BREAKING: In reaction to the budget shortfall proposed by Governor Shapiro earlier this Spring, PRT has detailed sweeping service cuts and fare increases that could devastate Pittsburgh’s public transit system starting as early as 2026. Send your letter now to stop these cuts
Under these proposals, the entire system would see a 35% decrease in service and a 9% increase in fares. Paratransit service would be cut a staggering 62%, and fares increased 20%.
We know that transit is a public necessity, connecting people across our region–no matter their neighborhood, income level, or ability–to jobs, healthcare, food, and community. The state government’s budget proposal will revoke access to these lifelines for thousands.
Alongside our partner coalition Transit For All PA!, we’re calling on our elected officials to find a stable, alternative funding source for public transit–one that restores transit funding and service to pre-2019 levels across the state, from Pittsburgh to Erie to Philly and everywhere in between.
Will you take action with us by sending a letter to your state representatives?
PRT is also asking for public comment until June 18th. Here’s how you can tell them not to enact the cuts:
Online: Complete this survey
By phone: Call PRT’s public comment inbox at 412-566-5525. Be sure to leave your name, zip code, and a message.
On paper: You can fill out a paper survey at PRT’s downtown service center (623 Smithfield St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222)
OR
Mail your written comment to this address:
Pittsburgh Regional Transit
ATTN: Funding Crisis
345 Sixth Ave, 3rd floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
In person: PRT will be hosting three public hearings to gather comments from the public about the proposed cuts. You can sign up for these hearings using this link, although walk-ins are also welcome.
The hearings will take place on:
- Tuesday, April 29, 2025, 9 AM-1 PM and 3-7 PM, at David L. Lawrence Convention Center (Pittsburgh Ballroom, 3rd Floor)
PPT will be hosting a rally before this hearing on Tuesday, April 29th from 1:30-2:30 PM at 983 Penn Ave. Sign up to join us! - Tuesday, May 6, 2025, 9 AM-1 PM and 3-7 PM, at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum (1st Floor Auditorium)
- Thursday, June 12, 2025, 9 AM-1 PM and 3-7 PM, at David L. Lawrence Convention Center (Room 302-204)
Ready to level up your organizing?
We’ve put together a toolkit so that you can organize your community around these proposed cuts! There’s never been a more critical time to grow our movement for equitable transit service that moves all of us. We’ve got flyers to post in your neighborhood, slides for presenting to your community group, tools for hosting meetings with your state legislators, and more!
In the last 5 years, PRT has already quietly cut 20% of its service, and with it, communities as diverse as McKeesport, Greentree, and Monroeville are already struggling to reach jobs, healthcare, food, and community. If we further reduce service and increase fares to the proposed extent, the system will become effectively unusable for riders in our area. Riders are already seeing wait times of up to an hour for their daily commutes, and many riders are simply not able to afford that level of uncertainty. PRT generates over $700 million each year, supporting over 5,000 jobs. We cannot afford to cut that generator down by 35 or 60 percent.
See more details about these cuts on the PRT website!
Transit riders are ready with a response that meets the scale of the crisis. The crisis is statewide: the state budget doesn’t just affect Pittsburghers, but also people riding SEPTA to work in Philadelphia, elders moving around their communities safely in Erie, and disabled community members using paratransit in Harrisburg. It’s all the same state budget, so the solution needs to be statewide.
Our statewide, rider-led coalition, Transit for All PA!, is organizing for new, dedicated funding sources at the state level to fund the service riders need in order to use the system. We’re calling on state legislators to find a new, stable source of funding for public transit, which would restore transit service across the state to 2019 levels–and even improve transit access in communities outside Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.