The major north-south artery to Pleasant Hills is Pennsylvania Route 51.  It is a four lane highway that takes you to downtown Pittsburgh through the Liberty Tubes.  Route 51 can be quite congested depending upon the time of day, but at times of reduced traffic, it is a 20 minute trip to or from downtown Pittsburgh.

A major east-west artery is Lebanon Church road (going east to McKeesport) and Curry Hollow Road (going west to Bethel Park).  The intersection of the Lebanon Church-Curry Hollow thoroughfare and Route 51 is know by all of us as the "Cloverleaf"  The Cloverleaf was one of the first "ramp and merge" intersections in the nation.  From the air, it looks like a giant Cloverleaf.

One of the major routes in and out of downtown Pittsburgh is the "Parkway".  But, you'll never see a sign directing you to any "parkway".  The Parkway is marked on every map as Route 376.  The Parkway East means Route 376 heading from Pittsburgh out to Monroeville, where you are given the choice of exiting onto Route 22 East or the turnpike.  Taking the Parkway West from Downtown means heading from Pittsburgh out to the Pittsburgh International Airport.  Getting on Route 376 West often appears as being steered into a confusion of bridge/tunnel options.  Make the right choice-follow the signs for Route 376 West and you will be on the right road.

Downtown with its maze of one-way street and ramps leading on and off fast-moving expressways, can be difficult even for people who know their way around town.  Many years ago, Pittsburgh developed a system designed to help those who rely on signs.  Know as the Purple Belt and Wayfinder Sign System, these projects direct motorists to all Downtown areas as well as to parking garages. The Wayfinder signs color-code the city: South Side-Green, East End-Orange, East-Yellow, North Side-Blue, and Downtown-Purple.  On each sign below the Wayfinder symbol, you are told the area in which you are heading and below that, the road you are currently on.

Pittsburgh is not laid out along north-south-east-west grid line.  It is laid out following the valleys and ridge lines.  To promote access around the city, there is a Belt Route System comprised of a group of miscellaneous county roads along with major radial highways to form a "spiderweb" network of marked roads.  The belts are provided by the county as guideways for motorists unfamiliar with the area.

Those of greatest interest to Pleasant Hills residents are:

• Yellow Belt - 80 - mile circle that gives communities in the north, east and south quick access to the Allegheny County Airport.

• Blue Belt - 40- mile circle serving mostly urban areas in the county's north, east and south sections.

PORT AUTHORITY TRANSIT (PAT) OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY
PAT can be reached at (412) 442-2000. All-day PAT passes are available.  PAT has an internet address at: www.trn.clpgh.org/orgs/patransit.  It features information such as tracking lost and found items, incline service, fares, bus and rail schedules and other tidbits.  The major bus routes serving Pleasant Hills residents are: 46H )Pleasant Hills) and 46G (Elizabeth).  Once you get downtown, you can get to other attractions in the city by other routes.

PASSENGER TRAINS
AMTRAK - Reservations: (800) USA-RAIL (872-7245), Shipping (800) 368-8725.  Passengers arrive and depart from the Pennsylvania Station (across from the Greyhound Bus Terminal) at the intersection of Liberty Avenue and Grant Street, Downtown.  There are runs to New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago and Washington , D.C., on the Broadway Limited and Pennsylvanian, Lake shore Limited, and the Capital Limited.  The new Three Rivers with direct service to Chicago departs 9:42 p.m. daily from the Amtrak Station.

BUSSES
GREYHOUND/ TRAILWAYS BUS LINES - 11th Street and Liberty Avenue, Downtown, (412) 392-6513.

TUNNELS
Many people blame the tunnels for the city's nasty rush hour traffic.  To get to downtown, you normally pass through the Liberty Tunnels - know as the Liberty Tubes. They were completed in 1924 and are the fourth-longest  overland vehicular tunnels in the United States and the oldest tunnels in the Pittsburgh region.  An estimated 92,000 vehicles pass through the tunnels everyday, according to officials of the state Department of Transportation.

AIRPORT ACCESS FROM PLEASANT HILLS

The possibilities of how to get there (and back) include limousine, taxi cabs (approximately $25-30) to or from Downtown), busses (public or airport) or driving yourself.