Image of a yellow sign reading “Pittsburgh 100 Day Transit Platform” set against a bus shelter with a reflection of a transit rider waiting and a red PRT bus riding past. Image credit: Teireik Williams
When it Comes to Shared E-Scooters (and All Transportation Initiatives), Legislators Should Center Those With the Most at Stake
This week, as the PA Senate decided not to take up legislation that would extend and expand shared E-Scooter programs in Pennsylvania, they have effectively stopped the SPIN scooter pilot program here in Pittsburgh. Residents throughout Pittsburgh who are disabled, elderly, have real mobility needs, and are in search of real mobility solutions have long raised concerns about scooters and their prioritization in the City’s transportation policy and the unreliable, untransparent data around safety and environmental impact that the company was reporting to the City. It is good that the PA Senate heard these concerns, however, the end of this Scooter pilot is not a victory. The issues that we have uplifted throughout our campaign have not been won and we will continue organizing toward these goals because they are more pressing than ever.
So as legislators in the City of Pittsburgh and in Harrisburg continue to shape the future of our transportation system, Pittsburghers for Public Transit continues to advocate for the kinds of mobility priorities that will make equity and access a reality in our communities, all of which are at the heart of PPT’s Pittsburgh 100 Day Transit Platform:
Sidewalks are critical. Our sidewalks are the most important public right-of-ways for our most vulnerable community members, including for older adults, for parents pushing strollers, for people with disabilities, and for transit riders. Instead of policies that disinvest in public spaces and sell them off to private interests, our government agencies need to develop, maintain, and keep sidewalks clear of all obstacles. This includes shared e-scooters, car parking, sidewalk dining and construction equipment. For starters, if scooters were ever to work in a city, they must be parked in corrals and the company should be fined– not financially rewarded– for sidewalk parking violations.
People with disabilities, low-income residents, and residents in transit deserts should be at the table, making decisions around the mobility gaps that they experience the most acutely. These residents should not have to struggle to be heard once decisions have long been made on their behalf, policy decisions based on the dubious premise that the needs of the most vulnerable are being served even in their absence or against their objections.
Pennsylvania cities need to have transportation policies that support and center public, mass transit, which moves the lion’s share of our residents– hundreds of thousands of people each day – traveling outside of single-occupancy vehicles. The central transportation mandate of Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) should be to support the dignified and easy access of residents and visitors to quality public transit: through connected and clear sidewalks, bus shelters, bus priority lanes, and incentives that support affordable housing near our best transit assets.
image description: SPC’s graphic to promote the Long Range Transportation Plan
The Southwest Transportation Commission is revising its long-term transportation plan for the entire SWPA region. Public meeting is being held on 6/8. Deadline for public comment is 6/9.
Take a Look:
Big plans are in progress for public transit in Allegheny County (and the whole Southwest PA region including Beaver, Butler, Westmoreland County and 6 other regions)!
Who’s Doing the Planning:
The Southwest Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is a planning body for the 10 counties of Southwest PA, representing a region bigger than the state of New Jersey. The SPC applies for and receives a lot of federal and state funding for regional public transit projects, and they have a lot of planners on staff to help identify and design repairs and improvements to our transit systems.
Why are we talking about this now?
Well, every five years, the SPC updates its Long Range Transportation Plan. Right now, the SPC is asking for feedback on that draft plan, called SmartMoves for a Changing Region: Long Range Transportation Plan and Transportation Improvement Programs. For Allegheny County and Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT), this plan has some big visions including the busway extensions to the Mon Valley and Monroeville, an aerial gondola (!) running north and south connecting Allentown and communities south of the Yough to Hazelwood to Oakland and up to Lawrenceville. This plan also has some necessary big repairs and replacements, like replacing much of our rail car fleet and building a fifth bus garage, one that can allow for more buses and an electric fleet.
image description: event flyer for Public Meeting on June 8th
Public Meeting on Thursday, June 8th at 6:00 pm:
The SPC is holding their Allegheny County virtual public meeting to talk about the Long Range Transportation Plan and get public input. Register here to attend virtually at 6:00pm and make sure your priorities are heard!
The plan needs goals around improving service to actually connect communities. Here’s what we’re saying as advocates for better public transit:
For PPT, we felt that it was most important to call on the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission to include some plans and goals around restoring and expanding transit service in the long-range plan. The current plan draft doesn’t really mention growing service, which seems like a big oversight– transit riders have lost so much service frequency since the beginning of the pandemic (10% in Allegheny County of total operating service hours), with no plan for those transit service hours to be restored. That means that riders are left waiting at the stop for longer between buses or trolleys, and sometimes the service cuts have meant that transit stops earlier at night, leaving riders stranded after work or starts later in the day, leaving riders without options to get to work in the early morning.
The problem is, for PRT to restore and expand transit service, PRT needs to get serious about recruiting and retaining transit operators. With a beginning shortfall of more than 200 frontline transit workers, and not enough new employees being trained each quarter to replace the workers that are retiring or leaving, something drastic needs to change if we want the service trend to go in the right direction.
In PPT”s letter to the SPC for comments on the Long Range Transportation Plan, we put forward the following suggestions:
“In order to have an effective, connected regional transportation network, the restoration and the expansion of fixed route transit service across all ten counties must be a central focus. The SPC should be a leader in visioning what a frequent and reliable transit service network across our 10 county region would look like. Sister municipal planning organizations to the SPC like METRO in greater Portland, Oregon centered the need for expanded service frequency and affordable fares in their long-range plan, and the San Francisco area Metropolitan Transportation Commission explicitly named goals and the cost to reverse pandemic-related cuts to total transit service hours as well as the funding needed to expand local transit frequency and reliability.
At a minimum:
The SPC must measure and report upon total transit operating hours currently provided by each of the fixed route transit service providers in the region, compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels. The SPC should also assess transit service reliability for each of the fixed route transit providers, because poor reliability is often an indication of a mismatch between available labor and scheduled service hours, and can reveal deeper service cuts than what is visible on the published schedule.
The SPC should identify near and long-term goals for transit ridership growth across the 10 counties, and the transit service frequency increases that would be required to achieve that ridership growth.
The SPC should track and report the shortfall in transit operators and maintenance employees needed to provide pre-pandemic levels of service, and identify how many new frontline employees would be needed in each region to expand transit service frequency to meet near and long term goals.
The SPC’s long-range transportation plan should budget for the increase of transit workers (including the operating cost increases needed to support expanded recruitment and improve retention) to meet service restoration and expansion goals, and not merely identify what funding would be needed to maintain this diminished status quo.”
As one last note, we really wanted to celebrate that the plan calls for bus rapid transit from downtown Pittsburgh into the Mon Valley, and in the Eastern Suburbs out to Monroeville! These demands have been the focus of our Beyond the East Busway campaign, and they are next on the docket to be funded and implemented! PPT Organizing Fellows led a planning effort to survey hundreds of transit riders in those communities to identify what improvements transit riders needed to make buses and their streets safer, their buses faster and their trips more dignified…when we organize, we win!
Read the plan, and give your comments! There’s lot’s you can weigh in on. If you also want to weigh in about a need for service restoration and expansion, it’d be good to share how the transit service cuts have impacted you and your community, and how transit service expansion would benefit your life.
Thursday, June 8th at 6:00 pm, SPC Long Range Plan Public Meeting:
Below is PPT’s feedback letter to the Southwestern PA Commission on the 2023 SPC SmartMoves: Long Range Transportation Plan and Transportation Improvement Programs Draft
Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) is a grassroots union of transit riders and transit workers, organizing for a more expanded, affordable, equitable and accessible transit system in Allegheny County. Our region and our communities thrive with strong and stable investment into our public transit system. As such, we support the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission (SPC)’s Long Range Transportation Plan’s call to increase capital funding directed towards public transit capital needs like building a fifth bus garage, replacing the light rail fleet, and addressing PRT’s state of good repair needs. We support the need to expand local funding options to supplement state transit funding, and the holistic, equitable land use and TDM policies to make transit accessible to low income and other marginalized communities, and incentivize transit use over single occupancy vehicles.
We particularly applaud the progress towards the visionary public transit projects being planned: of the North-South connector spanning neighborhoods like Allentown, Hazelwood, Oakland and the Hill District, and the extension of dedicated BRT corridors to Monroeville and Mon Valley. The latter project has been a central goal of our organization over the last several years, stemming from an extensive PPT participatory planning effort with local leaders in the Eastern Suburbs and the Mon Valley to identify priority transit corridors and infrastructure needs that would best serve those communities.
However, while capital improvements and investments can make transit more accessible, safer and more efficient, there is a major omission in the current Long Range Transportation Plan draft.Over the last several years of the pandemic, communities across the 10 county SW-PA region have all been devastated by deep and lingering service cuts. In Allegheny County alone, total Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) revenue operating hours have been cut by at least 10%, through incremental reductions every quarterly service change over these last several years. For smaller transit agencies, service cuts can have an even more drastic impact with riders left stranded for hours. When transit service is reduced, so too is resident access to high paying jobs, healthcare networks, schools, childcare and community services. Without reliable, frequent transit service, our regional goals– for a robust economy, for clean air and lower congestion, for mobility for all– simply cannot be met, because electric buses that only run once an hour, or upgraded station areas that have limited transit service don’t actually meet resident needs.
And there is no end in sight for transit service reductions. At PRT, the transit operator shortfall is a primary catalyst for these cuts, and this is mirrored in counties across the SPC footprint. Allegheny County fixed route transit now has a deficit of over 200 frontline transit employees, and the labor crisis is growing every day because of worker attrition and the hundreds of frontline workers anticipated to hit retirement age this year and next year. At this point, PRT does not even have the capacity to train new employees quickly enough to just replace those that are outgoing each quarter, let alone to close the frontline worker gap. Without ambitious worker recruitment and retention plans, without dedicated operating funding for these purposes, and without a focus on transit operators and transit service restoration and expansion in the SPC Long- Range Plan, our communities will not thrive.
Fortunately, there is a blueprint for addressing the transit worker shortfall. TransitCenter, a national transit think tank and foundation, published a heavily-researched guide to addressing the labor shortfall entitled “Bus Operators in Crisis” last year with specific policy recommendations for transit agencies, municipalities, states and the federal government. More specifically for our region, the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85 President Ross Nicotero wrote an op-ed published in TRIBLive that offered a number of suggestions around hiring and retention that takes into account the experiences of the thousands of current and former operators that he represents. These recommendations could expand upon the Workforce for Change portion of the SPC long-range plan, to highlight the workforce needs to specifically provide the transit service quality our communities deserve. Transit operator jobs are the jobs of today and the future.
In order to have an effective, connected regional transportation network, the restoration and the expansion of fixed route transit service across all ten counties must be a central focus. The SPC should be a leader in visioning what a frequent and reliable transit service network across our 10 county region would look like. Sister municipal planning organizations to the SPC like METRO in greater Portland, Oregon centered the need for expanded service frequency and affordable fares in their long-range plan, and the San Francisco area Metropolitan Transportation Commission explicitly named goals and the cost to reverse pandemic-related cuts to total transit service hours as well as the funding needed to expand local transit frequency and reliability.
At a minimum:
The SPC must measure and report upon total transit operating hours currently provided by each of the fixed route transit service providers in the region, compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels. The SPC should also assess transit service reliability for each of the fixed route transit providers, because poor reliability is often an indication of a mismatch between available labor and scheduled service hours, and can reveal deeper service cuts than what is visible on the published schedule.
The SPC should identify near and long-term goals for transit ridership growth across the 10 counties, and the transit service frequency increases that would be required to achieve that ridership growth.
The SPC should track and report the shortfall in transit operators and maintenance employees needed to provide pre-pandemic levels of service, and identify how many new frontline employees would be needed in each region to expand transit service frequency to meet near and long term goals.
The SPC’s long-range transportation plan should budget for the increase of transit workers (including the operating cost increases needed to support expanded recruitment and improve retention) to meet service restoration and expansion goals, and not merely identify what funding would be needed to maintain this diminished status quo.
Without a long-term plan to restore service to pre-pandemic levels and both budget and plan for the expansion of service, it will be impossible to meet the mobility and climate goals of the long-range plan. If public transportation continues on the path of fewer operators, reduced service hours, and shrunken route coverage, local economies will continue to be left behind. We are hopeful that the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission can be a compelling force towards reversing this trend, by centering the need for restored and expanded transit service and a strong plan for transit operator hiring and retention in the 2023 SmartMoves: Long Range Transportation Plan.
Meet Nicole Gallagher! PPT’s newest staff member, and the organization’s second Community Organizer. In her own words, here’s the secret recipe:
Recipe for a PPT Organizer:
9 years labor organizer with Unite Here
20 years proud service industry worker
A dash of local, diy Pittsburgh organizing
Several ounces of personal and family history of riding public transit
A heavy pour of working class, immigrant family
Shaken not stirred.
There you have PPT’s newest community organizer, Nicole Gallagher! Her family roots and strong sense of right and wrong have made social justice work a pleasure through most of her adult life. At any meeting, you’ll hear her sharing tales from her union organizing experience at hotels in Chicago or the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh. When she’s not sharing about work, find her telling true stories at local storytelling events around the city or out hiking in the woods with her dogs.
Join us in welcoming the newest member of the PPT family, and join a PPT Committee to get more involved with our organizing
PPT is growing and so is our movement. This is big news for public transit organizing in Pittsburgh. Nicole has lived and organized in Pittsburgh for over a decade. She has worked on a spectrum of issues – from workers rights, to healthcare access, to sex-positive education. PPT couldn’t be more excited for her to bring that perspective into the organizing. Good things are to come.
After some good debate summer about the tradeoffs of creating a larger staff, the PPT Board decided to add a second Community Organizer and bring PPT’s paid staff up to four full-time members. This position double’s the organizign capacity at PPT, which allows us to further-develop existing PPT members as leaders and build stronger connections with new constituencies. The Board’s central goal with the new position is to build a stronger, more engaged grassroots base of leaders. Because we know this will translate to winning more campaigns for better public transit and more affordable housing access for Pittsburghers.
Learn a little more about Nicole by reading her bio and some interview answers below.
As a person raised in a working class, immigrant family in Chicago, public transit has been a vital part of Nicole Gallagher’s life from the get-go. She grew up hearing stories of how her grandmother learned to speak English on the bus and accompanied her mother on grocery runs, often helping with the arduous task of navigating a shopping cart full of groceries on the bus ride home. A proud waitress, Nicole spent nearly a decade organizing with the labor union, Unite Here. At any meeting, you’ll hear her sharing tales from her union organizing experience at hotels in Chicago or the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh. When she’s not sharing about work, find her telling true stories at local storytelling events around the city or out hiking in the woods with her dogs.
The PPT team is excited to have you on board! What drew you to the work that PPT is doing?
I have always been a fighter, drawn to standing up for what is right. Nothing is as powerful and beautiful to me as being a part of people taking control and changing their lives. I still get a rush when I think of some of the unionization actions I participated in at the Rivers Casino. Organizing is real magic to me. For years I had been hearing that PPT was doing really great organizing in Pittsburgh. I felt that if I were going to organize full time again, it had to be with the real deal and it had to be at the intersection of so many urgent issues in Pittsburgh, which is where PPT is at.
What’s your experience with Pittsburgh transit? What routes have you ridden during different parts of your life? How has the system changed for you?
When I first moved to Pittsburgh I started riding the 91, 88, 86 and 87 from my houses in Lawrenceville and later Bloomfield. When I worked at the casino, I used to love parking in their lot for free and riding the T into downtown. I’ve always preferred to bike when the weather is nice. Now that I live on the northside I ride the 6. My last job in the service industry demanded that I work late hours, so I started driving more because I was scared of getting stranded on the other side of town in the middle of the night. This has given me a real understanding of the cost of living off of a bus line that is not as accessible. I look forward to riding the bus more now with the perspective of someone who can help make a difference.
What work are you excited to do? What victories do you think you’ll help us win in the coming months?
I’m learning a lot about the service cuts and operator shortage since the pandemic. These issues feel very winnable to me! If there are resources for new infrastructure, there are resources to restore service and hire drivers.
What inspires you? What gives you energy that you want to share with others?
I am inspired by people’s stories, in particular those of overcoming struggle. I remember being 10 or 11 years old, watching a PBS documentary about the Civil Rights Movement and feeling in awe as I watched Dr. Martin Luther King lead a march. I vowed to myself right then that I would dedicate my life to serving others. I don’t think I really even understood what I was saying to myself, but through the years I have felt that grow inside of me and become a reality. People’s resilience AMAZES me everyday.
What is your favorite pump-up song?
I love music, so I’m gonna share a few of my favorite pump-up songs:
1. The Coup, Favorite Mutiny – used to listen to this song on my way to the casino to get myself in the mood when I was about to confront management.
2. Beyonce, Big Ego – I listen to this when I’m anxious and doubting myself. Nothing like a solo dance party to feel oneself.
3. Julie Andrews, My Favorite Things – I listened to this at the casino when I was faced with anti union coworkers who liked to angrily confront me. It reminded me that there was sweetness in the world. When I’m sad, it lifts my mood to remember how I got through those rough days.
Out with the bad, in with the good! As the brass band sings, join us to celebrate the burial of the Mon Oakland Connector and uplift a new vision of community-centered process to take its place – one that uplifts the power of Pittsburghers over products and corporate profits. Join residents of Four Mile Run, Hazelwood and Panther Hollow, along with Junction Coalition, Pittsburghers for Public Transit, P.O.O.R.L.A.W., GH-CARED, and Eagleburger Band, for a New Orleans-style brass band funeral parade followed by a good-’ol community potluck picnic.
This is a family friendly, pet friendly, bike friendly event. Attendees are encouraged (but not required!) to wear their Sunday best or any manner of colorful costumes to celebrate what neighbors can build when we work together.
The Parade:
Start at the Panther Hollow Parking lot and end at the playground in The Run. We recommend walking up from The Run to join us at the start, a 15-20 min walk at a leisurely pace. If you’d like to attend the picnic but not participate in the march you can meet at the playground in The Run at 1:45pm.
The Picnic/Potluck:
Attendees can bring a dish or something else or not. Some refreshments will be generously provided by Big Jims and Zano’s Pub House.
Transportation + Parking:
The 52L, 53L, 56, 58 stop is a 5 min walk to the playground in The Run. The start of the parade in Panther Hollow is a 15-20 min walk from there. Car parking is available in the lot at the soccer field next to the Junction Hollow trail. Bike parking available in the park.
Questions or access needs reach out to info@pittsburghforpublictransit.org
RSVP to join the funeral parade and birth day picnic!
Image Description: Graphic with two sides. Left side has a photo in color or Sara Innamorato. There are two boxes labled “#VoteTransit Q&A” and “Transit Ride-Along w PPT”. Both have checkmarks. On the right side there is a photo in black and wite of Joe Rockey. The same checkboxes are under his photo without a checkmark.
Transit riders are one set closer to deciding the next Allegheny County Executive – now more than ever we need to be vocal with our demands!
On May 16, Sara Innamorato won the Democratic nomination for Allegheny County Executive. Joe Rockey won the Republican nomination for the seat. Both will face off in the General Election on November 7, 2023. The Allegheny County Executive is the top-dog when it comes to public transit in Southwestern PA, so it is critical that transit rider get active in this election. The County Executive controls the majority of appointments to the Pittsburgh Regional Transit Board of Directors which control the transit agency’s $500+ million Operating Budget and $200+ million Capital Budget. Additionally, the County Executive controls board appointments and hundreds of millions of budget dollars at numerous County entities that directly impact the public transit system and its riders, such as the County Housing Authority, the County Department of Human Services, and the County Economic Development agency.
A permanent zero-fare program for all SNAP/EBT households has been a central demand from transit riders through this County Executive campaign. Now is your chance to help keep the momentum high by signing our petition and pledging to #VoteTransit in November to put a true champion for transit into our top office!
image description: Rep Sara Innamorato speaks to PPT Board Chair Verna Johnson during a March ’23 bus ride along on the 82 Lincoln
Sara Innamorato is the only candidate who rode the bus with PPT. And she was the only candidate to respond PPT’s #VoteTransit Candidate Questionnaire
The County Executive has the power to transform transit for local riders, so Pittsburghers for Public Transit has worked hard through the Allegheny County Primary Election season to advocate, educate and organize around the importance of public transit. We invited all candidates to ride the bus with us to see firsthand the issues as well as the demands that transit riders and workers have. We published our #VoteTransit Candidate Questionnaire to hear from candidates directly about their platforms. We’ve launched petitions and actions to allow riders to speak up for their issues.
Of the two partys’ current nominees, only Representative Sara Innamorato accepted our invitation to ride the bus with transit riders and workers, and she was the only one to submit her answers on the #VoteTransit Questionnaire. Joe Rockey was invited to both opportunities but declined response. We will continue to extend every invitation to him and seek his input on the future of transit.
image description: Sara Innamorato (left) listens intently to Ms. Sherai Richardson (right), who is a participant in the fare pilot, at the bus stop in Lincolm-Lemington on a cold afternoon. Ms. Verna Johnson (center) sits near the stop waiting for the bus as well.
Sara Innamorato rode the bus and committed to make a zero-fare program permanent for all low-income riders in Allegheny County – now we have to hold her to it. Sign the petition to strengthen the demand!
During the ride along, Sara Innamorato listened to Ms. Sherai Richardson, transit rider and participant in the Allegheny County Discounted Fare Pilot program. Ms. Richardson spoke about how this pilot has improved the lives of her neighbors. Over 14,000 people in Allegheny County are currently enrolled in the pilot. We know that unfortunately, the cost of transit fare remains a barrier to even more of our neighbors. PPT will continue to fight for affordable transit and a zero-fare program for low-income riders. Ms. Innamorato then boarded the 82 Lincoln with transit riders Ms. Teaira Collins and Ms. Verna Johnson, joined by PRT Operator Instructor Sasha Craig. Sasha Craig impressed the importance of the PRT workforce, scheduling constraints, and the urgent need to hire more operators to keep service running. Along the route, spanning from East Liberty to Downtown, Ms. Innamorato learned from riders how the impacts of reduced scheduling, aging sidewalk infrastructure, and connections to affordable housing and neighborhood amenities look vastly different along a route that spans multiple neighborhoods.
Sara made some other big commitments in ther #VoteTransit Candidate Questionnaire
In addition to the invitation for a ride-along, each candidate was sent a questionnaire highlighting rider and worker demands of the next county executive and asking candidates to detail their vision for transit in Allegheny County. Check out the #VoteTransit County Executive Candidate Q&A blog to find out all the candidates’ responses. In her questionnaire, Sara Innamorato stated that she plans to commit to:
Appoint at least one rider and one operator to the PRT board
Put a moratorium on service reductions and cuts
Create a permanent zero-fare program for all SNAP/EBT households in Allegheny County
Build more affordable, transit-oriented development
Work with Mayor Gainey and other local leaders to invest infrastructure dollars to improve transit, and pass pro-transit zoning reforms at the municipal level
Establish more communication between PRT and the community and transit advocates
Fully implement a bulk pass discount program to get large employers to pre-pay for transit passes for their employees
Seek “payments in lou of tax” agreements or additional taxes from large employers and non-profits
Create a new position at PRT focused on language accessibility and disability access
We await to hear from Joe Rockey on his position and priorities.
Transit riders made transit a top priority in this County Executive race. Now we need your help to keep our momentum going.
As the dust settles from this primary election, one thing is abundantly clear: transit riders made public transit a top priority in the County Executive race. We brought energy across every neighborhood and every borough, and have gotten a step closer to deciding how to make our system better serve those who need it most.
The only way we can push towards transit justice and gain the transit we need and deserve, is if we all do our part.
Can you help fuel a successful victory to the finish line of free transit, improved and accessible transit with no communities left behind? Donate to our transit rider organizing today!
Image Description: Graphic of the County Executive Candidates who all answered PPT’s #VoteTransit Candidate questionnaire overlaid on a PRT bus. Text reads. “Pledge to #VoteTransit May 16th”
Transit riders! Make the pledge to #VoteTransit this Election Day to put a County Executive in office who will do the most for transit riders and our transit system
Voters will roll to the polls to elect a new leader for the MOST POWERFUL REGIONAL OFFICE FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT, the Allegheny County Executive. The County Executive appoints a majority of PRT Board members, they control billions of public dollars, and set policy that can transform transit. Riders need to learn the public transit platforms that each candidate will bring to office and VOTE for the candidate who shares our vision.
Last month, PPT issued a #VoteTransit Questionnaire to each of the candidates for County Executive. We wanted to give the candidates an opportunity to lay out the priorities that they have for public transit, affordable housing, economic and environmental justice.
We also want riders to get familiar with these candidates and pledge to #VoteTransit for an Executive who will do the most for transit riders and our transit system.
Here’s a summary of what each candidate said in our #Vote Transit Candidate Questionnaire:
State Representative Sara Innamorato Democrat 37 Years Old
In PPT’s #VoteTransit Qestionnaire, Sara commits to use the office of Allegheny County Executive to:
🚌 Appoint at least one rider and one operator to the PRT board
🚌 Put a moratorium on service reductions and cuts
🚌 Create a permanent zero-fare program for all SNAP/EBT recipients
🚌 Build more affordable, transit-oriented development
🚌 Work with Mayor Gainey and other local leaders to invest infrastructure dollars to improve transit, and pass pro-transit zoning reforms at the municipal level
🚌 Establish more communication between PRT and the community and transit advocates
🚌 Fully implement a bulk pass discount program to get large employers to pre-pay for transit passes for their employees
🚌 Seek PILOT payments or additional taxes from large employers and non-profits
🚌 Create a new position at PRT focused on language accessibility and disability access
Michael Lamb Democrat 61 Years Old
In PPT’s #VoteTransit Questionnaire Michael commits to use the office of Allegheny County Executive to:
🚌 Turn the discount fair pilot program into a zero fare program for all SNAP/EBT households in Allegheny County.
🚌Increase transit-oriented development
🚌Support incentives and requirements to significantly increase affordable housing
🚌Ensure that PRT and county government regularly hear from transit riders and workers to keep county gov accountable
🚌Increase transit funding by leveraging state and federal funding, along with greater contributions from corporations and our largest employers
🚌Require corporations and our largest employers to pay their fair share and contribute to our communities.
🚌Ensure that no one in our communities is ever excluded because of a disability, a language barrier, or any other reason
John Weinstein Democrat 59 Years Old
In PPT’s #VoteTransit Questionnaire, John commits to use the office of Allegheny County Executive to:
🚌Engage at all local levels to determine local needs
🚌Utilize private-public partnerships to fund a permanent zero fare program for all SNAP/EBT households in Allegheny County
🚌Regularly hold listening sessions to dentify systemic problems and coverage gaps. Adapt as necessary
🚌Promote internal efficiencies
🚌Expand the fleet’s transition to electric buses
🚌Call for a funding increase from the Allegheny Regional Asset District.
🚌Promote inclusivity and welcome individuals of all backgrounds
David Fawcett Democrat 64 Years Old
In PPT’s #VoteTransit Questionnaire, Dave commits to use the office of Allegheny County Executive to:
🚌 Cut or eliminate fares for those under the median income level
🚌Address the issue of the ongoing shortage of operators
🚌Expand transit service in Allegheny County
🚌Encourage employers and non-profits to supplement or fully pay fares for their students, patients and employees
🚌Encourage the passage of local zoning ordinance changes to require affordable housing
🚌Require developers to build affordable housing if they receive any sort of public funding for their development
🚌Encourage PRT to investment in better facilities and stops near actual and potential affordable housing sites
🚌Appoint riders to the PRT Board
🚌Insist that PRT make changes in routes, facilities and programs as suggested by transit riders
🚌Appoint a member of the Board to represent the interests of the disability community and other minority populations.
Will Parker Democrat 40 Years Old
In PPT’s #VoteTransit Questionnaire, Will commits to use the office of Allegheny County Executive to:
🚌 Update the bus schedules to real times, delays, and potential road closures
🚌Work with developers and make sure affordable housing guidelines in place before any contracts are approved.
🚌Invest in new technology and add rating features on the bus for transit riders to give real-time feedback
🚌Increase funding for PRT by partnering with corporations, local businesses, and nonprofits
🚌Always consider both language barriers and disability barriers when making critical decisions around them
PPT did not receive answers from Joe Rockey or Theresa Colaizzi.
Make the #VoteTransit pledge to elect a County Executive who will make a permanent discount-fare program expanded to all low-income residents in Allegheny County, develop ample affordable housing near great transit, and increase funding to expand our service:
Image Description: PPT Member Lorena speaks at a PPT rally and release of our “Representing Our Routes” report in the Spring of 2023. She is flanked by an ASL interpreter and dozens of PPT members holding red and yellow signs.
Join the core team to coordinate the strategic direction of Pittsburghers for Public Transit. Nominations open until July 5th. Voting open from July 12th to 31st.
Pittsburghers for Public Transit is a grassroots union of transit riders, transit workers and neighbors. We fight for a public transit system that is expanded, reliable, accessible and affordable to all in Allegheny County, with no community left out. We operate as a truly member-led organization, and that sets us apart from other non-profits because it is our membership that actually elects our Board of Directors, develops and votes to approve our yearly campaign plan, and participates in our different committees to execute our successful campaigns.
Our organizational election season is a special time for PPT! We are looking for a new round of leaders who understand the importance of our work for transit justice in Allegheny County, and are looking to get more involved in directing the course of our campaigns, communications, and actions. Nominations are open until July 5th. The nomination of transit riders, transit workers, Youth, Black people, Indigenous people, People of Color, LGBTQ People, People with Disabilities, Immigrants, and Women are strongly encouraged.
Nominate yourself or someone who inspires you with their leadership, vision, and commitment to transit justice.
More about nominations and voting. 5 seats are open for PPT’s General Membership to run for. 1 seat is open for a PPT Member who is a unionized transit worker.
This year, the board decided to open 5 seats for General PPT Members to serve on the board. These people will be elected to the seats currently filled by Barb Warwick, Dean Mougianis, Nickole Nesby, Paul O’Hanlon, and Swetha Jasti. Then our bylaws require that an additional seat is open for election that is reserved for a union transit worker. This seat is currently being filled by Kevin Joa.
Nominations for these seats are open until Jul 5th. All current PPT Members are welcome to nominate themselves or another PPT Member. Outgoing board members are able to self-nominate or be nominated by another to serve another term.
PPT members are all those who support the Transit Bill of Rights, have participated in a PPT action or meeting, and have given dues of at least $2.75 cents within the last year (the cost of a single PRT fare).
PPT staff will confirm with each nominee whether they accept the nomination to be on the ballot. Each nominee will also be invited to submit up to 250 words about their background, experience, and vision for the organization. This can be submitted through the nomination form, email, or via phone and PPT staff will transcribe.
All nominee bios will be sent to PPT Members the second week of June and again the first week of July. Bios and photos will also be included in the ballot. Nominees will have 3 minutes to speak at the July PPT member meeting before votes are cast to highlight their vision for PPT and how their skills will help build the organization.
Voting in the 2023 Board of Directors election will open at PPT’s monthly meeting on July 12th, and run until the end of the month. PPT members cast their vote via an online form that will be shared at the July meeting and emailed, or by calling PPT’s Director.
PPT Board Structure and Expectations
Each July, PPT members vote for leaders to fill seats on PPT’s 5-15 member Board of Directors. Board Members serve a 2-year term. 2 seats must be filled by members of the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 85 (the union that represents all of the Port Authority’s bus operators and maintenance workers) or another transportation union that represents workers in Allegheny County because strong community/labor solidarity is a central belief of the organization. The other seats are filled by members who have had previous experience with PPT’s work, and are looking to bring their involvement to the next level.
Members of the Board are expected to attend quarterly Board meetings and should also stay engaged with General Membership Meetings on the second Wednesday of each month. Additionally, Coordinating Committee members will need to maintain active lines of communication with PPT staff and other PPT members to advise and assist with the organization’s strategy, tactics, structure, and financial sustainability. CC Members should also serve on one of PPT’s three committees (Organizing Committee, Communications Committee, and Research Committee).
An excerpt of Article IV of PPT’s bylaws with full detail of the expectations and powers of PPT’s board is included at the bottom of this blog.
2023 PPT Board of Director Election Schedule
Nominations are open until July 5thth.
Bios and photos of current nominees will be sent to members before the June PPT meeting and again the week before the July PPT meeting. Bios will also be included on the ballot.
July 12th, 7pm: PPT Monthly Meeting with Board Nominee introductions and Elections, voting opens
July 31st, 11:59pm: Final deadline for PPT members to submit their ballots online or via phone
Submit nominations through the link below, or by calling PPT’s Director, Laura Wiens, at 703-424-0854:
Excerpt from Article IV of PPT’s Bylaws explaining expectations and operations of our Board:
Article IV – Board of Directors
Section 1: Board Role, Size and Composition
The PPT Board of Directors shall hereinafter be referred to as the Board.
The Board is responsible for managing the business affairs, property, and policies of PPT. The Board shall be composed of five (5) to fifteen (15) members representing diverse interests and areas of expertise that strengthen the knowledge base of PPT. A minimum of two (2) seats will be reserved for members of the Amalgamated Transit Union or any union representing mass transportation workers in the Greater Pittsburgh Region. One of these reserved transportation union seats shall be elected in every second year. The Board shall have charge of the proper, normal, and usual expenditures and other business of the corporation; they shall enforce the provision of these bylaws; they shall abide by the policies and procedures set forth in the Policies and Procedures Manual, and shall enforce the rules and regulations set forth for the management, care, and governance of the property and affairs of the corporation. The Board may employ or appoint such person or persons, or agents, as they deem necessary to further the business of the corporation and shall set and adjust the compensation of all persons or agents so employed or appointed.
The Board will hire an Executive Director who may hire such paid staff as they deem proper and necessary for the operation of the Corporation. The powers and duties of the Executive Director shall be assigned or delegated by the Board of Directors. The powers and duties of the paid staff, other than the Executive Director, shall be as assigned or as delegated by the Executive Director and/or the Board of Directors, in accordance with PPT personnel policies.
Section 2. Qualifications for Board of Directors
Board members shall be elected from the eligible voting, dues-paying membership, and only dues-paying members are eligible to run in the elections. Candidates for the board must have been a dues-paying member for six (6) months prior to an election.
Section 3. Compensation
The Board of PPT shall serve without compensation. Board members may be reimbursed for pre-approved expenses reasonably incurred on behalf of PPT. Nothing in this paragraph is intended to preclude a Board member from receiving compensation for their service to PPT in some other capacity, provided that the transaction has been reviewed and approved by the Finance Committee in compliance with PPT’s conflict of interest policy.
Section 4. Recruitment and Elections
Nominations for new Board members will be made and publicized by the Board, Membership, and/or staff, at least two (2) months before the Membership meeting at which the election will take place. Elections for the Board shall take place every year, with five (5) seats elected in even years, and six (6) seats elected in odd years.
Elections shall be announced verbally at the two (2) immediately preceding membership meetings before the election.
Dues paying members in good standing are eligible to vote.
Bios and platforms of candidates shall be distributed by email to members one month in advance of the vote, and publicized on PPT’s website. Candidates will have three (3) minutes to address the general membership in advance of the election during the general membership meeting. Voting will be open for a minimum of one (1) week.
Section 5. Powers
The government of PPT, the direction of its work, and the control of its property shall be vested in the Board. The Board shall be authorized to adopt such rules and regulations as may be deemed advisable for the government of the Board, the proper conduct of business of PPT, and the guidance of all committees, officers, and employees. The Board shall be empowered to do whatever in its judgement may be calculated to increase efficiency and add to the usefulness of PPT; and to carry out the main purpose of this association provided such action is not in conflict with these bylaws.
Section 6. Limitations
PPT shall be non-partisan and non-sectarian in its activities.
Section 7. Term of office and Maximum number of terms
Directors shall be elected to a term of two (2) years. Board members shall serve a maximum of three (3) consecutive terms.
Section 8. Meeting Attendance Requirement
Board members must attend a minimum of three (3) out of the four (4) quarterly board meetings per year by phone or presence. Failure to fulfill minimum board obligations may be accepted by the board as a de facto or implicit resignation. The Board member will be informed before the publication of such de facto resignation to the members.
image description: graphic shows Allegheny County Department of Human Service’s new Discount Fare Pilot Program Data Dashboard displaying on a laptop.
Allegheny County’s new zero fare/discount fare pilot project is proving to be a massive benefit for families across the county
Last year, transit riders with PPT and allied organizations Just Harvest, the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council and UrbanKind Institute won a year-long low income transit fare pilot for 14,000 residents, funded and evaluated by the County Department of Human Services (DHS). In this program, a third of enrollees were given free fare cards, a third were given half fare cards, and a third were enrolled in a control group that received $10 on a Connect Card.
Enrollees in the program like Ms. Tameeka Jones-Cuff, who were provided free fares, show how removing barriers to transit access has been life-changing. PPT member Dean Mougianis interviewed Tameeka, and she shared that not worrying about transit fares has allowed her and her children to get caught up on needed doctor’s appointments and physical therapy:
New Pilot Program Dashboard gives new insights into program and impact on participants
The Allegheny County Dept. of Human Services has now also released aggregate data on people enrolled in its Discounted Fare Pilot Program through a public dashboard. The data show the extremely high demand for the program with nearly 16,000 applications across the county, and an acute need for a long-term program. The early data, along with participant testimonials, show that the program is reaching those in need and having transformative benefits.
Participants in the program are primarily heads of households with children, most of whom are sole providers. Many of the program participants are working or looking for work. PPT has long said that Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) has had a poor tax on riders through its cash fare costs– that is, that riders who pay for transit with cash are often very low-income and pay significantly more than other riders for transit.
Astonishingly, the majority of enrollees in the program paid for transit with cash in the week prior to joining the program, with the majority also spending more than $25 a week on transit, higher than the cost of a weekly bus pass.
There were 15,885 household applications, 9,574 of which were deemed eligible for the program. The high number of applicants shows the demand for the program. Over 80% of program participants don’t have access to a car.
Over 80% of program participants used public transportation to travel to work and to get around generally.
43% of the people in the program are working, most are working full time, and most are making about $15/hour.
A good number of participants (nearly 2,500) identified as unemployed and are presumably looking for work based on their answer selection; those searching for work spend about 3 hours a week in their search.
Children (6-17 of age) in the program represent the largest age group at 34%. This shows the pilot provides a benefit at a household level, addressing travel needs for families and caregivers.
72% of the adult enrollees are women.
We know this program needs to be expanded, with free fares extended to all SNAP households, permanently. That’s why we’ve made it a central demand in the County Executive primary election, held on Tuesday, May 16th. Check out the candidate responses to PPT’s transit questionnaire here, and vote!
Lastly, here’s a beautiful testimonial from Patrice Aaron about how the program has benefited her and her family, interviewed by PPT member Dean Mougianis:
image description: graphic has a clipart photo of a person with short hair holding a cellphone to their ear. There is a clipart speech-bubble pointed to them that if filled with photos of PRT buses. Text in the bottom right corner reads “Election Day is May 16th #VoteTransit”
Help transit riders get to the polls to vote in the most consequential election for our transit in the last decade!
Primary Election Day is fast approaching on May 16th and there is a lot at stake for public transit riders in the Allegheny County Executive race! The Allegheny County Executive has the most power of any local official when it comes to public transit. They control the majority of the appointments to the PRT board, they control billions of dollars that can expand the zero-fare transit program pilot, and they control a number of other departments and policies that can transform transit for riders.
Pittsburghers for Public Transit has spent the last few months getting to hear from the different County Executive candidates to learn about their transit priorities. 4 candidates joined us for bus ride-alongs to learn about the issues that transit riders are having. 5 candidates submitted responses to our Transit Justice Questionnaire with their transit platform. We promoted the information about the candidates’ transit plans to thousands of transit riders. We’ve canvassed at bus stops. We’ve sent mailers. We’ve held textbanks and phonebanks. And with just a few days left, we can’t stop now!
Help to bring this election home for the public transit we deserve! Volunteer with us to spread the word and make sure that riders #VoteTransit. We need to put the biggest transit champion in the Allegheny County Executive seat!
