Gillig Advantage 6325

Location: Stanwix Street at Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA
Operator of Vehicle: Port Authority of Allegheny County
Date of Photo: December 1, 2019

You’ve probably heard this before, but we are supposed to be preparing for a holiday season like no other this year.  However, a number of transit agencies are planning to go ahead with celebrating the Christmas season this year as they usually do or with some modifications in place.  For example, the CTA Holiday Train and CTA Holiday Bus will operate in Chicago but without passengers.  MDOT MTA’s Holiday Bus will be operating as usual, and per tradition, anyone who manages to catch it will get a free ride.  However, some traditions are on pause this year, such as the New York City Transit’s operation of its vintage train along 6th Avenue.  

In Pittsburgh, the Port Authority of Allegheny County has had a custom of decorating several buses for Christmas (and occasionally for other holidays as well), and one of those decorated buses is featured here.  The wreath and candy canes on the bike rack and the reindeer horns on the rear view mirrors aren’t the only decorations, the rear of the bus and the interior are decked out as well (see below).  However, it appears Pittsburgh’s holiday custom is among those that will not be observed this year.

Do you have any favorite holiday traditions that are observed by a specific transit agency?  Share them in the comments below.

For more photos of Port Authority of Allegheny County buses, please click here.