| Getting To & Around Pittsburgh | |
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Pittsburgh presents the profile of a bustling metropolis but in a size and scale that's easy to grasp and maneuver. It is not exactly an urban planner's dream city, however. The hilly terrain, multitude of rivers, bridges and tunnels and winding suburban roads preclude any pretense of the traditional city grid. We just don't have city "blocks" here. Even downtown Pittsburgh is laid out in a triangle shape, as it sits right at the point where the Allegheny & Monongahela rivers meet to form the Ohio.
An easy way to orient yourself is to divide Pittsburgh into four sections: the North and South Sides and the East and West Ends, with downtown positioned conveniently right in the center of it all.
Both the North Side and South Side are divided further into the "flats," the areas which begin flat along the rivers across from downtown (the North Side is across the Allegheny and the South Side is across the Monongahela) and the "slopes," the neighborhoods which quickly sprawl up the hills which cocoon downtown Pittsburgh on the north and south.
Tucked into the nooks and crannies of the four sections are the city's 88 distinctive neighborhoods, linked by winding streets, steep stairways and even a few inclines.
Pittsburgh's
Golden Triangle
Downtown Pittsburgh occupies a compact 50-acre area bordered by Grant Street
to the east, Penn Avenue to the north and the Boulevard of the Allies to the
south. You're never more than a few blocks to your destination, and downtown
is easy to walk and nicely scaled for pedestrian enjoyment - with parks and
plazas spaced conveniently between office towers and retail corridors.
Public transportation options include the subway, inclines and bus transportation:
Subway - The 'T'
The 'T' is Pittsburgh's small but clean and safe 25.2-mile subway and light rail system. The 'T' serves downtown Pittsburgh with a three-stop loop including stops at Steel Plaza at Grant Street, Gateway Center Plaza (Liberty Avenue and Stanwix Street) and the Wood Street Station. A fourth downtown stop is planned to open at the First Avenue Parking Garage in November 2001. Underground, the music is classical, the art whimsical and travel within downtown is free. The subway will also deliver you across the river to Station Square on the South Side for a minimum a $1.00 fare. After traveling under the Monongahela River, the 'T' runs above ground along three different lines into Pittsburgh's south suburbs. Twelve stations have high-level platforms for easy access and wheelchair accessibility and 23 stops have street-level boarding.Public Bus System - PAT
Pittsburgh also offers an extensive system of bus transportation. Multiple bus routes connect downtown to cultural and other attractions on the North Side and Oakland as well as to the majority of the neighborhoods surrounding Pittsburgh. They operate under a zone fare structure where the amount of fare is based on trip length from Pittsburgh's Golden Triangle or Central Business District. Higher fares are paid for trips crossing more than one zone. Bus transportation is free within downtown Pittsburgh from 4:00AM - 7:00PM! Fares are collected as the rider boards on an inbound, or downtown-bound trip and as the rider exits the outbound or suburban-bound trip, with some exceptions. Since Port Authority operators neither carry change nor make change, riders must be prepared to pay exact fare or pay an amount in excess of the prevailing fare. Check out the Pittsburgh Port Authority Transit's Web site for zone maps, an interactive bus schedule locater, fare information, bus routes, disability access, to purchase tickets and passes, etc.Duquesne & Monongahela Inclines
Thousands of visitors each year marvel at the breathtaking view of the city of Pittsburgh while riding two of only a few remaining inclines in the country, the Monongahela ('Mon') & Duquesne Inclines. Many residents also use the inclines on a daily basis to get down to the base of Mt. Washington where they can hop a bus or the 'T' over to downtown. The Mon Incline sits across from downtown Pittsburgh at Carson Street and the historic Smithfield Street Bridge and transports people from the shops and restaurants at Station Square up to the top of Mt. Washington where more restaurants and several city overlooks await them. The Duquesne Incline, serving Pittsburgh since May 20, 1877, still transports passengers on the original incline cars with gorgeous hand-carved cherry panels and stained glass transoms. The Incline is also a working museum with historic photographs and displays of both the Incline and the City of Pittsburgh as well as pictures of other cable and rail cars from around the world.
Taxi Service is also available in the Greater Pittsburgh area. The area's two largest cab companies are Yellow Cab (412-665-8100) and People's Cab (412-681-3131). As a warning for visitors from other cities, don't expect to be able to hail a cab anytime you want. Cabs generally require a phone call to arrange for a pickup, or a walk to the nearest hotel cab stand. Cabs are also available at the Pittsburgh International Airport. Typical Fare: $1.80 drop charge/$1.40 per mile, a cab ride from Pittsburgh International Airport to downtown is about $30. Fares are subject to change without notice.
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Getting
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