Image Description: a glowy, collaged picture of Ren Finkel, a light-skinned person in dark clothes and round glasses standing against a brick wall in the sunshine.

At the end of 2025, the PPT Board decided to open a new staff position for a Digital Organizer – Data Lead. The Data Lead role would help the team improve its use of digital tools and data to deepen the organizing that’s happening all across Pennsylvania.

The six-month hiring process was not easy. Almost as soon as the job description was opened, the team received dozens and dozens of applications from talented people in all corners of PA. Each candidate brought different strengths to the job, and the team was honored to have received interest from so many people.

But after much discussion, the PPT board is eager to welcome Ren Finkel as the new Digital Organizer – Data Lead to the Pittsburghers for Public Transit/Transit for All PA! Team! Ren brings a combination of data prowess, facilitation expertise, and good ’ol community organizing chops to the position. 

There’s no doubt that there’s a bright future ahead for transit rider and worker organizing. Ren is just two weeks into the job, and already, Ren is building systems to deepen supporters’ connection to the movement for transit justice. 

Learn a little more about Ren by reading their bio and some interview answers below.

Ren is beyond excited to be joining PPT’s team as the Data Lead. They moved to Pittsburgh in 2012 to study photography. This is when they got their first, starry-eyed glimpse at the power of labor organizing when helping with the adjunct teacher’s successful unionization campaign. They went on to get deeply involved in queer community and the fight for Palestinian liberation. Most recently they’ve had the honor of helping hold the logistics for the Communal Loss Adaptation Project, a disability-justice and grief-work organization. They are over the moon about returning to Pittsburgh after a stint in Philly where they attended (and joyfully dropped out of) rabbinical school and helped unionize their workplace. 

When not getting nerdy about spreadsheets and CRMs, Ren is a multimedia artist currently focusing on honing their skills in linocut print making. They worked in food service for many years, and you can often find them cooking giant meals for neighbors and mutual aid distros. In their spare time they are a Talmud scholar and teacher, running the Pittsburgh-based anti-zionist yeshiva Beis Lakish.  

The PPT team is excited to have you on board! What drew you to the work PPT is doing? 

I’ve been a transit rider for as long as I’ve lived in Pittsburgh, so I know first-hand how much work there is to be done to improve our transit system. I’ve been so hungry to offer my data skills to the movement, so this role at PPT is a really exciting opportunity. PPT has such a keen awareness of how transit justice intersects with so many other liberatory causes, and I know I’ll get to bring my full organizing history to this work.  

What work are you excited to do? What victories do you think you’ll help us win in the coming months?

I’m getting to join the team at such a whirlwind moment, with so many different projects and campaigns getting kicked off. I’m just starting to place myself in the ecosystem that makes up PPT’s membership, staff, and board, and it’s immediately apparent how much energy and commitment there is. I am so ready to get nerdy about our systems to help make our team’s work as easy and dreamy as possible. You’ll also be hearing from me about being a part of growing PPT’s membership! Speaking of which…have you considered becoming a PPT member yet to help sustain this work? 👀

What’s your experience with transit? What routes have you ridden during different parts of your life? How has the experience varied between cities where you’ve lived and visited?

Pittsburgh buses have taken me to every corner of this city, especially during my time as a gig worker balancing dog walking, tutoring, and restaurant work. I’ll always love how buses, trains, and trolleys have been a way for me to meet my neighbors and get to see neighborhoods I might not otherwise. I don’t currently know how to drive, so I’ve relied on public transit (and generous rides from friends) my entire adult life.

As I’ve had to start navigating new chronic health challenges, the ways in which hills and staircases often exist between me and getting on a bus has become a growing challenge. Growing up in San Diego has made me really aware of how a limited public transit system can impact a city, and often find myself both grateful for what Pittsburgh has to offer and committed to helping take it from “better than some places” to “truly incredible”! 

What inspires you? What gives you energy that you want to share with others?

Whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed or hopeless, I always turn to cooking and slow walks in the woods. They’re the foundation that has made existing possible for me. Whenever I’m feeling isolated or disconnected, making a huge meal to share with loved ones is a surefire way to make me feel a part of something bigger. I have an almost neurotic need to feed my loved ones, which I certainly inherited from my grandmother, may her memory be a blessing. And when everything feels like too much, there’s nothing that quiets my brain more than hanging out with some trees. Whenever my anxiety feels insurmountable, I know it’s time to stare at some moss. 

Ultimately, both of these things are about slowing down. Capitalism so badly tries to have us define ourselves by how much we can do and how quickly we can do it. I’ll always be grateful for the wisdom that’s come out of the disability justice movement that teaches us to slow down, rest abundantly, and prioritize caring for one another. 

What is your favorite pump-up song?

It’s so hard to pick! My Body’s Made of Crushed Little Stars by Mitski has gotten me through the psychic damage of late stage capitalism more times than I can count, Hard Times by Paramore never fails to wake me up, and This Year by The Mountain Goats has been my “We’re gonna get through this” song since I was a teen.

Image Description: PPT members highlighted in yellow, on a glowy background of a bus stop on a summer day.

Bust out those cell phones and lace up those sneakers! 

Transit riders in Pittsburgh want more bus shelters, better bus stop amenities and connected sidewalks that take us to and from where we need to go! Our biggest takeaway from two years of bus shelter audits is that we cannot have bus shelters, benches and other amenities installed at our bus stops if our sidewalks are in poor or nonexistent condition. 

Following the lead of our friends Pittsburgh Walks, PPT will host a series of sidewalk audits this spring and summer focusing on neighborhoods with high rider bus stops and busy transit corridors. 

We will assess the quality of sidewalks in Pittsburgh and record findings via a mobile survey developed by the City of Pittsburgh. The collected data helps the City identify where sidewalks need to be improved or built, prioritize pedestrian infrastructure projects, and make the case for sidewalk funding. 

The goal of these sidewalk audits is for participants to learn how to use this new tool and go on to gather data independently. Ultimately we aim to collect information about sidewalks (or where they’re missing) for every street in the City. This is a group effort and WE NEED YOU!

Audit Dates & Registration:

Saturday May 16th 10am – 12pm, Sheraden
Saturday June 27th 10am-12pm, Hazelwood
Saturday August 22nd 10am -12pm, Hill District 

What to Expect:

• Before the event, participants must watch this 15 minute video.

During the event, we’ll:

• Have a lesson on what makes sidewalks safe and accessible, how to use the web application.
• Pair up to walk several blocks of neighborhood streets, and record our observations using an online survey on our cell phones.

Requirements:

• Must have charged cell phone that can reach the internet and take photos.
• Must be able to navigate web browsers and privacy settings on cell phone.
• Pittsburgh weather can be unpredictable this time of year! Come dressed for the elements (good walking shoes, winter coats, hats, gloves, etc.). We will be outside for about an hour. 

Accessibility:

• We cannot guarantee the accessibility or safety of these walks as some of the terrain may have broken to no sidewalks. Some regions may be hilly and harder to walk on.
• Blind and low vision people will not be able to use the mobile survey application, but your input is of great value. You will be paired with a sighted person so that you can access the survey.
• If you have individual accessibility questions, or to request ASL interpretation, please reach out to Nicole@pittsburghforpublictransit.org.
  • ASL interpretation must be requested at least 2 weeks in advance.

You can attend on your own, or bring a group of neighbors, friends, family, or coworkers! This is a great way to get your steps in, meet fellow community members, and help make our streets safe, accessible, and enjoyable for everyone!

The Bus Line Refresh could be the biggest service change in a generation. Your chance to make it better is right now! Learn how the proposals could impact you—and tell PRT how you feel about it. 

Explore the service changes that affect you

There are many ways to explore the changes PRT is proposing under the Bus Line Refresh. You can: 

• Review an interactive map of the proposed system changes (works best on a computer or tablet)
• Find your frequented routes from a list of affected routes, then click on their new names to learn about how they might change
• Model your frequent journeys on the Transit App on your mobile device (check out our tutorial below)
• Attend a public meeting with PRT (we’re hosting one on April 8th!)

After you do any of these options, it’s critical that you submit a public comment telling PRT how these changes would affect you. They need to know your thoughts in order to incorporate them into the proposal!

How to model your journeys on the Transit App

Note that this method requires access to a mobile device, like a smartphone. If you don’t have access to one, we recommend using the other tools listed above to explore the proposed Bus Line Refresh. 

1. Download the Transit App to your mobile device. The app is available on both iPhone and Android. (Bonus: the app can be used to plan your future transit trips, and can even give you notifications when service changes or advocacy opportunities are available!) 
2. You may need to make an account to use the app. 
3. In the app’s main screen, type a destination in the “Where to?” bar. Select it from the list of results when it appears.
4. Once you’ve selected your destination, you can also edit your starting location—for example, you might want to understand how your commute from your workplace to your doctor’s office might change.
5. In the white portion of the screen, you’ll see a selection of potential routes you could take to reach your destination.
   The trips at the top are those you could take under the current PRT system.
   If you scroll down below these, you’ll see a section titled “PRT Preview Mode”, with potential future routes listed. 
6. Click on a future route you’d like to explore. The app will then show you a map of the route, with details on how long the trip would take you, as well as scheduled frequencies and stops. 
7. At the bottom of this window, there is a banner with a button titled “Give feedback”. This will take you to PRT’s feedback page for the entire Bus Line Refresh project. 
8. When you’re done exploring this route, be sure to press the red “X” button at the top right of the screen to exit preview mode. 

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Don’t miss your chance to shape the bus network

If you or someone you know takes transit frequently, PRT needs to know your thoughts. There are a lot of ways to give feedback on the proposed Bus Line Refresh: 

• Find your routes from an online list, click their new names, and leave route-specific feedback
• Send an email to PRT with your comments
• Call PRT at 412-442-2000
• Fill out a paper survey at home or at your nearest Carnegie Library location
  • También puedes descargar una encuesta en papel en español!
• Attend a public meeting with PRT

And of course, the best way (because it comes with community):

• Join our next monthly meeting on April 8th to hear PRT present, and give them your feedback in person

Image Description: an image of a Pittsburgh bus lane covered in ice and snow, next to bold black text reading “Pittsburgh needs a snow removal plan for non-drivers”.

This post was written by Alisa Grishman, Founder of Access Mob Pittsburgh, with support from Pittsburghers for Public Transit, Pittsburgh Center for Disability Justice, and BikePGH.

Even in snow, all Pittsburghers deserve the freedom to move.

On January, 25th, 2026, the City of Pittsburgh experienced a significant snowstorm. Since that event, our region has had persistently below-freezing temperatures- ensuring that unplowed, unshoveled snow remained where it fell for more than two weeks. Throughout this time, snow and ice have obstructed key sidewalk corridors, piled up in front of bus stops, and rendered curb cuts on street corners entirely inaccessible.

For the 30% of Pittsburghers who are non-drivers, the snowstorm and the City’s resulting inaction has been a prolonged disaster. 

Thousands of residents have been stranded, unable to leave their homes and safely access their grocery stores, medical appointments, schools and jobs. And people with disabilities have been disproportionately harmed by this failure to properly address snow conditions because there has simply been no accessible way to navigate our City’s right of ways under these conditions. Those who did venture out were forced to walk or roll on the street alongside active traffic, putting themselves into danger in order to access their daily needs. 

Our City’s lack of a pedestrian snow removal plan has become very apparent through this experience. 

The City failed to enforce statutes requiring property owners to shovel their sidewalks. Bus stops remain uncleared even two weeks later, and snow plows focused on clearing streets for single occupancy vehicles without regard to buses’ access to the curb. Worse of all, snow plows throughout the City used ADA curb ramps and sidewalks as storage space for large piles of ice and snow. 

How can the City keep our rights-of-way accessible to all after snowfall?

Access Mob, Pittsburghers for Public Transit, Pittsburgh Center for Disability Justice and BikePGH recommend that the City of Pittsburgh Develop a Pedestrian Snow Preparedness Plan. This plan must do the following:

• Set clear roles within the City and County as to who is responsible for different aspects of snow removal. At present, the Department of Public Works is responsible for streets, and the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure cites property owners for failure to shovel sidewalks. There must be a specific agency charged with overseeing pedestrian right-of-way snow clearing efforts.
• Support the passage of Councilwoman Barb Warwick’s legislation for a Right-of-Way Accessibility Needs Inventory.
• Partner with Pittsburgh Regional Transit to identify and ensure clearing of high volume bus stops, stops serving critical infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, and grocery stores, and stops with frequent ramp deployments.
• Formalize a relationship between the City and the County for collaborating around snow removal in pedestrian thoroughfares in the event of an extreme weather emergency.
• Prohibit plowing snow onto curb cuts at crosswalks.
• Update snow removal procedures at bus stops. Require roads and sidewalks at bus stops be cleared to the curb.
• Ensure that walking routes to our public schools are clear and usable for the students and parents who are required to walk.
• Ensure sidewalks on bridges are clear, which may involve creating maintenance agreements with adjacent municipalities.
• Create a program that would incentivize residents to go out into their communities and remove snow in vital locations such as curb ramps and bus stops. (In New York City, the Department of Sanitation has an ongoing program wherein residents can apply to be an Emergency Snow Shoveler. In the event of a heavy snowfall, this network can be activated and shovelers are paid $19.14/hour to shovel out curb ramps, crosswalks, bus stops, and fire hydrants. On February 4, 2026, Philadelphia announced that it, too, would be implementing a similar program focusing on curb ramps throughout the city.)
• Promote the Snow Angels program and incentivize participation.
• Develop a media package (social, print, and televised) to educate property owners on their responsibilities in regards to snow removal, emphasizing why it is so important to do it properly.

We urge City and County leaders to treat this moment with the seriousness it demands and to act now in preparation for future moderate and severe snow events. Mayor O’Connor has rightly recognized the need to invest in additional plows and equipment; that commitment must be matched by a comprehensive, enforceable sidewalk, bus stop and curb ramp snow removal strategy that prioritizes people who walk, use mobility devices, and rely on public transit. The failures of this storm response were not merely inconveniences—they created dangerous, exclusionary conditions that cut thousands of Pittsburghers off from work, healthcare, and community life. 

Access Mob, Pittsburghers for Public Transit, Pittsburgh Center for Disability Justice and BikePGH respectfully request a meeting with the Mayor’s Office and City Council to discuss these recommendations and to collaborate on a clear, accountable plan for implementation. Pittsburgh can and must do better, and we stand ready to work with City leaders to ensure our City is accessible, equitable, and safe for all residents—no matter the weather. 

Take action: tell City Council to develop a snow removal plan that serves non-drivers!

Image Description: Black and yellow text reads “ICE OUT” on a pixelated gray and black gradient background.

Organizing around transit justice is about ensuring that all people have the freedom to move—to travel safely and with dignity everywhere we need to go. All communities should have the ability to freely access their places of school and work, grocery stores, healthcare, and places of recreation and play. 

ICE as an institution is structurally in opposition to that freedom of movement. It is a state instrument of violence, of repression and fear, of incarceration and isolation. We have seen the ways that they have systematically targeted our community of transit riders, which are disproportionately people of color, disabled people, low-income people, and immigrants. 

We are humbled by the solidarity, courage and organizing muscle of all those in Minneapolis, and particularly celebrate the leadership of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005 in protecting transit riders and workers from state-sactioned violence. We endorse the call for a National Strike on Friday, Jan 30th, and support the organizing at the County, State and Federal levels to defend against, to defund and abolish ICE. 

We also stand in support of the proposed Allegheny County ordinance that would prohibit County employees and resources from assisting ICE, and protecting equal access to County services without regard to immigration status (real or perceived).

We encourage our community to sign onto a petition & pressure Allegheny County Council to support this ordinance. Click the button to tell Allegheny County Council that ICE is not welcome here.

PPT builds Transit justice every day, every month, every year—and 2025 was no exception.

So what does justice look like for transit riders and for transit workers? 

Transit justice begins and ends with all of us at the table—in Pittsburgh City Hall, in PRT’s boardroom, in Harrisburg, and in Washington. 

Transit justice is about riders and workers setting the table– making the table large enough to hold all of us and our dreams- and not merely accepting the crumbs.

In 2026, more of you were at the table and set the agenda than ever before:

• You testified at PRT’s service hearings and addressed the PRT Board of Directors around the Bus Line Redesign 1.0 and our transit service quality. 
• You spoke up for affordable housing and bus shelters and passing a budget for free transit for all downtown City workers at Pittsburgh City Council and City Planning. 
• Over 15 of you from the Mon Valley, the Southern Hilltop communities and transit workers committed to a months-long organizing fellowship, where through intensive study and practice have refined your expertise on the needs and opportunities around transit in your communities.
• As part of the weekly research committee meetings or the statewide Transit for All PA calls, you developed our policy demand for service and state funding, putting pen to paper to make a plan for more transit, not less. 
• You met with dozens of City and state legislators telling your transit story, putting forward transit funding solutions and demanding more transit, not less.
• Joined the inaugural Organizing Committee training series, building critical campaign-winning skills in our community.
• You hosted the largest national gathering of transit advocates for a conference on transit skills-building 

This year, transit was the defining issue in the state budget fight: state legislators have said never heard more about an issue—ever—than they did this year about transit. 

That is because of you. 

The Transit for All PA policy package for service growth and expansion—the legislative proposal that you and hundreds of your peers across the state developed and ratified—is the only transit legislation being considered by legislators for the next two years.

Your work has won us all a seat at a table. A table big enough for everyone, and a table big enough to hold our dreams. 

That’s the transit justice we delivered in 2025.

2025’s Tangible Transit Organizing Wins

“It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win.” – Assata Shakur

We’re not just committed to grassroots organizing, we are committed to winning what our communities need and deserve. Here are some of the wins you racked up in 2025:

• Averted the most imminent, catastrophic transit cuts in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia’s history through months of rallying, public testimony, participatory research on state transit funding policy, legislative visits, letter writing and more. 
• Protected transit access for shoppers & workers at the Waterfront mall (and had the most ruckus press conference this town has ever seen with a bus stop marching band parade)!
• Won free transit passes for all 750 downtown City of Pittsburgh employees through PRT’s new bulk transit discount program, the PRTner pass.
• Conducted bus shelter audits and crowdsourced rider data to help the City identify and install new bus shelters, so riders have a dignified and safe place to wait. These shelters were made possible by the funds that you won in the 2025 City of Pittsburgh Budget- the first ever transit amenities line item in Pittsburgh history.

2025 by the Numbers

There’s no way around it: in 2025, PPT has grown bigger, bolder, and faster than ever before. 

To give you a sense of this growth, staff measure the size of our Movement by the number of people in a contact database—in other words, folks who have agreed to be organized around our issues. 

Thanks to the organizing prowess of PPT’s local and statewide members, our database contacts have grown an absolutely stunning 72% since December of 2024. That’s just over 32,500 people who joined the fight in 2025. Check out this (awe-inspiring!) graph that charts contact growth over the past year: 

Image Description: a graph of red bars showing the growth of PPT & Transit for All PA! supporters: from just over 10,000 in Dec. 2024, to around 45,000 in Dec. 2026.

If that data isn’t juicy enough for you, take a look at these other stats showing this massive growth: 

• 350,000+: letters Pennsylvanians sent to their state legislators in support of robust, sustainable transit funding
• 32,500+: new contacts added to the contact database in 2025
• 350: Pennsylvanians who traveled to Harrisburg for a rally and lobby day supporting state transit funding (legislative partners told staff that this was the biggest rally they’ve ever seen at the Capitol!) 
• 50: PA Senate districts with Transit for All PA supporters (yes, that means supporters in every single legislative district in Pennsylvania!) 
• 100+: attendees at PPT’s 2025 National Transit Advocacy Spring Training (want to join in for Spring Training in 2026?)
• 1500+: members of PPT, thanks to the new, more inclusive membership definition
• 317: PPT members who contributed to our Year-End Member Drive to build new constellations of power
• 41: members who started a monthly recurring dues-paying membership, sustaining transit organizing for the long haul

Most of all, our victory is in our clarity of purpose across so many differences. Our victory is in our smart, committed, caring community. Because the damn fascists are doing everything they can to divide us—by race, geography, by our abilities, by our income, by our nationalities. They wouldn’t try so hard if they weren’t so afraid of us, of how powerful we are together. 

In 2025 we built a new constellation of power here at PPT. We’ve won many things, but more victories can and must be on our horizon in 2026. 

In sum: cheers to you, to us, and to our collective liberation.

Image Description: a bus stop titled “Pressely St.” decorated with a red starburst, and pictures of 3 PPT members holding rally signs and smiling. Black and red text reads “Unveiling our new bus shelters: celebrating the Transit Stop Improvement Program”.

Join PPT and the City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure for a Bus Shelter Celebration on Feb. 4th, Transit Equity Day, and the 2-year anniversary of the launch of PPT’s Shelter Campaign. We will be celebrating the launch of the first new bus shelter created as a result of our organizing and partnership with the City of Pittsburgh! 

We will meet at the new shelter at the Cedar Ave and Pressley St inbound bus stop, on the City’s northside, sharing warm beverages, sweet treats, and reflections of the work we’ve done and the road yet ahead. There will be special speakers and opportunities to learn  about PPT’s upcoming infrastructure initiatives.

A Look Back at our Bus Shelter Campaign

Image Description: a yellow, black, and red timeline graphic showing the progression of PPT’s Bus Shelter Campaign, from the first bus shelter audits in Spring 2024 to Transit Equity Day 2026.

When we last updated you, dear PPT members, we were launching our own 2025 Bus Stop Summer. This came after our first bus shelter victory – the allocation of funds for transit amenities in Pittsburgh’s 2025 Capital Budget, and the City of Pittsburgh’s 2025 Transit Stop Improvement Program launch. 

On a hot 90-degree day in July, four different teams of PPT members set out on a one-day Bus Stop Audit Blitz to help the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) gather information on the conditions of bus stops. The goal was to identify enough stops to rehome several “orphaned” bus shelters living at inactive bus stops throughout the city. 

29 high-rider stops across 14 neighborhoods in the city of Pittsburgh were visited. 10 of those stops were deemed eligible for bus shelters by PPT members who were trained according to Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s Bus Stop and Street Design Guidelines and DOMI’s criteria. This information was shared with the City to aid in their work.

Where we are now

DOMI’s 2025 Transit Stop Improvement Program allowed for the repaving of sidewalk pads at 6 high ridership bus stops and the subsequent installation of shelters at those stops. You can now wait for the bus in the shade and protection of shelters at the following bus stops:

• Broadway Avenue at Hampshire Avenue (inbound)
• Broadway Avenue at Hampshire Avenue (outbound)
• Hamilton Avenue at Oakwood Street
• Cedar Avenue at Pressley Street
• Brighton Road and Woods Run Avenue
• Sandusky Street and E. General Robinson 

As a part of this program, DOMI created an Engage page where transit riders can read the detailed criteria of what constitutes a bus stop eligible for a shelter, as well as recommend stops that need sidewalk improvements. The biggest takeaway from PPT’s bus stop audits has been that sidewalk conditions in the city are poor to fair at best, which prevents the easy installation of bus shelters, benches, and other amenities.

The success of PPT’s collaboration with DOMI has not only been in the Transit Stop Improvement Program, but also in the city of Pittsburgh thinking of bus stops in a bigger way; viewing them for the role they play in neighborhood connectivity at all levels of mobility, starting with safe sidewalk infrastructure.

You can always share with PPT which bus stops you think need a shelter through our This Stop Needs a Shelter form. We share this information with our friends at DOMI.

Join PPT and DOMI for a Bus Shelter Celebration on Feb. 4th, Transit Equity Day, and the 2-year anniversary of the launch of PPT’s Shelter Campaign. We will be at the new shelter at the Cedar Ave and Pressley St inbound bus stop, on the City’s northside, sharing warm beverages, sweet treats, and reflections of the work we’ve done and the road yet ahead. There will be special speakers and opportunities to learn about PPT’s upcoming infrastructure initiatives. 

Image Description: a red PRT bus under a dark overpass at night, with its headlights on and ramp extended. To the right is white text reading “We need service that serves us: PRT’s annual service report fails to acknowledge ridership, reliability crises”, decorated with a red starburst.

We deserve a transit system worth fighting for. PRT’s ridership recovery post-COVID lags far behind its peers, and buses frequently don’t show up as scheduled. 

Pittsburgh riders have proved they’re ready to go to bat for PRT. Now PRT needs to grow ridership and to improve service reliability—and implementing the Bus Line Redesign now isn’t the answer.

State lawmakers from Allegheny County have a unique opportunity to push PRT for the baseline service improvements we need before overhauling the system with a Bus Line Redesign. Contact your legislator today to show them that we can, and must, improve our system now—with common sense baseline improvements, not a system redesign.

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Last month, Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) published its 2025 annual service report, laying out data about ridership levels, operating costs per rider, and transit service reliability. From the tone of the report, one might assume that our transit system is doing fine, with any service reliability or ridership hiccups due to unique issues like construction, worker shortfalls or commuter changes post-pandemic. 

However, this report actually shows that Pittsburgh Regional Transit is doing worse on ridership recovery and service reliability compared to transit agencies across the country. The 2025 annual service report disclosed that PRT ridership has plateaued and declined this year from last, for the second year in a row. 

PRT ridership is now only about 60% of pre-COVID levels, a national anomaly. 

On average, US transit systems have recovered 85% of 2019 ridership, and are continuing to climb every year. Some agencies have even surpassed pre-pandemic ridership by making targeted service improvements, and/or advancing new fare programs like their employer passes or low-income and zero fare programs. Notably, over the past two years, PRT has conspicuously removed all comparative data with other peer transit systems, which was a staple of the report in years prior. 

PRT service reliability has also plateaued, with an average of only 66% of buses arriving on time. We’ve said many times, and will continue to say, that this is because of unrealistic written schedules and not due to transit worker shortcomings. 

As some particularly egregious examples, here is the average service reliability of some of the highest ridership routes in the city in 2025:

• 28X Airport Flyer- 58%
• 58 Greenfield- 50%
• 61A North Braddock- 50%
• 61B Braddock-Swissvale- 50%
• 61C McKeesport-Homestead – 44%
• 64 Lawrenceville-Waterfront-    57%
• 65 Squirrel Hill-    46%
• 71B Highland Park-  41%
• 74 Homewood-Squirrel Hill-    57%
• 81 Oak Hill-    55%
• 82 Lincoln-    54%
• 83 Bedford Hill-    54%
• 91 Butler St-    58%

On top of this, schedules show far fewer bus stop arrival times (“time points”) on the printed schedule than in years prior, so the evaluation of whether buses are “on-time” is happening only at a handful of stops on any given route. The lack of time points—and PRT’s minimal accountability to this metric—make it additionally hard for riders to anticipate arrival times for the majority of bus stops, and to plan transfers between routes. 

PRT’s service reports have failed to register the gravity of our ridership and reliability crisis, excusing them as the result of various one-off issues. There is no reason identified in the 2025 report for our low, plateauing on-time-performance average this year, and therefore no presumed mechanism for improving it. (Last year, the 2024 PRT annual service report did note the short-turning of 71 buses and the 61D in Oakland as a major contributor to our region’s precipitous transit ridership drop and bus crowding, but  then proceeded to do nothing about it.)

Despite this, thousands of riders proved this year that they are willing to stand up and fight for PRT.  We need our efforts to be matched with efforts from PRT. They must improve its service to ensure that we have a system worth fighting for. 

Riders need action from PRT, but implementing the Busline Redesign Draft 2.0 is not the solution to our ridership and reliability crisis.

We agree that change is needed. It’s vital that Pittsburgh Regional Transit make changes to address their concurrent ridership, service reliability and funding crises. However, implementing the Busline Redesign before fixing the basics will only make these problems worse.

When you ask PRT why we are lagging so far behind our peers, they will say that the Bus Line Redesign will solve our issues. But that is avoiding the core of the problem – service reliability has been far below its goals for years, and our ridership has declined while others have bounced back. Many agencies have successfully recovered ridership since the pandemic, but not by upending their existing bus network. 

Moreover, we are deeply concerned that implementing a “cost-neutral” bus network redesign will lock in the 20% service cuts that we’ve endured these last 5 years—and may not even be fully implemented, given the lack of any sustainable state funding solution.

We’ll have a more in-depth blog published in the next few weeks that gets deeper into the issues we see with the Bus Line Redesign. 

Instead of a complete redesign, transit riders and workers and our region need PRT to put forward goals and a vision for increasing ridership, increasing access to transit, restoring service, and for improving service reliability. 

As a starting point, Pittsburgh Regional Transit should set goals around ridership recovery, report monthly on their progress, and leverage all the tools at their disposal to grow ridership. In particular, PRT should be capitalizing on the fare programs Allegheny Go (which gives them 100% of fare revenue for every trip!) and the PRTner pass. We have also been calling on PRT and the County to fund free fare days using resources from the Regional Asset District or the County’s Clean Air Fund. Imagine if PRT supported new riders to take the system for one day with transit ambassadors, without the cost or process burden of learning the fare payment system!

Around service reliability, Pittsburgh Regional Transit needs to implement best practices around scheduling. Namely, they need to ensure that service frequencies and times are:

• Consistent between schedule changes
• Realistic for transit operators to drive
• Legibly communicated to everyday people
• Accurate across the printed timetable, apps, and bus stops

The lag and decline of our ridership recovery has likely been due to a combination of self-inflicted wounds: years of unreliable service, PRT’s thrice yearly schedule changes that regularly upend dozens of routes, misaligned communications about stop and service changes, the on-going bus stop eliminations, and the ongoing service cuts. Because these are the results of PRT’s existing practices, these same tools are also available for them to fix our ridership woes, now.

Thousands of riders have shown they are willing to support our agency. Now it’s time for PRT to give riders a system that our region can be proud of.

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Take action: Tell legislators that PRT can fix fundamental service and ridership issues now!

Image Description: an illustrated Pittsburgh skyline at night, in deep purple and blue with yellow lights. The night sky is deep purple with a lighter purple illustration of Pittsburgh’s three rivers. Above the skyline is handwritten light yellow text reading “PPT’s 2025 Year End Member Drive: Building new constellations of power”, decorated with yellow and light yellow stars.

Here at PPT, we’re building new constellations of power. We’ve faced bigger threats to our system, and grown our movement more, than ever before.

There’s never been a better time to join the fight for better transit for all. Will you support transit justice for you and your neighbors with a membership donation to PPT?

PPT’s Year End Member Drive is here!

Membership dues help PPT pay for direct actions, advocacy, and everything else needed to fight for affordable, reliable, dignified transit across our region. Our annual Year-End membership drive is our most important fundraiser of the year.

But this year, there’s a special twist:

Every contribution to our 2025 Year End Membership Drive will be matched up to $20,000 by a local foundation.

If you donate $5, it’ll magically become $10. $500 will become $1,000!

In a year of such fantastic growth, your donation has never been more important—and now it will go even further! Can you help us make our dreams a reality by donating to become a member?

PPT members build their skills to win campaigns. Why is PPT membership so powerful? Read member Kristen’s story.

Everything changed this summer, when I found out that the Waterfront mall wanted to remove bus stops from its stores. I had just finished PPT’s transit organizing fellowship for Mon Valley residents, so I knew just how many people rely on transit to get their groceries there. I had to do something. I told PPT about the cuts, and they asked me to speak about them on the news.

Here’s the thing: I do not like public speaking. But this was important, so I stepped out of my comfort zone and did an on-camera interview with WPXI. After my interview aired, over 1,400 people signed a petition to stop the cuts–and 5 days later, the Waterfront announced that it would keep bus stops on the property!

It is such a good feeling knowing that I made a difference! PPT helped me step out of my comfort zone, and then we actually won our campaign. When I think about everything we’ve accomplished–whoa! I’m so proud of myself, and I’m so proud of us. PPT helped me make our transit system better for everyone. They showed me that when we fight together, we build our power–and we win! We can’t do it without you. Can you join me in this fight?

In Solidarity, 
Kristen Greene

Donate now to become a dues-paying PPT member and strengthen our movement!

Image Description: white text on a dark purple background reads “PPT’s Year End Transit Justice Victory Party”, with the PPT logo below. The graphic is illustrated with yellow star-shaped lights strung across the top of the frame

We’ve accomplished so much this year, all in service of new transit rider and worker power. Party down with us as we celebrate and build our visions for next year!

From Pittsburgh to Harrisburg and all across PA, 2025 has been a year of stunning growth for our movement for Transit Justice. It’s time to celebrate the love-filled community that makes it all possible—with yummy food, music, dancing, and the best company around.

Tickets to this party are offered on a sliding scale pricing basis. We suggest a $20 donation, but no one will be turned around for lack of funds.

What to expect

What, When, & Where

Friday, December 12, 2025, 6:00-9:00 PM
Hosanna House’s Wallace Event Center
807 Wallace Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15221

We’ll be inside at the Wallace Event Center at Wilkinsburg’s Hosanna House. We’ll have a DJ playing music, space to dance, and tables and chairs serving dinner for all those who reserve a ticket. We’ll have a brief speaking program where PPT members talk about our wins from the year, and what it means to build power with this community.

Attendees should not feel obligated to attend the entire event, so feel free to arrive and leave at times that work best for you.

Food

We will be providing a catered meal from Aladdin’s to all those who pre-register for this event. We will clearly label all major allergens on the food.

Our menu will be:

• Falafel (GF, Vegan, contains nuts), Tabouli (vegan), Hummus (GF, vegan), Baba Ghannouj (GF, vegan), Loubie Bzeit (GF, vegan)
• Hot rolled pitas with a choice of Chicken Shawarma, Chicken Curry, Aladdin’s Beef Kabob, Arayiss (Beef), or Cauliflower (vegan, contains nuts)
• Fresh salad (GF, vegan, may contain nuts)

Guests are welcome to bring a dessert to share if they wish! We just ask that they label ingredients or major allergens of anything they bring to share, so that folks can assess what is safe to eat for them.

Accessibility

The space is on the second floor, with an elevator running between floors. All spaces are accessible, including restrooms near the event space. There is consistent lighting throughout the space, which may be turned down a bit for dancing and speeches. There will likely be some loud portions of the evening, as we dance to music and have lively conversations with our neighbors.

We will be providing childcare at this event. Please indicate on your ticket form if you would like childcare for someone in your party.

Getting there

Please enter the building through the Wallace Ave. entrance, and head up to the second floor.

There is a bus stop right in front of the main entrance, serving the 67, 69, 79, P17, and P67 buses. There is also a stop 3 blocks away, which serves the 71D, 86, and P71. The venue is about a mile away from the Wilkinsburg East Busway stop.

There will be street parking available, as well as 3 parking lots at Wallace and Mill St., Wallace and Center St., and Mill St. and North Ave. All of these lots are within a block of the venue.

Volunteering

If you’re interested in volunteering, check the box at the end of the RSVP form, and an organizer will reach out to you to confirm details.

This is a community event, and we need help to make it a success! We have several volunteer shifts available for those interested in helping out. Don’t worry, you’ll still get a chance to eat, drink, and relax if you volunteer!

Volunteers may help out with:

• Set up crew: meet at the PPT office in Shadyside before the event to help pack and transport materials to the venue. Requires a vehicle and some ability to lift/move supplies using stairs.
• Check-in and welcome table: reference a spreadsheet to check guests in; record information of unregistered guests; take donations via cash/card
• Strategic plan table: explain our draft 2026 Strategic Plan to guests, and help them vote on the draft
• Food station: help guests place their desserts on the table, replace cups/utensils, check on other volunteers and bartender to make sure they’ve eaten
• Floater: check in with childcare professionals to see if they need a break; assist with miscellaneous needed tasks, such as cleaning up spills and assisting PPT staff
• Wayfinding: on standby to meet PPT members at nearby bus stops if they need someone to show them to the venue
• Photographer: take fun, engaging pictures of people at our event! Requires some mobility to move around the event space.
• Clean up crew: take down decorations, collect trash, and pack up vehicles after the party concludes

RSVP to Join Us