Buses for Perry Highway
11/15/19 UPDATE!! After 4 long years, Port Authority announced that it will be extending service to these communities and CCAC North starting March 2020!! We’re so proud of the 100s of riders and supportive organizations who took part through this long campaign. Now we’re gunna keep on pushing for better mid-day service, because full access is what we deserve. Read the full history of this campaign below!
On Friday May 27th, residents and riders from all over the county came together to encourage Port Authority to approve staff recommendations for service extensions. Unfortunately, service along Perry Highway was not included in the proposal.
Join us at a community meeting Tuesday, June 21st at 6:00 PM at the West View Fire Hall, 398 Perry Hwy.
Although we are excited to celebrate these service extensions we are committed to pushing Port Authority to restore service to all communities in need as well as the fight for more transit funding.
Several residents from the North Hills and around the county addressed Port Authority to highlight the need of communities who will not see any service enhancements this year.
“[Victims of domestic violence] really need access to our services because if they get early intervention pieces then the police don’t need to get involved as much. They won’t be called out to increasingly violent situations,” said Carly Cottone with Crisis Center North. She highlighted how difficult it is to access the center without transit service.
“The fact the kids can’t get to a college in their own neighborhood, that’s just a crime,” said Fran Lange of Ross, a member of Buses for Perry Highway. “There are a lot of senior citizens that would love to go to the library, but you can’t get there.”
Residents from the Perry Highway campaign met with Senator Randy Vulakovich on Wednesday February 17th to discuss transit issues in their communities. We appreciate Senator Vulakovich’s support and thank him for his time.
Residents Margaret Klein and Fran Lange with Senator Vulakovich.
We had a great rally and meeting on Nov 2oth. For coverage of the event click here. These campaigns are continuing to push Port Authority and our elected officials to get transit service where it is needed most.
The campaign for bus service along Perry Highway is growing! Our last meeting was Tues Nov 12th at 7 pm at the West View Firemen’s Hall, 398 Perry Highway. Over 40 people attended the meeting and wrote letters to elected officials and signed service requests for the Port Authority. Anna Fine and Lisa Gonzalez shared their stories about life without public transportation and why this community desperately needs its buses back.
We’ve been busy the past couple weeks.
Five community members successfully garnered 50 more service requests from a canvassing day on Thursday October 29th in West View Park Plaza!
Over 20 residents and community leaders traveled downtown to speak at the October 23rd PAAC board meeting to call for service extensions along Perry Highway. The group highlighted CCAC North and Northland Public Library as public resources in the middle of transit deserts. The group handed in 50 written requests for service to the board.
For press coverage, see below:
http://www.wtae.com/news/residents-urge-port-authority-to-reconsider-route-eliminations/36008860
http://wesa.fm/post/pat-board-asked-increase-service-3-communities
http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/9313673-74/service-board-hills#axzz3qSZHS5Qh
Resident Anna Fine, speaking, and PPT volunteers and community members gather at the meeting.
History of campaign:
Here’s some media coverage of the meeting: North Hills transit service limits lamented
Flier for the next meeting:
We will also have a canvassing day on Thursday Oct 29th to encourage riders to make their requests to Port Authority and elected officials. We’ll be at the Giant Eagle bus stop at West View shopping center from 3 to 5 pm.
Here’s some more news coverage of the beginning of this campaign:
Group rallies to restore Perry Highway buses
Officials in North Hills push for return of bus service
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Buses for Perry Highway is a group of residents, businesses, educational institutions, and public facilities in the Perry Highway area of the North Hills who are asking the Port Authority to restore services to Perry Highway, north of West View Shopping Center.
The discontinuation of services in this area has impacted access to CCAC North, Northland Public Library, as well as access to shopping and job opportunities.
These areas were most recently serviced through bus route 9, which was eliminated in 2011. This route had been formed in 2009 as a combination of routes 11C and 13C. If you miss having access to public transportation along Perry Highway in the North Hills, please have your voice heard and take this brief survey.
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There will be a public community meeting on Thursday Oct 8th at the West View Firemans Hall. We will discuss the transit needs in our community and determine action steps to move forward.
Here is a link to a flier, and the detailed information is below.
Join neighbors and local leaders to discuss a campaign to get bus service back to Perry Highway
Hosted by: CCAC North, Northland Public Library, North Hills School District, North Hills Community Outreach, Ross Township, Ross Business and Economic Development Group, Pittsburghers for Public Transit