Join PPT and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85 as we march in the first in-person Labor Day Parade since the pandemic’s start!

PPT is a grassroots union of both transit riders and transit workers. We know that we are the ones using the system every day and that together, we have the knowledge needed to improve conditions for us all. One of our most fun celebrations of this community-union solidarity is when we march in the Pittsburgh Labor Day Parade – which is the oldest Labor Day Parade in the country!

The parade has been on pause since the start of the pandemic, but on September 4th, 2022 we’re getting the band back together. We’ll meet at 10am at the 91 Crawford St, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, right across from Freedom Corner. When we’re all there we’ll find our spot on the parade line with ATU Local 85. A 40′ PRT bus will join us for the march! We’ll walk our route (approx 1 mile) and then walk back to the start. If anyone needs rides to the event, or back to the start, just reach out to let us know: info@pittsburghforpublictransit.org.

RSVP below to join us and show solidarity with the labor that keep our city moving – September 5th, 10am-1pm. Meet 10am at St Benedict the Moore and reach out to info@pittsburghforpublictransit.org with questions or accessibility needs.

PPT Members got together for the first in-person celebration since the start of the pandemic – the result was a magic summer party

On August 10th, at the Bartlett Shelter in Schenley Park, PPT Members had reason to celebrate. It was the organization’s Summer Party and the first time that Members had gotten together in-person. Even though the pandemic pushed us to organize in different ways than we had ever before, PPT members have been busy winning campaigns and supporting our neighbors.

After spending more than 2 years confined to digital, socially-distant organizing, people were so excited to see one another in real life. DJ Frank brought the tunes. Our friend Kyna catered some incredible food. And members brought their dance moves and good vibes.

When we needed a break from the party, we took a moment to hear some speeches from members who have been leading campaigns in the last year.

First, PPT Members Barb Warwick and Saundra Cole spoke about the amazing win from earlier this year when we pushed Mayor Gainey to cancel the Mon Oakland Connector, and shift the funding to neighborhood needs like affordable housing and safe pedestrian infrastructure. This is still an ongoing and urgent battle – especially as a 6-year-old boy was struck and killed by a driver in the greater Hazelwood area at the end of July.

Next, PPT Board-Member and bus operator Sue Scanlon jumped on the mic to talk about the different ways that we have supported transit workers over the last year. We turned out and turned up for workers as they fought the agency’s decision to ban employees from wearing “Black Lives Matter” masks. The union sued the agency and won in court earlier this spring. When Port Authority implemented its vaccine mandate in March, it fired 100 workers for failure to comply. This decision decimated service quality for riders, and made it more unsafe for riders who were forced to crowd onto fewer buses. We continue to make this demand as we look to the decisions that other agencies have made to keep riders safe and keep service in tact with strict testing and masking requirements for workers.

Finally, PPT Board Member Dean Mougiannis put together a history of PPT and how we’ve grown since our founding in 2010-2012. This history and perspective was helpful for framing our current struggles in the longer context of the organization, and also the movement beyond PPT.

When the crew was ready to groove again, the music started up and the desserts came out! Hugs and fistbumps were given as we split up to share rides and wait for buses to get home.

We also celebrated a strong close to PPT’s 10th Anniversary Membership Drive! Our drive brought 250 members on board for transit justice. Join PPT as a member today to help fight for a transit system that meets all our needs:

Check out the photos! And join us for our next event.

Congratulations to the new PPT Board Members, elected by our general membership to lead us 2022-2024!

Pittsburghers for Public Transit is a democratic, grassroots, member-led organization and we practice what we preach.

So 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. During May and June, members nominate fellow members to run for the Board. If the nomination is accepted, the member is placed on the ballot with other nominees. Then, for two weeks in July, all other members in good standing cast their votes. The winners are all invited to serve a two-year term.

This democratic, participatory leadership process is at the heart of our organizing. It keeps a core team of enthusiastic and committed members at the helm. Our Board of Directors is responsible for guiding the direction of PPT’s campaigns and organizational development.

We’re so excited to welcome this group of new and re-elected Coordinating Committee members in 2022 who’ll be leading us until 2024!

New Board Members elected from our General Membership

Andrew Hussein

My name is Andrew Hussein, and I live in Penn Hills. My primary routes are 77, 79, P17, 86, and P16…. but to be truthful, you can find me on just about any route (no exaggeration) because I eat/sleep/breath/live all things public transit. Anyone who knows me knows that that is true. Transit is my sole means for transportation so I am acutely aware of the very real need for public transit to have a positive community impact. 

I am a long-time member of PPT who has been working with the org since a brief few-month stint in the early days, back in an earlier iteration of the org called “Save Our Transit”. Years later I reconnected with PPT on their community campaign in Baldwin. We won that campaign and restored service to that neighborhood and I never looked back. 

The skills that I bring to PPT are a significant all-around and general knowledge of the Port Authority system. I have a sincere passion for transit and its improvement. When I think of better transit I think of transit that is Fair, Equitable, reliable, useable, sustainable, readily and widely available – for as many folks as possible. Transit needs to fit as diverse a clientele and public needs as much as possible and I think that that is what we need to fight for together.

List of 3-5 projects or campaigns that the nominee has been involved with related to PPT, transit justice, activism, and/or movement building:

• Current Vice President of the Allegheny County Transit Council (ACTC), current Executive Committee Member, and have been involved here for 5 years
• I am also the founder and COO of the Bus Info Hotline, a Twitter and phone info line that is open for people to find out info and ask questions about Port Authority that I’ve been running for nearly 20 years. Check out our Twitter at @PGH_BUS_INFO
• Involved in many of the successful neighborhood service campaigns started in 2014 that restored service to transit deserts through our county.
• I am a PPT Communications Committee Member. I lead the creation of our Blog Series on the Quarterly Service Updates.
• I have a significant all-around and general knowledge of the Port Authority system, PPT staff calls me all the time with questions about our system.

Fawn Walker Montgomery

Fawn Walker-Montgomery is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Take Action Mon Valley (TAMV). She is a former candidate for Mayor in McKeesport and a past candidate for State Representative in the 35th District. Fawn was the first black person & woman to run for a State seat in the Mon Valley. She has a B.A. in Political Science from Johnson C. Smith University (HBCU) and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration from Point Park University. Fawn has worked with PPT on various projects such as the BRT, fair fees, and removing cops from transit stops. She is also a past second-term Councilwoman in McKeesport and has 18 years of experience in the human services field. Fawn’s vision for PPT is that they increase membership in the smaller communities outside the City of Pittsburgh such as the Mon Valley. In addition, create specific campaigns to address the lack of transportation in these areas. Thus, having more of a county-wide focus.

List of 3-5 projects or campaigns that the nominee has been involved with related to PPT, transit justice, activism, and/or movement building:

• A long-time activist for Police Accountability. 
• Leading efforts to decarcerate our schools and say “No” to School Police 
• Has supported various PPT projects over the years, including community organizing to defeat the Bus Rapid Transit service plan that would have cut service to her city, co-developed & launched the “Fair Fares” platform, and many more. 

Lisa Gonzalez

My name is Lisa Gonzalez and I ride the bus every day. I have been doing so for my entire life. I raised a family while being a bus rider. 3 of my kids, and now 1 of my grandkids, all had to learn how to ride the bus because it is important to make our family work. 

I have been fighting for better public transit as an elected leader of Pittsburghers for Public Transit for the last 7 years. I want to continue this leadership on the PPT Board to ensure that we make changes in a positive way. My vision for the organization is to recruit school students and new members because public schools and youth activism is important to me.

As far as my background and experience, I have been an advocate in one form or another in struggles for education, housing, and in the community where I live in carrick. I have served on several boards throughout the years. In the past, I have served as one of the parents representing Pittsburgh Public School Region 3 families on the  Title One Parent Advisory Council at both the local and state levels. Currently, I’m on the Carrick Community Council Board of Directors and I’m an advocate for the Western Pennsylvania Bleeding Disorders Foundation.

List of 3-5 projects or campaigns that the nominee has been involved with related to PPT, transit justice, activism, and/or movement building:

• I have been a committed advocate for fair fares. I met with Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation, in the summer of 2021 and encouraged him to start free and affordable fare programs in cities across the country.
• I was also involved in calling for an expansion of affordable housing with the Pennley Park Apartments/Penn Plaza campaign.
• I helped to develop the 100 Days Transit Platform that informed Mayor Gainey’s Transition plan.
• I serve on the Carrick Community Council and help uplift public transit as an important neighborhood priority. We stopped the Port Authority from removing a bus stop in front of a senior center in my neighborhood.
• I am very active in Pittsburgh Public Schools. I work as a volunteer support staff at Pittsburgh Liberty in Shadyside and have helped students better understand how to use transit as a Transit Ambassador with A+ schools, and have presented to classes with PPT.

Ricardo Villarreal 

My name is Ricardo Villarreal. I have been in love with the culture of the US for as long as I can remember. That is why I decided to immigrate here. Since getting here, I have joined Casa San Jose. I have been inspired by the work they do to help the community and I want to contribute to this mission of building strength in the community.

When the Red Line was down and transit riders were faced with terrible wait times, I felt compelled to join Pittsburghers for Public Transit. I spoke out about the importance of transit to the immigrant community at the “Transit Justice is Environmental Justice” rally. It would be a delite to lead Pittsburghers for Public Transit with my skills because I consider transport core to the advancement and success of modern cities. 

I describe myself as being a teamwork-oriented person. I can quickly analyze data and propose process improvements to strengthen organizing. I’m an empathic person with a multicultural approach. My professional training has occurred in many different countries, including the US, Latin-American countries, and The Caribbean andI can quickly put myself in the shoes of others, understand, and help. 

I am a proud Latino, native Spanish speaker, and the father of two grown children. I enjoy playing music and reading and do not like shortcuts. When problems arise, I thrive and I do not shy away from complexities with a hands-on attitude.   

List of 3-5 projects or campaigns that the nominee has been involved with related to PPT, transit justice, activism, and/or movement building:

• Immigrating to Pittsburgh was an awakening to community awareness. I met amazing people at Casa San Jose in the middle of the pandemic. It was a scary time, but Casa inspired me to get active in helping people.
• I am a restaurant worker. Culture and food are important to me. And so is helping my co-workers with my skills in English.
• I do professional work in data and surveying
• Student organizing
• I have volunteered to play guitar and sing on serenades at hospitals for Mother’s Day.

Verna Johnson

My name is Verna Johnson and I am a resident of Lincoln-Lemington. I am a disability justice activist and serve as the current chair of PPT’s Board of Directors. 

I first became involved with PPT in 2015 during the campaign to save service on the 89 Garfield Service campaign. The fight for better public transit in communities receiving less and less public transit resonated with me, and I continued to join PPT meetings and joined as a member. One benefit of being a PPT member that surprised me was the democratic decision-making process, and I felt that my lived experience was valued. I began to see how people from different walks of life could work together and make decisions that directed campaigns and the course of PPT. I have helped grow PPT by organizing riders during my time on the board. Being a board member has given me a greater understanding of how change can happen on a systemic level. 

In addition to working on issues surrounding transit justice, I have been co-chair of the Allegheny County Coalition for Recovery’s Commission on Health and Human Services as co-chair and helped people receive financial assistance. I’ve also rallied outside of elected officials’ offices to support federal workers during the previous government shutdown with fellow members. I also phonebank with Just Harvest and register community members to vote at Veterans Affairs. I am deeply committed to bringing more people into the fight for transit justice and holding our transit agency accountable to the riders and workers.

List of 3-5 projects or campaigns that the nominee has been involved with related to PPT, transit justice, activism, and/or movement building:

• 89 Service Restoration Campaign 
• #FairFare for a full recovery in 2020
• Don’t Criminalize Transit Fares campaign
• Canvassing at transit stops, talking with riders, and public speaking on behalf of PPT

New Board Members elected to a Board seat that is specially reserved for transit workers

Sue Scanlon

I absolutely love PPT. I am so proud of all the work we’ve done to defend jobs, expand routes, and help passengers. The work we have done over the last 10+ years has saved the whole community because we connect people to the things they need in our city and region. We have built such a community with our organizing. It feels like being part of a superhero squad.

I have been a bus operator at Port Authority (ahem, I mean, Pittsburgh Regional Transit) for 22 years. I have seen the agency during its highs and its very lows. Unfortunately, we are now at one of those lows. I want to continue being part of the movement to fix it. I consider myself a pretty good activist. I have the conviction to be out in the street, although I am always learning as an organizer.

How can we bring people together with love and consciousness to fight for our common good? When I look to the future of PPT, I want to see us keep building our base of organizers and activists. We are going to keep spreading our message across the city, state, and the entire country. We will remain on the cutting edge of activism for transit justice. 

Our movement isn’t about me or any individual person. It is about what we can all do when we work together. It is about building a better world out of the situation we are in today. Everything is about community.

List of 3-5 projects or campaigns that the nominee has been involved with related to PPT, transit justice, activism, and/or movement building:

• The very first campaign I was involved with was restoring transit service in Baldwin, circa 2014. It was such a great campaign because it showed how communities can come together to fight for each other’s needs.
• I was also involved in the fights for Act 89, rallies Downtown, and Squirrel Hill, circa 2011. We shut down Forbes Avenue and Murray Avenue. It was an example of how labor and organize together with communities to improve service and jobs.
• In 2020 and 2021 I helped my ATU brothers and sisters start and eventually win the right to wear Black Lives Matter masks on the job. We staged protests and brought the case to court. You can read more about the win here.
• I’ve also been involved with helping other unions in solidarity – I started the campaign for workers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to get a contract. Helped organize PPT members to picket in front of John Block’s house and at the Post Gazette. Met a ton of great people in this work.
• I also represent PPT on the PA Poor Peoples Campaign steering committee. I have traveled to DC, I don’t even remember how many times, to fight for the working class. I have been working to help people realize we’re all in this together and that we all have to work together to get what we need.

Swissvale residents are successful with a community petition to reopen the Washington Ave. bridge to pedestrians – now it’s time to dream!

Last week, on July 7th at around 7pm, PennDOT ordered the Washington Ave Bridge in Swissvale to close IMMEDIATELY to all traffic. According to a recent Post Gazette article, “Days prior, on Thursday, a woman reported feeling movement on the bridge as she drove over it,”.

The bridge is owned by the railroad company Norfolk Southern. The company had let the bridge deteriorate to the point of near unusability, and now, a vital community connection was lost. The unannounced closure had a huge impact on pedestrian access to transit lines on the East Busway, and small businesses in Swissvale’s center. Suddenly, a walk that was typically 5 or 10 minutes would now take 15 minutes to a half hour. This distance was not only a huge inconvenience to transit riders in Swissvale, it became an insurmountable obstacle to neighbors who have difficulty walking.

Swissvale Community Action is a local community group that quickly got organized. They worked with PPT to launch a petition demanding pedestrian access to be restored quickly.

Within 24 hours, the peition had collected nearly 200 signatures and caught the attention of WPXI who aired a news report on Wednesday night, and of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial board who published a Thursday-morning editorial.

“If you have any kind of mobility issues, or if you have to work a second job, this could potentially ruin your life…. Before it took me about 45 minutes to get to work, yesterday it took me an hour and a half to get home.” – Hannah Bailey

Hanna Bailey, Swissvale Resident, Transit Rider, and Swissvale Community Action Member

The organizing push was so hard that memes (yes, memes) even happened:

By the afternoon of July 14th, the PennDOT had announced that the bridge was deemed safe for pedestrian access and that the bridge would open that afternoon.

Check out this article from the Post-Gazette on the reopening announcement. The article also announces that next steps on the closure will be up for discussion at an upcoming public meeting, but does not include a date. However, a source confirmed with PPT that the article is referencing the next Swissvale Borough Council Agenda meeting on July 27 at 7pm. Here’s more info on how to attend that meeting.

BUT WE WON’T STOP HERE! Now is the time to keep organizing for better transit access. So tell us, how can transit access be improved to better serve Swissvale and the towns that surround it?

More frequent transit? Better sidewalks? More Trees? Better bus stops? Affordable housing? If you live and frequent this community, please take two minutes to help build this vision for transit access can be improved:

PPT’s Summer Party to celebrate the campaigns we’ve won and the community we’ve built.

August 10th! 6-8pm! Mark your calendars for the first in-person party that PPT has held since the start of the pandemic. It’s been a long, difficult road since March 2020, but we’ve kept up our organizing and shown that transit rider power can pull us through the worst of times.

The pandemic has challenged us like never before, but we have a lot to celebrate. The PPT community has come together to push for service to be expanded to those who need it most. We’ve won the first-ever long-range plan for transit expansion – and we’ve secured millions of dollars to expand service. We defeated the Mon Oakland Connector and we’re fighting for investments in affordable housing and community needs. We’re building a strong and growing membership program to bring more people into this work.

Join us at the Bartlett Shelter in Schenley Park on August 10th, 6-8pm. Food, drinks, music, and good times will be provided. Feel free to bring a side dish or dessert to share.

Accessibility information: The Bartlett Shelter is accessible via the 58, 65, and 93 bus routes. Bike parking and car parking are also nearby. There is an overhead cover in case of rain. The shelter is approximately a 300′-500′ walk from the bus stops, parking, and nearest bathrooms. There are numerous picnic tables and benches for seating. PPT will also bring some folding chairs with and without arms for additional seating. A DJ will be playing music that can be adjusted to a volume that is comfortable for all. Please reach out to PPT with any questions or accessibility needs.

Reserve your tickets below and sign up to volunteer!

The cuts are deemed “temporary” – but riders need to see a plan for service expansion because our experience is that once routes are cut, they don’t come back.

Port Authority (now “Pittsburgh Regional Transit”) typically updates its service schedules 4 times every year, but the most recent round of service changes that took effect on June 26th was not your normal service update.

The recent changes will impact 61 out of the 101 total Port Authority routes and will result in an alleged 4% decrease in the service. These changes come on the heels of the April changes, where riders lost 2% of service when 25 routes changed.  This is an emergency alert for our transit service. 

Ridership is on the rebound. 100,000 riders used our system every day in May. That’s 100% growth from when the pandemic struck in March 2020. Now is the time to EXPAND service and EXPAND affordable fare programs because those are the things that support current riders and bring back more riders to transit. 

But unfortunately, this is not the choice that PRT is making… If there is a silver lining, it is that the agency is saying these cuts are “temporary”. However, riders don’t have any idea what that means exactly because there is no public plan for how and under what conditions service frequencies will be expanded. 

Riders and residents need to see a plan because our experience is that once routes are cut, they don’t come back.

As a summary of what these changes will do to service, here’s a visual put together by PPT Member, George Barrow. See George’s original spreadsheet here:

About this blog series with the @PGH_Bus_Info Hotline

PPT has been publishing this blog series on PRT’s quarterly serive updates for the past few years. Our goal is to translate what these quarterly changes will mean for riders.

The @PGH_Bus_Info Hotline is a volunteer-run twitter account that gives riders updates on Port Authority’s daily happenings. The Hotline has no official connection to the Port Authority (again, it is a volunteer-run twitter account) but the updates they provide are helpful nonetheless. The Hotline is a big supporter of PPT, and an enormous advocate for public transit. We’re thankful for their support and happy to collab on these rider resources. Follow @PGH_Bus_Info Hotline on twitter for more grassroots transit updates.

About how to read this blog

We’re starting a new layout for these blogs. We’re going to sort this long list of changes from Port Authority into three categories based on what they mean for riders; “The Good”, “The Bad (The Missed Opportunities)”, “The middle of the road… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯”.

For each change you’ll see the text and link that the Port Authority uses to describe each change, this is copy/pasted from their website…

• … then below this text, you’ll see this italicized text. This italicized portion are comments from the @PGH_Bus_Info Hotline and PPT on what these changes mean for riders and our system. You can check Port Authority’s website to follow these quarterly service changes. 

Lets get started.

 

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See these changes on PRT’s website: “Port Authority adjusts schedules four times a year. These changes are effective Sunday, June 26, 2022. Please look closely at the changes below, as service has been reduced on some routes based on current ridership, and to prevent some missed trips.”

The good

22-McCoy – Weekday service frequency has been increased to 40 minutes from 53 minutes throughout the day. Saturday service frequency has been increased to 40 minutes from 60 minutes throughout the day. 

• We shorter headways mean riders will not have to wait as long for the next bus. Glad that there’s at least change that’s an all-around benefit to riders.

61C-McKeesport-Homestead – Sunday service frequency has been increased to 40 minutes from 45 minutes in the early morning, morning peak and late evenings.

• Its a small increase in frequency, but we’ll take it. Still want to see these headways come down.

61D-Murray – Sunday service frequency has been increased to 20 minutes from 30 minutes in the middle of the day, and to 40 minutes from 45 minutes in the late evening. 

• For our system, 20 minute headways on a Sunday are good.

The bad (the missed opportunities) – buckle up because this is a long list

1-Freeport Road – Some weekday trip times have changed. Weekend service frequency has been reduced to 50 minutes from 45 minutes throughout the day.

• The decrease is only 5 minutes, but those minutes add up. In this particular case, this change means that riders will lose three trips on Saturday, (and service will end a bit earlier), and one trip on Sunday.

2-Mount Royal – Weekday service frequency has been reduced to 35 minutes from 30 minutes during peak hours, and to 70 minutes from 30-70 minutes in the early morning and late evening. Weekend frequency has been reduced to 80 minutes from 60 minutes throughout the day. 

• Similar to what we we said before. 70 and 80 minute headways (the time between when buses arrive) is simply unacceptable and unusable transit.

8-Perrysville – Saturday service frequency has been reduced to 35 minutes from 30 minutes throughout the day. Some trip times have changed on Sunday. 

• 3 fewer Saturday trips. 

12-McKnight – Sunday service frequency has been reduced to 35 minutes from 30 minutes in the middle of the day and afternoon peak hours, and reduced to 50 minutes from 40 minutes in the late evening. 

• No denying that this is a decrease in service on all days – although the upshot is that the 12 will run a little bit later on Saturday (but at the cost of losing 3 trips during the day). 

17-Shadeland – Saturday service frequency has been reduced to 60 minutes from 50 minutes throughout the day. 

20-Kennedy – Weekday service frequency has been reduced to 40 minutes from 30-35 minutes during peak hours, and to 60 minutes from between 35-50 minutes during off-peak hours. On Saturday, trip times have changed throughout the day, and service will operate every 50 minutes. Sunday service frequency has been increased to 50 minutes from 60 minutes throughout the day.

24-West Park – Saturday service frequency has been reduced to 60 minutes from 45 minutes throughout the day.

28X-Airport Flyer – Weekday service frequency after 4 p.m. has been reduced to 40-50 minutes from 30 minutes. 

38-Green Tree – The 38C variant will be eliminated due to low ridership. All 38C variant trips will instead become additional 38G variant trips. Please see below for a list of discontinued stops served by the 38C variant.  

Riders should instead board any 38-Green Tree service on Greentree Road, or use the Covenant Church Park and Ride (also served by the 38-Green Tree). Access to Red Line light rail service is also available via the Mount Lebanon and Castle Shannon park and rides.    

Inbound Discontinued Stops	Outbound Discontinued Stops
Swallow Hill Road at Greentree Road Far Side	Orchard Spring Road at Greentree Road Far Side
Swallow Hill Road at Hope Street	Orchard Spring Road at # 120
Swallow Hill Road at Robin Drive	Orchard Spring Road at Roseleaf Road # 1
Swallow Hill Road opposite Chartiers Valley School Driveway	Orchard Spring Road at #252
Swallow Hill Road at Swallow Hill Court	Orchard Spring Road at #312
Swallow Hill Road at Foxcroft Road	Orchard Spring Road opposite Blackberry Drive
Roseleaf Drive at Foxcroft Road Far Side	Orchard Spring Road at Roseleaf Road #2
Orchard Spring Road at #453	Roseleaf Drive at Foxcroft Road
Orchard Spring Road Blackberry Drive	Foxcroft Road at Swallow Hill Road
Orchard Spring Road at #313	Swallow Hill Road at Swallow Hill Place
Orchard Spring Road opposite Roseleaf Drive	Swallow Hill Road at Chartiers Valley School Driveway
Orchard Spring Road #137	Swallow Hill Road at Robin Drive
Orchard Spring Road at #29	Swallow Hill Road at Hope Street
Orchard Spring Road at Greentree Road	Swallow Hill Road at Hope Hollow Road

Additionally, weekday service frequency has been reduced to 35 minutes from 15-30 minutes throughout the day. 

39-Brookline – Weekend service frequency has been reduced to 80 minutes from 60 minutes throughout the day. 

41-Bower Hill – Weekday service frequency has been reduced to 60 minutes from 40 minutes in the middle of the day. 

44-Knoxville – Weekday service frequency has been reduced to 60 minutes from 30-45 minutes in the middle of the day and the late evening.

52L-Homeville Limited – Service frequency has been reduced to 40 minutes from 20-40 minutes during the morning peak hours, and to 30-60 minutes from 25-40 minutes during afternoon peak hours. 

53-Homestead Park – Weekend service frequency has been reduced to 90 minutes from 60 minutes throughout the day. 

53L-Homestead Park Limited – Weekday service frequency has been reduced to 34 minutes from 30 minutes in the early morning and peak hours; reduced to 70 minutes from 60 minutes in the middle of the day; and increased to 67 minutes from 75 minutes in the late evening. 

55-Glassport – Weekday trip times have changed. Late evening service frequency has been reduced to 60-100 minutes from 60 minutes. Weekend service frequency has been reduced to 70 minutes from 60 minutes throughout the day.  

Additionally, while schedules have been updated to reflect service operating across the Jerome Street Bridge, please note that westbound buses will continue to detour across the 15th Street Bridge until construction on the Jerome Street Bridge is complete (anticipated for mid-summer).

56-Lincoln Place – Weekday trip times have changed. Weekday service frequency has been reduced to 32-63 minutes from 30-60 minutes during early morning and late evening; and increased to 42 minutes from 45 minutes in the middle of the day.  

Additionally, while schedules have been updated to reflect service operating across the Jerome Street Bridge, please note that westbound buses will continue to detour across the 15th Street Bridge until construction on the Jerome Street Bridge is complete (anticipated for mid-summer). 

59-Mon Valley – Weekday service frequency has been reduced to 70 minutes from 40 minutes in the late evening.  

Additionally, while schedules have been updated to reflect service operating across the Jerome Street Bridge, please note that westbound buses will continue to detour across the 15th Street Bridge until construction on the Jerome Street Bridge is complete (anticipated for mid-summer). 

• The Mon Valley just can’t catch a break – and they don’t have any reason to trust the Port Authority. We said this last quarter, but during the public hearings in January 2022 the Port Authority promised that any route that received increased service as part of pandemic service changes would not lose it. The 59 has service increased to 30 minutes in some parts of the day, which was amazing and helpful to these communities that have some of the highest transit ridership/lowest car ownership in Allegheny County. This promise was short lived though. Last quarter they decreased service to 40 minutes (though the upshot was that it ran nearly 24 hours (with only 80 minutes between evening and morning runs), and now the evening service is getting cut back to 70 minutes. Communities should be able to trust public institutions when they make promises.

61A-North Braddock -The long-term Fern Hollow Bridge detour will be incorporated into the schedule.  

Below you will find an updated list of inbound and outbound established and discontinued stops. Please note: effective Sunday, June 26, 2022, the 61A will no longer serve the previously established stop at Kelly Ave. at Trenton Ave. Instead, it will serve Trenton Ave. at South Ave. 

Additionally, Sunday service frequency has been reduced to 45 minutes from 30 minutes in the middle of the day, and to 35 minutes from 30 minutes during afternoon peak hours. 

Inbound Established Stops	Outbound Established Stops
Trenton Ave at South Ave	S. Dallas at Forbes (far side)
S. Dallas at Forbes (near side)	Trenton Ave at South Ave

Inbound Discontinued Stops	Outbound Discontinued Stops
Kelly Ave at Trenton Ave (far side) (19007)	Forbes Ave at S. Dallas Ave (7130)
Kelly Ave at Peebles St (7088)	Forbes Ave opposite Briarcliff Rd (7132)
Peebles St at Forbes Ave Ext (7089)	Forbes Ave Ext at East End Ave (7133)
Forbes Ave at Celeron St	Forbes Ave Ext at Peebles St (7134)
Forbes Ave at Braddock Ave (7091)	Peebles St opposite Forbes Ave Ext (7135)
Forbes Ave at Braddock Ave (far side) (7233)	Peebles St at Kelly Ave (7136)
Forbes Ave at S. Dallas Ave (7093)	Kelly Ave at Trenton Ave
Corey Ave at Braddock Ave
7th at Braddock Ave

• Disappointed to see that another quarterly change will go by and Port Authority is still not adding access to the communities this detour now serves.

61B-Braddock-Swissvale – The long-term Fern Hollow Bridge detour will be incorporated into the schedule.  

Below you will find a list of inbound and outbound established and discontinued stops. Please note that these stops have not changed from the previous detour.

Sunday service frequency has been reduced to 45 minutes from 30 minutes in the middle of the day, and to 35 minutes from 30 minutes during afternoon peak hours. 

Inbound Established Stops	Outbound Established Stops
Braddock Ave at Forbes Ave. Ext.	S. Dallas Ave at Forbes Ave (far side)
S. Dallas Ave at Forbes Ave	Braddock Ave at Forbes Ave (Waverly Church)

Inbound Discontinued Stops	Outbound Discontinued Stops
Forbes Ave at Braddock Ave (farside) (7233)	Forbes Ave at S. Dallas Ave (7130)
Forbes Ave at S. Dallas Ave (7093)	Forbes Ave at Briarcliff Rd (7132)
	Forbes Ave at Braddock Ave (7234)

• Same as the 61A, disappointed to see that another quarterly change will go by and Port Authority is still not adding access to the communities this detour now serves.

74-Homewood-Squirrel Hill – Three weekday trips that served the now-closed Shuman Center have been removed. Pittsburgh Job Corps Center will continue to be served.

Saturday service frequency has been reduced to 90 minutes from 40 minutes in the early morning and late evening. Sunday service frequency has been reduced to 90 minutes from 60 minutes. 

• Even though Shuman is now closed, there are still plenty of people that need to access the VA and Job Corps or who live in Lincoln-Lemington and Larimer. Weekday service is starting later for everyone along the route, in some places it’ll be 30 minutes later and in others it’ll be up to 2-hours later. An small benefit is that Sunday service will start a little earlier, and end a little later.

77-Penn Hills – Weekday service frequency has been reduced to 45 minutes from 30 minutes throughout the day. Saturday service frequency has been reduced to 65 minutes from 60 minutes during morning peak hours and in the late evening. Sunday service frequency has been reduced to 65 minutes from 60 minutes throughout the day. 

• To start reducing the weekday frequency further especially during former rush hour peak periods is bad. Furthermore it is galling and saddening that weekday service will end earlier when in fact it needs to run later and the idea that crowded evening trips would combine 4 trips into 2 trips near end of service day is concerning from a safety and capacity standpoint. To add more insult to injury further reductions to weekend and especially Saturday service which had already previously been decimated is harmful to riders. Shockingly while Sunday and holidays will suck the only small rays of saving grace in the 77 for June 2022 is that Sunday 77 will start earlier and run slightly later. Unfortunately, all of the losses throughout the week do not a fair trade off make.

86-Liberty – Weekday service frequency has been reduced to 40 minutes from 35 minutes in the early morning and morning peak hours, and to 45 minutes from 30 minutes in the late evening. Saturday service frequency has been reduced to 30 minutes from 20 minutes in the afternoon peak hours. Sunday service frequency has been increased to 35 minutes from 60 minutes in the early morning, morning peak hours and late evening, and reduced to 35 minutes from 30 minutes in the middle of the day and afternoon peak hours. 

• Saturday 86 now starts 40 minutes later and ends 70 minutes earlier. Sunday frequency increase is a positive but seemingly came at the cost of Saturday reductions. And these new schedules have the 86, 87 and 88 passing through the East End at the same time, with long spans of no service in-between.

87-Friendship – Weekday service frequency has been reduced to 25 minutes from 20 minutes in the early morning and to 25 minutes from 15 minutes during peak hours. 

• These new schedules have the 86, 87 and 88 passing through the East End at the same time, with long spans of no service in-between.

88-Penn – Weekday service frequency has been reduced to 45 minutes from 30 minutes in the early morning and late evening. Saturday service frequency has been reduced to 40 minutes from 30 minutes. Sunday service frequency has been reduced to 35 minutes from 30 minutes. 

• These new schedules have the 86, 87 and 88 passing through the East End at the same time, with long spans of no service in-between.

91-Butler Street – Saturday service frequency has been reduced to 40 minutes from 30-35 minutes in the early morning. Sunday service frequency has been reduced to 60 minutes from 40-50 minutes in the early morning; other trip times have changed throughout the day. 

93-Lawrenceville-Hazelwood – Weekday service frequency has been increased to 20 minutes from 30 minutes during peak hours; and has been reduced to 40 minutes from 30 minutes in the early morning and middle of the day, and to 30-50 minutes from 30 minutes in the late evening. 

• Yes, we’re getting better frequencies during peak hours, but frequencies are tanking for all other times of the day.

G2-West Busway – Weekday service frequency has been reduced to 25 minutes from 20 minutes in the late evening hours. 

P1-East Busway-All Stops – Weekday service has been reduced to 12 minutes from 8-10 minutes throughout the day, and to 20 minutes from 15 minutes in the late evening. 

P10-Allegheny Valley Flyer – Weekday peak service has been reduced to 25 minutes from 20 minutes. 

P71-Swissvale Flyer – Weekday service frequency has been reduced to 50 minutes from 30 minutes. 

. Y46-Elizabeth Flyer – Weekday service frequency has been reduced to 47 minutes from 45 minutes in the early morning and morning peak hours, and increased to 36 minutes from 45 minutes in the middle of the day and afternoon peak hours. Frequency in late evening has overall been reduced to 44-80 minutes from 45 minutes. 

• Yes, frequency increases in the middle of the day… but it decreases everywhere else. And 80-minute headways is just unusable transit.

Y49-Prospect Flyer – Weekend service frequency has been increased to 60 minutes from 70 minutes throughout the day.

• Weekend service will run every hour on the hour, but we’re losing 1 trip so service will start later and end earlier.

Red Line – Weekday service frequency has been reduced to 15 minutes from 10 minutes in the early morning, middle of the day, and peak hours. Weekend service has been reduced to 20 minutes from 15 minutes throughout the day. 

Blue Line – On weekdays, the Blue Line will operate from the early morning to afternoon peak hours. Before and after these times, riders can board Red Line service to or from South Hills Village, or Silver Line service to or from Washington Junction.  

Weekday service frequency has been increased to 15 minutes from 20 minutes during peak hours and 30 minutes during off peak hours. Weekend service frequency has been reduced to 40 minutes from 30 minutes throughout the day. 

The middle of the road… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

4-Troy Hill – Weekday service frequency has been increased to 45 minutes from 60 minutes in the middle of the day. Saturday service frequency has been reduced to 70 minutes from 60 minutes throughout the day. 

• Riders can appreciate the increase in service during the weekday, but the decrease to 70 minutes on the weekend is bad (this decrease will result in 4 fewer trips on Saturdays).

6-Spring Hill – Some weekday trip times have changed during morning peak hours. Weekday service frequency has been increased to 40 minutes from 50 minutes during off-peak hours. Weekend service frequency has increased to 50 minutes from 70 minutes throughout the day.

• The shorter headways will mean that riders have to wait less time for a bus. But service will end 30 minutes earlier on Saturday and Sunday. That’s a tradeoff you may be willing to make if you’re not one of the people that relies on that last bus.

7-Spring Garden – Service frequency has been reduced to 70 minutes from 65 minutes during peak hours. 

• Riders have to wait a few minutes longer, but the service will run later into the evening.

13-Bellevue – Some weekday trip times have changed. 

14-Ohio Valley – Some weekday trip times have changed. Saturday service frequency has been increased to 53 minutes from 60 minutes throughout the day. 

• Port Authority increased the frequency, but they cut a trip at the end of each day.

15-Charles – Weekday service frequency has been reduced to 30 minutes from 25 minutes in the early morning and peak hours, and increased to 45 minutes from 45-60 minutes during off-peak hours. On Saturday, a trip has been added in the late evening. Sunday service frequency has been increased to 40 minutes from 45 minutes throughout the day. 

16-Brighton – Some weekday and Saturday trip times have changed. 

29-Robinson – Due to the weight limit of a culvert on Mahoney Road near the intersection of Mahoney Road and Cliff Mine Road, buses will be unable to operate on Mahoney Road and must instead use Cliff Mine Road to travel to and from Steubenville Pike.  

Please note that this routing will be a change from the current detour routing. Pittsburgh Technical College and CCAC West will continue to be served.  

See below for a full list of inbound and outbound discontinued stops:  

Inbound Discontinued Stops	Outbound Discontinued Stops
Steubenville Pike at Palomino Drive Far Side	Cliff Mine Road at Omslaer Steel Supplies
Steubenville Pike at Farmcrest Drive	Cliff Mine Road opposite Oak Moss Drive
Steubenville Pike at North Fayette VFD	Mahoney Road opposite Hawthorne Drive
Mahoney Road at Hawthorne Drive	Steubenville Pike opposite North Fayette VFD
Cliff Mine Road at Oak Moss Drive	Steubenville Pike opposite Farmcrest Drive
Cliff Mine Road at Omslaer Steel Supplies	Steubenville Pike opposite Palomino Drive
Cliff Mine Road at Enlow Road

Additionally, Saturday service has been increased to 50 minutes from 60 minutes, and Sunday service frequency has been reduced to 70 minutes from 60 minutes throughout the day. 

36-Banksville – Weekday service frequency has been increased to 45 minutes from 60 minutes throughout most of the day; afternoon peak service frequency has been reduced to 45 minutes from 30 minutes. Weekend service frequency has been reduced to 75 minutes from 60 minutes throughout the day. 

40-Mount Washington – Weekday service frequency has been increased to 40 minutes from 60 minutes throughout the day. 

• Headways are getting shorter, but service will start 20 minutes later in the AM and will end 30 mins earlier at the end of the day.

57-Hazelwood – Weekday service frequency has been increased to 44 minutes from 45 minutes in the middle of the day; reduced to 48 minutes from 30 minutes in the afternoon peak hours; and increased to 48 minutes from 60 minutes in the late evening. Weekend service frequency has been increased to 45 minutes from 60 minutes throughout the day. 

69-Trafford – Weekday service frequency has been reduced to 45 minutes from 40 minutes throughout the day. An additional stop has been added at Forbes Hospital. 

• Great that the route is expanded, but the expansion is for weekdays-only and will come at the cost of worse frequencies.

71-Edgewood Town Center – Some weekday trip times have changed. 

75-Ellsworth – Weekday service frequency has been reduced to 25 minutes from 20 minutes during the morning peak hours and in the middle of the day. 

• The 1st weekday morning trip runs Aprox 10 minutes earlier and the last weeknight trip begins about 15 minutes earlier.- not great. But, they eliminated the weekday “Short” trips that ended either at Bakery Square or The PGH ZOO, so now all runs will end in O’Hara on weekdays – this is good. Weekends are unchanged and short trips may still exist on weekends and holidays 

81-Oak Hill – Some weekday trip times have changed. Sunday service frequency has been increased to 45 minutes from 60 minutes throughout the day. 

• For the weekdays, service will end 20 minutes earlier and have 1 less trip overall. Then on Sunday, the headways will be shorter and service will run 15 minutes later, but there’s one less trip overall.

83-Bedford Hill – Weekday service frequency has been reduced to 35 minutes from 15-30 minutes during peak hours. Saturday service frequency has been reduced to 40-50 minutes from 35 minutes. Sunday service frequency has been increased to 30-60 minutes from 60 minutes. 

89-Garfield Commons – Some weekday trip times have changed. 

G3-Moon Flyer – Some weekday trip times have changed. 

G31-Bridgeville Flyer – Some weekday trip times have changed.

P2 – East Busway Short – Some weekday trip times have changed

P67-Monroeville Flyer – Some weekday trip times have changed. 

Y47-Curry Flyer – Weekday service frequency has been increased to 38 minutes from 45 minutes at peak hours and reduced to 57-64 minutes from 45 minutes during off peak hours. Saturday service frequency has been increased to 60 minutes from 70 minutes throughout the day. 

Silver Line – Weekday service frequency has been increased to 15 minutes from 20 minutes during peak hours. Weekend service frequency has been reduced to 40 minutes from 30 minutes throughout the day. 

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The results of service cuts are no mystery: ridership will not recover. PRT needs a plan for how service will be expanded because that’s the only way we’re going to get more riders on transit.

If you have stories of bad transit service in the last few months, take a minute to share it with PPT and help advocate for change.

Stay tuned for the next set of quarterly changes, expected in September of 2022

As these changes roll-out, be sure to give your feedback & suggestions by reaching out to Port Authority Customer Service by phone or over twitter:

Port Authority Customer service phone number: 412-442-2000

Hours: Weekdays 5a to 7p, Weekend + Holidays 8a to 430p

or via Twitter @PGHTransit or @PGHTransitCare

And if you want to get in touch with the volunteer-run @PGH_Bus_Info Hotline, you can give them a call at 412-759-3335 ONLY When PortAuthority Customer Service is Closed/unavailable or via Twitter anytime @PGH_BUS_INFO

The PGH Bus Info Hotline will be back on PPT’s blog in for the next set of changes. See ya then.

After all of the nominees introduced themselves at our July Meeting, the ballot is open! The deadline for all PPT Members to cast their ballot in the PPT Board Election is 27th at midnight.

Please read this blog with bios on all the candidates before casting your vote.

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Overview of PPT’s Board Election Process

Pittsburghers for Public Transit is a grassroots, democratic, member-led organization that fights for racial justice and public transit as a human right. The election of a Board of Directors from and by our general membership is a cornerstone of what keeps us accountable to our members. The Board is responsible for strategizing and executing the organization’s campaigns, outreach, governance, and fundraising.

The Board’s Executive Committee chooses how many seats will be up for PPT’s board election each year. Our bylaws say that our Board can be anywhere from 5 to 15 people and that 2 seats are reserved for transit workers connected to a local transit union. Earlier this year our Board’s Executive Committee decided to open 5 seats to be elected from our general membership, and 1 seat to be elected to a transit worker.

Each spring, the PPT membership nominates fellow members to run for the Board of Directors. If those members accept the nomination, then they are invited to submit a photo and bio to be placed on the ballot, and they are invited to speak about their qualifications for 3-minutes at the July General Member Meeting.

PPT Members in good standing can cast their ballots for two weeks in July. The nominees with the highest vote totals are invited to join the Board of Directors for a 2-year term.

PPT Members in good standing can cast their votes in the Board Election from July 13th to July 27th at midnight.

All PPT Members in good standing can cast a vote to determine our incoming board. Good standing means that in the last year, a PPT member has 

1. Contributed membership dues of at least $2.75 (Pay your membership dues here)
2. Helped to organize and advocate for better public transit
3. Supports the Transit Bill of Rights. 

If you are unsure of your membership status, email info@pittsburghforpublictransit.org or call 412-626-7353 to check.

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List of nominees to fill 5 PPT General Membership Seats, 2022-2024

Below is a list of the nominees to fill PPT’s General Membership seats. They are listed in alphabetical order by first name, with a short bio and list of their campaign involvement to give background on their past work for transit justice and other issues. Each nominee has approved and contributed to their biography and list of campaign involvement.

• Andrew Hussein
• Fawn Walker Montgomery
• Karen Smith 
• Lisa Gonzalez
• Ricardo Villarreal
• Shawn Pastor
• Verna Johnson

PPT Members can vote for up to 5 candidates to serve in General Membership Seats for the next 2-year term, 2022-2024. PPT Members, please read through all of this info before casting your vote.

Andrew Hussein

My name is Andrew Hussein, and I live in Penn Hills. My primary routes are 77, 79, P17, 86, and P16…. but to be truthful, you can find me on just about any route (no exaggeration) because I eat/sleep/breath/live all things public transit. Anyone who knows me knows that that is true. Transit is my sole means for transportation so I am acutely aware of the very real need for public transit to have a positive community impact. 

I am a long-time member of PPT who has been working with the org since a brief few-month stint in the early days, back in an earlier iteration of the org called “Save Our Transit”. Years later I reconnected with PPT on their community campaign in Baldwin. We won that campaign and restored service to that neighborhood and I never looked back. 

The skills that I bring to PPT are a significant all-around and general knowledge of the Port Authority system. I have a sincere passion for transit and its improvement. When I think of better transit I think of transit that is Fair, Equitable, reliable, useable, sustainable, readily and widely available – for as many folks as possible. Transit needs to fit as diverse a clientele and public needs as much as possible and I think that that is what we need to fight for together.

List of 3-5 projects or campaigns that the nominee has been involved with related to PPT, transit justice, activism, and/or movement building:

• Current Vice President of the Allegheny County Transit Council (ACTC), current Executive Committee Member, and have been involved here for 5 years
• I am also the founder and COO of the Bus Info Hotline, a Twitter and phone info line that is open for people to find out info and ask questions about Port Authority that I’ve been running for nearly 20 years. Check out our Twitter at @PGH_BUS_INFO
• Involved in many of the successful neighborhood service campaigns started in 2014 that restored service to transit deserts through our county.
• I am a PPT Communications Committee Member. I lead the creation of our Blog Series on the Quarterly Service Updates.
• I have a significant all-around and general knowledge of the Port Authority system, PPT staff calls me all the time with questions about our system.

Fawn Walker Montgomery

Fawn Walker-Montgomery is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Take Action Mon Valley (TAMV). She is a former candidate for Mayor in McKeesport and a past candidate for State Representative in the 35th District. Fawn was the first black person & woman to run for a State seat in the Mon Valley. She has a B.A. in Political Science from Johnson C. Smith University (HBCU) and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration from Point Park University. Fawn has worked with PPT on various projects such as the BRT, fair fees, and removing cops from transit stops. She is also a past second-term Councilwoman in McKeesport and has 18 years of experience in the human services field. Fawn’s vision for PPT is that they increase membership in the smaller communities outside the City of Pittsburgh such as the Mon Valley. In addition, create specific campaigns to address the lack of transportation in these areas. Thus, having more of a county-wide focus.

List of 3-5 projects or campaigns that the nominee has been involved with related to PPT, transit justice, activism, and/or movement building:

• A long-time activist for Police Accountability. 
• Leading efforts to decarcerate our schools and say “No” to School Police 
• Has supported various PPT projects over the years, including community organizing to defeat the Bus Rapid Transit service plan that would have cut service to her city, co-developed & launched the “Fair Fares” platform, and many more. 

Karen Smith 

Karen Smith is a resident of Carnegie and an advocate for disability justice.

Karen has been involved in community advocacy and activism for several years, beginning with the group “Save Our Transit”.

In 2008, Karen was a speaker at a rally for the Personal Need Allowance, which would give personal care home residents more funds for necessities like toiletries or phone bills that personal care homes do not provide. 

From there, Karen advocated to save UPMC Braddock Hospital from closure in 2010 (a significant source of local jobs and direct access to health care), and Karen has been supporting community efforts for patient rights.

She has worked on two photo voice projects. During one of the projects, Karen demonstrated the challenges disabled residents face using public transportation in Allegheny County.  

As a member of the PPT Board, Karen aims to make the needs of disabled transit riders a priority and plans to work with fellow board members to achieve safer transit and infrastructure connections. Her goal is to increase PPT membership and see the organization grow more statewide, nationally, and worldwide.  

List of 3-5 projects or campaigns that the nominee has been involved with related to PPT, transit justice, activism, and/or movement building:

• Rally in Harrisburg PA for Save Our Transit to secure state funding for public transit
• Attended several rallies for transit in Pittsburgh 
• Serves as a member of the City County Task Force on Disabilities 
• Had started advocacy back in the 90’s
• Will continue to advocate for change in all areas needed. 

Lisa Gonzalez

My name is Lisa Gonzalez and I ride the bus every day. I have been doing so for my entire life. I raised a family while being a bus rider. 3 of my kids, and now 1 of my grandkids, all had to learn how to ride the bus because it is important to make our family work. 

I have been fighting for better public transit as an elected leader of Pittsburghers for Public Transit for the last 7 years. I want to continue this leadership on the PPT Board to ensure that we make changes in a positive way. My vision for the organization is to recruit school students and new members because public schools and youth activism is important to me.

As far as my background and experience, I have been an advocate in one form or another in struggles for education, housing, and in the community where I live in carrick. I have served on several boards throughout the years. In the past, I have served as one of the parents representing Pittsburgh Public School Region 3 families on the  Title One Parent Advisory Council at both the local and state levels. Currently, I’m on the Carrick Community Council Board of Directors and I’m an advocate for the Western Pennsylvania Bleeding Disorders Foundation.

List of 3-5 projects or campaigns that the nominee has been involved with related to PPT, transit justice, activism, and/or movement building:

• I have been a committed advocate for fair fares. I met with Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation, in the summer of 2021 and encouraged him to start free and affordable fare programs in cities across the country.
• I was also involved in calling for an expansion of affordable housing with the Pennley Park Apartments/Penn Plaza campaign.
• I helped to develop the 100 Days Transit Platform that informed Mayor Gainey’s Transition plan.
• I serve on the Carrick Community Council and help uplift public transit as an important neighborhood priority. We stopped the Port Authority from removing a bus stop in front of a senior center in my neighborhood.
• I am very active in Pittsburgh Public Schools. I work as a volunteer support staff at Pittsburgh Liberty in Shadyside and have helped students better understand how to use transit as a Transit Ambassador with A+ schools, and have presented to classes with PPT.

Ricardo Villarreal 

My name is Ricardo Villarreal. I have been in love with the culture of the US for as long as I can remember. That is why I decided to immigrate here. Since getting here, I have joined Casa San Jose. I have been inspired by the work they do to help the community and I want to contribute to this mission of building strength in the community.

When the Red Line was down and transit riders were faced with terrible wait times, I felt compelled to join Pittsburghers for Public Transit. I spoke out about the importance of transit to the immigrant community at the “Transit Justice is Environmental Justice” rally. It would be a delite to lead Pittsburghers for Public Transit with my skills because I consider transport core to the advancement and success of modern cities. 

I describe myself as being a teamwork-oriented person. I can quickly analyze data and propose process improvements to strengthen organizing. I’m an empathic person with a multicultural approach. My professional training has occurred in many different countries, including the US, Latin-American countries, and The Caribbean andI can quickly put myself in the shoes of others, understand, and help. 

I am a proud Latino, native Spanish speaker, and the father of two grown children. I enjoy playing music and reading and do not like shortcuts. When problems arise, I thrive and I do not shy away from complexities with a hands-on attitude.   

List of 3-5 projects or campaigns that the nominee has been involved with related to PPT, transit justice, activism, and/or movement building:

• Immigrating to Pittsburgh was an awakening to community awareness. I met amazing people at Casa San Jose in the middle of the pandemic. It was a scary time, but Casa inspired me to get active in helping people.
• I am a restaurant worker. Culture and food are important to me. And so is helping my co-workers with my skills in English.
• I do professional work in data and surveying
• Student organizing
• I have volunteered to play guitar and sing on serenades at hospitals for Mother’s Day.

Shawn Pastor

I want to join the PPT Board because I have been a member for three years and want to step up my involvement. Three things that are important to me and that I think I could help accomplish are; 1. Win more affordable fares, 2. Get service frequency increased, 3. Build a stronger culture of respect for our transit operators. I think that all of the operators who were fired because of the vaccine mandate should be brought back because we need service. This doesn’t respect the workers who were called “heroes” through the most dangerous part of the pandemic, and it has destroyed service, leaving people stranded waiting for transit. This is bad and inconvenient.

I’d be a good board member because I have ridden a lot of transit. I’ve been a regular rider of the Port Authority for over 20 years and I know the ins and outs of the company and what actually happens on the day-to-day. When I ride, I think it’s important to watch how people pay their fares and treat operators. You can learn a lot from this.

As far as my vision for PPT, I would like to work with the organization to bring back in-person meetings. The internet makes things more accessible for some, but it makes it more inaccessible for others. I also want to see PPT doing more recruitment of new members. We can do this with more advertising in newspapers and on social media. 

List of 3-5 projects or campaigns that the nominee has been involved with related to PPT, transit justice, activism, and/or movement building:

• I’ve been involved with PPT going to rallies for better transit in Harrisburg and Washington DC
• I used to volunteer at the VA as an elevator operator. This was important to me so that I could help get veterans where they need to go, and also so that I could listen to them to hear their stories and what they’ve gone through.
• I also attend meetings of the Allegheny County Transit Council
• I have also volunteered at Picklesburgh to help them out

Verna Johnson

My name is Verna Johnson and I am a resident of Lincoln-Lemington. I am a disability justice activist and serve as the current chair of PPT’s Board of Directors. 

I first became involved with PPT in 2015 during the campaign to save service on the 89 Garfield Service campaign. The fight for better public transit in communities receiving less and less public transit resonated with me, and I continued to join PPT meetings and joined as a member. One benefit of being a PPT member that surprised me was the democratic decision-making process, and I felt that my lived experience was valued. I began to see how people from different walks of life could work together and make decisions that directed campaigns and the course of PPT. I have helped grow PPT by organizing riders during my time on the board. Being a board member has given me a greater understanding of how change can happen on a systemic level. 

In addition to working on issues surrounding transit justice, I have been co-chair of the Allegheny County Coalition for Recovery’s Commission on Health and Human Services as co-chair and helped people receive financial assistance. I’ve also rallied outside of elected officials’ offices to support federal workers during the previous government shutdown with fellow members. I also phonebank with Just Harvest and register community members to vote at Veterans Affairs. I am deeply committed to bringing more people into the fight for transit justice and holding our transit agency accountable to the riders and workers.

List of 3-5 projects or campaigns that the nominee has been involved with related to PPT, transit justice, activism, and/or movement building:

• 89 Service Restoration Campaign 
• #FairFare for a full recovery in 2020
• Don’t Criminalize Transit Fares campaign
• Canvassing at transit stops, talking with riders, and public speaking on behalf of PPT

Nominees to fill the Transit Worker Seat, 2021-2023

Below is a list of the nominees to fill the Transit Worker seat that is reserved for union members of local transit worker unions. They are listed in alphabetical order by first name, with a short bio and list of their campaign involvement to give background on their in past work for transit justice and other issues.

• Sue Scanlon

PPT Members can vote for up to 1 candidate to serve in a Transit Worker Seat for the next 2-year term, 2022-2024. PPT Members, please read through all of this info before casting your vote.

Sue Scanlon

I absolutely love PPT. I am so proud of all the work we’ve done to defend jobs, expand routes, and help passengers. The work we have done over the last 10+ years has saved the whole community because we connect people to the things they need in our city and region. We have built such a community with our organizing. It feels like being part of a superhero squad.

I have been a bus operator at Port Authority (ahem, I mean, Pittsburgh Regional Transit) for 22 years. I have seen the agency during its highs and its very lows. Unfortunately, we are now at one of those lows. I want to continue being part of the movement to fix it. I consider myself a pretty good activist. I have the conviction to be out in the street, although I am always learning as an organizer.

How can we bring people together with love and consciousness to fight for our common good? When I look to the future of PPT, I want to see us keep building our base of organizers and activists. We are going to keep spreading our message across the city, state, and the entire country. We will remain on the cutting edge of activism for transit justice. 

Our movement isn’t about me or any individual person. It is about what we can all do when we work together. It is about building a better world out of the situation we are in today. Everything is about community.

List of 3-5 projects or campaigns that the nominee has been involved with related to PPT, transit justice, activism, and/or movement building:

• The very first campaign I was involved with was restoring transit service in Baldwin, circa 2014. It was such a great campaign because it showed how communities can come together to fight for each other’s needs.
• I was also involved in the fights for Act 89, rallies Downtown, and Squirrel Hill, circa 2011. We shut down Forbes Avenue and Murray Avenue. It was an example of how labor and organize together with communities to improve service and jobs.
• In 2020 and 2021 I helped my ATU brothers and sisters start and eventually win the right to wear Black Lives Matter masks on the job. We staged protests and brought the case to court. You can read more about the win here.
• I’ve also been involved with helping other unions in solidarity – I started the campaign for workers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to get a contract. Helped organize PPT members to picket in front of John Block’s house and at the Post Gazette. Met a ton of great people in this work.
• I also represent PPT on the PA Poor Peoples Campaign steering committee. I have traveled to DC, I don’t even remember how many times, to fight for the working class. I have been working to help people realize we’re all in this together and that we all have to work together to get what we need.

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All PPT members should read each bio and attend Wednesday’s Monthly Meeting to hear each nominee speak before submitting their vote. 

PPT Members can cast their ballots between July 13th and July 27th.

No Service, No Survival. Join or renew your PPT Membership today.

After a decade of transit rider organizing, PPT is winning campaigns and building the movement for transit justice – but we need you now more than ever.

People have always been on the front lines fighting for transit justice in Pittsburgh. Whether from disabled communities, from immigrant communities, or from poor, black and brown communities – our struggle has always been about one thing: access. Access to a seat on the bus. Access to a seat at the tables of power.

Our transit system has been the focus of our struggle because it ties us to everything – jobs, healthcare, education, housing, food, friends, family and all that makes us whole.

In 2012 those leaders who were leading these fights for transit justice came together to start Pittsburghers for Public Transit. And for the last 10 years, PPT has been a growing force.

PPT’s campaigns have improved our transit system. We have expanded service to new neighborhoods, won campaigns for fare affordability, and increased funding to keep our systems on track. But even more so, our campaigns have also stood up to corporate, political, and institutional power to assert the power and knowledge that’s within our communities. In the process, we have built relationships with thousands of people. These people have stepped up to help lead our organization and recruit the next advocate.

But for all that we’ve won, the pandemic has raised the stakes. The battle for transit is bigger and more important than ever.

“We’ve organized and built power, but our service is in danger. I had to travel 2 miles in my wheelchair because 2 buses didn’t show, and in June we’re facing more cuts – with 61 of our 101 routes changing.”

Karen Smith, PPT Member and Disability Justice Advocate

Transit is essential. The pandemic put that on display. Transit has gotten us to our jobs as healthcare workers, grocery store workers, and public servants. Transit allowed us to allow society to function.

But service is being cut back when people need it most. Fares are still the highest in the nation and there are no programs for low-income people. Our buses are regularly behind schedule. 

We’ve faced threats before – and we know the way that we win is through organizing and building power among everyday people. 

We can win this fight and you can help. Sign up to become a PPT Member or renew your PPT Membership today.

We welcome a new direction, so long as it is one that expands service, fare affordability, and accessibility for all.

Today the Port Authority unveiled the new name for the transit system that we ride every day: Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT). The website announces the change with a banner that reads, “New Name. New Direction.”. 

Transit riders would welcome a new direction. With the name change, we hope that the new street signage and bus branding will make the system more legible and simpler to navigate. We hope that the “regional” part of the PRT name might signal a move to a more coordinated fare payment and route planning system between our neighboring county transit agencies. 

But riders have reason to be skeptical. The last sentence of the announcement page reads, “But most importantly, this will not disrupt the services we provide or the fares charged for those services.” 

So we are left asking: “Isn’t the poor service that we’ve been experiencing and expensive fares that we’ve been paying precisely the things that need to be disrupted?”

Above all, riders want our transit agency to plan for more frequent and reliable service, taking more people to more destinations. We need service levels to be restored and expanded instead of confronting another round of service cuts in two weeks. Riders need fare payment to be more affordable because we continue to pay some of the highest transit fare costs in the entire country, without any fare relief programs available for low-income residents. 

Riders have organized, marched, and testified for the Port Authority to fulfill these baseline needs around service and fares for years. If a marketing campaign is what the agency needs to catalyze these improvements, then we will welcome it. Whether the name on the bus says “Port Authority” or “PRT”, riders will continue to push for a true new direction for our transit agency – one that is expanded, affordable, and accessible to all residents of Allegheny County.