Over 25,000 people are still riding Port Authority transit every day. These are the people who keep our hospitals, grocery stores, and pharmacies open. We rely on them to keep our families safe and fed, so let’s ensure that they stay safe by having the PPE they need.
On April 20th, Port Authority began requiring that all riders wear masks while riding transit, in line with Governor Wolf’s state health order. This was an important move to protect both riders and transit workers. However, masks are in short supply, and we know that low-income residents and our black and brown communities are both most vulnerable to the virus and least likely to have access to protective coverings. We have also seen incidents in other cities of riders without access to masks being subject to police brutality.
Pittsburghers for Public Transit started the Transit Rider Mask Fund to raise money to purchase masks for transit riders. The first round of mask distribution will give out 1,100 masks to transit riders on routes with the highest need.
You can get keep transit riders safe during this outbreak. You can keep our transit system strong.
Donate to the Transit Mask Fund to help PPT get reusable, high-quality cloth masks (with filter pockets) to transit riders who need them. All money raised will go towards purchasing and distributing masks to fellow Port Authority transit riders.
On April 16th, PPT held a press conference with ATU Local 85, Rep Jake Wheatley, TransitCenter and local transit riders to call for hazard pay to transit workers, and increased transit service. Check out the coverage below:
[…] A virtual press conference held by PPT began by playing the song “Essentially Expendable (The Death of Jason Hargrove)” by David Rovics, which was written for Detroit bus driver Jason Hargrove, who died of COVID-19. It was followed by a moment of silence for the dozens of transit workers across the country who have died of COVID-19.
Business manager and president of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 85 Steve Palonis gave an updated count on transit workers tested for COVID-19; there are 47 pending results, 19 negative results, and four that have tested positive. He outlined all the ways transit workers are implementing protections and restrictions, but called for greater action from authorities to compensate workers.
“The public and our government’s commitment to frontline workers needs to be extended beyond accommodations and thanks,” said Palonis. “Transit workers deserve compensation for the serious risk they’re taking along with the essential employees.”
He called on Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Lehigh) and other legislators to support the Heroes Fund proposed by Sen. Bob Casey (D-Scranton) to provide a pay increase for essential workers and recruitment incentives through December 2020. Palonis also called for support for House Bill 2380, proposed by Rep. Jake Wheatley (D- Hill District).
Wheatley, who appeared at the virtual press conference, said that HB 2380 would increase wages for essential workers, including raising pay to $15 an hour for employees currently making less than that. Those making $15 an hour or more would make an additional $3 per hour.
“We just really appreciate the workers and what they’re doing to make all of us safe and to continue society, and we think we should support them financially and otherwise,” said Wheatley.
At the press conference, Turtle Creek resident Anna Hudson, who takes the 59 and P68 bus routes, spoke about her difficulty taking the bus to get groceries and other essentials, saying that by the time the already infrequent buses got to her part of town, they were often already full.
PPT executive director Laura Wiens, who hosted the press conference, commended Port Authority’s work to date but called for more action. She referred to Port Authority’s fareless transit as “an act of compassion … as much as it is an act of pragmatism.” She named bus routes that riders listed in a PPT transit survey as being overcrowded, many of which, Wiens notes, “serve Black and brown and lower-income communities, communities whose health outcomes have been hardest hit by COVID-19.”
Wiens underlined the importance of keeping transit safe for everyone, saying, “It’s not a stretch to say that our collective survival depends on the ability of our transit systems to continue to move effectively.”
Wiens also called for more equal access to services like food banks and virus testing since not all residents can use a car to wait in a long line at the food bank, or a way to use drive-up testing clinics.
Image Description: Title Slide of Tech4Society’s analysis of PPT’s Displacement Survey results. Yellow background with black text that reads, “Displacement: An Analysis of Survey Data Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) Tech4Society May, 2020”
Displacement Survey & Analysis
From 2017 to 2018, PPT staffer Crystal Jennings worked to locate and connect with more than 70 people who had been displaced from their homes to get a better picture of the effect that displacement had on their access to food, work, childcare, healthcare, social connections, and other essential needs. Additionally, Crystal documented their ideas about how to stop gentrification and support people at risk of displacement. This survey remains one of the only resources that document direct individual experiences of the displacement process.
Following the survey, Crystal and PPT worked with the CMU student-led group Tech for Society to analyze people’s responses to give a broad picture of the effects of housing displacement.
Efforts are needed on all fronts if we are to overcome these times of crisis.
Since the beginning of March, PPT has joined a number of national alliances to call on our federal legislators to expand resources for public transit, worker protections, affordable housing, healthcare and more.
Read some of these letters below and make sure to follow the partners that are leading up these organizing efforts.
We win when we’re organized. We win when we support each other.
TransitCenter: Broad Alliance Tells White House, Transit Workers Need Better Protection From COVID-19
TransitCenter is a foundation that works to improve public transit in cities across the U.S. On April 22nd, they organized dozens of transit advocacy organizations, transit worker labor unions, and organizational partners across the country to send a letter to Vice President MIke Pence, Whitehouse Coronavirus Response Coordinator, Deborah Birx, and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci. The letter lays out demands for better federal coordination to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for transit workers.
Labor Network for Sustainability: Increase Emergency Relief Funding for Transit Workers
Labor Network for Sustainability is the organized voice within the labor movement that advocates for policies that are ecologically sustainable while also advancing the movement for good jobs and a just transition for workers and communities hurt by the effects of climate change and by the transition to renewable energy. Their #TransitEquity Campaign pushes expanded public transit as a key to benefiting our environment, our cities, and our public transit workers and riders.
On April 21st, PPT joined the Labor Network for Sustainability and a coalition of over 70 organizations to release a letter urging Congress to provide more funding for transit agencies and to cover hazard pay, costs for personal protective equipment (PPE), onsite COVID-19 testing and treatment at work locations.
? Philly ✊ Harrisburg ✊ Pittsburgh ? Riders and workers are ready to organize
More than 100 transit riders and workers from across Pennsylvania came together to bridge the social/physical distance and begin to organize for public transit that moves us past Covid-19.
Led by the Philly Transit Riders Union and Pittsburghers for Public Transit, the call attracted riders and workers from Westster, Central, and Eastern Pennsylvania. Riders and union workers from at least five systems joined – SEPTA, Port Authority of Allegheny County, Capital Area Transit, Mid-mon Valley Transit Authority, Beaver County Transit Authority.
We opened the floor to both riders and workers to share their experiences with our public transit agencies on both sides of the state. We talked about the campaigns that riders are pushing. Both PhillyTRU and PPT are pushing #FairFares campaigns, with many of the same goals. And we talked about how we all have to change our strategies and timelines in light of Covid-19
The huge unifying call to action?
Pennsylvania transit systems across the state are about to see $1.3 BILLION dollars from the most recent Covid-19 stimulus act. This is critical money that will keep our agencies afloat through the hardest of times. We need to make sure that money is spent transparently, democratically, and effectively while protecting workers and riders needs. Transit is essential to keep our cities afloat.
As if Covid-19’s devastating effect on PA transit systems wan’t enough, riders realize that our state is looking at a transit funding cliff in 2023. That’s right. As Act 89 comes to a close, transit systems across PA will lose all dedicated funding from the state. The effects could be devastating for our communities. We have been here before. We have been victorious, but we know that we need to organize if we want to keep our riders and economies moving.
PA transit riders and workers see that there is power in these unprecedented times. We see how the struggles of Covid-19 are bringing advocates together from all different interests – transit riders, transit workers, other labor, healthcare, prison reform, environmental, gender equity, LGBTQ, housing justice, racial justice. Transportation touches on all of these things.
We realize we need to build a broad, statewide movement to center our most vulnerable neighbors and win campaigns for better transit. This is our work, and we’re just beginning. Sign up below to stay in the loop as we go forward.
Add your contact information to stay abreast of this statewide transit rider organizing
PPT & the Philly Transit Riders Union are holding the first-ever statewide transit riders call to organize around our Covid-19 response
The Covid-19 outbreak has shown that public transit is indeed the lifeblood of our cities and state – moving frontline workers and riders to life’s essentials; jobs, food, healthcare, and more. If our state is going to recover from this difficult time and build back better then before, it will need to center public transit and the needs of its riders and workers.
Transit riders and workers across PA are ready to do this work.
RSVP below to join Pittsburghers for Public Transit and the Philly Transit Riders Union for this first statewide transit rider organizing call to share experiences, build solidarity, and strategize about winning campaigns for better transit in PA.
Wednesday, 4/15 // 6pm Social Hour // 7-8:30pm Virtual Meeting
Draft Agenda: – Experiences of PA transit riders & transit workers during Covid-19 – What PA transit agencies have done in response to Covid-19 – How can transit riders support transit workers in these times – How can we organize together to emerge from this crisis with even stronger transit systems to better support our communities
The call will be held via Zoom. Attendees can join from a phone or computer. For questions on how to join the meeting, how to use Zoom, or other accessibility needs, contact Josh at 412-607-7726 or josh@ppt-test.jimkeener.com
Public transit is the lifeblood of our communities, bringing thousands of riders to essential needs every day.
Even during this coronavirus outbreak, Public transit is vital for getting people to essential jobs and businesses. If you are still riding public transit, we want to hear from you. What are you seeing? What buses are full, which are empty? What can Port Authority be doing to keep its riders and drivers safe? How can PPT support you and our system through our advocacy?
Here’s what Port Authority riders are saying about transit during the Covid-19 outbreak:
Rider who takes the P1, 82, 86, 71s & 61s:
I currently work the night shift at the post office. I take a lot of buses – the P1, 82, 86, 71s & 61s – and have noticed crowded buses on both inbound and outbound. Port Authority should not delay action and add more buses so that riders can maintain social distancing and still get to where they have to go.
Rider who takes the 51 Carrick:
I don’t drive so I depend 99% on PAT. The reduced schedule has been a hartship […]. Since only 2/3 of the bus is available to passengers, sometimes it gets too close for comfort […].
Rider who takes the bus:
I don’t work, but I need to get to chemotherapy, other medical, and grocery shopping. I never learned to drive, so the bus is my only way to get where I need to go.
Rider who takes the 59 and P68:
I travel to get groceries. With the front (disability and elderly priority) seating closed off to passengers unless phsyically needed, the back of the 59 and P68 buses are more crowed than usual, meaning riders have to be in close proximity. […] Before COVID-19 I usually got grocery delivery, but with the increased demand, it is almost impossible to get, meaning I have to travel to the grocery store weekly. I want drivers to be safe. They are heroes during this time, but surely it is possible to open up even a few more seats in the front to keep passengers safer too. The bus drivers are incredibly kind, and helpful during this time. […] I am hopeful that they will not cut back on these routes, as passengers are already standing.
Rider who takes the 41 Bower Hill:
Some days everyone is sitting one behind the other with no empty seats between riders.
Are you riding transit during the outbreak? We want to hear from you:
With reduced routes, the larger articulated buses should be used more often. It gets moderatly crowded during rush hours. Also, it is sometimes nearly impossible for short people to get on/off at the back doors, the floor of bus usually hits me at mid thigh or higher if driver can’t pull whole bus to curb
Rider who takes the 82:
I ride the 82 Lincoln outbound and inbound to get groceries and do my business because I have no one else to help me with these things. PAT needs to run more buses and limit passengers cus they’re crowded and un-safe as is.
Rider who takes the 86:
I’m a resident at West Penn Hospital. I need the bus system to get to work everyday. The reduced hours in the morning are making it difficult to get to work on time.
Rider who takes the G1:
Still working downtown as I’m deemed essential. The drivers have been fantastic. Port Authority needs to keep hiring great drivers & maintenance workers that keep buses clean!
Rider who takes the bus and ACCESS:
I have to take the bus in order to get doctors appointments. Port Authority should have more buses running so that they’re not so crowded at times.
Rider who takes the 88:
As a grocery store employee, I continue to have normal shifts scheduled. I do think it’s important for food stores to remain open, and I like my place of work. It’s definitely concerning to get onto a packed back of bus while spending so much energy distancing from each other. I’ve been using a mix of bus and bike so that I’m not on the bus so much. However, I’d not be able to get to work without Port Authority.
Are you taking transit to make essential trips? How can Port Authority protect riders and workers?
I work at UPMC Presbyterian. I travel to Oakland from Garfield/Bloomfield. I’m on the bus maybe 10-15 minutes each way. Port Authority is working hard to get us through this.
Rider who takes the 87 who transfers Downtown to get to the Northside:
I ride two buses to get from where I live in Bloomfield to my job at an information warehouse on the Northside. The 87 outbound is crowded. Port Authority needs to get its buses back on a regular and reliable schedule so that riders don’t have to be waiting more time for transfers around other people and riding crowded buses.
Rider who takes the Blue Line & the bus:
I work at an essential job downtown and cannot afford parking so I rely on the bus. I take the T. There have been a few times since the outbreak that its been too crowded for comfort.
Rider who takes the 51, P1, and 68 Carrick:
I do not have a car or license so I have no choice but to get the bus for wherever I need to go.
Rider who takes the 1 Freeport:
I take the 1 Freeport bus to New Kensington. It still has lots of people on it, but its my only option to get to work. They should limit the number of people allowed on at one time and run more buses.
Rider who takes the 64 and 82:
My buses haven’t been too crowded, but hearing that there are crowded buses worries me. I use the bus to get to Target for essential home supplies, and Aldi in Homestead to get groceries because much cheaper than the Giant Eagle across from my house. Port Authority needs to disinfect the buses regularly and tell riders that the buses are disinfected regularly. They also need to pay PAT drivers hazard pay because they’re risking their health every day to provide a necessary public service.
Reporters say that the Mon-Oakland Connector costs just don’t add up.
On Friday, April 10th, Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) and data analysts at Tech4Society released a new report entitled The People’s Audit of the Mon-Oakland Connector, to evaluate the City’s proposed Mon-Oakland Connector shuttle roadway against resident proposals for expanded public transit services. The report demonstrates that minor Port Authority transit improvements would outperform even the best-case scenario for the Mon-Oakland shuttle roadway, and would better connect Institutions and residents within the corridor.
The People’s Audit of the Mon-Oakland Connector builds on years of resident-led resistance to the project from neighbors in Hazelwood, The Run, and Oakland. They have raised a number of tried-and-true mobility solutions that would provide real access to their essential needs:
“Even during this pandemic, I am still taking the bus everyday; to work in Oakland, to buy groceries in Squirrel Hill or Homestead, and to get my son to doctor’s appointments at Children’s Hospital. Because we don’t have weekend service on the 93, I have to take two buses and choose between arriving at work an hour early or late. Having the 75 to take us directly to Southside grocery stores and Oakland would be a huge benefit for me and my neighbors.”
Deanna Turner, Hazelwood Resident & Public Transit Rider
The outbreak has underscored why data-driven analysis is essential to drive responsible public investment in order to serve the needs of our neighbors. This report breaks down the available data to show that an investment in public transit will provide vast improvements for neighborhood and institutional mobility, at a fraction of the cost.
Media Contact: Laura Chu Wiens, Executive Director of Pittsburghers for Public Transit: (703) 424-0854
New Report Shows Public Transit is More Effective than Mon-Oakland Shuttle Roadway
On Friday, April 10th, Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) and data analysts at Tech4Society released a new report entitled ThePeople’s Audit of the Mon-Oakland Connector, to evaluate the City’s proposed Mon-Oakland Connector shuttle roadway against resident proposals for expanded public transit services. The report demonstrates that minor Port Authority transit improvements would outperform even the best-case scenario for the Mon-Oakland shuttle roadway, and would better connect Institutions and residents within the corridor.
The crisis of COVID-19 has illustrated why it is that communities like Hazelwood need transportation access to food and hospitals. At a time of diminishing public resources, it has also become more apparent that the City needs to responsibly guide investment to effectively meet shared transportation needs.
Bonnie Fan, a researcher with Tech4Society, said, “We wanted to answer questions the public has raised regarding the cost to build and operate the project, ridership capacity and projected need, and anticipated travel time between key destinations like hospitals and the universities. In all categories, the Mon-Oakland Connector fails in comparison to public transit improvements.”
There is no question that better public transit is needed in this corridor to ensure the viability of communities and the residents that live within them. Hazelwood is a food desert, so residents must travel to other communities to buy groceries. Healthcare access is limited, as Hazelwood residents have no direct public transit routes to the hospitals in Oakland on the weekend. Finally, as Hazelwood Green builds out, there needs to be robust mass transit in place to prevent environmental degradation and the congestion of single-occupancy vehicle commuting. These are all important transportation needs that require a comprehensive solution.
The report shows that investment in the resident-generated transportation plan to add weekend service on the 93 bus and extend the 75 to Hazelwood would accomplish all of these goals. Moreover, building the 2nd Ave Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor and consolidating the Oakland institutional shuttles would provide enormous benefits to the institutions and residents of the corridor.
Hazelwood resident and transit rider Deanna Turnersays, “Even during this pandemic, I am still taking the bus everyday to work in Oakland, to buy groceries in Squirrel Hill or Homestead, and to get my son to doctor’s appointments at Children’s Hospital. Because we don’t have weekend service on the 93, I have to choose between arriving at work an hour early or late, and take 2 buses. Having the 75 to take us directly to Southside grocery stores and Oakland would be a huge benefit for me and my neighbors.”
PPT hopes that this report will encourage the City’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) and stakeholder institutions to invest in long term, equitable public infrastructure and transit operating service rather than costly, short-term, and ineffectual solutions. The City’s anticipated $23 million capital dollars for the Mon-Oakland Connector could instead be an important down payment on the 2nd Ave rapid transit corridor, and address gaps in the neighborhoods’ bicycle and pedestrian networks. In addition, for a fraction of the anticipated $16 million 5-year operating expense, the foundations and institutional investors involved with Hazelwood Green could instead seed expanded Port Authority transit service.
Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) has joined the Keystone Counts Coalition to help ensure a fair and accurate count of the upcoming 2020 census, which is data that guides many decisions for the upcoming decade. There is a lot at stake in this Census, and historically-marginalized communities have been undercounted in the past. Ensuring a proper count has enormous impacts:
Why your participation in the 2020 Census is critical
ON RESOURCES: Federal programs allocate funding based on census data, so an undercount could drastically reduce the resources coming to Pennsylvania for education, healthcare, housing, Public Transit, veterans, seniors, and much more.
ON REPRESENTATION: Because U.S. House of Representatives is apportioned according to census data, Pennsylvania could easily lose one or more representatives after the 2020 census, especially with an undercount. Because state legislative districts are also drawn based on census data, communities that are undercounted would go underrepresented for the next decade.
ON COMMUNITY SUPPORT: Aside from funding and political representation, local government, philanthropic, and community leaders also rely on census data to know where to fund, build, or invest. Not being counted literally means becoming invisible to these decision-makers.
Now more than ever, you MUST do your part and take the 2020 Census
During this pandemic, the people who are now deemed invaluable to our country are often under ordinary circumstances the first of us to be forgotten. They are our grocery store tellers, meat packers, those who clean and sterilize our hospital. We have always known that these are the folks who should be heard, counted, and seen. Now is our opportunity to do that.
