsburgh and three third-class cities had a combined population of more than 683,000, compared with approximately 457,000 in 1983. In 1960, Allegheny County’s population was 1.6 million, compared with an estimated 1.4 million in 1983 and 1.3 million in 1990. Thus, in 1990, the local public transit market consisted of 300,000 fewer residents than in 1960.

Also of major significance for the local transit market was the fact the Regional Job Service Office estimated that people employed in manufacturing jobs in the four-county metropolitan area had declined from more than 241,000 in January, 1980 to 151,000 in January, 1985. Historically, manufacturing workers have comprised a large proportion of transit patronage in this area.

In an attempt to recapture suburban riders lost mainly as the result of previous fare increases and service cutbacks, the Authority in July 1984 implemented suburban fare reductions by as much as 36 percent. This was the first time in local modern transit history that fares were reduced.

The 1984 fare reductions, together with a simplification of the Authority’s suburban zone system, helped ridership level off and then begin to make moderate gains. At the end of 1984, ridership was up by nearly one million over 1983, with the largest gains among non-transfer and multi-zone passengers.

Authority operations, however, continued to be plagued by revenue shortfalls, increasing operating costs and insufficient government funding after 1981.

Forging ahead in the 1980s

By mid-decade, projects that had been on the drawing boards in the late 1970s were being completed. The Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway opened for service in February, 1983 and quickly became a vital transit corridor for the East End and eastern Allegheny County. Routes traveling the busway increased ridership and decreased travel time. A trip from Wilkinsburg to Downtown Pittsburgh that previously took 45 minutes took only 15 minutes on the busway. Residential and commercial development followed near busway stations at Negley Avenue, East Liberty, Homewood Avenue and Wilkinsburg.

In December 1980 groundbreaking was held for the Authority’s Stage I Light Rail Transit Program, which planned to introduce modern light rail travel to Pittsburgh along the old trolley routes that had proved so popular for decades in the South Hills. It also included the construction of Pittsburgh’s first subway, the groundbreaking for which was held in October, 1981.

In July, 1985 the first portion of the T opened with completion of the downtown subway and the line between Washington Junction and South Hills Village. The remaining section through Beechview opened in 1987, at which time the use of two-car trains began on the system.

The T quickly increased Authority ridership in the South Hills and created a midday lunch hour rush between downtown and Station Square. In downtown Pittsburgh, new office towers were constructed near or adjacent to T stations. The Wood Street Station became the cultural stop because of its proximity to the emerging theater district along Penn and Liberty avenues. PPG Place and Fifth Avenue Place were constructed near the Gateway Center Station. Steel Plaza Station was built in anticipation of nearby development, and indeed in 1998 construction began on the Mellon Client Service Center adjacent to the station.

One quality unique to the T was the introduction in the fall of 1986 of "Classical Underground." Sponsored by a grant from PPG Industries Foundation, "Classical Underground" provides music of The Pittsburgh Symphony and other local music organizations in the subway stations.

The Authority-sponsored ACCESS program which began in 1979 continued to attract riders in the 1980s, becoming the most successful paratransit service in the country. the Authority’s contracts with private carriers provide this demand-response ride-shared program. Through the Authority, persons with disabilities receive a discount on ACCESS, and senior citizens use the service at a substantial discount because of funding from the Pennsylvania Lottery.

The Allegheny County Transit Council (ACTC) was formed in June 1984 as a citizens’ advisory panel to the Authority Board of Directors and quickly became an invaluable resource in keeping the Authority informed on the concerns of daily riders. ACTC is organized to look at the whole picture of public transportation in Allegheny County, and ACTC committees localize their efforts to improve service at each of the Authority’s six divisions.

The mid-1980s saw the formation of the Authority’s first department dedicated to increasing ridership and improving the agency’s image. The first Comprehensive Marketing Plan in Authority history was published, and the Authority began the process of aggressively marketing its service to the people of Allegheny County.

Two historic pieces of legislation were enacted in the mid- and late 1980s. One was Act 76, which revised the Second Class County Port Authority Act to include new labor management provisions designed to improve the collective bargaining process between the Authority and its represented employees. A change in the state funding formula for public transit, meanwhile, was equally important as it resulted in additional operating assistance for the Authority with less local matching assistance required.

In Fiscal Year 1987, the Authority produced its Mission Statement as part of an overall quest for quality in public transportation. Seven goals were developed as part of the 1987-1991 Strategic Plan: to improve service quality, increase service productivity, improve financial stability, maximize ridership, invest in employee and organizational development, maintain and improve facilities and promote pride in the Authority. An accompanying Customer Service Philosophy and Employee Relations Philosophy followed, guiding all of the Authority’s operations toward the goal of excellent customer service and response to riders.

Fiscal year 1988 was the fifth in a row in which the Authority operated within a balanced budget. Also in 1988, the Authority adopted its first Capital Improvement Budget as recommended by the Loaned Executive Committee of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce. The Capital Improvement Budget is a tool to help the Authority work toward and achieve specific projects and goals for the following year and to identify and prioritize the Authority’s capital needs.

Light rail service continued to expand in 1988, as the Penn Park Station opened in June and the Library line opened in December.

In 1988, a parklet adjacent to the East Liberty Station of the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway was dedicated. Officially named the Wilhelmina Byrd Brown Memorial Parklet, it is the site of the annual Spirit of King ceremony, which honors a local person who best lived the ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Authority's Silver Anniversary

In Fiscal Year 1989, the residents of Allegheny County and the employees of the Authority celebrated the agency’s 25th anniversary. Over that time span, Authority vehicles had traveled some 900 million miles and carried more than 2.4 billion passengers. Among projects being planned in 1989 were extensions of the T to Oakland, Squirrel Hill and the North Side, called Spine Line; an extension of the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway; Stage II improvements to the T system; and a busway from downtown Pittsburgh to Carnegie.

Authority overall ridership continued to increase for the third consecutive year in 1989 by a modest 1 percent despite losses in bus ridership. The same year also marked the discontinuation of the PATrain. This commuter rail service to the Mon Valley was eliminated after a detailed analysis and rider survey showed there was no practical way to reduce the train’s high taxpayer subsidies. Ridership on the train, which had been operated by CSX Transportation, Inc. under contract to the Authority since 1975, decreased by 50 percent after 1982. The subsequent loss in revenue, combined with high labor and insurance costs, resulted in annual deficits of more than $1.3 million and an operating subsidy of $6.63 per passenger – more than seven times greater than the average subsidy paid for other Authority riders. Three new express bus routes were added to the Mon Valley corridor, and ridership on the buses has exceeded PATrain ridership.

Into the 90s

The 1990s began with the first comprehensive revision of fares since 1982. The new fare structure was designed to increase the use of pre-paid fare instruments by providing substantial discounts for frequent riders, thus making Authority vehicles easier to use.

The new fare structure included a 10-cent increase in the base cash fare for the first time since 1982. New discounted passes and tickets were introduced, which kept the price of a one-zone ride to $1. New multi-zone weekly, monthly and annual passes were also introduced to make riding more convenient by eliminating zone charges and other cash deposits into the farebox.

Cash fares on the Monongahela and Duquesne inclines were raised to $1. For the first time, discounted tokens were sold at incline stations, which reduced the price of an incline ride for frequent users. A peak surcharge on cash fares was introduced on the T to reflect its higher operating cost and encourage riders to use pre-paid fare instruments.

Overall, sales of pre-paid fare instruments increased after the January fare change. Monthly pass sales increased 45 percent during the first six months of 1990 when compared with the first six months of 1989. Additionally, weekly pass sales increased 40 percent. Downtowner zone ticket sales increased 139 percent and discounted zone tickets sales increased 66 percent.

With the increase in sales, it was important to establish an expanded network of sales outlets convenient to customers. Giant Eagle supermarkets were added to the Authority’s network of outlets, bringing the total number of outlets in Allegheny County to more than 130.

In September, 1990, a group of business, labor, civic, environmental, academic and religious leaders, along with transit riders, formed the Southwestern Pennsylvania Transit Coalition. The goals of the non-profit organization are to increase public awareness and understanding of the importance of public transportation to the health and economic well-being of Southwestern Pennsylvania; to communicate to elected officials a unified message of support and concern for improved and expanded public transit facilities and services; and to ensure that public transportation systems receive funding commensurate with their needs. Total membership in the coalition soon grew to more than 250 individuals and organizations.

Due in part to the efforts of the coalition, the Pennsylvania State Legislature approved a budget for Fiscal Year 1992 that included a dedicated funding source for public transit. The budget generated monies for public transit by dedicating tax revenues collected on car rentals, long-term car leases, magazine and tire sales and the Public Utilities Realty Tax Assessment.

A new advertising campaign was introduced the month before the new fares went into effect and continued through the spring. The theme "Ride Smart, Buy Smart" was used in print, radio and television advertising.

To help increase the mobility of people with disabilities, the Authority ordered 150 new buses equipped with wheelchair lifts in Fiscal Year 1990. The buses were designed and ordered after extensive customer research by the Authority. Rider suggestions were designed into the new buses, which had larger, easier to read headsigns; an electronic sign inside the bus to identify the route; wider aisles; padded seats in the back of the bus; more railings for standing passengers; and an improved heating system.

As part of a nationwide effort to test alternative fuels under the Alternative Fuels Initiative Program sponsored by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (now Federal Transit Administration), the Authority ordered five natural gas buses to test and evaluate their performance and effectiveness in helping to reduce air pollution. Testing of compressed natural gas was made possible through a special agreement with Equitable Gas Company, which contributed $500,000 toward the project for installation of a compressing and fueling station at the Authority’s West Mifflin Division.

New High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes opened in the median of the North Hills Expressway (I-279) in October, 1989. The special lanes are limited to vehicles with two or more persons, van pools and buses. The Authority began service with six express routes on the HOV lanes between growing North Hills suburbs and Downtown Pittsburgh. Ridership increased by nearly 35 percent on the routes using the HOV lanes.

Fares increased once again in Fiscal Year 1991 because of a dramatic rise in the price of diesel fuel brought on by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August, 1990. On August 1, the Authority was paying about 61 cents per gallon for diesel fuel. By the end of October, the price of a gallon of diesel fuel had risen to $1.09. The Authority was using approximately 10 million gallons of diesel fuel each year at that point, and each penny increase in the price added $100,000 to the Authority’s operating cost.

Findings of the Airport Busway Transitional Study were released in January. The study recommended construction of the busway in three phases, beginning with a 7.2-mile section between Downtown Pittsburgh and Carnegie, with remaining sections to the airport to be completed as funding becomes available.

President George Bush signed into law the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) in July, 1990. This landmark civil rights legislation contains several transportation mandates, including that all new buses be equipped with wheelchair lifts and that all new rail vehicles also be accessible to persons with disabilities.

The Authority’s fleet of 150 new buses with wheelchair lifts, ordered before ADA became law, began service throughout Allegheny County. The new buses included standard 40-foot models, articulated buses that bend in the middle and five buses powered by compressed natural gas. The Authority worked closely with the disabled community in Allegheny County to best determine routes for the buses that had the greatest potential for riders in wheelchairs.

A challenging time

Fiscal Year 1992 was a challenging year for the Authority, as a 28-day work stoppage in the spring, the longest in Authority history, caused hardship for Allegheny County. A court order forced operators and mechanics back on the job and negotiations continued until a settlement was reached later that year.

A week of free rides was offered after buses and the T returned to service as the Authority tried to lure back riders who had developed new commuting habits. Ridership continued to drop in the months after the work stoppage, although not as significantly as it had after a similar stoppage in 1976.

The work stoppage demonstrated how vital public transportation is to the economy of Allegheny County. While the city did not suffer gridlock to the degree many expected, there was a marked increase in traffic and much longer than average rush hours. People had to juggle schedules to get rides with friends, to form carpools and to plan their day around alternate transportation. Businesses in many parts of the county reported sales decreases of as much as 40 percent, and medical centers reported high numbers of appointment cancellations.

A downward ridership trend continued in the year after the work stoppage, brought about by several factors: lower central city population; population dispersion through the outer suburbs into suburban counties; new businesses in suburban office parks with free parking; suburb-to-suburb commutes; and a decline in heavy industry along the Authority’s traditional transit corridors. Automobile registration, meanwhile, continued an upward climb.

However, new legislation passed in Fiscal Year 1992 included public transportation as part of the mix to increase mobility. The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) endeavored to move the greatest number of people with improvements in highways, bridges and public transportation. The Authority was involved in the process, led by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission, to determine the best modes of transportation for the greatest number of people on a local level.

The early and mid-1990s brought a renewed commitment to labor-management relations. Authority management and labor met several times during 1992 to agree on the Authority’s direction for the future. The meetings culminated in the Authority’s Vision Statement: Port Authority is recognized by its employees, customers and the public as a progressive transit organization that consistently delivers excellent customer service.

In 1992, Authority management signed a three-year contract with Local 85 of the Amalgamated Transit Union and negotiated a three-year labor agreement with the Port Authority Transit Police Association.

As a means of familiarizing young people with public transit, the Authority in June 1992 began its Summer Ride Program. Under the program, Allegheny County youths aged 18 and under could purchase a low-cost pass good for unlimited rides on all Authority vehicles from June through August.

Fiscal Year 1993 was a difficult budget year. The operating budget was built on assumptions of no fare increases and no increases in federal, state or county operating assistance. The budget required administrative economies and service reductions in November, 1992 and February, 1993. Based on public comment at six regional meetings, two formal public hearings and thousands of pages of written testimony, a service reduction plan was developed, concentrating on routes that were lightly patronized in the early morning, late evening, on weekends and where alternative service was available.

Port Authority’s capital improvement program advanced in 1992 as action on the Airport Busway/Wabash HOV Facility gained momentum. In September, the Authority released the Alternatives Analysis/Draft Environmental Impact Statement outlining alternatives for improving transportation in the western corridor of Allegheny County. Following a series of public meetings, the Authority announced the selection of a locally-preferred alternative – an 8.1-mile busway beginning in Carnegie and extending to Station Square, where it will meet an HOV facility via the Wabash Tunnel and a new bridge over the Monongahela River to Fort Pitt Boulevard at Market Street.

In January, 1993, the Authority designated an additional 21 bus routes as wheelchair accessible, bringing that total to 32.

Also effective in January, the Authority increased its limit on the TransitChek commuter benefits program from $21 to $60. Through the 1992 Comprehensive Energy Policy Act, TransitChek enabled employers to purchase public transportation vouchers from the Authority and distribute them to employees as a fringe benefit. The vouchers are tax-deductible for the employer and a tax-free benefit for the employee.

In 1993, a Port Authority labor-management advisory group, the Ridership Improvement Team, was formed to examine Authority operations and make recommendations for improving ridership. Among the team’s recommendations was an enthusiastically renewed commitment to maintaining positive and cooperative labor-management relations.

The Mt. Washington Transit Tunnel was closed for renovations in 1993, a project that earned the Authority and its contractor, ICF Kaiser, an Excellence in Engineering Award from the Consulting Engineers Council of Pennsylvania. During the six-month project, the Authority teamed up with Station Square merchants to promote a “Construction Sale” that offered discounts and other incentives to shoppers who may have been inconvenienced by the closure.

Capital projects advance

The Authority’s Busway Expansion Program advanced in 1993 with action on both the Airport Busway/Wabash HOV Facility and the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway Extension. In May and June, the Authority held a series of open houses and public hearings to inform the public and take testimony on the Planning Analysis/Environmental Assessment of the proposed 2.3-mile extension of the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway to the Swissvale/Rankin border. In December, the Authority announced the selection of a "steel basket handle through arch" design for the new Monongahela River Bridge that would carry the Airport Busway/Wabash HOV Facility over the Monongahela River and into Downtown Pittsburgh.

The Authority’s rail improvement program also progressed in 1993. The 52 Allentown rail route was opened with much fanfare in May. Reconstruction of the Allentown Line, which had been discontinued in 1986, effectively completed the Authority’s Stage I Light Rail Transit Improvement Program. In October, the Authority held public meetings to discuss a draft Environmental Assessment/Planning Analysis for its Stage II Light Rail Transit Program, a project which would rebuild the Drake, Overbrook and Library rail lines. The Overbrook Line was closed late in 1993 because of the deteriorating condition of bridges.

Early in 1994, the Authority joined forces with the American Tort Reform Association in a public-private partnership to develop a campaign to reduce fraudulent lawsuits and claims against Port Authority. The program was designed to raise public awareness of the fraud problem and to substantially reduce its associated costs while expediting the settlement of legitimate claims.

Handling the processing of claims, among other duties, became the responsibility of a newly organized Legal Services Division. Whereas Port Authority’s legal services had previously been provided almost entirely by outside counsel, the new division was created to provide more responsive service internally at a lower cost.

Another administrative initiative undertaken in 1994 was a technical rail-wheel interface study to find ways of reducing the unexpectedly high levels of wear on LRT wheels and tracks.

The Authority employed creative means to increase revenues in 1994. A cross-border bus lease-back provision approved by the Board of Directors enabled the Authority to benefit from new tax provisions. In May, the Authority also unveiled its whole bus advertising, a process by which an entire bus, from wheels to windows, is covered with an advertisement.

The Authority took delivery of 150 new buses in 1994, which brought the average age of its 900-bus fleet to just under five years. With the delivery, 50 percent of the fleet was equipped with wheelchair lifts, and the Authority was able to increase its number of wheelchair accessible routes from 35 to 50 and later to 72.

The Authority celebrated the 15th anniversary of ACCESS, its paratransit service, in March 1994. ACCESS, which remains one of the nation’s largest and most successful paratransit operations, carried more than two million elderly and disabled riders during the year. In May, the Community Transportation Association of America presented Port Authority with the prestigious William Bell Memorial Award in recognition of the successful service.

The Monongahela Incline was closed in the summer of 1994 for a $3 million renovation. Several historical societies and PENNDOT honored the Authority for the renovation, which included expansion of the upper station, replacement of heavy mechanical equipment and improvement of wheelchair accessibility.

The Authority’s capital improvement program reached a milestone in October 1994 as hundreds of elected officials, business leaders and others celebrated the groundbreaking for the Airport Busway/Wabash HOV Facility. The project’s first contract, for the renovation of the Wabash Tunnel, was awarded soon thereafter and work began in early 1995.

Also in November, Authority buses resumed operation over the newly reconstructed Smithfield Street Bridge. Due to bridge deterioration, Authority buses had been unable to use the structure for several years. In the months following the reopening of the Smithfield Street Bridge, there was a marked increase in ridership on those routes that resumed operation across the bridge.

Also at the end of 1994, the Authority awarded a contract to prepare a Major Investment Study/Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Spine Line project. The project involved extending the light rail system to the North Side, Downtown, Hill District and Oakland. Early in 1995, the Authority held public meetings to present the transit improvement alternatives to the public.

In 1994, a new Downtown Pittsburgh management organization sponsored the city’s first Sparkle Season – a festival of special events and retail promotions coinciding with the holiday shopping season. The Authority participated by designating its Downtown Free Zone a "Holiday Ride Free Shopping Zone" and by offering a new Pittsburgh Passport, a one-price passport with vouchers redeemable as fare on Authority vehicles and as admission to several city attractions.

About 100 people attended the 10th anniversary celebration of the Allegheny County Transit Council in 1994.

Responding to a call for transportation assistance from the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, the Authority agreed to loan the city 100 new buses to help transport the more than two million athletes, media and spectators expected in the city for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games and 1996 Paralympic Games.

In January 1995, the Authority put into effect a new drug and alcohol policy that incorporated a Federal Transit Administration regulation requiring random drug and alcohol testing of safety-sensitive employees. A joint labor-management task force consisting of representatives from Port Authority, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 149 and the Port Authority Transit Police Association worked together to develop a policy which would bring the Authority into compliance with the Federal Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991.

In 1995, Authority management and ATU Local 85 settled a three-year labor contract through negotiation, thus avoiding a work stoppage and the need for binding arbitration. Representatives of Authority management and its three labor unions took the Pittsburgh Pledge, committing to cooperative negotiation of all labor-management issues.

Teaming with the University of Pittsburgh, the Authority in 1995 began operating two new shuttle routes and designated free ride zones in Oakland, Shadyside and Squirrel Hill for Pitt students, faculty and staff. Passengers presenting a valid Pitt ID card were able to ride free on the new routes as well as other Authority routes operating through the zones. The program was successful, as monthly ridership on the shuttles increased steadily.

The Authority’s capital projects progressed in May with a series of public open houses to discuss the revised Environmental Assessment for the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway Extension. In October, the Authority awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the Berry Street Tunnel, an integral portion of the Airport Busway/Wabash HOV Facility. Also in October, the Authority conducted public meetings to take comment on Spine Line transit improvement alternatives presented earlier in the year.

Port Authority’s Budget and Financial Planning Department, meanwhile, received its fourth Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, the highest recognition in governmental budgeting. The Authority previously won the award in 1989, 1990 and 1991.

The Authority’s budget planning abilities were put to the test and rose to the occasion in Fiscal Year 1996. Severe cuts in operating assistance forced the Authority to implement several cost-saving measures, including elimination of unfilled jobs, cutting overtime, restricting employee travel and reducing pension expenses. The Authority balanced the FY 1996 budget for the 13th consecutive year and did so without increasing fares or reducing service.

Responding to a unique opportunity presented by a 1991 Pennsylvania law, the Authority’s Board of Directors in December authorized a bond issue in an amount not to exceed $47 million to procure 170 new buses. This marked the Authority’s first bond issue.

In October, the Authority’s executive director, William W. Millar, was elected vice chairperson of the American Public Transit Association, a North American trade association of transit agencies, their suppliers and other advocates of improve public transportation.

The Authority began in November to equip its light rail vehicles with an interactive intercom system to improve passenger communications. The interactive intercoms are used to make service stop announcements and for emergency communication between passengers and operators.

The agency also continued working to improve its current facilities and add new services. Renovations to 12 light rail stations began in January, and renovations to the South Busway began in May as part of a five-year busway rehabilitation program. Also, the Authority continued its progress with its garage rehabilitation program, reconstructing the Ross Garage.

Port Authority improved its customer service in October 1996 by debuting its own site on the World Wide Web. Today, riders can access a myriad of information about Port Authority and its services right from their home computer, as the site was completely updated in October 1999 and now allows customers to check bus schedules and purchase passes on line.

In November 1996, the Authority introduced the 28X Airport Flyer route between Oakland, Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh International Airport using small transit vehicles. The 24-passenger mini-buses were popular among riders, and ridership of the 28X increased annually.

A new day

In March 1997, Paul P. Skoutelas replaced Millar as Port Authority’s executive director. Skoutelas immediately outlined a plan for Port Authority to become the nation’s premier transit agency. His Six-Point Action Plan, "A New Day at The Authority," directed the agency to develop a customer-focused, market-driven approach; to develop partnerships and increase community support; to strengthen its financial position; to expand its capital investment program; to improve employee morale and labor-management relations; and to build on its reputation as an effective organization.

The Port Authority Board of Directors adopted a balanced budget for the 15th consecutive year in June, and a series of financial transactions resulted in new revenue and savings totaling more than $4.2 million. Among other financial innovations, the Authority entered into an asset leveraged lease, a mechanism which permitted the leasing of capital assets for tax purposes with two investment companies for 53 of its light rail vehicles.

The Authority’s financial position was further enhanced by its work with elected officials and the governor’s office on a transit funding package passed in concert with a new state gasoline tax. This package was expected to generate approximately $150 million statewide for public transit. Also, the Authority saved more than $130,000 by terminating a contract for the use of Allegheny County deputy sheriffs and replacing them with Port Authority police.

The Airport Busway/Wabash HOV Facility moved closer to completion with the approval by the FTA of Port Authority’s Recovery Plan in August. As a result of a series of factors beyond the Authority’s control, the estimated cost of constructing the Airport Busway rose from $326 million to $515 million, forcing the need for a Recovery Plan to complete the project. The plan enabled the Authority to expedite construction of the project while keeping costs within the limits of the Full Funding Grant Agreement.

The revised plan did not include the construction of the busway along the Conrail Shelf at the base of Mt. Washington, and the construction of a new bridge across the Monongahela River was deferred for future consideration.

Responding to requests by interested local groups, the Authority completed a Feasibility Study of a proposed Mainline Linear Park adjacent to the Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway Extension. A modified linear park plan was later added to the project.

The Authority’s Stage II program advanced with the demolition of three turn-of-the-century rail bridges. The Reflectorville Viaduct, the McKinley Park bridge and Oak Viaduct, all located on the Overbrook Line, were disassembled in the fall of 1997.

A $7.5 million Park and Ride Improvement Program was unveiled in 1997 with the goal of improving current park and ride lots and establishing new facilities. The North Fayette VFD Park and Ride lot was the first to be improved under the new program, followed by the Holiday Park VFD facility. By July 2005, Port Authority customers had access to 64 park and ride lots and 14,850 spaces as facilities were added in Manchester, Warrendale, Marshall Township, Duquesne, Garden City, Neville Island, Sheraden, Crafton, Carnegie, Large, Forest Hills, Moon Township, Ambridge and Collier Township, among other areas.

Ridership increased for eight consecutive months from April to November 1997, marking what was then the longest sustained ridership increase in recent Authority history. The increases were fueled in part by a popular U-Zone, the designated ride free zone for University of Pitt students. Building upon that success, the Authority began to offer discounted monthly passes and reduced fares for Carlow College students, faculty and employees in August. The Authority’s partnership with Pitt produced two new bus routes, the 12U Oakland-Ross Park Mall service and the 59U Oakland-Century III Mall service.

Another service innovation in 1997 was the 500 Highland Park-Bellevue route, a "through route" that combined routes 16C Bellevue-West View and 71B Highland Park and eliminated the need to transfer downtown.

Another unique Authority partnership was formed in October when the Bettis Bus Pass was offered for sale. Backed by the popularity of Pittsburgh Steelers’ running back Jerome Bettis, nicknamed "The Bus," the pass was valid for rides on all Authority vehicles on Steelers' home game days. The whole bus application that advertised the pass gave the Authority national publicity during the Steelers’ playoff drive. The joint promotion of the Bettis Bus Pass between the Authority, Bettis’ "The Bus Stops Here" Foundation and Giant Eagle Inc., benefited Pressley Ridge schools.

History was made in December when the Authority agreed with ATU Local 85 on a four-year contract, the longest in agency history.

In June 1998, the agency dropped its PAT acronym in favor of "Port Authority" and unveiled a gold-based logo that exemplified its new direction and its pursuit of a "Gold Standard of Service."

During Calendar Year 1998, ridership enjoyed its largest increase in 19 years, reaching 75.9 million and representing the first significant increase in consecutive years in more than a decade. Ridership grew by 1.4 million or 1.9 percent, the largest such figures since 1979, and followed a .5 percent increase in 1997.

Providing a boost was a new program with the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University that allowed students, faculty and employees to ride free throughout the Port Authority system, not simply in the U-Zone. Reimbursement contracts between the two Universities and Port Authority were drawn up for this unique service, which provides Port Authority a predictable source of income and allows for renegotiation of the reimbursement amount when necessary. Chatham College, Point Park College, Robert Morris College, Duff’s Business Institute, Carlow College, and the International Academy of Design and Technology/International Culinary Academy later entered into discount pass sales agreements with Port Authority.

Port Authority built on the success of its mini-buses in 1998 by using them in conjunction with two new services. GoldLink featured five routes in the Monroeville area, while AirCor service included two routes in the Airport Corridor and was launched in partnership with the Airport Corridor Transportation Association. By the year 2001, Port Authority's fleet of mini-buses had grown to 80, providing efficient public transportation services connecting numerous Allegheny County neighborhoods.

Into the New Millennium

Ridership continued to grow in 1999, surpassing 76 million for the first time in six years and enjoying three successive annual increases for the first time in a decade. Ridership climbed for a fourth straight year - the first time that had happened since 1964-68 - and reached 76.6 million in 2000. That figure was Port Authority’s highest in nine years.

Port Authority also purchased 25 new articulated coaches, 160 low-floor buses and 40 over-the-road coaches, again aiming to reduce the average age of its fleet. Helping fund these purchases was the six-year ISTEA reauthorization legislation, TEA-21, passed in the fall of 1997. It provided historic levels of federal funding for Port Authority, giving the agency a total of $170 million for capital projects and vehicle purchases.

During the summer of 1999, the Authority completed the final phase of its Broadway Avenue Track Renewal Project in Beechview. The project rebuilt the eroding rail bed and replaced rail along Broadway Avenue, on which both cars and light rail vehicles operate.

Port Authority bid farewell to its PCC rail cars in September 1999, unable to sustain service on the Drake Line because of declining ridership and the scarcity of parts for the small fleet. The 47D Drake rail service was replaced by the 35A South Hills mini bus route.

The first of several initiatives to make the Authority service more accessible to bicyclists was launched in November 1999 when bikes were permitted on the Mon Incline at all times and on light rail vehicles during all off-peak periods. The Authority equipped 75 buses with bike racks in May 2001 and later that year began advancing plans for the City of Pittsburgh’s Bike & Blade Station, which opened adjacent to the Authority’s First Avenue Station in the summer of 2004. Plans were made in 2005 for the purchase of another 290 bike racks.

As Port Authority entered the new millennium, several customer service enhancements were offered. The Authority continued an aggressive marketing campaign to attract riders to the EZ Gold program, which offers significant tax savings for employers and employees purchasing pre-paid fare instruments. An improved system map was published in March 2000 and updated in 2002; Port Authority’s first joint development venture, Cool Beans Down Under, began serving coffee and food items at the Steel Plaza Station in May 2000; Pieces of Gold gift cards, good toward the purchase of pre-paid fare instruments, debuted in November 2000; and the Rider Rewards program, which offers Authority passholders special discounts at hundreds of participating vendors, began in December 2002.

Citing the need for more space, Port Authority moved its corporate headquarters from its location in Manchester to the former Gimbels Building on Sixth Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh in August 2000. The Manchester office then became headquarters to Port Authority's training and technology functions. The IT Division and the Training Department, which were previously spread out at several locations throughout Port Authority, moved to Manchester.

Groundbreaking initiatives

The Authority, meanwhile, continued to implement groundbreaking initiatives in its effort to improve public transportation in Allegheny County.

A formal transfer program with transit authorities in Westmoreland and Beaver counties was expanded in February 2001, permitting even more customers to move efficiently between transit systems. An agreement was approved in July 2001 for the construction of a new park and ride lot in Ambridge, Beaver County – Port Authority’s first such facility outside Allegheny County. It opened in December 2002.

Access To Jobs initiatives, designed to connect Allegheny County residents to areas with growing job opportunities, began with the 59A West Mifflin-Monroeville route in 1999. In September 2000, Port Authority created the 11K Cranberry and 13K Cranberry Express routes - its first scheduled service to Butler County. In June 2001, Port Authority began 24-hour service on three bus routes in an effort to accommodate those persons who work non-traditional hours, and four more 24-hour routes were added in September 2001.

In March 2001, Port Authority began the largest field test by a U.S. public transit agency of a collision avoidance system designed to give bus operators information about objects near the bus while it is in operation. Refined systems were tested in 2003 and 2005, and the Authority in 2004 began its first test of a system that helps operators detect pedestrians who are too close to a vehicle.

Capital improvements

The expansion and improvement of Port Authority’s infrastructure continued in the new millennium as several major capital projects were opened or advanced.

The five-mile Airport Busway/HOV Facility, renamed the West Busway, was opened in September 2000, and average weekday ridership surpassed 8,100 in its first 18 months of operation. A new route, 100 West Busway-All Stops, began operation between Carnegie, downtown Pittsburgh and Oakland with the opening of the West Busway, and the 33X West Busway-All Stops route began offering service between Carnegie and Downtown Pittsburgh in September 2001.

In November 2001, Port Authority to open its first new downtown T station in 13 years. The First Avenue Station, which features a pedestrian skywalk connection to the Pittsburgh Parking Authority’s First Avenue Garage, provides improved access to the city’s Firstside and Government and Finance Districts.

The 2.3-mile Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway Extension opened in June 2003, adding to the 6.8-mile East Busway and extending the facility from Wilkinsburg to the Swissvale-Rankin border. As part of the project, Wilkinsburg Station was relocated and rebuilt and new park and ride facilities were added at Wilkinsburg (710 spaces), Hamnett Station (110 spaces) and Swissvale Station (147 spaces). New service initiated with the opening of the facility, which also included Rosslyn Station, included the EBS East Busway-Short. The Kenmawr Ramp, which connects Swissvale Station with South Braddock Avenue, opened in November 2003.

Port Authority opened its Stage II Light Rail Transit project in June 2004. The Stage II project included the reconstruction of the 5.2-mile Overbrook Line and the purchase of 28 new light rail vehicles and the remanufacture of 40 of the existing fleet of 55 LRVs – a $151 million contract that was the largest in Authority history and was also funded through the Authority’s Rail 21 program. Stage II also included the expansion and modernization of the Operations Control Center at South Hills Village; the installation of gated crossings along the T; the construction of new Library Line park and ride facilities at Library (430 spaces) and Bethel Park (286 spaces); construction of a power substation at Bethel Park to permit the use of two-car trains for the first time on the Library Line; and the construction of a seven-story, 2,200-space parking garage at South Hills Village. The garage, the first of its kind in Port Authority’s park and ride system, opened in May 2005.

In December 2004, Port Authority opened the Wabash HOV facility as part of the West Busway project. The project connects West Carson Street in the City of Pittsburgh with the Wabash Tunnel and, via Woodruff Street, Route 51.

Port Authority in 2005 completed final design for the North Shore Connector, a 1.6-mile extension of the T, and anticipates the start of construction in the spring of 2006. The Federal Transit Administration approved the Draft Final Environmental Impact Statement for the North Shore Connector in April 2002, and the project was one of just five transit projects nationally to be recommended by FTA for funding under the Bush Administration’s proposed FY 2005 budget. The North Shore Connector will provide an efficient public transportation link between the Central Business District and existing and planned development along the City’s North Shore, as well as a subway connection from the Steel Plaza Subway Station to the new David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The project, which includes four new stations, will also make possible future extensions to the east, north and west.

As part of the public-private partnership seeking to build the nation’s first high-speed maglev system in Pittsburgh, Port Authority in August 2001 hired a consultant to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the project. Private partner Maglev, Inc. is proposing a 54-mile system connecting Greensburg, Monroeville, Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh International Airport. The project is competing with a similar project in the Baltimore, Md.-Washington D.C. corridor for $45 million in funding from the Federal Railroad Administration, which in October 2005 published the project’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

Primarily due to continued shortfalls in state funding, Port Authority was forced in 2001 and 2002 to implement fare increases and service cuts. After almost 10 years at $1.25, the base fare was increased to $1.60 in April 2001 and to $1.75 in September 2002, with corresponding increases in the prices of pre-paid fare instruments. Combined with a weak economy after the events of September 11, 2001 and rising healthcare costs, among other factors, the state funding shortfalls also led to a 7 percent cut in service.

Funding challenges

The inability of state funding to keep pace with the growing costs faced by public transportation providers throughout Pennsylvania, however, continued to threaten Port Authority service levels. A total of $5 million in administrative cost-saving initiatives – part of an effort that had saved $211 million over eight years through 2005 – combined with a $10 million flex of state highway funding and the restoration of a planned $4 million reduction in state funding to erase a $19 million deficit in Fiscal Year 2004.

By Fiscal Year 2005, sharp increases in the price of diesel fuel further exacerbated Port Authority’s budget challenges. Port Authority faced a $30 million deficit until Governor Edward Rendell twice flexed additional highway funds to both Port Authority and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority in Philadelphia. The Governor’s plan was a reaction to the state legislature’s failure to provide growing, predictable, dedicated funds to transit agencies throughout the state – a course of action supported by transit providers and riders’ groups.

Port Authority adopted a Fiscal Year 2006 budget predicated on a flex of $45 million in highway funds, a process that received approval from the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission in July 2005.

As the last projects envisioned by planners in the 1960s and 1970s become reality, Port Authority in 2001 also advanced several studies designed to help plan future transportation improvements in the Pittsburgh region.

The Strategic Regional Transit Visioning Study, being undertaken with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission and funding from the Heinz Endowments, is taking a broad look at the nine-county region to identify and prioritize its future public transportation needs and investments.

The Eastern Corridor Transit Study is a detailed look at the range of public transportation alternatives available to improve mobility throughout eastern Allegheny County and into parts of Westmoreland County. About 40 percent of all Port Authority rides are taken in this corridor.

The Airport Multi-Modal Corridor Study, completed with the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, sought ways to relieve growing traffic congestion along the Parkway West corridor between downtown Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh International Airport. The study recommended widening of the Parkway West to include an extension of Port Authority’s West Busway along the Parkway, and several alternatives for the future expansion of the Authority’s light rail transit system.

The modernization of the fleet continued in the spring of 2003 with the delivery of the first of 250 new buses. By 2004 the Authority had placed into service 525 new buses over a five-year period, reducing the average age of the fleet to 5.9 years, and the first hybrid electric buses in the fleet were placed into service in the spring of 2005.

In April 2003, Port Authority released a transit operation plan for the emergency evacuation of the City of Pittsburgh as transit agencies across the United States assumed a critical position in national security plans launched in the wake of the events of September 11, 2001. Drafted in cooperation with the city and Allegheny County, the plan will enable Port Authority to maximize its entire bus and light rail fleet and quickly evacuate the downtown area.