The Port Authority of Allegheny website has been updated and it’s soooooo much better than the old version. The trip planner appears on the first page, and you can now buy bus passes and tickets online. I like the fact that you can buy packages of 10 tickets, so you can always have some handy on your person whenever you get stuck in a pinch or you don’t have without correct change.

I know a lot of folks rag on the bus, but I just started working downtown, and I live minutes away from a bus route that takes me directly there. It beats $15 parking anyday. And it gives me time to listen to music, read a book and generally decompress after work. I’m a bus nerd.

By the way, the tickets and passes work for the incline and trolley too. I also found these helpful guidelines to follow if you choose to Rack’n’Roll! er … take your bike on your commute:

Here are some helpful and important guidelines to follow…
• Stand by your bike at the bus stop so the driver knows you intend to board.
• Tell the driver you’ll be loading your bike.
• Remove loose items like water bottles, pumps, etc.
• Load and unload your bike from the curb or in front.
• Place the wheels in the proper slots which are clearly labeled.
• Raise and secure the support arm over the top of the tire.
• Sit near the front of the bus.
• As you approach your stop, tell the driver you’ll be unloading your bike.

Commuting to work, getting to class, or taming the urban landscape is a lot easier when you don’t have to contend with Pittsburgh’s famous traffic, steep hills, tunnels and bridges. The following bus routes, which lead to some of the most popular destinations for bikers, are equipped with easy-to-use front bike racks that can hold two bicycles (two-wheeled, non motorized bike).

11D Perrysville
21A Coraopolis
54C North-Oakland-South Side
71A Negley
77D Highland-Friendship
77F Morningside-Friendship
77G Stanton Heights-Friendship
500 Highland Park-Bellevue