Dozens of transit riders and community members came out to speak and to stand together in the fight for better bus service. Many testimonies and heartfelt accounts were given about the lack of service and its effect on individuals from all walks of life. Groups from Penn Hills, Garfield, and Perry Highway came out in support of transit improvements in their neighborhoods and for all those who need it.

The event garnered a large amount of media attention and was covered by WPXI, WTAE, the Post-Gazette, WESA, and KDKA:

Dozens rally Downtown in push for expanded bus service in North Hills, East End

Group urges Port Authority of Allegheny County to fund more transit routes

Port Authority continues to hear pleas for expanded bus service

Suburban residents fill Port Authority meeting to max capacity, demanding bus service additions

Riders rally downtown for more Port Authority bus service

Port Authority Board Hears Resident Requests

Rally Calls For Increased Port Authority Bus Service

Highlights from speakers:

Ken Love (Penn Hills): I see young single mothers walking with their little kids, struggling to keep their kids safe, and then struggling to come back with 3 or 4 bags.

Annie Howard (Perry Highway): Today we alluded to a possible trend in less ridership, which I find strange, because there is a whole room of people behind me that are clamoring for service.

Del Royce Tatum (Garfield) : I would like to invite you to a weekend adventure in Garfield heights, we will go shopping, maybe the movies if you like. Please understand our plight, we have no cars, or a bus to get there. We have the 89 running Monday through Friday. But on the weekends we have nothing. We buy monthly bus passes just like everybody else, but we don’t have monthly service. You have been robbing us of our monies and are freedoms, because we don’t have bus service on the weekend.

Come out  Friday Nov 20th at 8:30 am outside of the Wood St. T-Station for our Bus Riders Unite for Service Rally!

Join transit riders, workers, and residents as we call for adequate transit service in Garfield, Penn Hills, North Hills and all communities that need it. We will be on our way to the Port Authority board to file our requests for service. But it doesn’t stop there. Let’s make sure that elected officials and the public are aware of our needs! We are uniting to get the transit service we need.

Click here for a flier.

20 Penn Hills residents came together on Tuesday Nov 10th to speak out about the unsafe conditions they face trying to use public transit. Residents are forced to walk long distances on roads without sidewalks in order to catch a bus. Community members are often almost struck by vehicles, and one woman was actually hit by a car last summer.

PPT is supporting these residents as they request better bus service and safer conditions for walking. All transit users are pedestrians first.

The Post-Gazette has published an article calling that PAAC’s surplus funding should go to addressing service gaps and needs. The op-ed comes after the October 23rd PAAC board meeting at which over 20 residents and community leaders spoke about lack of service in their neighborhoods.

Read more: Transit deserts: The Port Authority must try to find relief

Residents urge Port Authority to reconsider route eliminations

Residents from Garfield, Perry Highway, and Penn Hills came together to speak at a Port Authority board meeting to call for adequate bus service in their neighborhoods.

October 23, 2015

Watch more: http://www.wtae.com/news/residents-urge-port-authority-to-reconsider-route-eliminations/36008860

Read More: http://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2015/10/23/Groups-ask-for-restored-Port-Authority-bus-service-in-North-Hills-Penn-Hills-Pittsburgh-s-East-End/stories/201510230248

http://wesa.fm/post/pat-board-asked-increase-service-3-communities

Check out our new promotional video for our online fundraising campaign!

Special thanks to Dean Mougianis for the hard work putting the video together and to Laura Weins for starring in it!

Our online fundraising campaign has begun! Please donate today to support our work!

The city and other partners are conducting a survey on commuting in Pittsburgh. Let’s make sure that transit riders’ voices are heard! The survey is focused on those who commute to downtown and Oakland, but everyone can take it!

Please take the survey here:

More information from Make My Trip Count:

Most days of the week, you travel to work or school. How many days? Where do you start and where are you going? Most importantly, how do you get there? We’re interested in your answers.

Make My Trip Count is a survey of Pittsburgh region commuters to figure out how Pittsburghers regularly travel to work or school – and how that commute could be improved. Whether you’re on a bus, in your car, riding a bike, using your own two feet, or traveling by other means, you’re making commute trips multiple times per day – and we’re interested in improving your options and access.

Especially if you make regular trips into Downtown, Oakland, and the North Shore, we need your input. Aggregate results will inform transportation and commute improvements across the Pittsburgh region to reduce traffic, delay, and environmental impacts.

Along with providing more complete information behind regional transportation system decision-making, this survey is also the 2015 transportation reporting mechanism for Pittsburgh 2030 District Property Partners.

Here is the media coverage from our event. Thanks to all who made the event and these campaigns such a big success!

http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/9056072-74/bus-riders-authority#axzz3lGBgptCG

http://www.pghcitypaper.com/Blogh/archives/2015/09/09/two-transit-deserts-get-bus-service-back

http://wesa.fm/post/restored-service-baldwin-groveton-squelches-four-year-transit-desert

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More recap of the event from us:

After being stuck in a transit desert for years, residents celebrated their inaugural rides into town this morning! Dozens of Baldwin and Groveton community members, along with Pittsburghers for Public Transit, rode the 44 Knoxville and 20 Kennedy to downtown Pittsburgh. Even more supporters joined them for a celebratory rally at 6th Ave and Wood St.

Riders spoke about all the work they had done in the past year to advocate for service in their communities, and they thanked Port Authority and elected officials for listening to their concerns. Dennis Donahoe, resident at Churchview Garden Apartments in Baldwin borough, was thrilled to get the service back and shared his pride for everyone who came together to make this happen.

Darnell Jones, a resident of Groveton Village highlighted the ways the community came together by making phone calls and writing letters and speaking at meetings. Now he and his neighbors can get to work, the doctor, school, and the grocery store.

His neighbor, Dietra Hawkins, talked about how she could now take the bus to her new job at a hospital. Before this extended bus service, she relied on others to give her a ride to the nearest bus stop nearly 2 miles away so that she could get to school at Bidwell Training Center.

Mike Harms and Tom Conroy, bus operators, discussed the ways transit workers helped on these campaigns, demonstrating the “power of the people.”

Laura Wiens of Pittsburghers for Public Transit highlighted the need for our entire region to come together for adequate and affordable public transit service

Port Authority’s schedule changes went into effect this week, which included extensions of 4 routes throughout the system.

A huge thanks to everyone who made these campaigns a success! And thanks for coming out to celebrate this morning!

After being stuck in a transit desert for years, residents are ready to ride! On Wed Sept 9th, join Baldwin and Groveton community members, along with Pittsburghers for Public Transit, as we ride the 44 Knoxville and 20 Kennedy to town. If you live in Baldwin, we’re taking the 7:25 am bus from Churchview Garden Apts (3783 Churchview Ave ext). If you live in Groveton, we’re taking the 7:30 am bus from Village Dr.

Supporters are encouraged to join us for a celebratory rally:

Wednesday Sept 9th
8:30 am
6th Ave and Wood St

We’ll hear from community members who worked hard to get their transit service back! We’ll also hear about continued campaigns for adequate and affordable transit service in Allegheny county.

Coffee and noisemakers will be provided 🙂

A link to the 44 Knoxville route and schedule is here.

A link to the 20 Kennedy route and schedule is here.

For more information about the event:
email: molly@pittsburghforpublictransit.org
call: 412-216-9659