Port Authority of Allegheny County
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.
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Port Authority of Allegheny County provides a network of public transportation services to persons traveling within a 775 square-mile area, including the City of Pittsburgh and all of Allegheny County. Port Authority has a fleet of 861 buses, 83 light rail vehicles (LRVs) and 48 mini-buses. With the Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines and sponsorship of ACCESS, the nation’s largest paratransit program of its kind for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, Port Authority is one of the nation’s largest and most diversified public transit agencies.
Port Authority began operations in March 1964 following the passage of state legislation in 1959 enabling the consolidation of 33 private transit carriers, including the Pittsburgh Railways Company and 32 independent bus and inclined plane companies. By combining fare structures and centralizing operations, Port Authority established the first unified transit system in Allegheny County.
The Port Authority Board of Directors consists of nine members appointed by the Allegheny County Chief Executive and approved by the Allegheny County Council. Port Authority is funded by a combination of fare revenues and county, state and federal funds.
Port Authority’s 2,900 employees serve approximately 240,000 riders daily and more than 70 million riders annually via 183 bus and 5 rail routes and the Monongahela Incline. The Port Authority Board also authorizes operation of many other private carriers, including airport and hospital shuttles.
The strategic goals of Connect ’09, which Port Authority hopes to achieve by calendar year 2009, include connecting neighborhoods through new service models and connecting the region by enhancing coordination of transit services and adopting a regional fare collection system.
Port Authority has made great strides in modernizing and expanding its bus fleet. The Authority has placed into service 494 new buses in the past nine years, including 315 low-floor buses, 48 mini-buses, 60 35-foot buses, 40 suburban coaches and 25 articulated buses, reducing the average age of the fleet to 6.91 years. The Authority now operates six hybrid electric buses, the first of their kind in its fleet.
Port Authority continues to pursue an aggressive Park and Ride program, which has grown to 64 lots and more than 14,750 spaces.
Port Authority plays a key role in the economic growth and vitality of Allegheny County by serving those residents who choose public transportation for its convenience or because of its economic and environmental benefits.
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