On April 23-25 of this year, Pittsburgh will take the national stage by hosting the NFL draft. This will be an unprecedented opportunity to showcase our region: the event is estimated to draw between 500,000-700,000 attendees across three days, around twice the total population of the City of Pittsburgh. The NFL draft events will be located primarily at the Point and at Acrisure Stadium, and success will depend in part on whether hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors will be able to efficiently access the festivities. 

Because our beautiful region is hemmed in with rivers and hills, the arterial roadways and bridges to reach these sites are limited. If the majority of these hundreds of thousands of event attendees plan to drive themselves Downtown or to the North Shore, the NFL Draft will be an unmitigated disaster, with delays lasting for hours in all directions. It is therefore critical that both event workers and the NFL Draft visitors are both supported and incentivized to take public, mass transit. 

In other words, well-advertised, easy to use, and abundant transit service must be the heart of any winning strategy for the NFL Draft.

There are a number of key stakeholders who must play a role in order for transit to be the easy and obvious choice for stadium and hospitality workers, local attendees and out-of town visitors through the NFL draft days. Below we offer our recommendations for each:

Recommendations for Pittsburgh Regional Transit:

Recommendations for the NFL/Visit Pittsburgh/Stadium Authority:

Recommendations for City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County and PennDOT:

Recommendations for Pittsburgh Regional Transit: 

Service: 

• PRT must provide both robust regular transit service and event shuttle service. Pittsburgh Regional Transit should ensure that all routes, throughout the County, run at least as frequently as their current rush hour service during the entire event. Frequent transit service needs to serve local residents as well as out-of-town visitors. Hundreds of thousands of Pittsburgh area residents are anticipated to attend and work the Draft events and staff local businesses, and visitors to the City will be staying in every available hotel room and Airbnb across the region. 
• Transit workers should be provided additional compensation during the NFL draft in order to incentivize workers to pick up extra shifts and to diminish call offs.

Marketing: Pittsburgh Regional Transit must have a marketing campaign to encourage transit use during the NFL draft. 

• PRT should deploy a slogan like,  “PRT is your ticket to the action”, “PRT is your valet to the game,” “PRT makes it easy,” or ”Transit riders get the red carpet,” which would be memorable and would show that PRT has plans to support rider access to the event. 
• PRT should communicate clearly on its channels – social media, Ready2Ride, its website- and third party apps to help riders navigate the system during the event. There should be an NFL draft landing page on the PRT website that includes fares/fare payment, and service/schedules/maps.
• PRT should advertise at the airport, through Airbnb, at Downtown and North Shore restaurants/bars/coffee shops (WMATA in DC has advertisements on coasters in Washington DC bars), in local hotel “welcome guides to Pittsburgh”, and on bus shelters.
• PRT’s canvass team could table at the Pittsburgh airport, on the North Shore, at Acrisure Stadium and at the Point to provide personalized information on fares and service.

Recommendations for the NFL/Visit Pittsburgh/Stadium Authority: 

–The NFL Draft One Pass Mobile App should prominently feature a link to a (future) Pittsburgh Regional Transit NFL Draft landing page as the top recommendation for how to get around. Parking information should be secondary.

–Other portals for NFL Draft information including the Steelers App and the Visit Pittsburgh page should prominently link to and recommend Pittsburgh Regional Transit for locals and out-of-town visitors to get around during the Draft.  

–Buses should get priority access to the front of the stadium. Reducing overall traffic congestion, excessively long commute times and walks to access the event – by rolling out the red carpet for public transit- will make for a successful event and happier attendees. 

Recommendations for City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County and PennDOT:

–Buses must not be stuck in mixed traffic during the event. There should be a careful audit of where buses experience delays during stadium events and events at the Point, and specific interventions made to address them. For instance, one lane of Reedsdale Street should be made bus-only, and one lane on North Ave should be made bus-only. The bus only lanes downtown -particularly Liberty Ave- should have no exceptions for cars during the event, and should have traffic enforcement officers to ensure that they are kept clear for buses. The HOV lanes on 279 should remain open for buses throughout the three days of the NFL draft.

Conclusion:

The City of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Regional Transit have the opportunity to shine at this year’s NFL Draft, and we’re eager to see it happen.

We’re calling on Pittsburgh Regional Transit, the NFL and Pittsburgh tourism bureau, and our municipal champions to ensure that our transit service, PRT’s communications and marketing efforts, and our region’s infrastructure is primed to make transit the easiest and best option for locals and visitors alike. Of course, these are not comprehensive recommendations—we trust that many other good proposals are being brought to the table. But we hope that together, these institutions can play their part towards making abundant, efficient transit the ticket to a winning NFL Draft.

image description: illustration of a red bus to the left of the image, small photo of smiling supporters to the right, text reads “Job listing Digital Organizer – Data Lead” with logos for Transit for All PA! and Pittsburghers for Public Transit.

The movement is hiring a new staff position! Check out the description below and apply if you’re a great candidate

January 2026

About Transit for All PA! and Pittsburghers for Public Transit

Transit for All PA! is fighting for more public transit that moves all Pennsylvanians. The campaign is led by Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT), which is a grassroots union of transit riders, workers, and neighbors. Together, PPT and Transit for All PA! organize for public transit that meets all needs, with no communities left behind.

PPT is a member-led grassroots union. Our members vote annually to elect fellow members to our Board of Directors, which manages our staff and finances. Members create and vote to approve our yearly campaign plans, and members work on our three volunteer-led committees to do the research, organizing, and communications projects needed to win our campaigns.

Together, we are creating transit systems that work for everybody, for our communities and our state, by organizing as poor and working-class people in a multi-racial movement for transit justice—and we need you with us in this fight.

Digital Organizer – Data Lead Position Summary

The Digital Organizer – Data Lead will build & manage our digital infrastructure, data strategy, online-to-offline organizing funnel to grow our movement and win our campaigns. The position will work in the organization’s small but mighty Digital Department, with the Digital Organizing Director and the Digital Organizer – Communications Lead. Close collaboration with the rest of the staff and our member leaders will be vital.

This is not an entry-level position; we require applicants to have a command of data management skills (such as managing databases, digital infrastructure and tools, workflows, and data hygiene) and experience with community organizing skills (such as facilitating meetings, trainings, events, and participation). It’s a big, broad job, and we work as a team to support each other and get it done.

 The Digital Organizer – Data Lead will report to the Digital Organizing Director.

Primary Job Responsibilities

1. Digital infrastructure building & management: co-create systems to maximize the efficacy of our data via digital and old-fashioned community organizing.
   • EveryAction! Grow an organizational culture committed to building a powerful EveryAction database and advocacy/communications toolset to win our campaigns. Work with EA to develop systems/segmentation to support our organizing across the state. Train staff on their appropriate roles in the database. Troubleshoot issues when they arise.
   • Manage the organization’s tech stack – Sharpen the use of our tech stack (which currently includes Everyaction, Mobilze, Getthru, Google Workspace, Zoom, Twilio, Asana and some others) and digital/analogue data by fixing bugs, building workflows, and training staff.
   • Build a culture of effective data collection + hygiene– Train staff/members on systems & practices, and lovingly hold our team accountable to our program. Make the benefits of our data practices tangible – graphs, dashboards, effective workflows, clear purpose.
     
2. Membership program growth: Cultivate a PPT Membership program that builds strong, caring, personal relationships that move people to action and sharpen our fundraising with small-dollar donors. That means we will need you to:
   • Grow membership & solidarity – build systems to increase the number of members.  Deepen new & existing members’ understanding of what it means to be part of this grassroots union.
   • Improve & maintain data/digital systems – Iterate on existing systems to track and report on membership program. Streamline program operations – recruitment, renewals, self-service, and more.
   • Increase revenue – Lead 2 large membership drives and 2 small recruitment campaigns throughout the year. Coordinate with the team on a fundraising calendar.
   • Deepen engagement and leadership development – Help members increase their involvement in our organizing & develop leaders who can take charge of making change in their communities. 
     
3. People Organizing – Yes, this position will spend lots of time on a computer, but it will also require strong real-life relational organizing to be successful:
   • Create & lead our Data Volunteer Team (name is a work in progress) – establish a volunteer team  work on data projects. 
   • Large-event planning & logistics – lend a hand with large in-person and virtual events held throughout the year

Qualities We Are Looking For

Versed in Strategic Infrastructure. You have experience building and managing digital infrastructure to strengthen organizations. Systems and tools should be clear, intuitive, and accessible for staff and volunteers to utilize.

Accountability Focused. You are a rigorous systems thinker who can create digital infrastructure to accurately assess our current engagement capacity, identify opportunities for growth, and demonstrate the efficacy of different organizing and communications strategies.

Visionary and Committed. You are an organizer at heart, working towards justice for our communities. You are caring, invested, and accountable to your fellow staff, PPT’s democratically-elected board leadership, and membership.

A Swiss Army Knife. You are resourceful and creative, willing to do what it takes to make a project succeed. You can handle a lot in a fast-paced, multi-faceted work environment.

In(ter)dependent. Can work independently, self-managing your time, while maintaining close communication with remote teams. You are flexible and know that organizing doesn’t always happen between 9 am and 5 pm – and you respect your time and your team’s by taking flex time to keep everyone at a 40hr work week. You believe in people and know everyone can contribute in different ways to win a better world.

Required Qualifications

• Support Transit for All PA! + Pittsburghers for Public Transit’s mission, vision, goals, and theory of change
• Deep personal investment in the intersectional struggle for transit justice, housing justice, disability justice, racial justice and environmental justice
• Experience in multi-racial, multicultural settings
• Spreadsheet prowess and admin-level proficiency in 21st-century office tools: Google Suite, Zoom, Asana etc
• 2-3 years of managing digital systems and infrastructure for an organization like CRMs, websites, and tools for digital activism
• 1+ years experience in creating training materials and training organizational staff. 
• Access to reliable internet, phone, and remote office arrangements. 

Preferred Qualifications

• 2-3 years of community organizing experience (paid or volunteer), preferably with grassroots member-led base-building organizations or unions, moving people to volunteer, donate, attend events, or take action for social change
• 1+ years experience in PPT membership and/or the Transit for All PA! campaign, and familiarity with Pittsburghers for Public Transit’s/Transit for All PA!’s community and organizational culture. 
• Ability to write and speak a second language, preferably Spanish

Location and Travel

Our staff must be willing to work a flexible schedule, including nights and weekends – while also valuing rest, humanity, and taking time for our own needs and the team’s.

The Digital Organizer – Data Lead can live anywhere in Pennsylvania, but will need to be able to travel to Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and other parts of PA 4-5 times a year. If the hire lives in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, some level of in-office time with local staff will be required. The hire will need to have some flexibility and give input on our “workplace norms” as we grow to operate at a statewide level. 

Salary and Benefits

This is a full non-exempt position. Salary is $65,000 a year, and includes high-quality, zero premium and zero deductible family health care, free transit pass, unmatched and matched 401k retirement contributions, and generous paid leave time. PPT is committed to an access-focused culture centered around Disability Justice principles and believes in a workplace culture with a healthy work-life balance.

How To Apply & Hiring Timeline

Please email a resume, cover letter, and writing/work samples to Dan Yablonsky, PPT/T4APA’s Digital Organizing Director, at dan@pittsburghforpublictransit.org. To ensure your email is received, please include “PPT Digital Organizer – Data Lead” as the subject line. References will be asked for candidates who advance in the process.  Candidates will only be contacted if our hiring team chooses to pursue an interview.

Pittsburghers for Public Transit is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, familial status, sexual orientation, national origin, ability, age, or veteran status.

All applications received by February 20th, 2026 are guaranteed to be reviewed, but applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The target start date for this new hire is March 20, 2026.

Together, Transit Riders & Workers Are Building New Constellations of Power! PPT Members celebrated our year in style.

After a long year of successful organizing, PPT Members were ready to have a good time at our Victory Party & Year-End Celebration in Friday 12/12!

2025 was a year of highs and lows. PPT Members and transit riders & workers across the state celebrated massive growth with the statewide Transit for All PA! campaign. More than 45,000 riders and workers (from every single State House Voting District in Pennsylvania) mobilized to uplift public transit in the state budget negotiations like never before. Riders fought back 45% service cuts in Philly, 35% cuts in Pittsburgh, and laid the groundwork for a statewide movement that will expand public transit service in every corner of PA.

PPT Members also celebrated wins at home too, with successful organizing drives to protect and improve our bus stops, win free transit for every City Worker downtown, and level up our organizing skills together at trainings that brought together organizers from all across the city, county, state and country.

The PPT Family mourns the loss of freedom fighter, Paul O’Hanlon, February 9, 1954 – November 30, 2025. Paul was a co-founder of PPT back in 20211 who was serving a term on our board when he passed this Fall. Paul was a lifelong organizer in the intersecting struggles of disability, housing and transportation justice. Read more about Paull on PPT’s blog.

PPT Members are ready to take all of this energy into our fight in 2026. Join as a dues-paying PPT Member today during our year-end membership drive.

Check out this year-in-review video from PPT Member Joe Coniff to show all that we’ve been up to in 2025:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pittsburghers 4 Public Transit (@pgh4publictransit)

AND OF COURSE, HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS! See the full album here on Flickr.

Take part in the Year-End Membership drive TODAY and help Build New Constellations of Power:

Image description: Black text highlighted in yellow reads “Transit for All Organizing Spring Training 2026”, interspersed with blue-filtered images of transit advocates at rallies, holding signs, and boarding the bus. Smaller text below reads “March 20-21, 2026, Pittsburgh, PA”, with the Pittsburghers for Public Transit and Transit for All PA logos.

You’re invited: Join transit riders, workers, and supporters from across PA and the country for the 2026 Transit for All Organizing Spring Training!

Transit can transform our communities – but it is up to us as organizers to build the grassroots movement to make it happen!

This March, you are invited to join Pittsburghers for Public Transit, Transit for All PA!, and advocates from across the country at the third annual Transit for All Organizing Spring Training.

It’s going to be bigger and better than ever before. This organizing training day will have workshops led by local advocates and advocates outside of Pittsburgh, and will have topics relevant to transit organizers at all levels and all regions.

Join peers and leaders from Pennsylvania and across the country for a Transit Tour through Pittsburgh, a Happy Hour, and a full day jam-packed with an inspiring plenary, engaging workshops, field visits, and lots of community building with comrades from near and far. Learn more about our workshops below!

For transit riders, workers, and advocates, there’s no other event like this. Space is limited and pre-registration is required for all events, so reserve your spot now!

Pre-registration is required for all events. The last day to register for Spring Training is Friday, March 13th, 2026.

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Table of Contents

• Schedule at a Glance
• Get your tickets now!
• Logistics
  • Location Information
  • Discounted Room Block for Overnight Stays
  • Accessibility
  • Food & Drink
  • Covid-19 Procedures
  • More information
• Workshop and Event Descriptions

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Tickets are going fast—Reserve your spot today!

Pre-registration is required for all events. The last day to register for Spring Training is Friday, March 13th, 2026.

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Logistics

Location Information

The Courtyard Pittsburgh University Center is located at 100 Lytton Ave, Pittsburgh PA 15213, in the amenity-rich Oakland neighborhood.

The hotel is very easily accessible from the airport via public transit. It is about a four-minute walk or roll from the Fifth Ave and Tennyson Ave PRT stop, which is serviced by the following routes:

• 54 Northside-Oakland-Southside
• 58 Greenfield
• 61A North Braddock
• 61B Braddock-Swissvale
• 61C McKeesport-Homestead
• 61D Murray
• 67 Monroeville
• 69 Trafford
• 71A Negley
• 71B Highland Park
• 71C Point Breeze
• 71D Hamilton
• 75 Ellsworth
• 81 Oak Hill
• 83 Bedford Hill
• 93 Lawrenceville-Hazelwood
• P3 East Busway-Oakland

Discounted Room Block for Overnight Stays

We have secured a discounted hotel room block at the venue, so that those joining from outside Pittsburgh can stay overnight.

Discounted rooms are available for $189 per night, only for those who book before Friday, February 27, 2026.

If you’d like to reserve a hotel room in our block, please use this link.

Accessibility

The Courtyard Pittsburgh University Center has accessible onsite parking and an accessible main entrance. All meeting areas are accessible, and there are elevators throughout the building. More information about the hotel’s accessibility features can be found on their web page.

ASL interpretation will be provided at all events.

Food and Drink

At happy hour on Friday, let PPT buy your first round! Drink tickets will be provided to all those who pre-register. Snacks will be available from 5:15-5:45, first-come-first-serve.

On Saturday, PPT will provide a continental breakfast for participants in the morning, lunch, and mid-day snacks—as well as coffee and tea, all day.

PPT will label provided food with common allergens.

COVID-19 Procedures

Masks are encouraged indoors at our events and will be available on-site at check-in. We also encourage everyone to take an at-home COVID-19 rapid test before arriving. Please stay home if you are feeling sick or have come into contact with someone who has COVID-19.

More Information

If you have any questions, please email info@pittsburghforpublictransit.org, and a member of the team will get back to you!

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Workshops and Events

Friday, March 20

3:30 PM: Transit Tour

Starting point: 4836 Ellsworth Ave, Pittsburgh PA, 15213

Come on a transit tour of Pittsburgh, tailored to you! Local transit advocates and members will lead this tour, beginning at the Pittsburghers for Public Transit office, and ending near our final destination: our attendee Happy Hour in the Strip District. Guides will lead us through local landmarks, service issues, our geography’s impact on the transit system, and new visions for the system’s potential.

5:00-7:00 PM: Happy Hour

Aslin Beer Company, 1801 Smallman St. 

You’re invited to mingle with the crew before the big day of workshops! Join up for chit-chat, cocktails, snacks, and activities in Pittsburgh’s historic Strip District. 

Food will be served between 5:15 and 5:45 PM, first-come, first-served. Pre-registration is required, and comes with one drink ticket! RSVP at the form above.

Saturday, March 21

Courtyard Pittsburgh University Center
100 Lytton Ave., Pittsburgh PA, 15213

Narrative Change: Our Stories Build the World We Want

Block 1 (10:00-11:30 AM)
Presenters:
Nadia Awad, Content Director, Narrative Initiative

Our stories are like stars spread across the night sky: bright, but too numerous to make sense of each one. When our stories share values and themes, we start to create constellations of shared narratives. These narratives have the power to drive public opinion shifts and real policy improvements. Join this workshop to learn how our movement can use Narrative Change Theory to transform our stories into victories.

#VoteTransit: Bus Mayor Elections and Beyond

Block 1 (10:00-11:30 AM)
Presenters: 
Betsy Plum, Executive Director of Riders Alliance (New York City) 
Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Barb Warwick

In New York City, Seattle, Boston and here in Pittsburgh, City leaders have shown that faster, more affordable public transit is a winning electoral issue. In this workshop, Riders Alliance Executive Director Betsy Plum will share how transit riders supported now-NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani to center transit justice in his campaign and how that helped propel him to a historic victory. Betsy Plum and Pittsburgh Councilwoman Barb Warwick will also lay out both the challenges and opportunities for transit riders to collaborate with—and hold accountable—municipal elected officials to make our transit dreams a reality.

Mobile Workshop! Field Communications: Storytelling from the Street

Block 2 (1:00-2:30 PM)
Presenters: 
Joe Conniff, Video Editor, Educator, and Producer
Remote support from Marcelese Cooper, Teaching Assistant Professor in the Film and Media Studies Program at the University of Pittsburgh

Our stories are our power, and organizing with stories can help the movement win big. Join this workshop to learn how to make in-the-field videos that develop our transit justice narrative and help us build power for this movement. We strongly suggest that participants take the Narrative Change workshop earlier that day, or have prior experience in our volunteer Communications Committee. Pre-registration is required; reserve your spot at the form above!

Bargaining for the Common Good: Worker/Community Solidarity

Block 2 (1:00-2:30 PM)
Presenters: 
Connor Chapman, University of Pittsburgh Graduate Workers Union and Pittsburghers for Public Transit

Learn how unions and community organizations can join together to win demands far beyond traditional union labor contracts, advancing the public good! Explore case studies from the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, unions whose members not only challenged the boss, but took on inequitable systems within their professions. Participants will learn strategies for developing demands that benefit workers and the wider community—as well as ideas for using these principles to boost labor’s demands before the next contract fight.

Organizing with Disability Justice at the Center

Block 2 (1:00-2:30 PM)
Presenters:
Anna Zivarts, a leading author, transit rider organizer and founder of the Nondriver Alliance out of Washington state
Dr. Josie Badger, director of the national RSA-Parent Training, Information, technical assistance center (RAISE), and founder of several orgs including the Pennsylvania Youth Leadership Network (PYLN), the Children’s Hospital Advocacy Network for Guidance and Empowerment (CHANGE), and J.Badger Consulting
Moderator:
Alisa Grishman, founder of Access Mob Pittsburgh and PPT Board member

Disability justice is a core part of transit justice. In this workshop, organizers Anna Zivarts from Washington State and Dr. Josie Badger from New Castle, Pennsylvania will share practical ways to organize for better transit in both rural and urban communities—led by disabled riders themselves. They will discuss how to build strong coalitions and support disabled transit riders to move into leadership and decision-making roles, putting the principle “nothing about us, without us” into action.

Big Tech in Transit: Automation, Microtransit, Surveillance, and Data

Block 3 (2:45-4:15 PM)
Presenters:
Dr. Sarah Fox, Assistant Professor in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, where she directs the Tech Solidarity Lab. Other participants will include a transit worker and a community member organizing around community solutions over transit tech.

Across the United States, AI and private tech firms are playing an increasing role in our transportation systems- with serious consequences for transit workers and riders. In this workshop, CMU Professor Dr. Sarah Fox will share insights from her work alongside unionized transit workers to identify emerging tech challenges to transit jobs, and share strategies to ensure these technologies support worker rights, safety, and autonomy. A Pittsburgh transit worker and rider will also highlight lessons learned from the successful campaign – entitled “Our Money, Our Solutions” against the autonomous vehicle microtransit project “The Mon-Oakland Connector.”

Transit Isn’t Just Urban: Organizing in Small Systems & Everywhere

Block 3 (2:45-4:15 PM)
Presenters: 
Connor Descheemaker (they/them), Statewide Campaign Manager, Transit for All PA
Six transit organizing fellows from Lancaster and the Lehigh Valley, PA

We always say transit exists in all 67 counties across Pennsylvania, but what does that really mean, and who does it represent? Data shows us that there are just as high a percentage of non-drivers in our most rural communities as our most urban, and those in power need to serve those riders with reliable, accessible service for work, healthcare and communities. Right now, Transit For All PA is base-building in small cities to identify what service looks like, and what it should look like. Learn from six local organizers about what transit is like in their communities, and how they are reaching workers and peers to identify how to make it better.

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Transit for All PA Coalition Denounces State Budget that Fails to Address Mobility Needs for Pennsylvania Residents

Today transit riders, workers and advocates denounce the legislature’s abject failure to raise new revenue and pass a budget to meet the mobility needs of communities across all 67 counties in the Commonwealth. No budget is complete without addressing freedom of mobility, particularly for our older adults, people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations. Instead, this budget deal increases transportation spending by more than $100 million, none of which will be allocated towards public transit: this is an insult to the more than a million Pennsylvanians who take some form of transit to go to work, school, and medical appointments every day.

Confronted with the catastrophic costs of transit funding inaction on the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh area transit systems, the Governor, Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and Senate had all agreed that public transit funding was a top priority in this year’s state budget negotiations. The Pennsylvania House passed five bipartisan bills that would have made meaningful progress towards funding transit. Instead, Senate Republican leadership derailed these bipartisan efforts, and SEPTA and Pittsburgh Regional Transit were forced to use their limited capital resources to fund transit operations, which delays critical accessibility and safety improvements. Almost immediately, SEPTA faced the consequences of this decision: the Federal Transportation Administration declared SEPTA’s 50-year-old Regional Rail cars an imminent fire hazard. And while legislators were dithering even on this inadequate action, 800,000 transit riders in the Philly area had to weather a month of service cuts and chaotic commutes.  

The forced transfer of capital funds to operations also did not address the mobility crisis facing smaller communities across the state. Within the next 18 months, the already austere transit system budgets in the Lehigh Valley, Lancaster, Westmoreland County, State College and more will hit their fiscal cliffs and begin cuts, harming Pennsylvania’s workers and vulnerable populations. Pennsylvania’s legislature and Governor have also entirely ignored the crisis facing our statewide shared-ride services, serving disabled and elderly populations in our most rural communities; in 2021, shared-ride programs operated at a $60 million loss in the 2020-21 fiscal year, the most recent year PennDOT’s report on the programs looked at. Costs have increased even as federal subsidies have waned, which means significant service cuts and fare increases are imminent for those with no other transportation options.

The Transit for All PA coalition has grown exponentially since the beginning of this year; we have built a movement of over 45,000 transit advocates who hail from all 253 legislative districts in Pennsylvania. We held more than 175 rallies, canvass events, and public meetings across the Commonwealth in the last 10 months, culminating in a 350 person rally and transit advocacy day in Harrisburg in June. And our coalition has proposed a commonsense transit funding solution – now the Transit for All PA legislative package championed by Senators Nikil Saval and Lindsey Williams, Representatives Jessica Benham and Aerion Abney (HB1523, HB1524, SB795, SB796) – that would raise sufficient, dedicated revenue to restore and expand mobility options for every community in Pennsylvania. 

The Pennsylvania budget has passed 135 days late; there are now only 230 days until our next state budget is due. Over the next 7 months, Transit for All PA will amplify the voices of transit riders across our Commonwealth in support of sustainable, expanded transit funding. The coalition’s message: our legislators must get back to their jobs so that PA workers can get to ours. Moreover, in 357 days, many of the leaders who negotiated today’s budget will be on the ballot, including Governor Shapiro. We intend to educate transit riders to hold the Governor and legislators accountable in their roles and at the ballot box, as we continue to work towards passing a budget that will finally move all Pennsylvanians.

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The budget is passed, but our fight for transit continues. Tell your elected officials that public transit moves their constituents and they must step up as champions:

PPT’s new Organizing Fellowship in the South Hilltop Communities is building new leaders to grow our movement and win better transit service.

In October, PPT launched a new organizing fellowship in the South Hilltop. With generous help from multiple organizations including the Hilltop Alliance, Brashear Association, Ms. Charlene Saner and Councilman Anthony Coghill’s office, PPT recruited 7 fellows from across the South Hilltop area to explore public transit access, infrastructure, financial barriers, and equitable development.

Examples of these topics include:

• Canvassing in your community to meet riders and build your base,
• Learning about bus shelter and sidewalk expansion and improvement,
• Winning improved service through Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT’s) Bus Line redesign process,
• Enrolling South Hilltop residents into the half-fare program, Allegheny Go, and advocating for a fully free program,
• Zoning/land use relationship connecting access to housing and quality transit.

[place holder for brief intro + photos of our fellows]

Every few weeks we’re publishing interviews with our fellows with our takeaways, which we’ll add here. See all our reportbacks below!

• Opening Sessions: Reportback on Sessions 1-2
• Midway Through: Reportback on Sessions 3-x
• Closing Sessions: Reportback on Sessions x – x

PPT’s recent Organizing Fellowship in the Mon Valley shows that when advocates skill up, they can organize their communities and win!

This year, Pittsburghers for Public Transit launched it’s first fellowship program for transit advocates in Mon Valley communities, led by staff and PPT Board facilitators. Why now, and why focus on these areas? PPT members voted as a part of our 2025 strategic plan to place additional time and resource into supporting transit riders in Mon Valley communities by sharing our learned experiences in working to win improvements to transit infrastructure (finding ways to get our sidewalks repairs, extended, restore bus shelters, and preserve stops) by educating elected officials and department leaders in the City of Pittsburgh on how they can make using transit an easier and more dignified experience. Through this program, we aimed to equip transit riders with ways to educate and activate municipal leaders to support robust policies that foster more connected communities.

PPT has worked along residents in the Mon Valley to stop service reduction on routes that are some of the highest for commuters in the state of Pennsylvania and riders have turned out to community meetings, rallies, and have made strides to not only stop changes to routes that would slash service, but make gains for weekend service and projects that would make traveling between communities and the City of Pittsburgh faster. Unfortunately, many places have not seen significant economic investments for residents over time. As a result, riders often travel far to access full-service grocery options, pharmacies, medical facilities, recreation centers, and more. Transit is more than the bus, but an essential lifeline. 

Fellows met weekly for 4 months to learn about community organizing and transit advocacy

For this program, fellows focused most of their time in Homestead, McKeesport, Duquesne, and Rankin, where they reside. Each week, we dove into a specific aspect of transit access in relation to PPT campaigns through both in-person and virtual discussions. During our in-person days in the field, we compiled a list of bus stops with high ridership numbers that would be eligible for a bus shelter. We also conducted a citizens’ audit of stops in each borough, speaking with people waiting to gather their transit service needs. Related to service, we rode the well-loved 59 Mon Valley route and chatted with riders waiting at the bus stop in North Versailles about their travel destinations and how the service frequency affected their experience. Fellows meet with a representative from the Steel Valley COG to explore how local-level policies influence street design and planning by elected officials. Additionally, we discuss the potential for equitable transit-oriented development on county-owned land in collaboration with Pittsburgh Regional Transit staff. Fellows learned about fare equity and the Allegheny Go program. We monitored the county’s enrollment progress, identifying opportunities to boost enrollment through discussions of benefits and facilitating on-the-spot enrollments. 

During our short time, our fellows and facilitators cover tremendous ground in learning about how we can make the kinds of connections we want to see for more people-focused, transit-grounded decision-making to create thriving places and spaces.

Our Mon Valley Organizing Fellowship set us up for victory on the Waterfront Bus Stop campaign – join our next Organizing Fellowship to win better transit in your community! 

When we organize, we win! – and our Mon Valley Organizing Fellowship proved that. Almost immediately after our Fellowship ended, it was announced that the property owners at the Waterfront wanted to remove the two bus stops in front of the Giant Eagle and Target. This move was a disgrace to transit riders. These two stops are some of the most used stops in the Mon Valley – serving more than 2500 riders every week! 

Organizers from the Mon Valley Organizing Fellowship snapped into action and began circulating a petition to keep the stops at the Waterfront. Their work in the fellowship helped establish a network to get the word out about opportunities to fight for improved transit. In less than a week our petition had collected 1400 signatures, and won the endorsement of US Congressperson Summer Lee! Our Organizing Fellows made the news speaking up for the bus stop. And within a week more, it was announced that County Executive Sara Innamorato had reached a deal with local leaders and the property owners to keep these bus stops!

You can be part of this Organizing Fellowship success story! Join us at our Press Conference Parade on October 20th to declare that transit riders have power. We’re here to stay at the Waterfront – and all throughout Allegheny County! RSVP here

We’ll be launching new PPT Organizing Fellowships in communities around our County (and state!) in 2026, so be sure to stay tuned for the next opportunity to sign up!

Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s Board Meeting is scheduled for Friday, 9/26 at 9:30 am, and we want to make sure they hear our voices loud and clear. Register with us by Tuesday, 9/23 and we will make sure you’re signed up and prepared to speak online or in-person at the PRT Board Meeting.

Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) and ACCESS riders and workers are feeling temporary relief that the proposed catastrophic service cuts and fares increases are no longer scheduled for 2026. But no transit funding solution (or any budget!) has yet passed in Harrisburg, and PRT bus service continues to be unreliable and insufficient to meet our needs.

And so, while we continue to organize for NEW transit funding out of Harrisburg that serves all PA, we are calling on Pittsburgh Regional Transit to take action now to improve schedules and transit service, and to build a system worth fighting for. 

In developing your testimony for the PRT Board meeting, we urge you to share the following:

• Who are you, and why are you organizing for better transit. 

• All the work that you have done- this year, over decades, to win state funding so that we can have the transit service that we deserve. We know that just over the last 9 months, over 30,000 people have taken action with us in every single legislative district in the Commonwealth, to win a budget that funds transit for all PA. That includes multiple rallies in Pittsburgh, Philly and Lancaster, an ALL-DAY lobby day in Harrisburg, public testimony to PRT about the impact of the cuts, over 400,000 emails sent to legislators, postcard campaigns, op-eds, canvassing riders, phonebanking, petitioning with transit workers, and developing funding research and advocacy videos with us. We want Pittsburgh Regional Transit leaders to hear how you have played a key role in this fight, despite working a full time job, or raising children, or managing a disability, or however else you could have chosen to spend your time. 

• That Pittsburgh Regional Transit needs to ACT NOW to make our transit service better – more reliable, more available and more comprehensible. While we no longer have to fear the immediate threat of more service cuts and fare increases, transit service (and communication about stop changes) continues to be poor. You should share stories about your recent experience with transit service or communication about stop changes. We regularly hear about buses that are chronically late or that don’t show up, overcrowding on routes, schedules that don’t match up for a transfer, service cuts that have made a route unusable. PRT continues to make decisions about service changes everyday that affect the availability and usefulness of the system- we need them to use that power to build a system that works for us. 

Pittsburgh Regional Transit Board members and leadership need to know that even though the service cuts are on pause, their work is only just beginning. Riders deserve better transit than what we have today, and PRT has the power to deliver it – through better scheduling, by reinvesting funding that they have been squirreling away from cuts into more service, by having clear signage and communication to operators when bus stops are relocated.

Through all of our actions, we’ve shown that we’re committed to our transit system; now we need PRT to prove that they are committed to us.

Congratulations to the new PPT Board Members, elected by our general membership to lead us 2025-2027!

Pittsburghers for Public Transit is a democratic, grassroots, member-led union of transit riders and workers.

Each Spring into Summer, our members participate in a democratic process to determine a new group of leaders who will join our organization’s highest decision-making body: our Board of Directors. Our Board of Directors is responsible for guiding the direction of PPT’s campaigns and organizational development. The democratic, participatory process that our members choose our leaders is at the heart of our organizing. It keeps a core team of enthusiastic and committed members at the helm.

To review our election process

• During May and June, PPT members nominate fellow members to run for the Board. If the nomination is accepted, the nominee is placed on the ballot with other nominees.
• At our July Monthly Meeting all nominees have a moment to introduce themselves and make their case for why they should be elected to join the Board of Directors.
• The ballot stays open from our July Monthly Meeting to our Summary Party in August. During this time all PPT Members in good standing have a chance to submit their ballot.
• Votes are all tallied and winners are announced to serve a 2-year term!

And now….drumroll please…with all of that grassroots democratic process and participation behind us, PPT is excited to welcome this amazing community of new and returning Board Members!

• Teaira Collins (she/her)
• Tom Conroy (he/him)
• Alisa Grishman (she/her)
• Gabriel McMorland (she/her)
• Paul O’Hanlon (he/him)
• Paul Vereb (he/him)
• Abhishek Viswanathan (he/him)

These leaders will all serve from 2025 to 2027! Read a little more about these leaders below!

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Teaira Collins (she/her)

First elected to lead 2023-25. Reelected to lead 2025-2027.

Teaira Collins is a lifelong transit rider, a Hazelwood community leader, a mother and foster mother, and now a grandmother to six grandchildren. Ms. Teaira met Laura Chu Wiens while at Port Authority testifying for improved transit service in Hazelwood, and has since become a leader in PPT’s Our Money, Our Solutions campaign for weekend service on the 93 and the extension of the 75. Ms. Teaira spoke at the City Council Capital Budget hearing press conference about the Mon-Oakland Connector alongside Barb Warwick, and on behalf of PPT during the Poor People’s Campaign Jubilee Caravan. She recently traveled to Atlanta on behalf of PPT on a delegation to connect with other Human Rights organizers across North America, and raise the important connections between public transit, housing, healthcare and food access. She is very active in the community, volunteering with The Mission Continues to help veterans and with the Hazelwood Family Support Center to uplift young mothers. Ms. Teaira also runs her own non-profit to advocate for those like her son Judah and other families with children who have Down Syndrome, and fundraises for the National Kidney Foundation to help research related to her daughter’s health. 

Ms. Teaira’s motivated to fight for more and better transit service alongside the need for more funding, and has been leading annual lobby and visits to legislators in Harrisburg to educate them on the impact and need for transit funding. She is dedicated to continue organizing for a free low-income fare program because it is needed now more than ever for all communities. Ms. Teaira Collins has been:

• A Hazelwood leader in PPT’s Our Money, Our Solutions campaign to create a resident-based mobility alternative to the Mon-Oakland Connector. She was integral in winning weekend service on the 93 for Hazelwood residents during that campaign.
• A PPT organizing fellow for the FairFares campaign and helped sign up dozens of riders for the pilot program
• A Volunteer and community advocate for The Mission Continues, Hazelwood Family Support Center, PPS PTA, and for people with Down Syndrome and Kidney Disease.
• A Member of the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council Board of Directors

Tom Conroy (he/him)

First elected to lead 2025-2027.

Tom Conroy has both a strong Union background and an entrepreneurial spirit. Tom was a bus operator for PRT for 19 years, the last six years of his employment as the union Boardman at Collier garage which gave him a seat on the board of ATU local 85. He was also the shop steward at a small union medical supply company for Teamsters local 249 for a year in the mid-1970’s. He helped my wife manage a successful hair salon from 1980 until she retired in 2022. They both took many classes and seminars on not only the technical side of our profession as barber/stylists but also classes on communication and people skills.Tom Conroy was involved with PPT when it formed. He attended the rallies to bring back service to South Baldwin, helped at a neighborhood workshop to organize those residents to fight for restored service. He’s travelled to Harrisburg several times with PPT and Local 85 to protest and rally for funding, and testified at PRT board hearings and attended a city hearing for affordable housing. He’s recently attended marches to support our immigrant community and to fight back the MAGA agenda. He completed the Organizing Fellowship with PPT this past winter/spring, and intends to remain a member of the organizing committee. Tom was also a past member of the ACLU (now signing back up!), and is becoming active in the newly formed block watch in his community. 

Alisa Grishman

First elected to lead 2025-2027.

Alisa has been a member of PPT for many years now, and has participated in many campaigns including the Fair Fares Campaign and Transit For All PA! She has served on the Board of Directors for four non-profits, so brings a lot of experience from that sector as well. She hopes to continue PPT’s efforts to be inclusive and equitable in all that it does.

Alisa led the effort to make PRT revise its views on allowing open strollers on buses, leading to their creation of their first official policy on priority boarding for people with disabilities. She participated in multiple Harrisburg trips with Transit For All PA! to secure funding for the continued working of public transit in the state. Alisa has spoken at PRT Board meetings, amongst other events, to help pass the Fair Fares program.  She is the founder of Access Mob Pittsburgh, a disability justice organization that seeks to improve the lives of people with disabilities through positive advocacy such as education and economic incentives.  Alisa co-hosted the Week Without Driving with PPT, BikePGH, and AARP to bring awareness to the 30% of people who don’t drive and advocate for better sidewalk, road, and transit accessibility.

Gabriel McMorland (she/her)

Gabriel served on PPT’s Board while Director of The Thomas Merton Center, PPT’s Fiscal Sponsor 2017-22. Then she was first elected to lead 2023-25, and reelected 2025-2027.

Gabriel is a white trans woman, who is also blind and transit-dependent. She has been active with PPT since 2015, and was previously on the Coordinating Committee from 2017-2022. Gabriel was very involved with the Don’t Criminalize Transit Riders campaign and early service campaigns, and on the current campaign around scooters and sidewalks. She was the Community Organizer at The Thomas Merton Center from 2014-2017, and TMC’s Executive Director from 2017-2023, doing work that ranged across racial justice, ecological defense, labor solidarity, immigrant rights, and other moves towards liberation. She is also a musician, and played bass in the live performance of Wheels on the Bus at PPT’s end-of-year celebration. 

Gabriel invests time and leadership into PPT because she needs PPT to succeed. She has seen many times how PPT includes the sidewalks, curb cuts, and crosswalks as part of the overall transit system, and how PPT has centered people with disabilities to ensure that everyone’s needs are served. She believes that the outcomes of PPT’s work are practical, tangible, and truly affect peoples’ lives: PPT enacts its radical values of racial justice and worker justice, and makes them real through organizing. Gabriel’s vision for PPT is to ensure that organizing and leadership development continue to be at the heart of PPT’s work. 

Paul O’Hanlon (he/him)

First elected to lead 2021-23. Re-elected 2023-25 and 2025-27.

My name is Paul O’Hanlon, I’m a retired lawyer.  From 2001 to 2014, I worked for a disability rights law firm, and before that I was the Senior Housing Attorney and Housing Unit Chief with Neighborhood Legal Services Association in Pittsburgh.

I caught the “transit bug” in 1991.  At that time Port Authority began the long process of becoming accessible to passengers in wheelchairs.  Since that time I’ve been involved in advocating for the best, most accessible, area-wide and affordable public transit.  

I have been involved in a number of advocacy issues in Allegheny County, particularly around housing, accessible public transportation, and voter engagement.

Paul Vereb (he/him)

First elected to lead 2025-2027.

Paul is a retired transit maintenance supervisor who stressed safety and efficiency while employed at PRT and he understands the importance of keeping transit affordable and reliable. Paul realizes the need of effective transit for people who rely on our system, and the personal and communal affect any changes could have on our region. He also brings a worker’s perspective to the table. Although Paul’s retired, he’s a firm believer in riders and transit worker’s rights, safety, and the pursuit of a thriving system.

Paul recently participated in the PPT Fellowship program which included a rally/press conference concerning the Bus Line Redesign. He’s rallied in Harrisburgh with ATU Local 85 and spoken to Representatives and Senators in support of sufficient funding for transit. He partcipated in the spring training, giving an important and often overlooked worker’s perspective. He circulated a petition to save our routes, jobs, and service, while visiting the garages during Transit Worker Appreciation Day, garnering nearly 100 petition signers to fund transit. 

Abhishek Viswanathan

First elected to lead 2025-2027.

Abhishek is a lifelong transit rider (in various cities and countries) and he’s invested in making Pittsburgh’s transit system accessible, equitable, and exciting to use. He have been working with PPT for several years in various capacities, always ensuring that transit riders and workers are the main priority. His background is in data science and I have used my skills to create maps and tools for riders to better understand the impact of changes to the transit system. Abhishek also introduces his students to local transit datasets so they can work with data that is grounded in services that thousands of people (including many of them) use daily. 

Abhishek also has experience with labor, environment, and anti-carceral-tech organizing in Pittsburgh. His vision for PPT is to bring more riders and students into the fold, amplify rider and operator voices through data storytelling, and use our broad base to push for increased accessibility and affordability. He also hopes that through intersectional organizing, PPT can connect with other social justice organizations to build a city that we can all thrive in.

Some key campaigns in which Abhishek has played a vital role include

• Securing equitable infrastructure, particularly for improved bus shelters
• Evaluating the Bus Line Redesign to ensure it works for All 
• Developing the Riders Vision for Public Transit 
• Developing a Transit Fellowship in the South Hilltop 
• Banning Facial Recognition and other surveillance at CMU

It’s been a huge year for our movement for transit justice. Celebrate our wins, plan our next moves, and (most importantly) have fun with neighbors and friends!

Wednesday, August 13, 5:30pm-8:30pm
Olympia Park Shelter House
1010 Virginia Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15211
Pay What You Can – No One Turned Away For Lack of Funds!

The event will be a casual indoor/outdoor, mid-year celebration of the transit victories by PPT members in 2025! This is our movement’s biggest, most important year to date–we’ve massively scaled up our statewide campaign, deepened the ties in our local community, and won some big wins. It’s time to kick back, relax, and enjoy each other’s company for a night!

This is a free event, but your optional paid contribution will help us feed the crowd, hire a DJ, and (of course) continue our work to win expanded, equitable transit service for everyone!

What to expect: 

The picnic will be on August 13 at the indoor facility at Olympia Park in Mount Washington, from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. It is a casual and fun family friendly event, with indoor and outdoor activities for kids and adults. Olympia Park has a playground and we will provide art supplies and games. We’ll also have activities indoors that include party games, fun campaign strategy activities, a DJ with great tunes, and dancing. Attendees should not feel obligated to attend the entire event.

Food:

Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options will be available, along with water and non-alcoholic drinks. While the food is complimentary with registration, please RSVP so that we can have a count of how many people to expect.

Getting there:

The party will be held at the City’s “Olympia Park Indoor Shelter House”. Address: 1010 Virginia Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15211. The 40 Mount Washington-Duquesne Heights bus stop is a quarter mile, or about 5 minute walk. The Duquesne Incline is a 10-15 minute walk or roll. Entrance for parking is on Virginia Ave, turn into the park across from Olympia Street. There are reserved handicap parking spots closer to the shelter, and there is other parking available on Hallock St. If you need help with transportation, you can try to find another PPT Member who can help by posting in the PPT Facebook Group

Volunteer!

This is a community event, and we need volunteers to help make it a success! Can you help us by signing up for a volunteer shift? There are lots of different roles available, and don’t worry–you’ll still be able to eat dinner, dance, and hang out if you take on a shift.

Accessibility: 

The distance from the 40 Mount Washington Bus stop the Olympia Park facility is about a quarter mile on a slight grade. Take care when using a manual mobility device. Some games and activities will take place outside of the building in grass. The bathrooms are indoors and have an accessible stall, but do not have an access button. There will be a DJ playing music inside the facility, which could be loud, but we will do our best to play it at a volume that is comfortable for all attendees. Attendees should be ready for variable mid-August weather and lighting. There will be interpretation in both ASL and Spanish, upon request.

COVID procedures:

Our event will be indoors with areas to socialize outdoors and areas surrounding it. The health and safety of our members is important to us. Masks are not required, but will be provided to everyone. We encourage everyone to take an at-home COVID rapid test before arriving. Please stay home if you are feeling sick or have come into contact with someone who has COVID-19.