Out of 1,000 buses, a few “slip through the cracks”

Several riders board a 61C bound for Pittsburgh on a warm and sunny day. An elderly man… Several riders board a 61C bound for Pittsburgh on a warm and sunny day. An elderly man stumbles as he makes his way to a set of seats, only to find one seat caved in and the other falling off its springs. Another passenger shifts, complaining about the spring that seems to be stabbing her in the thigh. After leaning against a window, she quickly sits upright again when the window that doubles as an emergency exit flies open. It continues to bang against its frame for the remainder of the ride.

Several hours later, another group of people board a bus, this time outbound from Oakland. It is rush hour, meaning the bus is so crowded that people are nearly sitting in one another’s laps. When the bus clears out in Squirrel Hill, almost every passenger finds a seat and begins to relax. The seats are in good condition: plush, yet firm. The interior of the bus resembles a tour bus, with individual lights and air blowers at virtually every seat.

This dichotomy is not rare for Port Authority buses. Though the transit system has approximately 1,000 buses in service and is in the process of obtaining 71 new ones, Port Authority spokesperson Bob Grove admits that some of the buses may “slip through the cracks.”

“We do everything that we can,” he said. “We have the choice to take a bus out of service to fix one seat, or to let it out on the road.”

He said each bus is checked daily for serious malfunctions and most small repairs, such as refastening a seat, can be completed during those inspections. He added that a certain number of buses must be in service at any given time, meaning that some non-mechanical, aesthetic repairs may be postponed.

“We’re not perfect,” he added. “We try to make the process as efficient as possible.”

While buses might not all be in top condition, Port Authority is making an effort to increase the overall quality of its buses. Of the 71 buses that will soon arrive and replace several older vehicles, 65 will be new, low-floor buses and six others will use alternative fuel methods. Thanks to such replacements, Port Authority buses have an average age of less than six years, spokesperson Judi McNeil said. She added that regulations require the company to replace the buses after they have been in the fleet for 12 years or have accumulated 500,000 miles.

Aside from the problems that come with age, many of the other problems stem from mistreatment of the buses, Grove said. He encouraged riders to be more conscientious of how they behave toward the vehicles.

“Treat the buses the way you would treat your car. Take care of the space around you,” Grove said. “In a greater sense, they belong to all of us.”

Graffiti on the backs of seats and damage to the cushions create two major cosmetic problems on buses. McNeil said Port Authority has taken measures to try to make the newer vehicles less easy to damage. New buses will most likely not have thick cushions, which are easy to rip and tear away from the seat. Grove said such measures make it easier to keep the buses in good condition.

“Don’t abuse them or leave litter or trash,” he added. “It makes it easier for our maintenance folks, and it means cleaner buses for everyone.”

The condition of the buses can be a factor in riders’ decisions of which buses to take. Senior Jamie Cola said her decision to ride depends on the condition of the bus and where she’s going. She likes to avoid the older buses, she added.

Other students have a similar mindset. Junior Nick DeLongis said he isn’t a fan of the older buses, either.

“The older ones are falling apart,” he added. “The seat cushions are falling off and everything. But, yeah, if two 71Cs are coming past and one is old and one is new, I’ll definitely get on the newer one.”