On April 16th, PPT held a press conference with ATU Local 85, Rep Jake Wheatley, TransitCenter and local transit riders to call for hazard pay to transit workers, and increased transit service. Check out the coverage below:

“Pittsburghers for Public Transit calls for increased bus frequency, hazard pay for workers” by Hannah Lynn at PGH CityPaper

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A virtual press conference held by PPT began by playing the song “Essentially Expendable (The Death of Jason Hargrove)” by David Rovics, which was written for Detroit bus driver Jason Hargrove, who died of COVID-19. It was followed by a moment of silence for the dozens of transit workers across the country who have died of COVID-19.

Business manager and president of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 85 Steve Palonis gave an updated count on transit workers tested for COVID-19; there are 47 pending results, 19 negative results, and four that have tested positive. He outlined all the ways transit workers are implementing protections and restrictions, but called for greater action from authorities to compensate workers.

“The public and our government’s commitment to frontline workers needs to be extended beyond accommodations and thanks,” said Palonis. “Transit workers deserve compensation for the serious risk they’re taking along with the essential employees.”

He called on Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Lehigh) and other legislators to support the Heroes Fund proposed by Sen. Bob Casey (D-Scranton) to provide a pay increase for essential workers and recruitment incentives through December 2020. Palonis also called for support for House Bill 2380, proposed by Rep. Jake Wheatley (D- Hill District).

Wheatley, who appeared at the virtual press conference, said that HB 2380 would increase wages for essential workers, including raising pay to $15 an hour for employees currently making less than that. Those making $15 an hour or more would make an additional $3 per hour.

“We just really appreciate the workers and what they’re doing to make all of us safe and to continue society, and we think we should support them financially and otherwise,” said Wheatley.

At the press conference, Turtle Creek resident Anna Hudson, who takes the 59 and P68 bus routes, spoke about her difficulty taking the bus to get groceries and other essentials, saying that by the time the already infrequent buses got to her part of town, they were often already full.

PPT executive director Laura Wiens, who hosted the press conference, commended Port Authority’s work to date but called for more action. She referred to Port Authority’s fareless transit as “an act of compassion … as much as it is an act of pragmatism.” She named bus routes that riders listed in a PPT transit survey as being overcrowded, many of which, Wiens notes, “serve Black and brown and lower-income communities, communities whose health outcomes have been hardest hit by COVID-19.”

Wiens underlined the importance of keeping transit safe for everyone, saying, “It’s not a stretch to say that our collective survival depends on the ability of our transit systems to continue to move effectively.”

Wiens also called for more equal access to services like food banks and virus testing since not all residents can use a car to wait in a long line at the food bank, or a way to use drive-up testing clinics.

“Pittsburghers for Public Transit pushes for more buses on busy routes to reduce social contact” by Ed Blazina for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Displacement Survey & Analysis

From 2017 to 2018, PPT staffer Crystal Jennings worked to locate and connect with more than 70 people who had been displaced from their homes to get a better picture of the effect that displacement had on their access to food, work, childcare, healthcare, social connections, and other essential needs. Additionally, Crystal documented their ideas about how to stop gentrification and support people at risk of displacement. This survey remains one of the only resources that document direct individual experiences of the displacement process.

Following the survey, Crystal and PPT worked with the CMU student-led group Tech for Society to analyze people’s responses to give a broad picture of the effects of housing displacement.

• PPT’s Displacement Survey Analysis available here

Efforts are needed on all fronts if we are to overcome these times of crisis.

Since the beginning of March, PPT has joined a number of national alliances to call on our federal legislators to expand resources for public transit, worker protections, affordable housing, healthcare and more.

Read some of these letters below and make sure to follow the partners that are leading up these organizing efforts.

We win when we’re organized. We win when we support each other.

TransitCenter: Broad Alliance Tells White House, Transit Workers Need Better Protection From COVID-19

TransitCenter is a foundation that works to improve public transit in cities across the U.S. On April 22nd, they organized dozens of transit advocacy organizations, transit worker labor unions, and organizational partners across the country to send a letter to Vice President MIke Pence, Whitehouse Coronavirus Response Coordinator, Deborah Birx, and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci. The letter lays out demands for better federal coordination to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for transit workers.

Labor Network for Sustainability: Increase Emergency Relief Funding for Transit Workers

Labor Network for Sustainability is the organized voice within the labor movement that advocates for policies that are ecologically sustainable while also advancing the movement for good jobs and a just transition for workers and communities hurt by the effects of climate change and by the
transition to renewable energy. Their #TransitEquity Campaign pushes expanded public transit as a key to benefiting our environment, our cities, and our public transit workers and riders.

On April 21st, PPT joined the Labor Network for Sustainability and a coalition of over 70 organizations to release a letter urging Congress to provide more funding for transit agencies and to cover hazard pay, costs for personal protective equipment (PPE), onsite COVID-19 testing and treatment at work locations.

🚌 Philly ✊ Harrisburg ✊ Pittsburgh 🚌 Riders and workers are ready to organize

More than 100 transit riders and workers from across Pennsylvania came together to bridge the social/physical distance and begin to organize for public transit that moves us past Covid-19.

Led by the Philly Transit Riders Union and Pittsburghers for Public Transit, the call attracted riders and workers from Westster, Central, and Eastern Pennsylvania. Riders and union workers from at least five systems joined – SEPTA, Port Authority of Allegheny County, Capital Area Transit, Mid-mon Valley Transit Authority, Beaver County Transit Authority.

We opened the floor to both riders and workers to share their experiences with our public transit agencies on both sides of the state. We talked about the campaigns that riders are pushing. Both PhillyTRU and PPT are pushing #FairFares campaigns, with many of the same goals. And we talked about how we all have to change our strategies and timelines in light of Covid-19

The huge unifying call to action?

Pennsylvania transit systems across the state are about to see $1.3 BILLION dollars from the most recent Covid-19 stimulus act. This is critical money that will keep our agencies afloat through the hardest of times. We need to make sure that money is spent transparently, democratically, and effectively while protecting workers and riders needs. Transit is essential to keep our cities afloat.

As if Covid-19’s devastating effect on PA transit systems wan’t enough, riders realize that our state is looking at a transit funding cliff in 2023. That’s right. As Act 89 comes to a close, transit systems across PA will lose all dedicated funding from the state. The effects could be devastating for our communities. We have been here before. We have been victorious, but we know that we need to organize if we want to keep our riders and economies moving.

PA transit riders and workers see that there is power in these unprecedented times. We see how the struggles of Covid-19 are bringing advocates together from all different interests – transit riders, transit workers, other labor, healthcare, prison reform, environmental, gender equity, LGBTQ, housing justice, racial justice. Transportation touches on all of these things.

We realize we need to build a broad, statewide movement to center our most vulnerable neighbors and win campaigns for better transit. This is our work, and we’re just beginning. Sign up below to stay in the loop as we go forward.

Add your contact information to stay abreast of this statewide transit rider organizing

PPT & the Philly Transit Riders Union are holding the first-ever statewide transit riders call to organize around our Covid-19 response

The Covid-19 outbreak has shown that public transit is indeed the lifeblood of our cities and state – moving frontline workers and riders to life’s essentials; jobs, food, healthcare, and more. If our state is going to recover from this difficult time and build back better then before, it will need to center public transit and the needs of its riders and workers.

Transit riders and workers across PA are ready to do this work.

RSVP below to join Pittsburghers for Public Transit and the Philly Transit Riders Union for this first statewide transit rider organizing call to share experiences, build solidarity, and strategize about winning campaigns for better transit in PA.

Wednesday, 4/15 // 6pm Social Hour // 7-8:30pm Virtual Meeting

Draft Agenda:
– Experiences of PA transit riders & transit workers during Covid-19
– What PA transit agencies have done in response to Covid-19
– How can transit riders support transit workers in these times
– How can we organize together to emerge from this crisis with even stronger transit systems to better support our communities

The call will be held via Zoom. Attendees can join from a phone or computer. For questions on how to join the meeting, how to use Zoom, or other accessibility needs, contact Josh at 412-607-7726 or josh@pittsburghforpublictransit.org

Public transit is the lifeblood of our communities, bringing thousands of riders to essential needs every day.

Even during this coronavirus outbreak, Public transit is vital for getting people to essential jobs and businesses. If you are still riding public transit, we want to hear from you. What are you seeing? What buses are full, which are empty? What can Port Authority be doing to keep its riders and drivers safe? How can PPT support you and our system through our advocacy?

Take the survey to share your experience now:

Here’s what Port Authority riders are saying about transit during the Covid-19 outbreak:

Rider who takes the P1, 82, 86, 71s & 61s:

I currently work the night shift at the post office. I take a lot of buses – the P1, 82, 86, 71s & 61s – and have noticed crowded buses on both inbound and outbound. Port Authority should not delay action and add more buses so that riders can maintain social distancing and still get to where they have to go.

Rider who takes the 51 Carrick:

I don’t drive so I depend 99% on PAT. The reduced schedule has been a hartship […]. Since only 2/3 of the bus is available to passengers, sometimes it gets too close for comfort […].

Rider who takes the bus:

I don’t work, but I need to get to chemotherapy, other medical, and grocery shopping. I never learned to drive, so the bus is my only way to get where I need to go.

Rider who takes the 59 and P68:

I travel to get groceries. With the front (disability and elderly priority) seating closed off to passengers unless phsyically needed, the back of the 59 and P68 buses are more crowed than usual, meaning riders have to be in close proximity. […] Before COVID-19 I usually got grocery delivery, but with the increased demand, it is almost impossible to get, meaning I have to travel to the grocery store weekly. I want drivers to be safe. They are heroes during this time, but surely it is possible to open up even a few more seats in the front to keep passengers safer too. The bus drivers are incredibly kind, and helpful during this time. […] I am hopeful that they will not cut back on these routes, as passengers are already standing.

Rider who takes the 41 Bower Hill:

Some days everyone is sitting one behind the other with no empty seats between riders.

Are you riding transit during the outbreak? We want to hear from you:

Rider who takes the bus during 9-5 rush hours:

With reduced routes, the larger articulated buses should be used more often. It gets moderatly crowded during rush hours. Also, it is sometimes nearly impossible for short people to get on/off at the back doors, the floor of bus usually hits me at mid thigh or higher if driver can’t pull whole bus to curb

Rider who takes the 82:

I ride the 82 Lincoln outbound and inbound to get groceries and do my business because I have no one else to help me with these things. PAT needs to run more buses and limit passengers cus they’re crowded and un-safe as is.

Rider who takes the 86:

I’m a resident at West Penn Hospital. I need the bus system to get to work everyday. The reduced hours in the morning are making it difficult to get to work on time.

Rider who takes the G1:

Still working downtown as I’m deemed essential. The drivers have been fantastic. Port Authority needs to keep hiring great drivers & maintenance workers that keep buses clean!

Rider who takes the bus and ACCESS:

I have to take the bus in order to get doctors appointments. Port Authority should have more buses running so that they’re not so crowded at times.

Rider who takes the 88:

As a grocery store employee, I continue to have normal shifts scheduled. I do think it’s important for food stores to remain open, and I like my place of work. It’s definitely concerning to get onto a packed back of bus while spending so much energy distancing from each other. I’ve been using a mix of bus and bike so that I’m not on the bus so much. However, I’d not be able to get to work without Port Authority.

Are you taking transit to make essential trips? How can Port Authority protect riders and workers?

Rider who takes the 54:

I work at UPMC Presbyterian. I travel to Oakland from Garfield/Bloomfield. I’m on the bus maybe 10-15 minutes each way. Port Authority is working hard to get us through this.

Rider who takes the 87 who transfers Downtown to get to the Northside:

I ride two buses to get from where I live in Bloomfield to my job at an information warehouse on the Northside. The 87 outbound is crowded. Port Authority needs to get its buses back on a regular and reliable schedule so that riders don’t have to be waiting more time for transfers around other people and riding crowded buses.

Rider who takes the Blue Line & the bus:

I work at an essential job downtown and cannot afford parking so I rely on the bus. I take the T. There have been a few times since the outbreak that its been too crowded for comfort.

Rider who takes the 51, P1, and 68 Carrick:

I do not have a car or license so I have no choice but to get the bus for wherever I need to go.

Rider who takes the 1 Freeport:

I take the 1 Freeport bus to New Kensington. It still has lots of people on it, but its my only option to get to work. They should limit the number of people allowed on at one time and run more buses.

Rider who takes the 64 and 82:

My buses haven’t been too crowded, but hearing that there are crowded buses worries me. I use the bus to get to Target for essential home supplies, and Aldi in Homestead to get groceries because much cheaper than the Giant Eagle across from my house. Port Authority needs to disinfect the buses regularly and tell riders that the buses are disinfected regularly. They also need to pay PAT drivers hazard pay because they’re risking their health every day to provide a necessary public service.

Public transit is vital in this time, by organizing together we can keep it running and safe for riders and drivers.

Reporters say that the Mon-Oakland Connector costs just don’t add up.

On Friday, April 10th, Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) and data analysts at Tech4Society released a new report entitled The People’s Audit of the Mon-Oakland Connector, to evaluate the City’s proposed Mon-Oakland Connector shuttle roadway against resident proposals for expanded public transit services. The report demonstrates that minor Port Authority transit improvements would outperform even the best-case scenario for the Mon-Oakland shuttle roadway, and would better connect Institutions and residents within the corridor.

The People’s Audit of the Mon-Oakland Connector builds on years of resident-led resistance to the project from neighbors in Hazelwood, The Run, and Oakland. They have raised a number of tried-and-true mobility solutions that would provide real access to their essential needs:

“Even during this pandemic, I am still taking the bus everyday; to work in Oakland, to buy groceries in Squirrel Hill or Homestead, and to get my son to doctor’s appointments at Children’s Hospital. Because we don’t have weekend service on the 93, I have to take two buses and choose between arriving at work an hour early or late. Having the 75 to take us directly to Southside grocery stores and Oakland would be a huge benefit for me and my neighbors.”

Deanna Turner, Hazelwood Resident & Public Transit Rider

The outbreak has underscored why data-driven analysis is essential to drive responsible public investment in order to serve the needs of our neighbors. This report breaks down the available data to show that an investment in public transit will provide vast improvements for neighborhood and institutional mobility, at a fraction of the cost.

News coverage below:

• From WESA: “‘A Moving Target’: Getting To The Heart Of Pittsburgh’s Mon-Oakland Connector Planwesa story” by Margaret J. Krauss
• From PGH City Paper: “Report says traditional buses would serve Hazelwood corridor better than autonomous shuttles” by Ryan Deto
• From the Post-Gazette: “Advocates study: Cost too high, riders served too low to justify shuttle through Schenley Park” by Ashley Murray and Ed Blazina
• From The Confluence on WESA: Megan Harris Interviews Margaret J. Krauss on her reporting about the Mon-Oakland Connector

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 10, 2020 // Pittsburgh, PA

Media Contact: Laura Chu Wiens, Executive Director of Pittsburghers for Public Transit: (703) 424-0854

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New Report Shows Public Transit is More Effective than Mon-Oakland Shuttle Roadway

On Friday, April 10th, Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) and data analysts at Tech4Society released a new report entitled The People’s Audit of the Mon-Oakland Connector, to evaluate the City’s proposed Mon-Oakland Connector shuttle roadway against resident proposals for expanded public transit services. The report demonstrates that minor Port Authority transit improvements would outperform even the best-case scenario for the Mon-Oakland shuttle roadway, and would better connect Institutions and residents within the corridor. 

The crisis of COVID-19 has illustrated why it is that communities like Hazelwood need transportation access to food and hospitals. At a time of diminishing public resources, it has also become more apparent that the City needs to responsibly guide investment to effectively meet shared transportation needs.

Bonnie Fan, a researcher with Tech4Society, said, “We wanted to answer questions the public has raised regarding the cost to build and operate the project, ridership capacity and projected need, and anticipated travel time between key destinations like hospitals and the universities. In all categories, the Mon-Oakland Connector fails in comparison to public transit improvements.”

There is no question that better public transit is needed in this corridor to ensure the viability of communities and the residents that live within them. Hazelwood is a food desert, so residents must travel to other communities to buy groceries. Healthcare access is limited, as Hazelwood residents have no direct public transit routes to the hospitals in Oakland on the weekend. Finally, as Hazelwood Green builds out, there needs to be robust mass transit in place to prevent environmental degradation and the congestion of single-occupancy vehicle commuting. These are all important transportation needs that require a comprehensive solution. 

The report shows that investment in the resident-generated transportation plan to add weekend service on the 93 bus and extend the 75 to Hazelwood would accomplish all of these goals. Moreover, building the 2nd Ave Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor and consolidating the Oakland institutional shuttles would provide enormous benefits to the institutions and residents of the corridor.

Hazelwood resident and transit rider Deanna Turner says, “Even during this pandemic, I am still taking the bus everyday to work in Oakland, to buy groceries in Squirrel Hill or Homestead, and to get my son to doctor’s appointments at Children’s Hospital. Because we don’t have weekend service on the 93, I have to choose between arriving at work an hour early or late, and take 2 buses. Having the 75 to take us directly to Southside grocery stores and Oakland would be a huge benefit for me and my neighbors.”

PPT hopes that this report will encourage the City’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) and stakeholder institutions to invest in long term, equitable public infrastructure and transit operating service rather than costly, short-term, and ineffectual solutions. The City’s anticipated $23 million capital dollars for the Mon-Oakland Connector could instead be an important down payment on the 2nd Ave rapid transit corridor, and address gaps in the neighborhoods’ bicycle and pedestrian networks. In addition, for a fraction of the anticipated $16 million 5-year operating expense, the foundations and institutional investors involved with Hazelwood Green could instead seed expanded Port Authority transit service.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: 

Dan Yablonsky, Communications Director, Pittsburghers for Public Transit 
(551) 206-3320, dan@pittsburghforpublictransit.org

Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) applauds Port Authority’s recent decision to protect the health and safety of front-line transit workers, by having riders board through the rear-doors and by implementing a fareless transit policy.

Since Saturday, more than 315 riders and 14 organizations have called on Port Authority to implement this change, in line with demands from the International Amalgamated Transit Union and following the footsteps of several transit agencies around the country. Port Authority has demonstrated its commitment to its workers and the public through these important precautionary measures, even as ridership has dropped precipitously in recent weeks while residents have been sheltering in place.

It’s now time for the federal government to step up to the plate.

These necessary safety interventions are costly, and COVID-19 is threatening to put our transit agencies on life support. Allegheny County transit riders are calling for emergency federal funding to cover the increased costs associated with COVID-19 and decreased revenue, at a scale comparable to the proposed airline industry bailout. Supermarket clerks, hospital environmental service workers, pharmacy technicians, and nurses still rely on public transit everyday to keep our communities healthy. The COVID-19 crisis has brought into stark relief the need for public transit systems to be considered essential services and as an extension of our healthcare and food system infrastructure.  Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader McCarthy and Minority Leader Schumer must ensure that transit is provided the highest level of immediate, direct financial assistance in this forthcoming Emergency Funding Bill, and ensure that this money can be used for transit operations.

Don’t let Covid-19 kill public transit 💀🚌 Sign on for a Federal Transit Stimulus NOW

As the Covid-19 outbreak spreads through our communities, we are seeing firsthand how years of disinvestment, defunding, and deregulation are leaving our neighbors struggling to find the essentials they need: transportation, food, housing, healthcare, education, and more. This struggle is real, and our communities are coming together to support each other through our moment of need.

If you’ve been on social media the last week, you’ve no doubt seen many different lists of resources that are being made available to individuals, families, and small businesses. These efforts may be piecemeal, but they are vital for keeping us fed, sheltered, and surviving in a broken system that was never built to support us. Below are a few lists that we’ve found helpful in this time, it is by no means exhaustive. If you have any additions, please send us an email at info@pittsburghforpublictransit.org

All of that said, we cannot lose sight of the transformative opportunity of this moment

As we support each other with care and resources, it is essential that we recognize the transformative opportunity that is present in this moment. Movements for human rights that were impossible 1-week ago are possible today – evictions are frozen, mortgages and student loans are frozen, innocent people held in prison are being released, a universal basic income is moving closer to reality.

We will indeed rebuild our communities from this crisis – that is certain. But in this moment we have the chance to rebuild a system with love and compassion that puts the human rights of people first. Housing, transportation, food, healthcare, wages, childcare; as trillions of public dollars are being moved to help our country recover, we are seeing that yes, there is in fact money to pay for human rights. In this moment we have an opportunity to re-balance the scales and push for investment in people’s needs ahead of corporate profits.

Join PPT and transit riders across the county in making the call for a federal public transit stimulus to keep our communities moving past Covid-19:

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Covid-19 Resource Lists

a note that all of these efforts are staffed almost entirely by volunteers

Take Action Mon Valley Resource Bank

Take Action Mon Valley is collecting different resources to distribute to residents throughout the Mon Valley. If you live in the Mon Valley and need resources, or if you are a caring neighbor who as resources to donate, check out their Resource Bank.

COVID-19 – resources (PITTSBURGH, PA)

One of the most comprehensive resource lists we’ve we’ve seen so far, with updates made frequently.

Resources for families affected by COVID-19

A helpful list designed specifically for family needs. With resources from food assistance, utility support, education, emotional support, etc. And a defined point of contact to ask any questions.

PA Health Access Network’s Covid-19 Briefing Memo

Legislative update with information related to eviction freezes, healthcare access, loan freezes, SNAP, workers comp and more.

Pittsburgh Mutual Aid Library

A second effort created by organizers at JOLT. This bilingual resource attempts to match people who are NEEDED and OFFERING different resources.

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Join PPT & our partners to call neighbors to connect them with these resources

PPT is holding a series of phonebanks this week to connect neighbors to resources. Sign up here to help support these efforts: https://www.pittsburghforpublictransit.org/join-the-swpa-covid19-community-response-phonebank-to-support-our-neighbors/