Call-prep brief · checked 2026-08-01

Port Authority of Allegheny County

Grade C · 73.4 / 100

Unchanged since 2026-07-31.

For this call: lead with the grade and the three fixes below, then confirm the feed is current and the NTD details line up. Each fix is framed as a next step, not a failure.

What changed since the last check

Correctness no change
Freshness no change
Rider experience no change
Realtime quality no change

Top three things to fix

Set wheelchair_boarding to 1 (accessible) or 2 (not accessible) for every stop. A field survey can start with the busiest stops.
6388 of 6388 stops don't say whether a wheelchair user can board there. Riders who use wheelchairs can't plan a trip when accessibility is marked 'unknown'; apps show no information at all.
Effort: A column in stops.txt; your scheduling software likely has it.
Check with your AVL vendor that every vehicle assignment flows into TripUpdates, including school-day and tripper runs.
3 of 8 trips scheduled during the sampling window had no live predictions. Riders on those trips get schedule data dressed up as realtime. Caltrans expects every operating trip in TripUpdates.
Effort: A vendor data-mapping question.
Use mixed case for stop names and headsigns (e.g. 'Main St & 2nd Ave', not 'MAIN ST & 2ND AVE').
Some rider-facing names are in ALL CAPS or all lowercase. ALL-CAPS stop and headsign names are harder to read in apps and are read awkwardly by screen readers.
Effort: Often a bulk fix in your scheduling software.

Finding handoff

Move one finding to a recheck

Select one finding. Copy the request, make the change in the feed-producing tool, then compare the next complete run.

Feed evidence: 6388 of 6388 stops don't say whether a wheelchair user can board there.
Next action: Set wheelchair_boarding to 1 (accessible) or 2 (not accessible) for every stop. A field survey can start with the busiest stops.
Recheck: Publish the changed feed at the same URL. On the next complete, comparable scorecard run, confirm that this finding is no longer reported.

Copy handoff text

Agency: Port Authority of Allegheny County
Finding: scorecard_wheelchair_boarding_unknown
Feed evidence: 6388 of 6388 stops don't say whether a wheelchair user can board there.
Why it matters: Riders who use wheelchairs can't plan a trip when accessibility is marked 'unknown'; apps show no information at all.
Requested change: Set wheelchair_boarding to 1 (accessible) or 2 (not accessible) for every stop. A field survey can start with the busiest stops.
Recheck: Publish the changed feed at the same URL. On the next complete, comparable scorecard run, confirm that this finding is no longer reported.
Evidence: https://gtfsscorecard.org/agency/port-authority-of-allegheny-county/?finding=scorecard_wheelchair_boarding_unknown#finding-handoff

NTD GTFS readiness: Ready

Published at a public URL, valid, current, and identified with agency_id: the four feed checks for RY2026 all hold here. Only your own D-10 and P-50 filings make that official; this is a heads-up, not a determination.

Published Ready: Published at a public URL.
Valid Ready: Passes validation with no errors.
Current Ready: Service data covers the next 74 days.
agency_id provided Ready: agency.txt provides agency_id. For RY2026, keep one stable value for each NTD reporter represented in the feed and crosswalk each value on the P-50 form.

agency_id equals NTD ID (optional): Not checked yet. This feed provides agency_id. For RY2026, keep one stable value for each NTD reporter represented in the feed and crosswalk it on the P-50 form. The value does not need to equal the five-digit NTD ID; we do not have that ID on file, so the optional equality comparison is not checked yet.

Key facts

Feed URL: https://www.portauthority.org/developerresources/GTFS.zip
Last checked: 2026-08-01
Service window: 74 days of service data remain. Last service date 2026-10-24.
Feed version: Merged_Clever_2606_2
Location: Pennsylvania

Part of the Pennsylvania portfolio: see where this agency sits among the state's feeds before the call.

A data-quality and completeness read to support an agency conversation. Not an official compliance determination. Rubric v1.3, validator 8.0.1.