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Complaints
This profile includes complaints for Pittsburgh Regional Transit's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 30 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 10 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
If you've experienced an issue
Submit a ComplaintThe complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.
Initial Complaint
Date:07/22/2023
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
There is no Ac no service running at scheduled time stuck in the middle of no where having to pay 58 dollars a night to get home with lyft or Uber.. half blind and you say to look on twitter for any schedule interruptions I don’t have twitter and don’t want to download it why not post it on your website???? I pay 25 dollars a week to get to and from work and your not supplying the issues it’s not my fault that your co workers call off why should I have to pay the extra to get to home your taking advantage of the people who rely on your services not to mention your trolley operators have no customer service experience at all they are disrespectful and when it’s raining they take off and people slip all on the floor they should be waiting till the patron is seated and safe this is bull and I will be seeking some answers on this because it’s unacceptable how is this you operating on a already fare system hahahaBusiness Response
Date: 08/11/2023
Dear *** ******:
Please allow this correspondence to serve as Port Authority of Allegheny County d/b/a
Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s (“PRT’s”) response to the complaint filed with the Better Business
Bureau by a customer on or about July 22, 2023.The complaint as it relates to PRT states the following:
There is no Ac no service running at scheduled time stuck in the middle of
no where having to pay 58 dollars a night to get home with lyft or Uber..
half blind and you say to look on twitter for any schedule interruptions I
don’t have twitter and don’t want to download it why not post it on your
website???? I pay 25 dollars a week to get to and from work and your not
supplying the issues it’s not my fault that your co workers call off why
should I have to pay the extra to get to home your taking advantage of the
people who rely on your services not to mention your trolley operators have
no customer service experience at all they are disrespectful and when it’s
raining they take off and people slip all on the floor they should be waiting
till the patron is seated and safe this is bull and I will be seeking some
answers on this because it’s unacceptable how is this you operating on a
already fare system hahaha.Upon receipt of the notice of the complaint from the Better Business Bureau, PRT
investigated the circumstances of the customer’s contacts with PRT.Below are the findings of PRT’s investigation:
PRT’s Customer Service Department conducted a search of its records and located a record
of a call from a ****** ***** on July 17, 2023. To summarize, the caller relayed similar issues as
those alleged by this complaint (i.e., the customer allegedly incurred unnecessary expenses for
alternative transportation because of service outages of the silver line of PRT’s Light Rail Train).
The caller did not address some of the other issues raised by this complaint: the customer’s desire
for PRT to use alternative methods to distribute service outage information; the asserted air
conditioning issues; or issues with operator decorum.Neither this complaint nor the customer’s call on July 17, 2023, contained sufficient
information for PRT’s Operations Department to identify the out-of-service LRV Car or the
operator alleged to be disrespectful, and thus PRT is unable to address the specifics of the
customer’s concerns.Nevertheless, PRT investigated the complaint and the call to the extent permitted given the
provided information and its response is below:The complaint raised the customer’s desire for PRT to use alternative methods to distribute
information on service outages (currently PRT’s Twitter account is the exclusive method). PRT
thanks you for this suggestion and will consider it; however, please note that Twitter currently is
a cost-free service and downloading the app to follow PRT may enable the customer to avoid
considerable expense.The complaint raised the issue of allegedly defective air-conditioning. Please note that it
is PRT’s practice to fix any problems with its rail cars’ air-conditioning systems as soon as
possible. Generally, PRT fixes these issues before a rail-car is put into service for the day;
however, if these issues manifest during the rail-car’s service day PRT will not interrupt service,
but rather will address the issue at the end of the rail-car’s service day.The complaint also raised issues with the customer’s treatment by PRT’s operator. Please
note that PRT frequently requires operators to undergo training to better interact with customers,
and will continue to strive to maintain its high standards of customer service in general.The July 17, 2023, call noted that the customer was complaining about the silver line, so
PRT investigated the call to the extent permitted by the provided information.PRT was able to investigate service outages of the silver line and found that there were no
documented service outages of the silver line on the date of the customer’s complaint (July 17,
2023).PRT has investigated the complaint and regrets that the customer was unable to utilize
PRT’s bus service as intended.Very truly yours,
Eric *. M****, Esquire
Initial Complaint
Date:06/22/2023
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I got on the 28x Around 11:00 I Ride this Bus Every Now and Then But I Know The Stops So We ride pass the Sheraden station and the bus driver stops lets people on/off etc
I Pull the Line for the EXACT NEXT STOP (Ingram Station Stop B) I Get Up and Wait for her to Stop and She keeps Going So I Ask Hey Wasn’t that the in-gram stop? She Says And I Quote “ We Dont Stop there this is an Expressway.. I Said Well Its Literally On the screen That shows the stops on the bus she Says “No its not” I Back Up to Look Sure enough it is still there changing to the next-stop.. Then she claims she’s met me before and Supposedly told me last time they don't stop there Ive never met or seen the lady in my life.. She was extremely belligerent and aggressive for her to be wrong.. I Had to walk In extra 20 minutes To work because of her not knowing her routes.. I Called the port authority ** ***** ******** around 11:26 and Asked If This was true that they did not have to stop at this station.. and the lady who was extremely nice told me that they do have a bus that doesn’t stop there at a certain time and once I explained to her what time I was on the bus she goes on to tell me that the bus was indeed supposed to stop at INGRAM STATION STOP B So this complaint is for anybody who may see this Be Careful and make sure your bus driver knows when and where to stop or you could potentially end up in the same situation as me with a belligerent bus driver who doesn’t know what she’s doingBusiness Response
Date: 07/13/2023
Please allow this correspondence to serve as Port Authority of Allegheny County d/b/a
Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s (“PRT’s”) response to the complaint filed with the Better Business
Bureau by a customer on or about June 22, 2023.
The complaint as it relates to PRT states the following:
I got on the 28x Around 11:00 I Ride this Bus Every Now and Then But I
Know The Stops So We ride pass the Sheraden station and the bus driver
stops lets people on/off etc I Pull the Line for the EXACT NEXT STOP
(Ingram Station Stop B) I Get Up and Wait for her to Stop and She keeps
Going So I Ask Hey Wasn’t that the in-gram stop? She Says And I Quote “
We Dont Stop there this is an Expressway.. I Said Well Its Literally On the
screen That shows the stops on the bus she Says “No its not” I Back Up to
Look Sure enough it is still there changing to the next-stop.. Then she claims
she’s met me before and Supposedly told me last time they don't stop there
Ive never met or seen the lady in my life.. She was extremely belligerent and
aggressive for her to be wrong.. I Had to walk In extra 20 minutes To work
because of her not knowing her routes.. I Called the port authority ** *****
********around 11:26 and Asked If This was true that they did not have
to stop at this station.. and the lady who was extremely nice told me that
they do have a bus that doesn’t stop there at a certain time and once I
explained to her what time I was on the bus she goes on to tell me that the
bus was indeed supposed to stop at INGRAM STATION STOP B So this
complaint is for anybody who may see this Be Careful and make sure your
bus driver knows when and where to stop or you could potentially end up
in the same situation as me with a belligerent bus driver who doesn’t know
what she’s doing.
Upon receipt of the notice of the complaint from the Better Business Bureau, PRT
investigated the circumstances of the customer’s contacts with PRT. Below are the findings of
PRT’s investigation:
The PRT Customer Service Department conducted a search of its records and did not find
any records of a call from ************ (the number listed on this complaint), or any complaint
filed with the Customer Service Department submitted anonymously discussing the same
circumstances as this complaint.
PRT’s Customer Service Department’s search of its records did reveal a recording of a call
from **** ***** originating from the phone number ************, about substantially similar
circumstances as contained in this complaint. To summarize the phone call, the caller noted that:
they rode an outbound 28X Airport Flyer bus, the 28X Airport Flyer bus stopped at the Sheraden
Station, the caller prompted the 28X Airport Flyer bus operator to stop at the Ingram Station, and
the 28X Airport Flyer bus operator refused to stop. The customer service representative’s
statements in the call also corresponded to those made in this complaint.
In response to this complaint, PRT’s Operations Management Personnel then investigated
to determine whether the outbound 28X Airport Flyer bus operator’s refusal to stop at the
customer’s desired destination on the West Busway violated PRT policy. PRT Operations
Management Personnel found that existing policy explicitly restricts outbound 28X Airport Flyer
bus operators from stopping at the Ingram Station to discharge a passenger (an outbound 28X
Airport Flyer bus operator may only stop to pick-up passengers rather than discharge them).
Notice of this policy is advertised to the public through physical handbills containing the route
schedule (a sample physical handbill containing the route schedule for the 28X Airport Flyer bus
is attached as Attachment “A”) and on online route schedules (a copy of the online route schedule
for the 28X Airport Flyer bus can be found at ************************************, and is
attached as Attachment “B”). Publicly available, physical handbills containing the route schedule
for the 28X Airport Flyer bus and the online route schedule for the 28X Airport Flyer bus have
communicated PRT’s policy on this policy to the public for several years.
PRT appreciates the customer’s interest in promoting PRT’s provision of its services;
however, in this situation the 28X Airport Flyer bus operator could not stop to discharge the
customer at their desired stop because PRT policy explicitly forbids it. To the extent the customer
observed the outbound 28X Airport Flyer bus operator making stops elsewhere on the West
Busway it was likely to accommodate the pick-up of new passengers which is permitted by PRT
policy, rather than to discharge them. To the extent communications with PRT staff confused the
customer about whether the outbound 28X Airport Flyer bus operator was required to stop under
the circumstances of this complaint, PRT reiterates that a stop on the outbound West Busway
solely for purposes of discharging a passenger was and is explicitly forbidden.
PRT has investigated the complaint and regrets that the customer was unable to utilize
PRT’s bus service as intended.Very truly yours,
Eric *. M****, EsquireInitial Complaint
Date:06/06/2023
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I literally had a 79 bus driver drive past me while I’m standing at the stop literally jumping up and down for them to stop. They didn’t even make an attempt at slowing down to let me catch the bus. Literally just kept driving around the corner. This bus is always so unreliable and whoever this driver was has largely inconvenienced me because I made it a point to be in that bus because I had somewhere to be and there was no reason for them to keep driving. I waved my hand, basically stood as close as I could without standing in front of the bus, and literally jumped. And they kept driving. This is unprofessional and ridiculous behavior when so many people in the city rely on public transportation. I’m literally now stranded as a result of this because my pass expired and I won’t have a new one until tomorrow. I have no desire whatsoever for any compensation. Just want to inform you on the types of people driving these buses and their behavior.
This incident occurred for the 9:30-9:40 79 East Hills bus at one of the stops along Mark Drive.Business Response
Date: 06/26/2023
Dear *** ******:
Please allow this correspondence to serve as Port Authority of Allegheny County d/b/a
Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s (“PRT’s”) response to the complaint filed with the Better Business
Bureau by a customer on or about June 6, 2023.The complaint as it relates to PRT states the following:
I literally had a 79 bus driver drive past me while I’m standing at the stop
literally jumping up and down for them to stop. They didn’t even make an
attempt at slowing down to let me catch the bus. Literally just kept driving
around the corner. This bus is always so unreliable and whoever this driver
was has largely inconvenienced me because I made it a point to be in that
bus because I had somewhere to be and there was no reason for them to
keep driving. I waved my hand, basically stood as close as I could without
standing in front of the bus, and literally jumped. And they kept driving.
This is unprofessional and ridiculous behavior when so many people in the
city rely on public transportation. I’m literally now stranded as a result of
this because my pass expired and I won’t have a new one until tomorrow. I
have no desire whatsoever for any compensation. Just want to inform you
on the types of people driving these buses and their behavior. This incident
occurred for the 9:30-9:40 79 East Hills bus at one of the stops along Mark
Drive.Upon receipt of the notice of the complaint from the Better Business Bureau, PRT
conducted an investigation into the circumstances of the customer’s contacts with PRT. Below are
PRT’s findings:PRT’s Customer Service Department has no record of a contact from the customer
regarding the matters complained of in the BBB complaint.PRT’s Operations Management Personnel investigated the circumstances of the customer’s
complaint. It was determined that on June 6, 2023, Bus # **** was assigned to run the 79 Route
at the time indicated in the customer’s complaint. Video obtained via surveillance cameras
positioned on Bus # **** was reviewed and the following is noted:Video from the bus’s forward facing camera as it proceeds along Mark Drive, a two-lane
residential street with on-street parking, reveals no indication of the customer’s presence at the bus
stop upon the bus’s approach. (Photo Attachments – Page 1). As the bus then navigates around
cars parked on the left side of the road, the customer’s presence is barely indicated on the far right
side of the camera’s view. A figure can be seen at the end of a driveway but appears to be adorned
in dark clothing. (Photo Attachments – Page 2). As the bus passes the bus stop, the bus is
navigating to the left of another car parked on the right side of the road directly beyond the bus
stop and the customer is more discernible in the video. But the customer’s claimed attempts to hail
the bus by stepping out, jumping, and hand waving are not at all visible from the camera’s view.
(Photo Attachments – Page 3).It should be noted that the photos produced in the Photo Attachments were obtained via an
externally mounted camera that generally captures more than a bus operator can see from their seat
inside the vehicle. Additionally, glare from the windshield may further impact the bus operator’s
visibility during nighttime driving. It is likely in this case that the customer was completely outside
of the bus operator’s view as the operator’s focus shifted to contend with other competing
obstacles.PRT appreciates the customer’s interest in promoting the safety and efficiency of its
services; however, in this situation the bus operator’s ability to serve the customer was
significantly hindered by the nighttime lighting conditions, the customer’s dark clothing, and other
environmental conditions.The customer is advised in the future that a call to PRT’s Customer Service Department
(************ – Weekdays 6 a.m. – 7 p.m.; weekends and holidays 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) is the best
resource to address issues with bus service in a timely manner.PRT has investigated the complaint and regrets that the customer was unable to utilize
PRT’s bus service as intended.Very truly yours,
Eric *. M****, Esquire
Initial Complaint
Date:05/22/2023
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I purchased a bus pass for $25. I had a bus cancel 2 days ago that I needed to be on. I had to walk to gwt my daughter cause thr next one never came. I let it go. Today, they canceled the bus AGAIN. I had to walk to get my daughter. Then, they canceled the bus I needed to get to work. I called in to work saying I would be late, then the next bus was cancelled. I had to call an uber for $20. I called to get a refund, and Angie refused. I explained that I am paying for a service that wasn't provided. Now I have to oay more out of pocket because they didn't provide the service I paid for. They didn't care. I screenshotted the busses I needed that were cancelled.Business Response
Date: 06/08/2023
Dear *** ******:
P*ease a**ow this correspondence to serve as Port Authority of A**egheny County d/b/a
Pittsburgh Regiona* Transit’s (“PRT’s”) response to the comp*aint fi*ed with the Better Business
Bureau by a customer on or about May 22, 2023.The comp*aint as it re*ates to PRT states the fo**owing:
“Customer’s Statement of the Prob*em:
I purchased a bus pass for $25. I had a bus cance* 2 days [5/20/23] ago that I
needed to be on. I had to wa*k to g[e]t my daughter cause th[e] next one never
came. I *et it go. Today [5/22/23], they cance*ed the bus AGAIN. I had to wa*k
to get my daughter. Then, they cance*ed the bus I needed to get to work. I ca**ed
in to work saying I wou*d be *ate, then the next bus was cance**ed. I had to ca**
an uber for $20. I ca**ed to get a refund, and Angie refused. I exp*ained that I
am paying for a service that wasn't provided. Now I have to [p]ay more out of
pocket because they didn't provide the service I paid for. They didn't care. I
screenshotted the busses I needed that were cance**ed.Upon receipt of the notice of the comp*aint from the Better Business Bureau, PRT
conducted an investigation into the circumstances of the customer’s contacts with PRT. Be*ow arePRT’s Customer Service Department conducted a search of its records for comp*aints or
comments by the comp*aining customer. PRT’s customer service records indicate that on May 22,
2023, the customer submitted a written comment via PRT’s webpage at 3:10 p.m. as fo**ows:Detai*s: The 2:51 pm bus was cance**ed. This is the 2nd time this week that
my bus was cance**ed. I pay $25 a week for a bus pass that I can't use.
Because of these cance**ed busses I was *ate getting my daughter and wi**
have to pay an uber to get to work. I want my $25 refunded. I cou*dn't use
it because these busses keep cance*ing! *** Customer Website Detai*s: ***
FO**OW UP METHOD: Emai* ROUTE: 16 Brighton VEHIC*E: n/a
DATE/TIME: 2:51 pm Monday May 22, 2023PRT’s customer service records further indicate that at approximate*y 4:14 p.m. on May
22, 2023, the customer spoke to a PRT customer service representative, and the customer requested
a fu** refund of the $25.00 week*y (7 day) pass. But because the pass had a*ready been used, PRT’s
customer service representative offered the customer a day pass rather than a fu** refund of the
week*y pass. The customer dec*ined the offer and insisted on a fu** refund for the week*y pass. The
ca** ended without reso*ution.PRT has no record of any contacts by the customer re*ating to a May 20, 2023, comp*aint.
In summary, PRT du*y investigated the customer’s May 22, 2023, comp*aint and offered a
reasonab*e reso*ution under the circumstances. The customer dec*ined the offer.PRT regrets that due to continued *abor shortage cha**enges that PRT and transit agencies
across the country are facing post-pandemic, there are at times, insufficient personne* to staff a**
current*y schedu*ed bus routes. PRT staff continues to work di*igent*y to ensure the same route
does not get cance**ed mu*tip*e times in the same week whi*e striving to adequate*y meet its
staffing needs and to return PRT’s out of service hours to their historica**y very minima* prepandemic *eve*s.Very tru*y yours,
Robert *. M****
Initial Complaint
Date:04/16/2023
Type:Customer Service IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Took the 71A bus on April 16, 2023 from Oakland to Shadyside. The bus driver was extremely rude and disrespectful to the girl who got off on the stop in front of us, and to us as well. When the girl in front of us requested her stop, the bus driver asked if the girl got on in Oakland. She didn’t hear her and asked her to repeat. The bus driver raise her voice unnecessarily loud and rudely asked the girl if she got on in Oakland. When the girl said yes, the bus driver got mad and asked why she didn’t get on 71C (the bus in front of us.) Then, we requested a stop soon after and she screamed “Are you serious?” and proceeded to complain about the people getting onto her bus instead of the one in front. There were not many people in the bus at all (less than 10).Business Response
Date: 04/26/2023
Please allow this correspondence to serve as Port Authority of Allegheny County d/b/a
Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s (“PRT’s”) response to the complaint filed with the Better Business
Bureau by a customer on or about April 16, 2023.The complaint as it relates to PRT states the following:
“Customer’s Statement of the Problem:
Took the 71A bus on April 16, 2023 from Oakland to Shadyside. The bus
driver was extremely rude and disrespectful to the girl who got off on the
stop in front of us, and to us as well. When the girl in front of us requested
her stop, the bus driver asked if the girl got on in Oakland. She didn’t hear
her and asked her to repeat. The bus driver raise [sic] her voice
unnecessarily loud [sic] and rudely asked the girl if she got on in Oakland.
When the girl said yes, the bus driver got mad and asked why she didn’t get
on 71C (the bus in front of us.) Then, we requested a stop soon after and
she screamed “Are you serious?” and proceeded to complain about the
people getting onto her bus instead of the one in front. There were not many
people in the bus at all (less than 10).”
Upon receipt of the notice of the complaint from the Better Business Bureau, PRT
conducted an investigation into the circumstances of the customer’s contact with PRT on the
alleged incident date. Below are PRT’s findings:PRT’s Customer Service Department conducted a search of its records for complaints or
comments by the complaining customer and for anonymous complaints that are similar to the
complaint made to the Better Business Bureau. The Customer Service Department located no such
records. PRT Road Operations Management Personnel also confirmed that no such complaints
were received by the facility where the 71A buses are garaged.Unfortunately, due to a lack of information PRT is unable to more thoroughly investigate
and confirm the substance of this complaint. The customer should be advised that if they observe
operator rudeness or improper behavior in the future, to obtain and provide not only the route
number, but also the bus number, the time of day, and the four-digit operator identification number
(on their uniform) if possible. Also, a timely call to PRT’s Customer Service Department *****
********– Weekdays 6 a.m. – 7 p.m.; weekends and holidays 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) is the best
resource to provide this information and have it forwarded to relevant PRT Operations
management for further timely investigation. This will help ensure that any such behavior is
properly addressed.It should also be noted that PRT Bus and Rail Operators undergo Crisis Awareness and
Customer Experience training that emphasizes maintaining a professional and respectful
demeanor, resisting triggers caused by customer behaviors, and situational coping strategies. In
addition, new Operators are trained extensively on customer relations during their 10-week
training period and PRT has numerous standard operating procedures in place to provide guidance
with respect to proper techniques to address passenger relations.In summary, PRT duly investigated but due to a lack of sufficient identifying information
is unable to confirm the substance of the customer’s complaint.Very truly yours,
/s/ Robert *. M****Initial Complaint
Date:04/01/2023
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Tuesday March 28, 2023 I was standing at the bus stop on Clairton Blvd across from the McDonalds attempting attempting to take the Y46 bus outbound around 11:30 am & when it came the number was 6247. There was a lady getting on before me so I was throwing something away and when I turned to get on the bus the driver started driving away. I was banging on the window while running with the bus and someone on the bus must have alerted him to it b/c he stopped so I started running faster thinking he was stopping for me, but he just drove off again. I immediately called customer service & the 1rst agent hung up on me! Pittsburgh is a really small town and Pittsburgh regional transit targets people if they think you have money to spend. It cost $2.75 to ride the bus for 3 hours and if they know you have disposable income the drivers will pass you up because they know if you have to wait on the next bus your 3 hour window will expire sooner and then you have to pay another $2.75. If your out here wearing nice clothes and nice shoes riding the bus is like highway robbery.Business Response
Date: 04/19/2023
Upon receipt of the notice of the complaint from the Better Business Bureau and as it has
done with all prior complaints submitted to the BBB by this complainant, PRT conducted an
investigation into the circumstances of the customer’s contact with PRT on the alleged incident
date. Below are PRT’s findings:PRT’s Customer Service Department records indicate that a complaint was received from
the customer on March 28, 2023, at 11:42 a.m. regarding the Y46 Elizabeth Flyer outbound due at
11:26 a.m. at the Monro Muffler at Hwy Route 51. The customer complained that they were trying
to board the bus and turned around to throw something in the garbage can. When the customer did
that, the driver shut the doors and proceeded to pull off without the customer. The customer ran
alongside the bus, but the bus sped up leaving the customer at the stop.The Customer Service Department then referred the complaint to the Director of Service
Delivery at the facility where the bus is garaged for investigation. The Operator stated that when
the bus approached the stop, there were two (2) people there, and they both boarded the bus. The
customer was nowhere near the bus stop. The Operator further stated that the customer did board
the bus on the return trip inbound, and the customer accosted him and told him he passed the
customer up. The customer then threatened the Operator that the customer was coming after him.
The Operator told the customer that he did not hear anyone pounding on the door. The Operator
further stated that when the customer was dropped off in downtown Pittsburgh, the customer stood
on the corner and gave him the middle finger.A review of the bus video from Bus #6247 from the day of the incident was then conducted.
The bus video reveals that upon approaching the bus stop at the traffic light on Hwy Route 51 at
Monro Muffler, there were two (2) patrons at the stop waiting for the bus. The customer was not
one of them. The bus proceeds to pull up to the bus stop, and the two (2) patrons board the bus.
The bus closes its front door at 11:26:31 a.m. (See attached PDF bus video screen shot pages 1-4),
and the bus begins to pull away from the stop. The complaining customer does not appear in any
camera view until 11:26:32 a.m. when a person comes from behind the bus onto the curb (See
attached PDF bus video screen shot pages 5-7) and begins following the bus as it is pulling away
from the stop and proceeding through the intersection.On the return trip inbound, the customer boarded the bus at 12:55:13 p.m. whereupon the
customer animatedly berated the Operator while standing at the front of the bus (See attached PDF
bus video screen shot pages 8-13) and then continued for several minutes more from the back of
the bus. The customer returned to the front of the bus repeatedly to further the admonition of the
Operator during the trip. (See attached PDF bus video screen shot pages 14-20).As the customer prepared to leave the bus on Sixth Avenue at the Oliver Building in
Downtown Pittsburgh, the customer came to the front of the bus and again had animated words
for the Operator (See attached PDF bus video screen shot pages 21-22), and, once the customer
left the bus and walked to the corner of Smithfield Street, the customer can be seen displaying
what appear to be obscene hand gestures to the Operator as the bus passes by. (See attached PDF
bus video screen shot pages 23-25).With respect to the customer’s accusation that PRT Operators somehow target customers
they think have money to spend and therefore pass them up so that they have to spend more money
on fares is false and without any basis in fact. As demonstrated by the bus video, the Operator
could not have known that the customer was intending to catch the bus since the customer was not
at the bus stop or even in the view of the Operator as the bus approached the stop. If the Operator
did not know the customer was intending to catch the bus, how could they make such a
determination that by passing them by they would have to pay more in fares? Moreover, how could
the Operator possibly know what fare instrument (of the several different types available to riders,
including period-based passes, free and/or reduced fare passes) a particular customer intended to
use to pay their fare?In summary, PRT duly investigated and confirmed that on March 28, 2023, the
complaining customer was not present at the bus stop when Bus #6247 arrived and boarded two
(2) other patrons. A person (presumably the complaining customer) can thereafter be seen from
the curbside camera view coming from behind the bus onto the sidewalk, but the bus had already
pulled away from the bus stop at that point. It was also confirmed that the customer repeatedly
berated the Operator during the return inbound trip, and, once the customer left the bus, stood on
the corner and displayed what appear to be obscene hand gestures to the Operator as the bus passed
by. Lastly, the customer’s accusation as to the intent of PRT to commit “highway robbery” to the
customer because they wear nice clothes and shoes is demonstrably unfounded.Very truly yours,
Robert *. M****
Customer Answer
Date: 04/20/2023
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 19883611, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Like I said I stepped away to throw something away from the trash so that’s why you didn’t see me at the bus but their should DEFINITELY be a picture of me standing next to the bus at that intersection. That white truck in the background was filming me crying. Port authority lies 1st complaint ******** the p78 changed its banner to pass me up and port authority lied and said the bus never came. Then complaint ******** port authority never answered. Then complaint ******** when the p78 went totally off route to leave me at the bus stop standing in the hot sun for hours. Then complaint ******** the p78 wouldn’t let me off the bus at the bus stop I alerted the driver I wanted to g we off at. Port authority has established a pattern of bad behavior towards me that never gets addressed. After all these complaints about port authority going off route to avoid me leaving me standing in the hot sun, the bus changing the banner so I couldn’t board the bus so the Pgh police could come search the area when the busway is governed by port authority police NOT PITTSBURGH POLICE, then buses not letting me off at my stop so I purposely miss my connecting bus you would be pissed off too. ITS ALWAYS ME EVERYTIME! I can not repeat enough Pittsburgh post authority lies and have all the documentation from every encounter to prove it, they 100% rob patrons who dress nicely!
Regards,
**** *****Initial Complaint
Date:11/02/2022
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
November 1, 2022 I attempted to take the p78 inbound at ****** and ******* that was scheduled at 8:18 am and it came at 8:15 am. I know for a fact the buses are not allowed to come early and there is a school bus driver shortage.This young lady school bus didn’t show up so she was trying to take this city bus and because it came early she couldn’t make it to school on time. I made a complaint ***** and I also included a screen shot of me calling port authority customer service at 8:16 am proving that it came way too early. Then today November 2 I took the p78 inbound bus 6548 at 7:57 am to negley station on the east busway which has a lot of construction but is still operational AND THE DRIVER REFUSED TO LET ME AND ANOTHER PASSENGER OFF THE BUS! She said that there was no where to drop us off at so we were basically kidnapped and forced to stay on the bus till we got to Herron station. This is not right, this driver was so lazy any excuse not to have to lift a finger. My complaint for November 2 incident with port authority is *****.Business Response
Date: 11/21/2022
RE: ****** ******** ****** Complaint ID ********
**** *** ******
Please allow this correspondence to serve as Port Authority of Allegheny County d/b/a
Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s (“PRT’s”) response to the complaint filed with the Better Business
Bureau by a customer on or about November 2, 2022.
The complaint as it relates to PRT states the following regarding two (2) separate incidents,
one (1) occurring on November 1, 2022, and one (1) occurring on November 2, 2022:
“Customer's Statement of the Problem:
November 1, 2022 I attempted to take the p78 inbound at ****** and
******* that was scheduled at 8:18 am and it came at 8:15 am. I know for a
fact the buses are not allowed to come early and there is a school bus driver
shortage. This young lady school bus didn’t show up so she was trying to
take this city bus and because it came early she couldn’t make it to school
on time. I made a complaint ***** and I also included a screen shot of me
calling port authority customer service at 8:16 am proving that it came way
too early. Then today November 2 I took the p78 inbound bus 6548 at 7:57
am to negley station on the east busway which has a lot of construction but
is still operational AND THE DRIVER REFUSED TO LET ME AND
ANOTHER PASSENGER OFF THE BUS! She said that there was no where
to drop us off at so we were basically kidnapped and forced to stay on the
bus till we got to Herron station. This is not right, this driver was so lazy
any excuse not to have to lift a finger. My complaint for November 2 incident
with port authority is *****.”Upon receipt of the notice of the complaint from the ****** ******** ******, PRT
conducted investigations into the circumstances of the customer’s contacts with PRT and the two
(2) complaints. Below are PRT’s findings:With respect to the first complaint, PRT’s Customer Service Department received a call
from the customer on November 1, 2022, registering a complaint (Identifier #*****) regarding the
P78 bus that was due at the ****** at ******* stop at 8:18 a.m. that the bus had arrived two (2)
minutes early at 8:16 a.m. and as a result, the customer missed the bus at the stop. PRT’s Customer
Service Department then reviewed the bus route electronically via PRT’s Clever-CAD monitoring
system and confirmed that the bus arrived at the ****** at ******* bus stop at 8:17 a.m. in
accordance with PRT official system-wide time keeping. According to PRT Bus Service
Operational Guidelines, a bus is considered “on-time” when it arrives between one (1) minute
before and five (5) minutes after a scheduled time-stop.With respect to the second complaint, PRT’s Customer Service Department received a call
from the customer on November 2, 2022, registering a complaint (Identifier #*****) regarding the
P78 bus that she was a passenger on traveling on the East Busway. The customer complained that
the Operator would not let her off the bus where she wanted at Negley Station due to a construction
area and that she felt kidnapped.PRT’s Operations Management personnel investigated the circumstances of the complaint.
It was determined that due to safety concerns caused by fog and activity in the construction area
near Negley Station, the Operator was unable to stop and safely allow passengers to disembark at
the provisional drop off location and that the Operator proceeded to drop the customer off at the
next station which was the first available safe place to alight from.In summary, PRT’s Customer Service Department investigated and confirmed that on
November 1, 2022, the bus that would have picked up the customer at 8:18 a.m. at ****** and
******* arrived one (1) minute early which is considered “on-time” according to PRT bus service
guidelines. Regarding the customer’s second complaint of not being dropped off where she wanted
at Negley Station, the bus stopped at the next available station to allow the customer to safely
alight once the bus had cleared the construction area.Very truly yours,
/s/ Robert L. M****
Robert L. M****
cc: Mike Cetra, Esquire
Customer Answer
Date: 11/21/2022
****** ******** *******
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. If the buses are not equipped with strong enough lights to navigate thru frog, there buses are a safety hazard. The busway is very well lit there is no way she wasn’t able to let me off that bus. Then the other complaint port authority is lying because it was not only me but also a student who missed the bus. If I was at the stop at 8:16 am then I would have been able to catch the bus when it passed by at 8:27 am. I did not go home to call port authority customer service, I own a mobile phone where I can make calls from any location Im at. It’s not just me it’s the kids trying to get to school because there’s a school bus driver shortage, this company needs to get real! Their destroying my day but also kids futures!
Regards,
**** *****Initial Complaint
Date:11/01/2022
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
On 11/1/2022 I needed to get home from Penn state. The only line that I can take is the 56. I have a 2 hour commute so I rely heavily on busses being there on time. I regularly check times and schedule accordingly. The 56 consistently does not show up, or even better, will have 3 buses at once just sitting there. I have been waiting for 2 hours for a bus that was supposed to come at 8:11pm. I have watched 2 busses simply drive away from the stop, and have been looking at 2 more busses for over an hour now. I simply want to get home before the busses stop running, but the 56 is constantly missing pick ups. I have dealt with this happening far to much. Why is it that the bus I need to take decides to sit there for and hour before simply leaving without picking up anyone. It should not take 5 busses just for me to go home.Business Response
Date: 11/15/2022
Please allow this correspondence to serve as Port Authority of Allegheny County d/b/a
Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s (“PRT’s”) response to the complaint filed with the Better Business
Bureau by a customer on or about November 2, 2022.The complaint as it relates to PRT states the following:
“I rely heavily on busses being there on time. I regularly check times and
schedule accordingly. The 56 consistently does not show up, or even better,
will have 3 buses at once just sitting there. I have been waiting for 2 hours
for a bus that was supposed to come at 8:11pm. I have watched 2 busses
simply drive away from the stop, and have been looking at 2 more busses
for over an hour now. I simply want to get home before the busses stop
running, but the 56 is constantly missing pick ups. I have dealt with this
happening far to much. Why is it that the bus I need to take decides to sit
there for and hour before simply leaving without picking up anyone. It
should not take 5 busses just for me to go home.”Upon receipt of the notice of the complaint from the Better Business Bureau, PRT
conducted an investigation into the circumstances of the customer’s contacts with PRT and the
complaint. Below are PRT’s findings:Page 2
PRT’s Customer Service Department has no record of a contact from the customer
regarding the matters complained of in the BBB complaint.PRT’s Operations Management personnel investigated the circumstances of the customer’s
complaint. It was determined that on November 1, 2022, Bus # 6439 was assigned to run the 56B
Route. It was scheduled to leave the PRT division at 7:39 p.m. and arrive at the campus to start the
56B at 8:05 p.m. According to PRT trip records Bus # 6439 started the run at 8:10 p.m. (5 minutes
after scheduled departure of 8:05 p.m.), arriving at the first stop (Mathias St. at Quarry St.) with
no passengers having yet boarded according to the Automatic Passenger Counter (APC). Bus #
6439 then left the stop with 1 passenger recorded on the APC and proceeded on its route on
time. The bus ran a regular route the entire trip, arriving in downtown Pittsburgh on time with an
APC count of 12 at Fourth Avenue and Stanwix Street at 9:00 p.m. The inbound 56B is scheduled
to arrive at the first stop (Mathias St. at Quarry St.) at 8:11 p.m., 9:17 p.m., 10:20 p.m., and 11:23
p.m. every weeknight.In summary, PRT’s Operations Management investigated and determined that on
November 1, 2022, the bus that would have serviced the customer’s bus stop at 8:11 p.m. arrived
a few minutes late with no passengers on board and that it picked up 1 passenger at the customer’s
stop. The bus ran the rest of the route on time with a normal load of passengers. PRT has no
information that any of the subsequent 56B runs were late or did not provide service as scheduled.
However, it is also unclear from the complaint what efforts the customer made to identify or
inquire of the buses that were stopped or laying over as to when they would be starting a run so
that he could make sure he planned appropriately to board a bus before its departure time.PRT has investigated the complaint and regrets that the customer was unable to utilize
PRT’s bus service as intended.Initial Complaint
Date:09/02/2022
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Thursday 9/1/2022 I attempted to take the *** inbound at stop **** ******* road and ****** st scheduled at 4:17 pm. I called port authority true time to get the bus eta and it said it would pass by at true time 4:16 pm and it never came. I called port authority to make a complaint #***** and the customer service agent said that the bus went rogue choosing its own route to follow which basically bypassed every stop on laketon road. I needed to go to the grocery store and I don’t have a car so I was forced to wait at the stop until the next bus scheduled for pick up at 5:15 pm that didn’t show up till 5:27 pm, over 10 minutes late. So for over a hour and a half I had to stand in the blazing hot sun with no where to sit, no shade, nor a corner store nearby to get myself water, the whole time I thought at any moment I was gonna pass out. My port authority bus pass number is *********** and if you look up the transactions you’ll see I didn’t not get on the next bus till nearly 5:30. Port authority is completely scamming people they advertise this trustworthy service you can rely on but if a bus driver doesn’t want to follow the given route they literally follow their own path. I have made many BBB complaints against port authority including ******** and ******** and nothing is ever done. I’ve included a pic of the weather, a picture of the hot unshaded bus stop, as well as a screen shot from how long I was on the phone with customer service. Every time I complain I never get any compensation or a formal apology, it just keeps happening and it’s not right. I would have taken a $10 Uber instead of loading the non refundable $10 on my bus pass if I knew they still hadn’t made any changes, that’s what makes it really a scam because they keep taking my money but never providing the services promised!Business Response
Date: 10/07/2022
Please allow this correspondence to serve as Port Authority of Allegheny County d/b/a
Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s (“PRT’s”) response to the complaint filed with the Better Business
Bureau by a customer on or about September 2, 2022 (copy enclosed). The complaint was received
by PRT via regular mail on September 7, 2022. By email correspondence on September 20, 2022,
you were gracious enough to grant PRT’s request for an extension to respond until October 7,
2022.
The complaint as it relates to PRT states the following:
“Customer's Statement of the Problem:
Thursday 9/1/2022 I attempted to take the *** inbound at stop 7604 laketon
road and ****** st scheduled at 4:17 pm. I called port authority true time
to get the bus eta and it said it would pass by at true time 4:16 pm and it
never came. I called port authority to make a complaint #***** and the
customer service agent said that the bus went rogue choosing its own route
to follow which basically bypassed every stop on laketon road. I needed to
go to the grocery store and I don't have a car so I was forced to wait at the
stop until the next bus scheduled for pick up at 5:15 pm that didn't show up
till 5:27 pm, over 10 minutes late. So for over a hour and a half I had to
stand in the blazing hot sun with no where to sit, no shade, nor a corner
store nearby to get myself water, the whole time I thought at any moment I
was gonna pass out. My port authority bus pass number is ***********and if you look up the transactions you'll see I didn't not get on the next bus
till nearly 5:30. Port authority is completely scamming people they
advertise this trustworthy service you can rely on but if a bus driver doesn't
want to follow the given route they literally follow their own path. I have
made many BBB complaints against port authority including ******** and
******** and nothing is ever done. I've included a pie of the weather, a
picture of the hot unshaded bus stop, as well as a screen shot from how long
I was on the phone with customer service. Every time I complain I never get
any compensation or a formal apology, it just keeps happening and it's not
right. I would have taken a $10 Uber instead of loading the non refundable
$10 on my bus pass if I knew they still hadn't made any changes, that's what
makes it really a scam because they keep taking my money but never
providing the services promised!”
Upon receipt of the notice of the complaint from the Better Business Bureau, PRT
conducted an investigation into the circumstances of the customer’s contacts with PRT and the
complaint. Below are PRT’s findings:
PRT’s Customer Service Department received a call from Ms. ***** on September 1, 2022,
registering a complaint (Identifier #*****) regarding the *** bus that was due at her stop at 4:17
p.m. Ms. ***** complained that she had checked with “Port Authority’s True Time” prior to
arriving at her stop and it advised that the bus would arrive at 4:16 p.m. but that the bus never
came. PRT’s Customer Service Department then notified the garage that the *** operates from for
follow-up. It was reported back to Customer Service that Road Operations Supervisors attempted
to inquire of the assigned driver on September 8, 2022, however the Supervisor was advised that
the driver had changed job locations due to a recent regularly scheduled assignment pick.
PRT’s Operations Management personnel also investigated the circumstances of the
complaint. It was determined that the assigned Operator was required to submit to a Department
of Transportation mandated random Drug and Alcohol test that was scheduled shortly before the
trip that would have serviced Ms. *****’s bus stop at 4:17 p.m. and the Operator was unavailable
to begin the run at the scheduled time. Due to insufficient availability of Operator personnel, which
is a staffing challenge PRT and transit agencies across the country are facing post-pandemic, there
were no substitute Operators to take over the designated trip and the bus never left the garage. The
bus’s tracking software was not turned on until approximately 4:31 p.m. and does not provide real
time location data until the computer in the bus is logged in. Until the computer in the bus is logged
in, the information provided through the scheduling apps available through PRT and numerous
other third-party sources are merely scheduled times and not real time travel times. As a result, it
is possible that when Ms. ***** inquired of the “Port Authority True Time” before she went to the
bus stop that the scheduling information available was still showing that the bus was scheduled to
be on time. The information would not have been updated until the on-board computer was logged
in.
It was also determined that the bus due at Ms. *****’s bus stop at or about 5:15 p.m. was
running 10 to 12 minutes late on that run due to traffic delays caused by construction on Route 28.
In summary, PRT’s Operations Management investigated and confirmed that on
September 1, 2022, the bus that would have serviced Ms. *****’s bus stop at 4:17 p.m. did not
leave the garage due to the lack of availability of personnel because of a Department of
Transportation mandated random Drug and Alcohol test. PRT also determined that the next bus to
run the *** Route did so but was running approximately 10-12 minutes late due to construction
traffic.
PRT has investigated the complaint and regrets that Ms. ***** was unable to utilize PRT’s
bus service as previously scheduled.
Very truly yours,
Robert *. M****Customer Answer
Date: 10/08/2022
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. This is a complete lie PRT has true time tracker on the website you can see how far away the bus is. I was watching the bus tracking count down from 5 mins to 3 mins etc. so it was definitely in operation. Plus when I talked to customer service I was specifically told that this but went around laketon road, and all calls are recorded for quality assurance. Just be honest you know what happend, It really shows how much the company respects their customers to just tell a bold face lie like this and think ok case closed. THAT CALL WAS RECORDED! By the time the call was done since she was able to track it she said it was all the way at the east busway. This is not right, it’s a total scam. Rogue drivers, can’t get money back to take Uber instead, maybe I’ll tell the department of transportation, then maybe something will be done!
Regards,,
**** *****
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