Pittsburgh's tallest skyscraper, the U.S. Steel Tower
Port Authority, (+1 412 442-2000, ) (or PAT as some residents refer to it) operates bus, light rail, and incline service.
Bus service covers much of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County and, for the most part, is reliable and clean. Light rail (commonly referred to as "The T") connect downtown to the south of the city, but does not connect to many points of interest. Routes can be confusing, but both the Port Authority and Google Maps (which is perhaps better) offer trip planners. Google Maps also shows bus and trolley stops.
Bus stops are typically marked with a simple blue sign reading "Bus Stop" and listing route numbers and names.
Before boarding a bus or trolley, always check Port Authority's schedules (all of which are available on their website) and confirm its destination with the driver.
Fares
Zones: Fare varies depending on the zone you are traveling to/from. These zones are radial, with Downtown as the center. All bus schedules have charts detailing fare structure. The PortAuthority also has a webpage explaining fare structure .
Base fare is $2.25, and covers destinations within Zone 1, which encompasses the city limits and a few nearby suburbs. Travel within Zone 2, which covers the outlying suburbs, is $2.75.
The Free Fare Zone covers the Downtown core, offering free bus and trolley service. This zone is bound by the rivers and, on the east, Ross and 11th Streets.
Transfers: For an extra dollar, passengers can purchase a transfer ticket, valid for three hours to use on any other route (including the one you rode in on, a good money-saver for short trips).
Reduced Fare: Children 6-11 and seniors 65+ get half off all fares and transfer fees.
"T" Rush Hour Surcharge: The "T" system charges an extra 75 cents during weekday rush hours (6-9AM on inbound trips and 4-6PM on outbound trips).
Paying: The fare system PAT utilizes can be confusing, especially to visitors. Most bus and all light-rail routes utilize a "pay enter/pay leave" system; If you are traveling INTO or TOWARDS Downtown ("inbound"), you pay the fare as you board the bus. If you are travelling OUT OF or AWAY from Downtown ("outbound"), the fare is paid when you reach your destination. Further adding to the confusion, at night (7PM-4AM), ALL fares on all trips are paid upon boarding the bus, regardless of destination. PAT offers a "How to Pay" page on its website .
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Pittsburgh
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Pittsburgh Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
