Coming to Pitt as a new student can feel overwhelming, especially if you are new to living in a city. While moving to a new place may seem daunting, it is also a great opportunity to explore the exciting things Pittsburgh has to offer. Since many first year students do not have access to their cars, bussing around the city is a great alternative. The Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus system can take Pitt students anywhere they want in the city for free. Despite the belief that navigating public transportation is difficult, learning the Pittsburgh bus system is a lot easier than you may think.
As a Pitt student, you are automatically given free access to ride all PRT buses. There are two ways to access the buses as a Pitt student depending on the form of ID you have. If you have a physical Pitt ID, you simply tap it on the orange card reader located next to the driver. If you have a Mobile Panther ID, you will need to download the “PRT Ready2Ride” app to your phone. Once downloaded, you will need to create an account with your Pitt username. You will then get an email from PRT Authority to verify your account. Once you’re able to get into the app, tap the “Calendar Monthly Pass” button followed by the “Activate Ticket” button. The app will display a QR code which can be used on every bus’s mobile scanner, located at the bus’ entrance.
Now that you know how to get on the bus, it’s important to learn how to navigate…