Pittsburgh Regional Transit was established as the Port Authority of Allegheny County by the
Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1956. The agency was initially intended to oversee port facilities in the Pittsburgh area and used the abbreviation "PAT". In 1959, the enabling legislation was amended to permit the acquisition of privately owned transit operators, including the
Pittsburgh Railways Company and 32 independent bus and
incline operations. The consolidation brought together systems with separate fare structures, labor agreements, and, in some cases, overlapping routes, at a time when ridership had declined. On April 19, 1963, the Board of Allegheny County Commissioners authorized the acquisition of these transit companies for approximately $12 million. Following the start of service, new buses were introduced to replace vehicles inherited from predecessor companies, and a unified route numbering system and fare structure were implemented. The agency undertook a broader program to consolidate and modernize operations. Most streetcar routes were converted to bus service, reflecting lower operating and maintenance costs. By the early 1970s, only a limited number of streetcar lines remained, primarily those using the
Mount Washington Transit Tunnel to reach the South Hills on private rights-of-way. In the early 1970s, the agency expanded bus service and introduced new routes, including service to
Oakland. In 1975, it assumed operation of a
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad commuter rail line to
Versailles, branded as
PATrain. Ridership increased during this period, influenced in part by the
1973 oil crisis. The
South Busway opened in 1977. The initial phase of the light rail system was completed in 1987. During the 1980s, ridership declined as fuel prices decreased and the regional population fell following the decline of the steel industry. A four-week labor strike occurred in 1992. It reopened in 2004 following reconstruction, which included full modernization and improved accessibility. An extension of the
East Busway opened in 2003. In 2012, the
North Shore Connector opened, extending light rail service under the
Allegheny River to the North Shore. By the mid-2000s, the agency faced a budget deficit and implemented service reductions in June 2007. In 2008, Allegheny County Chief Executive
Dan Onorato introduced a 10%
Allegheny County Alcoholic Beverage Tax to provide funding. Between 2007 and 2010, the Port Authority reduced expenses and increased revenue while addressing a statewide funding shortfall. In November 2010, the board approved service reductions and fare increases implemented in 2011. In 2013, the
Pennsylvania legislature enacted Act 89, providing dedicated transportation funding. In June 2022, the Port Authority of Allegheny County adopted the public-facing name Pittsburgh Regional Transit while retaining its legal name. ==Fare structure==