🚌 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?
Here’s what Port Authority riders are saying about transit during the Covid-19 outbreak:
Rider who takes the P1, 82, 86, 71s & 61s:
I currently work the night shift at the post office. I take a lot of buses – the P1, 82, 86, 71s & 61s – and have noticed crowded buses on both inbound and outbound. Port Authority should not delay action and add more buses so that riders can maintain social distancing and still get to where they have to go.
Rider who takes the 51 Carrick:
I don’t drive so I depend 99% on PAT. The reduced schedule has been a hartship […]. Since only 2/3 of the bus is available to passengers, sometimes it gets too close for comfort […].
Rider who takes the bus:
I don’t work, but I need to get to chemotherapy, other medical, and grocery shopping. I never learned to drive, so the bus is my only way to get where I need to go.
Rider who takes the 59 and P68:
I travel to get groceries. With the front (disability and elderly priority) seating closed off to passengers unless phsyically needed, the back of the 59 and P68 buses are more crowed than usual, meaning riders have to be in close proximity. […] Before COVID-19 I usually got grocery delivery, but with the increased demand, it is almost impossible to get, meaning I have to travel to the grocery store weekly. I want drivers to be safe. They are heroes during this time, but surely it is possible to open up even a few more seats in the front to keep passengers safer too. The bus drivers are incredibly kind, and helpful during this time. […] I am hopeful that they will not cut back on these routes, as passengers are already standing.
Rider who takes the 41 Bower Hill:
Some days everyone is sitting one behind the other with no empty seats between riders.
Are you riding transit during the outbreak? We want to hear from you:
With reduced routes, the larger articulated buses should be used more often. It gets moderatly crowded during rush hours. Also, it is sometimes nearly impossible for short people to get on/off at the back doors, the floor of bus usually hits me at mid thigh or higher if driver can’t pull whole bus to curb
Rider who takes the 82:
I ride the 82 Lincoln outbound and inbound to get groceries and do my business because I have no one else to help me with these things. PAT needs to run more buses and limit passengers cus they’re crowded and un-safe as is.
Rider who takes the 86:
I’m a resident at West Penn Hospital. I need the bus system to get to work everyday. The reduced hours in the morning are making it difficult to get to work on time.
Rider who takes the G1:
Still working downtown as I’m deemed essential. The drivers have been fantastic. Port Authority needs to keep hiring great drivers & maintenance workers that keep buses clean!
Rider who takes the bus and ACCESS:
I have to take the bus in order to get doctors appointments. Port Authority should have more buses running so that they’re not so crowded at times.
Rider who takes the 88:
As a grocery store employee, I continue to have normal shifts scheduled. I do think it’s important for food stores to remain open, and I like my place of work. It’s definitely concerning to get onto a packed back of bus while spending so much energy distancing from each other. I’ve been using a mix of bus and bike so that I’m not on the bus so much. However, I’d not be able to get to work without Port Authority.
Are you taking transit to make essential trips? How can Port Authority protect riders and workers?
I work at UPMC Presbyterian. I travel to Oakland from Garfield/Bloomfield. I’m on the bus maybe 10-15 minutes each way. Port Authority is working hard to get us through this.
Rider who takes the 87 who transfers Downtown to get to the Northside:
I ride two buses to get from where I live in Bloomfield to my job at an information warehouse on the Northside. The 87 outbound is crowded. Port Authority needs to get its buses back on a regular and reliable schedule so that riders don’t have to be waiting more time for transfers around other people and riding crowded buses.
Rider who takes the Blue Line & the bus:
I work at an essential job downtown and cannot afford parking so I rely on the bus. I take the T. There have been a few times since the outbreak that its been too crowded for comfort.
Rider who takes the 51, P1, and 68 Carrick:
I do not have a car or license so I have no choice but to get the bus for wherever I need to go.
Rider who takes the 1 Freeport:
I take the 1 Freeport bus to New Kensington. It still has lots of people on it, but its my only option to get to work. They should limit the number of people allowed on at one time and run more buses.
Rider who takes the 64 and 82:
My buses haven’t been too crowded, but hearing that there are crowded buses worries me. I use the bus to get to Target for essential home supplies, and Aldi in Homestead to get groceries because much cheaper than the Giant Eagle across from my house. Port Authority needs to disinfect the buses regularly and tell riders that the buses are disinfected regularly. They also need to pay PAT drivers hazard pay because they’re risking their health every day to provide a necessary public service.
Reporters say that the Mon-Oakland Connector costs just don’t add up.
On Friday, April 10th, Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) and data analysts at Tech4Society released a new report entitled The People’s Audit of the Mon-Oakland Connector, to evaluate the City’s proposed Mon-Oakland Connector shuttle roadway against resident proposals for expanded public transit services. The report demonstrates that minor Port Authority transit improvements would outperform even the best-case scenario for the Mon-Oakland shuttle roadway, and would better connect Institutions and residents within the corridor.
The People’s Audit of the Mon-Oakland Connector builds on years of resident-led resistance to the project from neighbors in Hazelwood, The Run, and Oakland. They have raised a number of tried-and-true mobility solutions that would provide real access to their essential needs:
“Even during this pandemic, I am still taking the bus everyday; to work in Oakland, to buy groceries in Squirrel Hill or Homestead, and to get my son to doctor’s appointments at Children’s Hospital. Because we don’t have weekend service on the 93, I have to take two buses and choose between arriving at work an hour early or late. Having the 75 to take us directly to Southside grocery stores and Oakland would be a huge benefit for me and my neighbors.”
Deanna Turner, Hazelwood Resident & Public Transit Rider
The outbreak has underscored why data-driven analysis is essential to drive responsible public investment in order to serve the needs of our neighbors. This report breaks down the available data to show that an investment in public transit will provide vast improvements for neighborhood and institutional mobility, at a fraction of the cost.
Media Contact: Laura Chu Wiens, Executive Director of Pittsburghers for Public Transit: (703) 424-0854
New Report Shows Public Transit is More Effective than Mon-Oakland Shuttle Roadway
On Friday, April 10th, Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) and data analysts at Tech4Society released a new report entitled ThePeople’s Audit of the Mon-Oakland Connector, to evaluate the City’s proposed Mon-Oakland Connector shuttle roadway against resident proposals for expanded public transit services. The report demonstrates that minor Port Authority transit improvements would outperform even the best-case scenario for the Mon-Oakland shuttle roadway, and would better connect Institutions and residents within the corridor.
The crisis of COVID-19 has illustrated why it is that communities like Hazelwood need transportation access to food and hospitals. At a time of diminishing public resources, it has also become more apparent that the City needs to responsibly guide investment to effectively meet shared transportation needs.
Bonnie Fan, a researcher with Tech4Society, said, “We wanted to answer questions the public has raised regarding the cost to build and operate the project, ridership capacity and projected need, and anticipated travel time between key destinations like hospitals and the universities. In all categories, the Mon-Oakland Connector fails in comparison to public transit improvements.”
There is no question that better public transit is needed in this corridor to ensure the viability of communities and the residents that live within them. Hazelwood is a food desert, so residents must travel to other communities to buy groceries. Healthcare access is limited, as Hazelwood residents have no direct public transit routes to the hospitals in Oakland on the weekend. Finally, as Hazelwood Green builds out, there needs to be robust mass transit in place to prevent environmental degradation and the congestion of single-occupancy vehicle commuting. These are all important transportation needs that require a comprehensive solution.
The report shows that investment in the resident-generated transportation plan to add weekend service on the 93 bus and extend the 75 to Hazelwood would accomplish all of these goals. Moreover, building the 2nd Ave Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor and consolidating the Oakland institutional shuttles would provide enormous benefits to the institutions and residents of the corridor.
Hazelwood resident and transit rider Deanna Turnersays, “Even during this pandemic, I am still taking the bus everyday to work in Oakland, to buy groceries in Squirrel Hill or Homestead, and to get my son to doctor’s appointments at Children’s Hospital. Because we don’t have weekend service on the 93, I have to choose between arriving at work an hour early or late, and take 2 buses. Having the 75 to take us directly to Southside grocery stores and Oakland would be a huge benefit for me and my neighbors.”
PPT hopes that this report will encourage the City’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) and stakeholder institutions to invest in long term, equitable public infrastructure and transit operating service rather than costly, short-term, and ineffectual solutions. The City’s anticipated $23 million capital dollars for the Mon-Oakland Connector could instead be an important down payment on the 2nd Ave rapid transit corridor, and address gaps in the neighborhoods’ bicycle and pedestrian networks. In addition, for a fraction of the anticipated $16 million 5-year operating expense, the foundations and institutional investors involved with Hazelwood Green could instead seed expanded Port Authority transit service.
Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) has joined the Keystone Counts Coalition to help ensure a fair and accurate count of the upcoming 2020 census, which is data that guides many decisions for the upcoming decade. There is a lot at stake in this Census, and historically-marginalized communities have been undercounted in the past. Ensuring a proper count has enormous impacts:
Why your participation in the 2020 Census is critical
ON RESOURCES: Federal programs allocate funding based on census data, so an undercount could drastically reduce the resources coming to Pennsylvania for education, healthcare, housing, Public Transit, veterans, seniors, and much more.
ON REPRESENTATION: Because U.S. House of Representatives is apportioned according to census data, Pennsylvania could easily lose one or more representatives after the 2020 census, especially with an undercount. Because state legislative districts are also drawn based on census data, communities that are undercounted would go underrepresented for the next decade.
ON COMMUNITY SUPPORT: Aside from funding and political representation, local government, philanthropic, and community leaders also rely on census data to know where to fund, build, or invest. Not being counted literally means becoming invisible to these decision-makers.
Now more than ever, you MUST do your part and take the 2020 Census
During this pandemic, the people who are now deemed invaluable to our country are often under ordinary circumstances the first of us to be forgotten. They are our grocery store tellers, meat packers, those who clean and sterilize our hospital. We have always known that these are the folks who should be heard, counted, and seen. Now is our opportunity to do that.
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:
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.
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.
Join PPT to connect with our neighbors and make sure their needs are met during this time of Covid-19
The Covid-19 outbreak has laid bare the longer-term crisis of poverty and inequality in our country. Now, more than ever, we need protections for the 140million poor and dispossessed people in the U.S., not billions in bailouts for the wealthy. Join Southwestern PA organizations in the PA Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, for a virtual phonebank 3 different days this week to check-up on our neighbors, connect them with community resources, and invite them to an online screening of the new documentary about the Poor People’s Campaign next Saturday.
Phonebank schedule
Tuesday, 3/24, 3pm-5pm
Wednesday, 3/25, 6pm-8pm
Thursday, 3/26, 3pm-5pm
Each virtual event will begin with a training via this zoom here: https://zoom.us/j/7174265283 OR Dial: 646 558 8656 Meeting ID: 717 426 5283
Our virtual phonebank will begin on a Zoom video/phone conference with a short training on local Covid-19 updates, community resources, the PA Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, and logistics for the phonebank. Each phonebanker is encouraged to join on Zoom video through a computer/tablet if possible.
Download zoom here: zoom.us/download#client_4meeting Connect to zoom here before each phonebank: https://zoom.us/j/7174265283 OR Dial: 646 558 8656 Meeting ID: 717 426 5283
When you RSVP please let us know if you won’t have access to a computer or tablet so we can set you up.
COVID-19 must not threaten our system. Pittsburghers for Public Transit is joining transit riders across Pennsylvania and the nation to call on our elected representatives to pass a robust transit stimulus package. We need to protect and expand our public transit system during these challenging times so that we can move our communities forward.
Dear Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAAC) Board Members, PA House and Senate Transportation Committee Chairs, PA House Subcommittee on Public Transportation Chairs, the Federal Transportation Administration and Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader McCarthy, and Minority Leader Schumer.
Public transit is a public utility, and an essential extension of our healthcare and food systems.
The COVID-19 crisis has brought into stark relief the need for public transit systems to be considered essential services and as a necessary aspect of our healthcare and food system infrastructure. Public transit moves front line workers in our food and healthcare industries to their critical jobs — nurses, grocery and pharmacy clerks, hospital environmental service workers, pharmacy technicians, food warehouse workers.
Therefore we must provide emergency state and federal funding for transit agencies to cover the fare revenue shortfalls and increased operating needs.
Transit agencies are needing to shoulder the added and neccessary cost of purchase of safety materials, providing sick leave to workers, and increasing cleaning frequency. We must also ensure that there are also sustainable funding mechanisms in place to ensure the viability of public transit after this crisis passes, without cuts to these vital lifelines.
Moreover, given the changing state of emergency surrounding COVID-19, and the rapid response required to mitigate the worst consequences of this new and highly infectious disease, we, the undersigned, call on our transit agencies and elected officials to take the actions outlined below to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and keep transit riders and workers safe. Transit workers are in a position of high exposure to the public and the virus, and we must take all possible measures to ensure that they remain safe and healthy.
FEDERAL AND STATE EMERGENCY AID FOR PENNSYLVANIA TRANSIT AGENCIES
Initial reports from other large transit agencies indicate that the loss of ridership and fare revenue during the upcoming months will threaten the future of transit agencies. Our transit agencies need emergency federal and state funding to cover the increased costs associated with COVID-19 and decreased revenue, at a scale comparable to the proposed airline industry bailout. Additionally, there needs to be a plan in place to ensure the resiliency and sustained funding of our transit agencies after this crisis passes, and a commitment to treating transit service as a necessary public good and utility. The Port Authority of Allegheny County is particularly vulnerable to service cuts after this crisis because our agency disproportionately relies on funding from the Pennsylvania state legislature, which has not identified a revenue stream to address the impending Act 89 financial cliff. With proposed transit service reductions already in the works, it is important that legislators and transit agency board members lay out a commitment and timeline for service restoration after this crisis abates.
The Emergency Funding bill just released by the Senate Majority does not include relief for transit agencies. This is a dangerous omission that will lead to a crisis in our communities, particularly because existing federal funding formulas are designed to address capital needs, not operating needs. Legislators in Washington and Harrisburg must immediately pass relief funding for PAAC and all transit agencies.
INCREASE TRANSIT RIDER AND WORKER SAFETY
We are grateful that PAAC has increased station and vehicle cleaning in response to the pandemic, and have adopted numerous policy measures to ensure the well-being and safety of transit workers and riders.
We ask that Port Authority follow the lead of other transit agencies and implement rear-door boarding and a fare-free system to limit operator exposure. The front area should remain accessible only for riders with disabilities.
IN CONCLUSION
Transit riders and workers are depending on PAAC board members and elected officials to use their political power and influence for the benefit and protection of us all. During this time of Corona-19 crisis, our neighbors, cities, state and country need robust public transit stimulus to keep our communities moving and protect its riders and workers.
Mobility is a human right, but COVID-19 has shown that having sustainable public transit to support workers in vital industries like healthcare and food access is necessary for the survival of us all.
Sincerely,
Pittsburghers for Public Transit Alliance for Police Accountability Amalgamated Transit Union, LOCAL 1743 Casa San Jose CREATE Lab, Carnegie Mellon University Human Rights Coalition Fed-Up! PGH Bus Info Hotline Philly Transit Riders Union Pittsburgh Food Policy Council Pittsburgh Mennonite Church Sierra Club Thomas Merton Center Three Rivers Free Clinic for the People UrbanKind Institute
Join fellow transit riders in making the call for our elected officials and agency to take the steps necessary to protect and support our system and communities.
