Join the core team to coordinate the direction of Pittsburghers for Public Transit.

Pittsburghers for Public Transit is a grassroots, democratic, member-led organization that fights for public transit as a human right. That’s a small d, “democratic”, meaning that every July PPT members elect the next slate of candidates who will lead the direction and strategy of our organization.

We are looking for people who understand the importance of our work for transit justice in Allegheny County, and are looking to get more involved in directing the course of our campaigns, communications, and actions. See the list of current Board Members here. Current Board Members whose seats are up for election in July are Verna Johnson, Fawn Walker-Montgomery, Gabriel McMoreland, Bonnie Fan, Alison Keating, and Debra Green.

Black, Indigenous, People of Color, LGBTQ People, People with Disabilities, Immigrants, Womxn, Youth, transit rider, and transit worker nominations are strongly encouraged.

Nominate yourself or someone who inspires you with their leadership, vision, and commitment to transit justice.

PPT Board Structure and Expectations

Each July, PPT members vote for leaders to fill seats on PPT’s 5-11 member Board of Directors. Board Members serve a 2-year term. All PPT members who have paid dues for at least 6-months can run for the Board of Directors.

2 seats must be filled by members of the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 85 (the union that represents all of the Port Authority’s bus operators and maintenance workers) or another transportation union that represents workers in Allegheny County because strong community/labor solidarity is a central belief of the organization.

The other seats are filled by members who have had previous experience with PPT’s work, and are looking to bring their involvement to the next level.

Members of the Board are expected to attend quarterly Board meetings and should also stay engaged with General Membership Meetings on the second Wednesday of each month. 

Additionally, Coordinating Committee members will need to maintain active lines of communication with PPT staff and other PPT members to advise and assist with the organization’s strategy, tactics, structure, and financial sustainability. CC Members should also serve on one of PPT’s three committees (Organizing Committee, Communications Committee, and Research Committee).

An excerpt of Article IV of PPT’s bylaws with full detail of the expectations and powers of PPT’s board is included at the bottom of this blog.

Nominations and Elections

Nominations are open until July 5th. PPT staff will confirm with each nominee whether they accept the nomination to be on the ballot. Each nominee will also be invited to submit up to 250 words about their background, experience, and vision for the organization. This can be submitted through the nomination form, email, or via phone and PPT staff will transcribe.

All nominee bios will be sent to PPT members the week of June 14th and again the week of July 5th. Bios and photos will also be included in the ballot. Nominees will have 3 minutes to speak at the July 14th PPT member meeting before votes are cast to highlight their vision for PPT and how their skills will help build the organization.

Voting in the 2021 Board of Directors election will open at PPT’s monthly meeting on July 13th, and run until July 20th. PPT members cast their vote via a google form that will be shared at the July meeting and emailed, or by calling PPT’s Director. PPT members are all those who support the Transit Bill of Rights, have participated in a PPT action or meeting, and have given dues of at least $2.75 cents within the last year.

PPT Board of Director Election Schedule

• Nominations are open until July 5th. Submit your nomination here.
• Bios and photos of current nominees will be sent to members the week of June 13th and again the week of July 4th. Bios will also be included on the ballot.
• July 13th, 7pm: PPT Monthly Meeting with Board Nominee introductions and Elections, voting opens
• July 20th, 11:59pm: Final deadline for PPT members to submit their ballots online or via phone

Submit nominations through the link below, or by calling PPT’s Director, Laura Wiens, at 703-424-0854:

Excerpt from Article IV of PPT’s Bylaws explaining expectations and operations of our Board:

Article IV – Board of Directors 

Section 1: Board Role, Size and Composition

The PPT Board of Directors shall hereinafter be referred to as the Board.

The Board is responsible for managing the business affairs, property, and policies of PPT. The Board shall be composed of five (5) to fifteen (15) members representing diverse interests and areas of expertise that strengthen the knowledge base of PPT. A minimum of two (2) seats will be reserved for members of the Amalgamated Transit Union or any union representing mass transportation workers in the Greater Pittsburgh Region. One of these reserved transportation union seats shall be elected in every second year. The Board shall have charge of the proper, normal, and usual expenditures and other business of the corporation; they shall enforce the provision of these bylaws; they shall abide by the policies and procedures set forth in the Policies and Procedures Manual, and shall enforce the rules and regulations set forth for the management, care, and governance of the property and affairs of the corporation. The Board may employ or appoint such person or persons, or agents, as they deem necessary to further the business of the corporation and shall set and adjust the compensation of all persons or agents so employed or appointed. 

The Board will hire an Executive Director who may hire such paid staff as they deem proper and necessary for the operation of the Corporation. The powers and duties of the Executive Director shall be assigned or delegated by the Board of Directors. The powers and duties of the paid staff, other than the Executive Director, shall be as assigned or as delegated by the Executive Director and/or the Board of Directors, in accordance with PPT personnel policies.  

Section 2. Qualifications for Board of Directors

Board members shall be elected from the eligible voting, dues-paying membership, and only dues-paying members are eligible to run in the elections. Candidates for the board must have been a dues-paying member for six (6) months prior to an election. 

Section 3. Compensation

The Board of PPT shall serve without compensation. Board members may be reimbursed for pre-approved expenses reasonably incurred on behalf of PPT. Nothing in this paragraph is intended to preclude a Board member from receiving compensation for their service to PPT in some other capacity, provided that the transaction has been reviewed and approved by the Finance Committee in compliance with PPT’s conflict of interest policy.

Section 4. Recruitment and Elections

Nominations for new Board members will be made and publicized by the Board, Membership, and/or staff, at least two (2) months before the Membership meeting at which the election will take place.  Elections for the Board shall take place every year, with five (5) seats elected in even years, and six (6) seats elected in odd years.

Elections shall be announced verbally at the two (2) immediately preceding membership meetings before the election.

Dues paying members in good standing are eligible to vote. 

Bios and platforms of candidates shall be distributed by email to members one month in advance of the vote, and publicized on PPT’s website. Candidates will have three (3) minutes to address the general membership in advance of the election during the general membership meeting. Voting will be open for a minimum of one (1) week.

Section 5. Powers

The government of PPT, the direction of its work, and the control of its property shall be vested in the Board. The Board shall be authorized to adopt such rules and regulations as may be deemed advisable for the government of the Board, the proper conduct of business of PPT, and the guidance of all committees, officers, and employees. The Board shall be empowered to do whatever in its judgement may be calculated to increase efficiency and add to the usefulness of PPT; and to carry out the main purpose of this association provided such action is not in conflict with these bylaws. 

Section 6. Limitations

PPT shall be non-partisan and non-sectarian in its activities. 

Section 7. Term of office and Maximum number of terms  

Directors shall be elected to a term of two (2) years. Board members shall serve a maximum of three (3) consecutive terms. 

Section 8. Meeting Attendance Requirement

Board members must attend a minimum of three (3) out of the four (4) quarterly board meetings per year by phone or presence. Failure to fulfill minimum board obligations may be accepted by the board as a de facto or implicit resignation. The Board member will be informed before publication of such de facto resignation to the members.

About Port Authority’s “Quarterly Service Adjustments”

Four times every year, the Port Authority adjusts its transit schedules and routes to account for construction, road closures, rider/worker requests, ridership shifts, and/or all of the other unexpected changes that might affect Pittsburgh roads. These quarterly adjustments were dialed back because of the pandemic, but they seem to be back on track now that ridership is increasing.

Since 2019, PPT and the @PGH_Bus_Info Hotline have been publishing these blogs to spread the word about these changes and say what they mean for riders. Some quarters bring great changes (like Q4 2020 where we won weekend service on 95% of Local routes) some quarters are a wash, and some quarters (like this one) are overall reductions of service.

Service has been abysmal the last few months. There’s really no other way to say it. Missed buses, crowded busses, inaccurate locations on apps. These are some of the worst levels of service that transit riders have ever seen. If you are sick of putting up with this terrible service, take a minute to help advocate for change and share your story with PPT here.

About the @PGH_Bus_Info Hotline

The @PGH_Bus_Info Hotline is a volunteer-run twitter account that gives riders updates on Port Authority’s daily happenings. The Hotline has no official connection to the Port Authority (again, it is a volunteer-run twitter account) but the updates they provide are helpful nonetheless. The Hotline is a big supporter of PPT, and an enormous advocate for public transit. We’re thankful for their support and happy to collab on these rider resources. Follow @PGH_Bus_Info Hotline on twitter for more grassroots transit updates.

About how to read this blog

We’re starting a new layout for these blogs. We’re going to sort this long list of changes from Port Authority into three categories based on what they mean for riders; “The Good”, “The Bad (The Missed Opportunities)”, “The Wash”.

For each change you’ll see the text and link that the Port Authority uses to describe each change, this is copy/pasted from their website…

• … then below this text, you’ll see this italicized text. This italicized portion are comments from the @PGH_Bus_Info Hotline and PPT on what these changes mean for riders and our system. You can check Port Authority’s website to follow these quarterly service changes. 

Lets get started.

Q3 Service Changes: These changes went into effect Sunday, April 23, 2022.

The good

8-Perrysville – Two inbound and two outbound weekday trips have been added and weekday trip times were adjusted in anticipation of the return of student riders. 

• Albeit a small increase, it is nice to see schedules and service get closer to “normal” pre-pandemic levels. That said, this is one of the few increases that we’re seeing this quarter.

69-Trafford – Weekdays schedules have been adjusted and trip times have changed. Service from Trafford to downtown Pittsburgh will be restored.

In addition to the stops the 69-Trafford currently serves between Trafford and Wilkinsburg, this route will resume serving stops along its previous route between Wilkinsburg and downtown via Point Breeze, Squirrel Hill, Oakland, and Uptown.

Due to this change, however, the 69-Trafford will no longer serve the following stops near Wilkinsburg Station where service currently terminates: Wallace Ave at Pitt St (inbound stop # 16627), East Busway at Wilkinsburg Station D (inbound stop # 16118), East Busway at Wilkinsburg Station B (outbound stop # 16111) and East Busway at Hay St Ramp Outbound Shelter (outbound stop # 8153).

• We are beyond ecstatic to see that not only is service to downtown restored but that Port Authority finally worked out an agreement with Haymaker Villa shoppes to layover there on these 2 routes and while Trafford falls just outside county lines it’s amazing that for the 1st time in nearly 20 years (dating back to STV Mini bus routes) that riders both East and West of the shopping center will have BOTH DIRECT INBOUND AND DIRECT OUTBOUND 7-Day a week service options instead of complicated limited service options or without needing to hike where sidewalks are few.

P12-Holiday Park Flyer – Schedules have been adjusted and trip times have changed. An additional outbound trip was added in the morning.

• Ok, its a small change, but it’s nice to see 1 round-trip added. Now if only more service could be restored.

P67-Monroeville Flyer – Schedules have been adjusted and trip times have changed to include the future permanent location of the Monroeville Mall Park and Ride. Please note that the new Park and Ride is not yet in service, and P67 buses will remain on detour serving the temporary Park and Ride location at the mall’s West Court entrance until further notice.

• Glad to see service is now officially relocated to a stop that will serve both the park-and-ride location the P68 and 67. Having stop uniformity at the mall helps limit rider confusion and benefits everyone – Port Authority, riders, and businesses. Disappointed to see no service expansion, so let’s hope for more in the future.

The bad (the missed opportunities) – buckle up because this is a long list

2-Mount Royal – Weekend service will no longer serve the Strip District and will instead mirror weekday service. Buses will enter downtown via East Ohio Street and the 9th Street Bridge. 

• This change is very disappointing. Rather than having all services go via the Strip, which has fewer service options than N Side, PAAC chose to return the route to its weekday routing via 28 and the Northside. This is a huge missed opportunity because of the increase in jobs and housing that’s happening in the Strip and the development that is happening in Millvale.  If the 2 were routed through the Strip it would give riders the ability to transfer to the 93, 64, and other routes that could bring them to points East without needing to go all the way in to downtown to transfer. This change is a huge missed opportunity to make the kind of changes that PAAC says it wants to make in its NexTransit plan. We want to see future changes that restore the 2 routing over the 40th street bridge on all days and increase the frequency.

12-McKnight – Weekday and weekend schedules have been adjusted and trip times have changed. Weekday service has been reduced to approximately 30-45-minute frequency. Saturday service has been reduced to approximately 25-35-minute frequency. Sunday service has been reduced to approximately 30-40-minute frequency.

• This one hurts. The 12 received more service after the the start of COVID when Port Authority made its first rounds of adjustments to respond to needs. Then, a year later at the public hearings about those changes, Port Authority told riders that routes like the 12 that got more service would not be at risk of losing it. But here we are, 3-months after they said that, we’re seeing reductions like these. Saying one thing, and doing another is not how you build trust or loyalty with riders.

13-Bellevue – Weekday schedules have been adjusted and trip times have changed. Late-night service has been reduced to 30-60 minute frequency.

• These cuts follow the trend that began after the start of COVID. Port Authority has brought a wrecking ball to evening service after 6 pm, in this case by creating 30 to 60 min frequencies. Really!? Riders deserve more than that.

16-Brighton – Weekday schedules have been adjusted and trip times have changed. Midday service has been reduced to 25-minute frequency. Early morning and late-night service has been reduced to 30-35-minute frequency.

• These new schedules have really done a number on service in the early morning and post-PM rush hour. The 16-Brighton is another casualty.

20-Kennedy – Weekday schedules have been adjusted and trip times have changed.

• Some overall service reductions are disappointing to see.

28X-Airport Flyer – Schedules have been adjusted and trip times have changed. Outbound service will return to the Boulevard of the Allies. A new variant, the 28X-Airport Flyer Direct, will provide one outbound trip (towards the airport) in the morning, and one inbound trip (towards downtown) in the afternoon, and will bypass Robinson Town Centre.

• We’re seeing a return to the old Blvd of Allies routing, which is fine. However, what we’re also seeing, is that 2 trips (one AM and one PM) are now going directly to their airport and not stopping anywhere in Robinson so Robinson workers are losing connection. This is being done under the branding of “Airport Direct” trips. Direct trips to the airport could be good, but they shouldn’t come at the expense of workers’ connections. Moreover, it was revealed at a stakeholders meeting that this change is being made almost completely at the request of the contractor who’s building the new airport terminal and needs their workers there for the start of their shift. There are lots of changes that riders have been calling for – why is it that only big businesses get their requests met?

29-Robinson – Weekday schedules have been adjusted and trip times have changed. Service will operate every 50 minutes throughout the day.

• The fixed frequency of 50 minutes on weekdays is a mixed bag. On the upside, it is an improvement for mid-day service and some night service. But on the downside, there are fewer overall trips AND service ends slightly earlier. These charges against the backdrop of overall lower weekend service AND reduced Robinson trips thanks to the new 28x changes aren’t the best. It needs improvement.

31-Bridgeville – Weekday schedules have been adjusted and trip times have changed. Service will operate every 35 minutes throughout the day.

• The shift to 35 min headway all day on weekdays is another mixed bag. On the 1 hand a consistent schedule is more predictable for riders, but on the other certain times of day will see significant reductions with this shift.  Also, these changes seem to narrow the window of service for riders, starting a little later in the AM and ending slightly earlier in the PM.

67-Monroeville – Weekday schedules have been adjusted and trip times have been reduced to 30-60 minute frequency throughout the day due to the return of 69-Trafford service to downtown Pittsburgh, which shares the same route from Wilkinsburg to downtown.   

• This reduction is another example of PAAC going back on its word as they the mid-day and night service that they added to the 67 after COVID’s start. That said, its nice to see the 11:35 PM weekday trip in town go back outbound for folks that might need it.

P1-East Busway-All Stops – Weekday schedules have been adjusted and trip times have changed. Morning rush hour frequency has been reduced to approximately every 10 minutes, and afternoon rush hour frequency has been reduced to approximately every 8 minutes.

• These are cuts, straight up, and that’s not good.

The wash…

6-Spring Hill – Weekday schedules have been adjusted and trip times have changed. / 15-Charles – Weekday schedules have been adjusted and trip times have changed.

• We’ve no comments here as nothing seems particularly noteworthy.

11-Fineview – Weekday and weekend schedules have been adjusted and trip times have changed.

• Nothing noteworthy to say.

59-Mon Valley – Weekday schedules have been adjusted and trip times have changed. Service has been increased to 40-minute frequency.

• We’re gunna put this change in “The Wash” section because it really has its positives and negatives. Here’s another example of PAAC rolling back the extra service that was added after COVID. While it’s nice that weekday isn’t going entirely back to 1 hr headways like before, and that the night service does get a boost (bonus kudos to the new 1230 am trip from the Century 3 Mall to Versailles), it’s disappointing to lose 30 min frequency on weekdays and part of the weekend. These changes do add to the Port Authority Portfolio of nearly 24 hr routes, with only an 80-minute gap of zero service on weeknights…now if that could be a 7-day deal. It’s also nice that there’s 2 extra trips a day, but it would be nice if the inbound trips from Versailles to West Mifflin ran equally as late.

60-Walnut-Crawford Village – Schedules have been updated to reflect that service has been restored to the McKeesport Transportation Center effective March 20.

• Nothing noteworthy. Now the route loops into the new transit center.

61C-McKeesport-Homestead – Schedules have been updated to reflect that service has been restored to the McKeesport Transportation Center effective March 20.

• Nothing noteworthy. Now the route loops into the new transit center.

64-Lawrenceville-Waterfront – Weekday schedules have been adjusted and trip times have changed.

• Nothing to really say.

74-Homewood-Squirrel Hill – Weekday and weekend schedules have been adjusted and trip times have changed.

• The subtle adjustments aren’t too bad. While service ends earlier on Weekdays under the new schedule and Sunday is still crap, it looks like Saturday runs slightly later now.

75-Ellsworth – Weekday and weekend schedules have been adjusted and trip times have changed.

• The bulk of service actually looks Improved, except for nights which look slightly scaled back – especially Weeknight and Sunday/Holidays 

G2-West Busway – Weekday schedules have been adjusted and trip times have changed. Service has been reduced to 20-minute frequency.

• The nearly all-day 20 min headways is both a curse and a blessing. It’ll help predictability and create more even night service, but at the cost of reductions in both the AM and PM “rush” – which effectively halves service at those times.

P2-East Busway Short – Schedules have been adjusted and trip times have changed. The P2 will resume serving stops in downtown Pittsburgh. Service has been reduced to 20-minute frequency.

• While it’s nice to see P2 return to downtown after a questionable “test pilot”, it’s disappointing to see both P1 & P2 getting service reductions. Additionally, it’s disappointing that the P2 continues to only have service during the morning rush.

P7-McKeesport Flyer – Schedules have been updated to reflect that service has been restored to the McKeesport Transportation Center effective March 20.

• Still sore about this route. It lost a bunch of service during the COVID changes that has never been restored. These changes don’t do much other than loop it through the new transportation center in McKeesport.

That’s it for this quarter. If you have stories of bad transit service in the last few months, take a minute to share it with PPT and help advocate for change.

Stay tuned for the next set of quarterly changes, expected in June of 2022

As these changes roll-out, be sure to give your feedback & suggestions by reaching out to Port Authority Customer Service by phone or over twitter:

Port Authority Customer service phone number: 412-442-2000
Hours: Weekdays 5a to 7p, Weekend + Holidays 8a to 430p

or via Twitter @PGHTransit or @PGHTransitCare

And if you want to get in touch with the volunteer-run @PGH_Bus_Info Hotline, you can give them a call at 412-759-3335 ONLY When PortAuthority Customer Service is Closed/unavailable or via Twitter anytime @PGH_BUS_INFO

The PGH Bus Info Hotline will be back on PPT’s blog in for the next set of changes. See ya then.

We condemn the irresponsible decision by the Port Authority of Allegheny County to stop enforcing mask-wearing on public transit, following the Florida court ruling yesterday regarding the CDC mandate. The decision by PAAC comes as COVID-19 cases are rising in Allegheny County and nationwide due to a new and more transmissible strain of Omicron. Transit agencies including Chicago’s CTA and Portland’s TriMet (…and NYC’s MTA, San Fran’s Muni, BART and SFMTA, Denver RTD, Caltrain, AC Transit, Seattle’s King County Metro and Sound Transit, and Kitsap Transit…) have elected to continue local requirements and enforcement for mask-wearing despite this latest challenge to federal CDC directives. PPT is calling on the Port Authority to immediately pass and enforce its own transit rider and worker mask requirements, because the agency has an obligation and has stated its intention to make its facilities safe for all users.

Requiring masks for all riders and workers is critical to ensuring that public transit is safe and accessible. Mask-wearing has been shown to be effective only when it is universally adopted, and not solely by those who elect “to wear masks for their own comfort and safety.” Many people with disabilities, including those who are immunocompromised, rely on public transit to access essential services. Without a mask requirement and enforcement, these riders must compromise their health in order to go to the doctor, to buy fresh food, to visit with family and more. Children under 5 years old are still unable to access the vaccine.

 “The decision to stop enforcing mask usage on buses doesn’t consider people like me, who are immuno-compromised. This latest COVID-19 variant is more transmissible than any other we’ve seen, and people are still getting sick and dying from the virus. Port Authority’s choice makes me afraid to ride,” says bus rider and PPT Board Chair, Verna Johnson

This decision acts in stark opposition to the agency’s goals around the worker vaccine mandate, which stressed their commitment “to promot[ing] the health, wellness and safety of Port Authority’s workforce… and the riding public.” (from Port Authority’s Jan 10, 2022 news release) The Port Authority’s catastrophic rollout of the transit worker vaccine mandate has caused weeks of unsafe, overcrowded buses and transit riders left waiting at the stop, as hundreds of experienced transit workers were put on disciplinary leave. The rollback of the mask mandate will likely lead to even worse transit service: in the UK, the lifting of mask requirements in public spaces recently led to a significant increase in illnesses among airline employees and the abrupt cancellations of hundreds of flights.  

Pittsburghers for Public Transit will be holding a rally downtown at 1 pm this Friday, April 22nd to highlight how transit service is linked to survival for both individuals and our broader community, to demand service improvements, and to insist on increased safety for transit riders and workers. 

Transportation emissions are now the largest contributor to climate change in the United States. There is no managing or reversing the climate crisis without getting more people on transit. 

As we approach Earth Day, however, public transit is the worse its been since the start of the pandemic, and Port Authority is cutting back service April 24th with the likelihood of further cuts in June. Poor transit service is more than an inconvenience. It is a threat to our jobs, our air quality, our climate, and our future.

Join the rally on April 22nd, 1-2pm, to demand more transit, not less.

From rider testimonials:

• Because of late buses, his boss has told him not to bother coming to work, and he has missed days of pay.
• Out-of-service trains means her son can’t get home from school in time to join afterschool activities with his friends. 
• True time transit apps have had her standing in the rain for hours, waiting for buses that never come.

This downward spiral of transit service is devastating for individuals and families all throughout Allegheny County, and it needs to stop. We need more transit, not less.

For the lives of the people riding transit, for the future of our climate and planet, we need the Port Authority to reverse this trend of declining service quality.

Join PPT and riders from across the county at this Earth Day rally to call on the Port Authority to restore and improve transit service. If you have been affected by the recent spat of transit outages, share your story here to advocate for change. If you need a ride or the rally, or if you have any questions or accessibility needs, please reach out to PPT at info@ppt-test.jimkeener.com.org or 412-626-7353.

The quality of our transit service has been changing in Allegheny County, and it hasn’t necessarily been for the better…

Has your bus not come? Have you been waiting for ages? Have the recent service cuts impacted you?

Share your story and advocate for change:

Canceled buses. Late arrivals. Crowding. Transit shutoffs. Since the start of the pandemic, Port Authority transit has hit a new low. What’s worse, PRT has continued to make service reductions and changes to our routes and bus stops. Riders won’t take it any longer. We need transit expansion, not cuts, and it’s time we speak up for change.

Help advocate with Pittsburghers for Public Transit for improvements to public transit by sharing your story about how bad service is affecting your life.

Did you miss an interview? Were you late for school, work or childcare? Was it impossible to get home because buses had stopped running?

Now is the time. Use the form below to share your story and help advocate for better public transit. All comments will be kept anonymous until an organizer connects with you.

Share your story about how you are affected by bad transit service and help riders advocate for change.

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La calidad de nuestro servicio de tránsito ha estado cambiando en el condado de Allegheny, y no necesariamente ha sido para lo mejor…

¿No ha llegado su autobús? ¿Has estado esperando por mucho tiempo? ¿Le han afectado los recientes cortes de servicio?

Comparta su historia y abogue por mejoras:

Autobuses cancelados o llenos. Llegadas tardías. Desconexión de tránsito. Cambios de servicio. Desde el comienzo de la pandemia, el tránsito del condado de Allegheny ha alcanzado un nuevo mínimo. Lo que es peor, PRT ha continuado haciendo reducciones a nuestras rutas y paradas de autobús sin participación pública. Los pasajeros no lo aguantarán más. Necesitamos expansión del tránsito, no recortes, y es hora de que hablemos por el tránsito que merecemos.

Ahora es el momento. Ayude a reformar el transporte público compartiendo una historia de cómo el servicio malo está afectando su vida. Utilice el siguiente formulario para compartir su historia y las soluciones que desea ver. Todos los comentarios permanecerán anónimos hasta que un organizador se conecte contigo.

¿Perdiste una entrevista? ¿Llegaste tarde a la escuela, al trabajo o a la guardería? ¿Era imposible llegar a casa porque los autobuses habían dejado de funcionar? Comparta su historia sobre cómo le ha impactado el servicio malo de tránsito y ayude a los pasajeros a abogar por el cambio.

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Feel free to reach out to Pittsburghers for Public Transit with any questions stories: 412-626-733 or info@ppt-test.jimkeener.com

Puede comunicarse con Pittsburghers en Defensa del Transporte Público con cualquier pregunta o historia: 412-626-7353 o info@ppt-test.jimkeener.com

PennDOT’s Fern Hollow Bridge Public Comment Form is OPEN

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Opportunity in a crash

PPT Blog written by Emily Howe

The collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge on January 28, 2022 has fueled discussions at the city, state, and federal level about investing more in critical infrastructure.  One outcome of these discussions is that PennDOT will provide funding to rebuild the city-owned Fern Hollow Bridge.

This is good news. PennDOT recently released a rendering of the Fern Hollow bridge design and has stated they plan to begin construction in April. This rendering and the quick timeline has fueled concerns from local officials like City Controller Michael Lamb that there has not been enough community input and that the needs of non-motorized bridge users haven’t been adequately assessed.

While not mentioned on PennDOT’s Fern Hollow page, we recently learned that the impetus for this quick timeline along with the depiction of tractor trailers on the new bridge is due to another pending PennDOT project that predates the bridge collapse: replacing the Commercial Street Bridge. Beginning in summer 2023, PennDOT plans to close the Commercial Street Bridge and detour I-376 traffic between Regents Square and Squirrel Hill via the Fern Hollow Bridge. This detour explains both PennDOT’s urgency to repair the Fern Hollow Bridge and why the rendering resembles a highway and prioritizes car and truck traffic.

While the current design for the Fern Hollow Bridge makes sense as a short-term solution given the upcoming replacement of the Commercial Street Bridge, these constraints do not eliminate the need for consulting with communities around both short- and long-term opportunities that these bridge replacements present.

In the short-term, Port Authority should work with residents to strategize how their public transit needs can be better served with the current detours on the 61A and 61B buses due to the Fern Hollow Bridge closure. Residents have already proposed a few ways that the 61A and 61B detours can better meet their needs:

• These long-term detours should be incorporated into the regular schedule with appropriate running times and established bus stops to better serve residents (e.g., between Forbes and Wilkins on S Dallas Avenue and between Forbes and Penn on S Braddock Ave)
• Port Authority/Pittsburgh/PennDOT should evaluate the possibility of transit signal priority for buses along Penn Ave or bus only lanes during rush hours.
• On-street parking along Penn Ave from Dallas to Braddock should be prohibited.

In addition, the future 3-week closure of the Commercial Street Bridge also presents an opportunity for Port Authority to capture new riders as drivers seek to avoid high congestion and increased travel times by car. However, this will require Port Authority to establish more efficient connections from Regents Square and Squirrel Hill to popular destinations like Oakland and Downtown during the Commercial Street Bridge closure/I-376 detours. Improved P3, P7 and P71 service along with a targeted advertising campaign could encourage residents of Wilkinsburg, Edgewood, Regent Square, Swissvale and Rankin who drive to try the bus. Using the bus will help residents avoid causing and sitting in congestion, and help them to realize the benefit of the East Busway to their communities The campaign could also showcase the East Busway as the only route with excess capacity for more users. Penn Avenue and the Parkway East barely had enough capacity prior to the bridge collapse. This is a chance for the East Busway to shine and prove its worth to the communities it serves.

In looking towards long-term solutions, the City needs to work with residents to create a design plan for the Fern Hollow Bridge once PennDOT relinquishes it (post Commercial Street Bridge reconstruction). The goal of the Fern Hollow redesign should be to address shortcomings with the prior bridge, including:

• pedestrian walkways that were too narrow for wheelchair and stroller access
• bicyclists being funneled into traffic
• the high speeds of cars and related safety concerns
• outbound congestion that slows transit during rush hour

There have already been a few proposals to address these problems. For example, having one inbound lane and two outbound lanes could lessen congestion, while also creating more space for bike lanes and sidewalks.

While we support PennDOT in moving swiftly to replace the Fern Hollow Bridge, we do not have to trade off speed and efficiency at the expense of community input. In fact, the replacement of the Fern Hollow and Commercial Street Bridges creates opportunities for The Port Authority to capture new riders and for the future Fern Hollow Bridge to better meet community needs. Now is the time for residents to come together to determine how our public infrastructure will look and function for decades to come.

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PennDOT has released their comment form for the public to give input into the bridge design. Take 2 minutes to give your input today:

Because transit workers rock, we roll. Help PPT to celebrate Transit Worker Appreciation Day, 2022

Transit workers are the muscle in our county. Each year they carry hundreds of thousands of riders to the places they need to go. They have been on the front lines through this whole pandemic working to keep our county moving and it’s about time they get some appreciation. 

The pandemic has been hard on everyone, but especially transit workers. 7 Port Authority transit workers have passed away from COVID. But still, their brave colleagues continue to show up to keep the county moving.

March 18th marks Transit Worker Appreciation Day, a national celebration of transit workers and the heroic effort that these workers put in. Help us make it special by sharing your story and volunteering to help the effort.

Thank and celebrate transit workers by sharing a story about a time that transit workers have made a difference in your life.

Use our form below to share a personal story about the importance of transit workers and send your thanks. PPT will be collecting stories and thank-you notes from 250 riders and delivering them directly to transit workers at their workplace.

Volunteer with us to canvass riders and collect their stories and thanks to transit riders

Sign up below to volunteer with PPT to help our efforts on Transit Worker Appreciation Day the week of March 14th. We’ll be holding a number of canvasses where we’ll be talking to riders at bus stops and collecting their stories about how transit workers have made an impact on their lives. We’ll also be handing out thank-you cards for riders to hand to their bus drivers.

Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) is a grassroots union organizing for a more equitable, affordable and accessible transit system that meets all needs, with no communities left behind. 

We stand with transit riders and transit workers. To that end, we urge the Port Authority and ATU Local 85 to negotiate a quick and amenable resolution to the vaccine mandate issue, and one that doesn’t result in the loss of experienced transit workers that keep our system running. There are no winners if we continue down this path, because we cannot afford to trade service for safety, or safety for service: we need both.

We are facing devastating transit service cuts – both in the immediate future from missed trips with transit workers out on disciplinary leave and from those who are out sick, and longer term. The Port Authority is already planning for significant service cuts in June, to mirror the capacity of a depleted workforce. That creates a downward spiral of reduced transit service and fewer riders, which justifies further cuts. This will be harmful in the long run to both the transit riders that rely on the service, and to the size and years of experience within the transit workforce. It would also be an enormous loss to our region, which depends on public transit to ease congestion and support our workforce needs, and benefits from having a robust unionized workforce in public transit with living wages and family-supporting benefits. 

There are also ways to address the existing 100+ transit worker shortage so that our region could see transit service expansion rather than contraction. The agency could offer hazard pay for workers, have an employee recruitment and retention incentive for existing workers, and collaborate with Port Authority’s 70+ stakeholder organizations to get the word out about their open positions and quality compensation.

We say unequivocally that public transit needs to be safe for all users. We support vaccinations, and encourage everyone to get them. But vaccinations are one tool in a list of many others that need to be part of this discussion, including extending the masking requirements beyond the CDC’s current deadline of April 18th, making masks available for riders on every bus, providing free and regular COVID testing to workers, and reinstituting rear-door boarding and suspending fare payment, to allow a safe distance between riders and drivers. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on public transit and its riders and workers over the past several years. The pandemic has made planning difficult, because conditions change so rapidly– we recognize that it takes courage and flexibility for the Port Authority to pivot to address evolving needs to achieve good outcomes. We have seen and appreciate the agency’s ability to respond to shifting ridership and service patterns, and the installation of higher quality air ventilation systems on buses. We also honor all of the sacrifices transit workers have made in the face of this devastating pandemic; to date, hundreds of Port Authority workers have contracted COVID-19 and seven of them have died. Transit workers continue to have an important stake in conversations around pandemic safety. Now is the time for a solution that keeps riders and workers safe while avoiding terminations and further service cuts.

Bus lines are lifelines, and transit workers are on the frontlines of keeping our critical services going, moving our economy, and connecting riders with our destinations. Join us in supporting Transit Worker Appreciation Day this Friday, March 18th, by sharing stories about how transit workers have impacted your life and volunteering with us to canvass riders and collect their stories. Share your story here. Volunteer information can be found here.

Join us in saying thank you Mayor Gainey for putting an end to the Mon Oakland Connector

For over six long years, residents of Hazelwood, Four Mile Run, and the surrounding neighborhoods have organized to say that public investment needs to meet public needs.

All of their efforts finally paid off on February 17th. In front of a packed community meeting filled with 100+ residents of Hazelwood and Greenfield, Mayor Ed Gainey announced: “The Mon-Oakland Connector shuttle project will not move forward.”  

The crowd erupted in cheers. Since 2015, residents have hosted rallies, circulated petitions, and organized marches to uplift the community-generated mobility plan, “Our Money. Our Solutions.” They have created protest signs, artwork, and videos. They have attended countless meetings, delivered public comments, and researched public documents. They did so to oppose the Mon-Oakland Connector—and to push for reinvestment of its funds in real community needs: affordable housing, accessible transportation, better bus facilities, and safer sidewalks..

Join us now and sign our thank-you card to Mayor Ed Gainey for moving on from the Mon-Oakland Connector. 

Now it is time to invest in Our Money. Our Solutions.

Scooters? Sidewalk Robots? Autonomous Vehicles? New Report and Panel Discussion Examines Who Is Left Behind In City’s Rush to Adopt Micro Mobility & Tech-Centered Development

“Mobility for Who? Rebuilding Bridges to Transportation Justice” is a new report co-authored by Tech4Society and Pittsburghers for Public Transit. The report’s authors and community advocates doing work for disability justice and affordable housing presented the findings at a webinar in mid-February 2022. The event and the report both highlight the critical issues that come from tech-focused transportation policy, and uplift opportunities for the new Mayoral Administration to create access for all – namely through supporting public transit, affordable housing, and accessible pedestrian infrastructure as included in the Pittsburgh 100 Days Transit Platform.

The Mobility for Who? panelists presented on the new report’s findings that examine the previous Mayoral Administration’s decision to pour taxpayer funds and time into private mobility technology while failing to prioritize core infrastructure needs such as sidewalks, bus shelters, and even roads and bridges. 

Bonnie Fan, a PhD student at CMU and researcher with CMU’s Tech4Society said, “We found that the rush to embrace the technology sector has driven gentrification of legacy neighborhoods and displacement of residents to transit-poor areas, both exacerbated by an acute lack of affordable housing.”

Transit accessibility is an equity issue. SPIN scooters, autonomous vehicles, sidewalk delivery robots, and other technologies have all been touted by Pittsburgh leaders as increasing mobility access for residents. However, these technologies are often inaccessible to many who need transportation most: senior citizens, the disabled, youth, families, low-income people, and the unbanked. 

The report and panel insist that now is the time to ask whose mobility is being prioritized, who is being left behind and how can these investments also prioritize Pittsburgh residents, economic mobility, racial and gender equity, affordable housing, and improved air quality to fight the climate crisis rather than funding interests of large tech companies?

See the discussion of the report with the authors: