Long Term Detour for 59, 71, P7 and P71 routes

Four Port Authority bus routes will detour in Swissvale starting Friday, February 1 due to a change in the posted weight limit on the Kenmawr Avenue Bridge.

The Kenmawr Avenue Bridge, which is co-owned by Swissvale Borough and Norfolk Southern, is used by routes 59 Mon Valley, 71 Edgewood Town Center, P7 McKeesport Flyer and P71 Swisshelm Park-Rankin Flyer. The bridge’s weight limit was changed this week to 6 tons. Port Authority buses weigh between 15 and 22 tons.

These routing changes are a long-term detour and will be in effect until further notice. Due to the extensive nature of the detour, riders should expect delays on these routes.

Complete details are posted on our website or riders may call Port Authority Customer Service for more information: 412-442-2000 or for TTY, 412-231-7007.

Service Information for Martin Luther King Day

Port Authority of Allegheny County’s bus, light rail and incline service will operate on regular weekday schedules on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Monday, Jan. 21).

The Customer Service phone line will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Downtown Service Center on Smithfield Street will be closed Monday in observance of the holiday and Port Authority's Twitter account will not be staffed.

We're Recruiting Volunteers for Two Pilots

Port Authority is seeking volunteers to participate in two pilot programs that will test two new technologies we expect to roll out shortly.

First, we're seeking riders to test our new Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system for transit schedule information by telephone. This system will provided automated voice-activated/touch-tone transit information 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will help decrease wait times on our Customer Service phone line. Learn more and sign up here.

Our second pilot is to test a new online account management feature for ConnectCard. This online portal will allow riders to add money/passes to their card, check their balance and manage their account from their personal computer.

For this pilot, we're looking for riders who regularly ride at least one of the following bus routes:

44 Knoxville

51Carrick

51L Carrick Limited

52L Homeville Limited

53 Homestead Park

53L Homestead Park Limited

56 Lincoln Place

57 Hazelwood

59 Mon Valley

60 Walnut-Crawford Village

61A Wilkinsburg via Forbes Avenue

61B Braddock-Swissvale

61C McKeesport-Homestead

61D Murray

64 Lawrenceville-Waterfront

65 Squirrel Hill

81 Oak Hill

83 Webster

P3 East Busway-Oakland

P7 McKeesport Flyer

P76 Lincoln Highway Flyer

Y1 Large Flyer

Y45 Baldwin Manor Flyer

Y46 Elizabeth Flyer 

Y47 Curry Flyer

Y49 Prospect Flyer

Interested in participating? Please visit this page for more info and to sign up.

January Planning & Stakeholder Relations Meeting Canceled

Port Authority of Allegheny County's Board of Directors has canceled its Planning & Stakeholder Relations Committee meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. on Wednesday, January 16.

The Performance Oversight Committee meeting will still be held Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. in the Neal H. Holmes Board Room, 345 Sixth Ave., 5th Floor, in Downtown Pittsburgh.

For more information on 2013 meetings, view our Meeting Agendas page.

West Busway Overnight Detours Through Feb. 14

Starting Monday, January 14, Port Authority will close a portion of the West Busway overnight each weekday through February 14 for installation of ventilation fans in the busway’s Berry Street Tunnel.

Each closure will be in effect from approximately midnight through 5:30 a.m. The closure will impact Ingram and Sheraden busway stations both inbound and outbound.

Temporary stops near the busway station entrances will be served during the detour. For Sheraden Station, buses will stop inbound at Chartiers Busway Ramp at West Busway (Park & Ride) and outbound at Chartiers Busway Ramp at Chartiers Avenue. For Ingram Station, buses will stop inbound at Ingram Busway Ramp at Ingram Avenue and outbound at Ingram Busway Ramp at West Busway.

Due to the hours of the closure, only a handful of trips on the 28X, G2 and G3 routes are expected to be impacted.

For questions, call Customer Service at 412-442-2000 or for TTY, 412-231-7007.

2013 Spirit of King Award Honoree Announced

Dr. Barbara A. Sizemore will be honored Thursday, Jan. 10, at the 2013 Spirit of King Award Ceremony.

The Spirit of King Award, established in 1989 by the Kingsley Association, Port Authority of Allegheny County and the Pittsburgh Pirates, posthumously honors the lifetime achievements of local citizens who pursue human rights and equality in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Thursday’s ceremony takes place at 10 a.m. at the Kingsley Center, located on Frankstown Avenue in East Liberty.

Dr. Barbara A. Sizemore was an educator, researcher and author who became a fierce advocate for disadvantaged students, working tirelessly to help African-Americans from low-income backgrounds succeed in school. In addition to working in the Chicago and Washington DC public school systems,
Dr. Sizemore taught and conducted research at the University of Pittsburgh for more than a decade.

Dr. Sizemore died in July 2004. Following her death, the Barbara A. Sizemore Distinguished Professorship in Urban Education was established at Duquesne University.

For more information on Dr. Sizemore, as well as past Spirit of King honorees, visit Port Authority's Spirit of King Award webpage.