Going Green

Public transit is inherently good for the environment. But we don't stop there.

PRT's Climate Action Plan

In April 2024, PRT released it's first climate Action Plan. The Climate Action Plan is the agency's roadmap to a zero-emissions future, and a tool for seeking new funding to complete the journey.

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Our Green Mission

We're committed to sustainable measures that help the environment and encourage both transit use and intermodal commuting, like walking or biking.

Sustainability is part of daily business to enhance regional quality of life by:

Reducing car trips by carrying more riders
Supporting smart regional growth
Fostering transit-oriented development and improved transit access
Designing and building greener projects
Operating fleets and facilities more efficiently

Public transit has been green before "green" was a buzzword.

According to the American Public Transportation Association, Pittsburghers who use public transit save an average of $9,717 annually.
Public transportation use in the U.S saves 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline each year.
In 2011, public transit use saved 865 million hours in travel time and 450 million gallons of fuel in 498 urban areas.
Public transportation use in the U.S reduces our nation’s carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons annually.
Households near public transit drive an average of 4,400 fewer miles than households with no access to public transit.

Electric Buses

Battery-electric buses produce no greenhouse gas emissions, keeping the air we breath free of pollutants.

In 2022, we set a goal to have a zero-emissions fleet by 2045, and we are well on our way. We currently have eight zero-emissions battery-electric buses, and plan to increase our replacement of diesel buses beginning in 2025. After 2032, our agency will only purchase zero-emissions buses.

The transition to a zero-emissions fleet will include retrofitting each of our four bus garages and maintenance facility, and training bus operators and mechanics on the new technology. Our key partners at Duquesne Light Company provided the highpowered charging infrastructure to support the first eight electric buses at our East Liberty garage.

While we plan to continue to deploy battery-electric buses in the initial years of the transition, we will also continue to evaluate developments in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and other technologies to ensure we're purchasing the newest, smartest technology as advancements develop in this rapidly evolving field. This also gives us time to install corresponding infrastructure as well as train our workforce on operating and maintaining this technology.

Hybrid Buses

We have three of the original 32 hybrid diesel-electric buses in our fleet. Compared to diesel buses, hybrid buses produce fewer emissions of nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide. On average, hybrid buses attain 25 percent greater fuel mileage and achieve better acceleration than diesel buses.

Clean Diesel

Since 1991, we have reduced particulate matter emissions by 96% and nitrogen oxides by 81% by continually purchasing the cleanest burning diesel fuel and engine technology.
In April 2005, we began using ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) and went system-wide with ULSD in October 2007 as required by law.
Since 2009, we have been using a bio-diesel fuel blend in its buses that became state mandated on May 1, 2010.

Bikes on Transit

All our buses are equipped with bike racks to encourage bike-to-bus commutes, and riders can bring their bikes on board the light rail system and inclines.

Getting Connected

ConnectCards greatly reduce the amount of paper used to print passes and tickets.

Mobile Ticketing

We've begun rolling out a fare payment system you can use directly from your smartphone. Mobile ticketing is currently available for Apple and Android devices and Every bus, rail car, and both inclines in our system are equipped with mobile ticket validators.