March 2012 News and Updates

After many years of debate and construction work, the light rail connection to the North Shore opened to the public. Transit fans and North Shore commuters were able to take the first ride on March 25th, around 5 am.
Several ACTC members were present  during the inaugural opening on March 23rd and boarded the first ride on the Tplus.



Photo: Stuart Strickland

The Tplus (formerly known as the North Shore Connector) connects downtown with businesses and points of attraction such as the Children Museum, CarnegieScience Center, the Casino and PNC Park. More about it  on the TPlus website.


A new radio program  covering Pittsburgh transit - only  a two part series for now - produced and hosted by Daniel Tkacik, Ellis Robinson, and Kevin Brown. They  are part-time radio producers and full-time Ph.D. students at Carnegie Mellon University. The first series featured ACTC member Michael Sypolt as a speaker. To listen to the program and find more info about the producers as well as other radio shows they are hosting  visit : Transit Radio PGH.


ACTC president Jim Robinson spoke on the transit funding crisis on KDKA radio, Robert Mangino weeknights . To listen to the program visit  CBS Local Transit Council Talks Cuts.

March Transit News

The ConnectCard



We published the first details on Port Authority's new fare system in June, last year : Technology to improve Port Authority’s rider experience with the fare-system. As frequent riders on Oakland routes had noticed , all Pitt students and staff are now using the new ConnectCard system. Starting March 1st , another category of frequent riders on the Port Authority transit lines will be using the new system too: annual pass holders.

Market tests for monthly passes will also start in March. Another series of market tests -for those riders who are interested to load only cash fares, rather than monthly or weekly passes will follow soon.

More information on the ConnectCard and its benefits can be found here: connectcard.org.


Lenora P. Brooks , the project manager for the new ConnectCard fare system, answered a few additional questions about the new system on February 15th during the last general ACTC meeting:

• Were will I be able to buy the ConnectCard?

Most retailers that sell ticket books and passes right now will be equipped with ConnectCard Sales Terminals. Additional vending machines will be placed in high traffic areas cross the Allegheny County. With time, you will also be able to order and recharge a ConnectCard online.

• What if I lose my ConnectCard?

If you lose your ConnectCard, you will be able to call the PortAuthority and ask for a replacement card. A "Balance Protection" program will be available at no additional cost to you. The program will link each card to an individual user so as soon customer reports a stolen or lost card, the balance is automatically transferred on the customer's new card.

• What if my ConnectCard gets demagnetized?

The ConnectCard is not a magnetic card. The system uses RFID technology to store the information on the card.

• How do purchase a transfer?

there will be no need to purchase a separate transfer any longer. Once a rider had charged a full fare on its ConnectCard , any consequent trip in the next three hours will be charged at transfer rate instead of full fare rate.

The North Shore Connector

The North Shore Connector will become fully operational on March 25th. And again, once the North Shore Connector becomes fully operational , two bus routes the 14th and the 18th will turn around at the Allegheny stop instead of going all the way downtown. As it stands right now , all riders on these two routes will receive the mandatory free transfer so they can use the North Shore Connector in order to continue their travel downtown.