Port Authority of Allegheny County history

A standard schedule style was also being initiated by 1965 utilizing the existing schedule design and scheduling method that Community Transit Service first came up with.

PAT had plans for an exact fare structure to be implemented on August 1, 1968 but a robbery where an operator was killed forced PAT to act immediately and the plan was in place on July 23, 1968, a week earlier than originally announced.

A fare increase from 30 cents to 35 cents on January 1, 1969 sent ridership dropping rapidly.

The year 1970 also saw the first of many PAT Park-N-Ride lots being established on March 30th, Federal approval of PAT's Early Action Plan on June 10th and Three Rivers Stadium service being introduced in July.

Within 2 years the ridership dropped low enough that PAT was forced to raise fares again on April 12, 1971 to 40 cents in order to get enough money to continue operating.

BCTA begins a fixed route operation with McCarter Transit as a local subcontractor in November 1982.

BCTA creates a county-wide shared-ride public transportation program called DART (Demand and Response Transit) in February 1983.

BCTA briefly sponsors passenger rail service until 1984.

BCTA assumes fixed route and shared-ride services operated by the Greater Aliquippa Transit Authority (GATA) in 1985.

BCTA receives the “Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award” in 1988 by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA); the best small transit system in North America.

BCTA completes construction of the Rochester Transportation Center (RTC) in May 1991 to house BCTA administrative office, customer service and the call center for the Shared Ride Program (DART). A bus terminal and a park ‘n ride facility are included in the construction project.

BCTA is the recipient of the Greater Pittsburgh Quality Award (Baldrige Award) in 1997 for “Significant Improvement”.

BCTA completes construction of the Regional Park and Ride in Ambridge in 1998 through a partnership with Ambridge Borough and the Port Authority of Allegheny County.

BCTA consolidates fixed route and shared-ride services under one contractor upon completion of the ETC in 2001.

BCTA restructures fixed route operations in November 2002 creating a pulse-based system with a simplified route and fare structure and added fare media; a service model still in place today.

BCTA becomes a self-operating Authority in May 2003.

BCTA receives the “Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award” in 2006 and is again named the best small transit system in North America by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

BCTA completes construction of the Rochester Roundabout project, an expanded park ‘n ride, and other facility renovations in 2011.