Carrick & surrounding neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, PA are served by multiple bus routes, most importantly the 51-Carrick bus.
51-Carrick operates from downtown Pittsburgh to Station Square, the South Side & South Side Slopes, Mt Oliver Borough, Bon Air, Carrick, Brentwood Borough, Baldwin & West Mifflin.
The 51L is the Carrick Limited, which provides express service from downtown Pittsburgh to Station Square, Mt Oliver, Bon Air & Carrick, ending at the Brentwood Loop.
The 51 & 51L travel along Brownsville Road frequently through the day – every five to ten minutes on the way to work in the morning & on the way home, 6 times an hour mid days, & about every half hour in the evening. Weekends & holidays, buses run two to three times an hour. For the most up to information on bus service, download the 51/51L bus schedule from Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT).
Drivers make stops only at official bus stops, which are marked.
Fares are paid by exact change only or ConnectCard, a reusable plastic card that can be purchased at PRT’s Downtown Service Center, Giant Eagle locations & other stores.
Schedule times & bus stops can change. PRT adjusts schedules four times yearly based on passenger counts, feedback from operators, riders & communities, & other information.
Public buses are operated by PRT, which is owned by the county, funded by taxpayers and riders, and overseen by a board of directors that is appointed by the County Executive and approved by County Council. The public agency operates nearly 100 bus routes that have more than 7,000 stops.
History
In the early 2010s, the Port Authority of Allegheny County, was is what PRT was called until 2022, cut local bus service.
In the mid-2010s, the Port Authority added buses to the 51-Carrick & 51L-Carrick routes when ridership was highest, reducing overcrowding during those hours & allowing people to get on the bus more quickly. Weekend service was increased. The improvements were due to higher funding from Pennsylvania’s Act 89, the Comprehensive Transportation Funding Plan. The changes increased on-time arrivals.
In the late 2010s, the Port Authority eliminated stops on 51-Carrick that were considered dangerous, unpopular or redundant. The changes were part of a Port Authority goal of improving its on-time performance.
During the coronavirus pandemic of 2020/2021, the Port Authority implemented a host of measures. Later, buses returned to regular service, front-door boarding resumed & cash fares were collected.
In 2022, Port Authority renamed itself Pittsburgh Regional Transit.