Access Transportation Systems

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, a subsidiary of Veolia Transportation, Inc.

Registering A Complaint with Access

Complaints must be registered with ACCESS central office, not with the local company providing your service. One may 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

For information about how 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.

• ACCESS service providers 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, 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

The ACCESS ADA Program is a service offered for riders whose disability prevents them from using Port Authority bus service either all of the time, temporarily, or under certain circumstances.

Disability alone does not create eligibility. Individuals must apply and be found eligible according to ADA guidelines, which require that functional ability to use bus service must be evaluated. It is not a medical decision.

If you are determined eligible for ACCESS ADA service, you will receive one of the following types of eligibility:

• Conditional Eligibility – You are able to use buses for some of your trips. You are not able to use the bus in circumstances where a barrier prevents you from getting to and from a bus stop – for example, if you use a wheelchair and there are no curb cuts at the corner where you can cross the street.
• Unconditional Eligibility – Your disability always prevents you from using the bus independently, even with training.
• Transitional Eligibility – You have a disability that temporarily prevents you from using the bus, or you are participating in training to learn to ride the bus.

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, 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

ACCESS riders pay for their trips with tickets purchased from ACCESS. 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 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.