Big service changes proposed for buses that go through Oakland, Uptown, and Downtown – Give your feedback today!

The changes that are being proposed as part of PRT’s new Bus Rapid Transit service plan will have major impacts on the 61D, 71A, 71C, 71D, P3. What PRT is calling “minor changes” will additionally impact the 28X, 54, 67, 69, 75, 81, 83, 93. See more information about these changes below and make sure to submit public comments to PRT before the public comment period closes on February 1st!

PRT’s Bus Rapid Transit project from Downtown to Oakland has been in the works for a long time. The agency has been looking at options to better connect Oakland and Downtown since the 90’s (and arguably even earlier). You can see some of that history and more info on the project in PRT’s Purpose and Need Statement Report or on PRT’s BRT webpage. All throughout this process, Riders have been advocating for better connections and improved public process. In 2018, PPT celebrated a major victory with residents of the Mon Valley who defeated a BRT service proposal that would have severely reduced service frequency, cut their direct transit connections to downtown AND forced them to pay a transfer. 

Now that PRT has their official public comment period open to give input on the changes, it’s time for riders to pay attention and speak up again. See our summery of changes below, and how to give feedback at the bottom of this blog.

Summary of the changes

As we said before, the BRT plan is making major changes to the 61D, 71A, 71C, 71D and P3. 

The same major change is essentially being proposed for the 61D, 71A, 71C, 71D: all of these routes will turn around in Oakland and no longer service downtown. These inbound routes will turn from Fifth ave onto Craft, then turn onto Forbes to continue their outbound trip. Here is a map of that routing from PRT’s website:

The 61A, 61B, 61C, and 71B will all still continue downtown and be able to use the BRT bus-only lanes, which will likely make those routes faster and more reliable.. 

The other major change is that the P3 will no longer serve Hamnet Station, Roslyn Station or Swissvale Station on the busway. Positive changes to the P3 are that it will continue into Downtown from Oakland, and that it will gain weekend hours, running 7:00am-11:00pm. 

There are also some minor proposals for changes being made to routes that service the Oakland, Uptown, and Downtown area, the 28X, 54, 67, 69, 75, 81, 83, 93. Most of them are small routing changes, but riders should read the details on PRT’s site to give comment.

See PRT’s project page for details on the BRT Service Plan.

Potential issues

There’s always potential for issues with any change. Changes that may be benefits for some may be barriers for others. The hope, as always, is that changes will be a net benefit to riders and the system. But here’s a summary of what we see and have heard about the biggest potential issues with the proposed changes:

• With the 61D, 71A, 71C, 71D ending in Oakland, riders will lose the direct connections to Downtown and Uptown. This includes Mercy Hospital, Duquesne University, and PPG Paints Arena – where thousands of people travel for jobs, healthcare and recreation everyday. Conversely, these changes will also mean Uptown residents will lose direct access via these routes to Shadyside Hospital, Hillman Cancer Center, Homewood and other points in the East End. So while riders will still be able to access these locations, a transfer will be required (which means the overall trip will take longer and people paying cash will need to pay an additional $2.75).

• The change to the P3 will likely be concerning for riders who live near Hamnet, Roslyn, or Swissvale Stations on the East Busway, and those who use either of the park and ride lots in this section. These people will lose their fastest direct connection to Oakland. Which again means riders will be forced to transfer to the P3 at Wilkinsburg Station or take the longer 61A or 61B routes to Oakland. Again, this means a longer trip for riders and another $2.75 for those paying cash. Moreover, if P3 service changes leave Wilkinsburg as the only East Busway Park and Ride for Oakland commuters, then this poses the potential for overcrowding at that lot AND directing more cars to park at Wilkinsburg station will mean that there will be less room for affordable housing during and small business space in that station’s redevelopment.

• Although BRT plan includes a reduction of stops along Fifth and Forbes in Oakland, Uptown and Downtown, there will be some serious improvements to the amenities included at the new stations – like new shelters, benches, ticket vending machines, real-time arrival, will be included at the new “stations”. Some good news is that during the January 10 info session on this BRT service plan, PRT said that there would not be any stop consolidation on BRT routes East of Oakland. PPT has long called for Pittsburgh Regional Transit to have a clear process for demonstrating the benefit of reducing bus stops, and evaluating whether that benefit justifies any hardship it causes to riders with low-mobility who may have a difficult time reaching a farther stop.  Riders should check out the BRT plans to see exactly which stops are being removed before giving comment. 

Give feedback

Any change to our transit service will have big impacts for riders, and we encourage folks to speak up to share their feedback with PRT before the change. If you have any issues that you want PPT’s help with, please send us an email at info@pittsburghforpublictransit.org.

PRT lists four ways that people can give feedback on this service plan:

1) Written comments submitted online at www.rideprt.org/brtcomments

2) Written comment sent by U.S. mail or hand delivery to:

Pittsburgh Regional Transit

Attn: BRT Service Changes

Heinz 57 Center, 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor

Pittsburgh PA 15222

3) Oral comment by calling 412-566-5335 and leaving a message on a recorded line

4) Pittsburgh Regional Transit will also hold 3 public hearings on Wednesday, January 18th to receive oral public comment regarding these proposed major service changes. The first is from 10am-noon and the second is from 2pm to 4pm. These can be attended in-person or virtually. The third hearing is from 6pm to 8pm and can only be attended virtually. Please register for a time to provide oral public comment by filling out the form on this page or by calling 412-442-2000.

A new video from PPT Board Member Dean Mougianis gives a look back at our organization’s history of winning campaigns.

2012 – PPT helped to win a more stable funding stream from our state

2013-2014 – PPT worked with neighbors and bus operators to win a series of campaigns that restored and expanded transit service into neighborhoods that need it.

2016-2017 – PPT organized with neighbors in the Mon Valley to overturn a decision that would have eliminated direct service into downtown PGH and forced a transfer.

2017 – PPT worked with riders and allies at Casa San Jose, the Alliance for Police Accountability to defeat a proposal that would have placed armed police on transit to check people’s fares.

2016 – 2022 – PPT organized with neighbors in Hazelwood, The Run, and surrounding communities to defeat a proposed shuttle roadway through Schenley Park that would have exclusively benefited CMU and the Hazelwood Green development site.

2018 – 2022 – PPT worked with hundreds of riders and allies to release the #FairFares platform that outlined steps necessary for more affordable fares at Port Authority. We launched the Fair Fares for a Full Recovery Coalition, issue reports and held rallies to speak to the importance of fare affordability. In the Fall of 2022 we won a major victory when Allegheny County announced they would start a Discounted Transit Fare Pilot program to test the impact of free and reduced fares for households with SNAP/EBT benefits. Our work continues as we organize to expand this program and make it permanent for all EBT/SNAP recipients in Allegheny County.

PPT is making headlines and making history. We are shifting the idea of is possible. We are winning more affordable and accessible transit. You can help us in this work by joining as a PPT Member today!

This Bus Is For All of Us! PPT Members celebrated our year in style.

After a long year of successful organizing and after 3 years of virtual gatherings, PPT Members were ready to have a good time at our Victory Party & Year-End Celebration last Friday!

We had a lot to celebrate! We won a major milestone during the fall when it was announced that Allegheny County would launch a Discount Transit Fares Pilot Program – and that 14,000 SNAP-EBT households in Allegheny County would be able to participate. It was such a big win, in fact, that it was awarded “Best Advocacy Campaign of the Year” by TransitCenter! (TransitCenter gave PPT a big red sash as an award, which brought on the party’s theme: pageant. So members wore fabulous outfits to celebrate). This summer we celebrated the adoption of our 100-Days Transit Platform into Mayor Gainey’s transition plan. And in the spring, had a massive victory on a years-long campaign to stop the Mon Oakland Connector and re-direct that funding towards affordable housing and traffic calming.

We also celebrated the launch of a new-and-improved PPT Membership Program – and we’re up to 250 active members who are participating in our organizing.

These victories are only won when we have folks invested in this movement. Become a PPT member today and join our fight for transportation that all can access.

“I am fighting for my friends, my children, my neighbors, I am fighting for all of y’all!” – Ms. Teaira Collins, PPT Member

We really are fighting for every community to have better access to the things we need to thrive.

We want to send some big love and thanks to all of the PPT Members who joined and made our celebration so beautiful. Special shoutout to everyone who gave speeches at the party: Ricardo and Lorena for their bi-lingual opening remarks about the importance of transit to Allegheny County’s immigrant communities, to Barb for talking about how the Mon Oakland Connector’s community organizing led to her winning a PGH City Council seat, to Teaira for sharing about what fueled her fight to win the Discount Transit Fare Pilot Program, and to Dean for putting together an INCREDIBLE video on some of PPT’s history.

Thanks to all the members who took on different jobs to pull off the evening: Mona, Andrew, Verna, Cheyenne, Tracy, Bonnie, Jess, Mayor Nesby, and others.

Thanks for PRT Bus Operator Khristian Sheard for providing the catering (you can book her by sending an email or Facebook Message) and to DJ Frank Nitte for spinning A+ tunes all night (send DJ Frank an email djfranknitte412@gmail.com or check out his facebook to book him).

AND OF COURSE, HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS! See the full album here on Flickr.

image description: below are 50 photos from PPT’s Victory Party & Year-End Celebration. There are lots of people in these shots. Photos of colorful food. Colorful outfits. Many smiles. Dancing. Wonderful transit-themed artwork. Feather boas, and crowns. A sash that says “Frequency Award”, delicious food, balloons, shiny tinsel wall decorations, and all-round fun times with loving community.

This Bus is for All of Us! Join as a PPT Member to make it real:

PPT is successful because we organize with love. We organize as a family. Be a new member of our family, and join as a PPT Member today!

PPT wins “Best Advocacy Campaign of the Year” in TransitCenter’s 2022 Frequency Awards

TransitCenter is a national foundation that works to improve public transit. Its annual “Frequencies” Awards recognize outstanding work by transit agencies, workers, and organizers to improve transit service. This year, Pittsburghers for Public Transit was awarded with the Frequency Award for “Best Advocacy Campaign,” around the low-income transit fare pilot program win. In today’s announcement of the award, TransitCenter said,

“this pilot program is a visionary way to reduce bureaucratic obstacles for accessing transit benefits, one which could become a model for the rest of the country.”

– TransitCenter

Celebrate this win with us on Friday 12/16 at our Year-End Victory Party!

Since 2018, transit riders have called for free and reduced fares in Allegheny County, and have led a countywide “Fair Fares” coalition alongside the food justice organizations Just Harvest and the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council to elevate this demand. The campaign for affordable fares included years of public testimony by riders around the need, rallies, research, petitions and more. This year, riders won a huge victory with the announcement of a year-long transit fare pilot, funded and evaluated by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS), which is providing free and half fares to 14,000 households who are eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Access Program (SNAP). The pilot will assess the viability of a permanent zero fare program for low-income transit riders, and the impact of providing the freedom to move on health outcomes, employment, food access, childcare access and other critical needs.

“We are honored by TransitCenter’s recognition of years of transit rider organizing to achieve transit justice, by lowering the cost barriers to access,”

– Laura Chu Wiens, Executive Director of Pittsburghers for Public Transit.

This low-income fare pilot in Allegheny County has national implications.

The Low Income Fare Pilot is a study with an eye toward policy and long-term implementation, not just research outcomes. Affordable public transit improves public health, and this pilot evaluates the ways in which transportation cost barriers are a root cause around issues of housing insecurity, underemployment and unemployment, food insecurity and health care underutilization. Using SNAP eligibility to qualify people for this program does away with onerous means-testing that has plagued the rollout of low-income fare programs across the country. And the piloting of zero fares– not merely reduced fares– keeps riders from having to ration their trips to fulfill basic needs.

PPT is optimistic that the outcomes of this pilot will demonstrate the value of a zero fare system for all SNAP households in Allegheny County, and provide an effective human services-based model for public transit funding for other cities to emulate.

PPT campaign and members are profiled in Scripps news network story sent to news stations in 60 cities across the US.

Millions of people across the country are learning about PPT’s winning campaign for a Discount Transit Fare Program in Allegheny County thanks to a new report from Jessie Cohen, a national news reporter for the E. W. Scripps Company which owns more than 60 TV news stations in the US – including cities like Denver, Las Vegas, San Diego, Southern Florida, Central Texas, North Carolina, and Montana.

The new report centers around Allegheny County’s new Discount Transit Fares Pilot Program that launched this fall. It includes PPT Member, Teaira Collins, and PPT Director, Laura Wiens, who speak about the campaign for more affordable fares that riders have been organizing for years. People can learn about the program and apply to be a part of it here.

It is exciting that reporter Jessie Cohen learned about the program by reading PPT’s website. She recognized that it is a story with national significance as cities such as Washington DC, Boston, LA and Kansas City move to provide free public transportation to its citizens. We hope that sharing our story with millions of viewers in cities across the country builds the momentum to make transportation more affordable and accessible for all people.

See the story here and read it below:

Cities test out free and low cost public transportation

by Jessie Cohen

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania — From point A to point B, public transit connects people to their communities. Some people, like Teaira Collins, know what it feels like for those rides to be a lifeline.

“Currently I am right above low income but not too long ago I was low income,” Collins said. “2015 I had back surgery, 2016 I had double back surgery, so I went from making $40,000 a year to making zero.”

Regardless of her own needs, she finds herself out in the community advocating for others. Collins shares a story about a mother whose life just drastically changed.

“She’s able to take her kids to the doctors, she’s able to take her kids to a basketball game or to the park to play, and now have to worry about how to get there,” Collins said.

That’s because Allegheny County, where Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is located, just embarked on a new pilot program that is providing low or no cost public transportation to low income families who are currently SNAP recipients. Those who get accepted into the pilot, will be divided into three different groups; free fares, half-price and full price. After about three months, information from the pilot will be sent to researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and Harvard University to analyze data. They will look at where and how people traveled.

[Continued…]

read the rest here

RSVP below and reach out to PPT if you have any questions or accessibility needs, 551-206-3320 or info@pittsburghforpublictransit.org.

La invitación en español está abajo

The theme for our party is “pagent” so where whatever makes you feel fabulous!

Celebrate the major win on our campaign for more affordable transit fares and a year of successful organizing.

Join PPT to celebrate all that we can make possible when we organize together as transit riders, transit workers, and neighbors. Our Victory Party will uplift the major milestone that we achieved this Fall on our campaign for more affordable fares at PRT. The campaign even won Best Advocacy Campaign of the Year in TransitCenter’s Frequency Awards! After years of organizing by hundreds of transit riders, Allegheny County announced in September that it would begin a Discount Transit Fare Pilot Program open to all EBT/SNAP recipients in the county. We’ll recap the highlights of this campaign and hear from members that were involved throughout the years.

PPT also has a lot more to celebrate from 2022! For starters, it was the first year that the organization stood on its own two feet as an independent 501c3 organization – that’s a big step! Last spring we won another years-long campaign when the newly-elected Mayor Gainey made good on his campaign promise and canceled the Mon Oakland Connector Shuttle Road through Schenley park – and we successfully redirected this money to traffic-calming projects and affordable housing. In the summer, we kicked off a new membership program and we now have 250 people involved as active dues-paying members in the organization! We also spent the year working with a Disability Justice cohort to improve our accessibility practices and involve more people in our organizing across abilities and languages.

PPT Campaign Victory Party & Year-End Celebration
December 16th, 7pm-11pm
Irma Freeman Center for the Imagination
5006 Penn Ave

What to expect: The celebration will be one to remember! The theme is “pagent” so think streamers, tinsel, and balloons, and wear whatever makes you feel fabulous! We’ll be inside at the Irma Freeman Center for the Imagination (5006 Penn Ave) from 7pm-11pm. There will be a full dinner served free to all people who RSVP. Music will be provided by our friend DJ Frank and dancing will certainly happen. PPT members will host transit-themed games. And PPT members from different campaigns will talk about what it takes to win and what it means for their families and our communities. Attendees do not feel obligated to attend the entire event, so feel free to arrive and leave at whatever times work best for you.

Accessibility: The Irma Freeman Center for the Imagination is an accessible space. There is a ramp into the building from the sidewalk and there is an accessible bathroom. The space has an upper and a lower area that are very close together and connected by a ramp. You enter the space into the upper area where attendees can mingle and play games. The lighting will be good and consistent in this room throughout the night. The lower area will have music, dancing, speeches, and food. Lighting may be turned down for dancing and speeches. There will be interpretation in both ASL and Spanish.

Getting there: The Irma Freeman is a storefront at 5006 Penn Ave. There is a ramp into the space. The closest bus stop is at Winebiddle and Penn Ave, a 1-minute walk away, and is serviced by the 88. The 87 and 64 both stop on Friendship Ave, a 5-6 minute walk away. The 86 and 64 both have stops on Liberty Ave, which is a 10-minute walk to the venue. There is bike parking and car parking on Penn Ave.  If any of these transportation modes are cost-prohibitive for you, contact PPT to discuss options, 551-206-3320 or info@pittsburghforpublictransit.org.

COVID procedures: Masks are encouraged indoors. We also encourage everyone to take an at-home COVID rapid test before arriving. Please stay home if you are feeling sick or have come into contact with someone who has COVID-19. There is outdoor space available on the sidewalk in front of the building and through an exit at the rear of the building.

FACEBOOK EVENT HERE + SPANISH/ENGLISH FLYER BELOW
EVENTO DE FACEBOOK AQUÍ + FOLLETO EN ESPAÑOL/INGLÉS ABAJO

Its the most wonderful time of the year! Volunteer for one of PPT’s year-end phone banks to help us connect with members.

Every year PPT volunteers make hundreds of phone calls to connect to members. We talk about people’s experiences on transit throughout the year; we invite them to our year-end celebration; and we ask them for their continued support of our work. This year, we’re also going to talk to members about our new strategic plan, get their feedback, and invite them to vote to approve it. These conversations with members are important to our organizing, and you can help PPT strengthen our work by volunteering below.

Our phonebanks are virtual events. When people sign up below you’ll receive a confirmation email with a link to a zoom meeting room. Join us in that room at the event time or call in on the phone number and we can orient the groups on how we make calls using the callhub.io platform. Having a phone and another device that can connect to the internet makes these calls fastest, but if you just have a phone connection you can still help make calls!

Reach out to PPT Communications Director, Dan, with questions or accommodation needs: 551-206-3320, or dan@pittsburghforpublictransit.org

The schedule for our phone banks is below. Use the form at the bottom of the blog to sign up!

• Thursday, December 1, 4pm to 6pm
• Monday, December 5, 5pm to 7pm
• Thursday, December 8, 4pm to 6pm
• Saturday, December 10, 12pm-2pm
• Monday, December 12, 5pm-7pm
• Wednesday, December 14, 5:30pm-7:30pm
• Tuesday, December 20, 5:30pm-7:30pm
• Monday, December 26, 3pm-5pm
• Wednesday, December 28, 5:30pm-7:30pm
• Saturday, December 31, 12pm-2pm

Sign up below

“¡Logros como este solo suceden cuando alzamos la voz juntos!” [Victories like this only happen when we raise our voices together!] – Delmis Cabrera, PPT Member

Su membresía o donación de PPT ayudará a nuestra defensa con vecinos como Delmis para construir un sistema equitativo para todos.

Your PPT membership or donation will help our advocacy with neighbors like Delmis to build an equitable transit system for all.

Querido amigo de PPT,

Mi vida sería imposible sin el transporte público.

Mi nombre es Delmis Cabrera y no les mentiré: mudarme a Pittsburgh desde Honduras no ha sido fácil. Mi familia y yo debemos desplazarnos para llegar al trabajo, la escuela, las visitas al médico, las citas de inmigración y las compras de comestibles – todo sin un automóvil y con recursos limitados.

El precio de todo ha subido, pero nuestros salarios no. Mis amigos de Casa San José me presentaron al PPT y a la campaña para obtener tarifas con descuento para familias que reciben beneficios de SNAP/EBT. Inmediatamente me involucré porque un programa como este le permitiría a mi familia traer más comida a nuestro hogar. Sería transformador para nuestras comunidades.

Después de años de organización, el Condado de Allegheny finalmente está lanzando un programa piloto para tarifas con descuento, y debido a que inmigrantes como yo participamos en la campaña, este beneficio también estará disponible para familias como la mía en todo el condado.

¡Ahora necesitamos hacer que este piloto sea permanente y disponible a todos – pero logros como este solo suceden cuando alzamos la voz juntos! Así que únete a nosotros en la construcción de nuestro movimiento aliándote al PPT como miembro hoy.

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My life would be impossible without public transit. 

My name is Delmis Cabrera and I won’t lie to you: it hasn’t been easy moving to Pittsburgh from Honduras. My family and I need to navigate getting to work, school, visits to the doctor, immigration appointments and grocery shopping – all without a car, and with limited resources.

The price for everything is gone up, but our wages haven’t. My friends at Casa San José introduced me to PPT and the campaign to win discounted fares for families that receive SNAP/EBT benefits. I immediately got involved because a program like this would let my family bring more food to our home. It would be transformational for our communities.

After years of organizing, Allegheny County is finally launching a pilot program for discounted fares – and because immigrants like me were involved in the advocacy, this fare relief will also be available for families like mine across the county. 

Now we need to make this pilot permanent and available to all – but victories like this only happen when we raise our voices together! Join us in building our movement by becoming a PPT as a member today.

Con Poder,

Delmis Y. Cabrera

¡Únase como miembro de PPT hoy y ayude a apoyar a Delmis y PPT mientras nos organizamos para lograr un sistema de tránsito más equitativo y ampliado para todos!
Join as a PPT Member today help support Delmis and PPT as we organize for a more equitable and expanded transit system for all!

Very big, very good news! The application is live for the Allegheny Department of Human Services’ new Discount Fare Program.

On November 17, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services launched the application for the new Discount Fares Pilot Program. Now, any person receiving EBT/SNAP benefits in September 2022 (or are the parent of a child who was) can apply to participate in the pilot program before the end of the year. The pilot program has space for 14,000 people to participate, but spots are going to go quickly so folks should apply ASAP. 

Who qualifies for the Allegheny County Discounted Fares Pilot Program?

Eligible participants:

• Currently reside in Allegheny County Were receiving SNAP benefits in September 2022 or are the parent of a child who was
• Are between the ages of 18 and 64 or are 65+ and have household members below age 65
• Do not have another household member ages 18 through 64 who is already participating in this pilot

Why is it a pilot rather than a permanent program?

A pilot program is a trial run. Participant experience in this pilot will influence the design of the permanent program. The Allegheny County Dept. of Human Services will use this pilot to understand how local residents may benefit from making public transit more affordable. It will measure the impact on ridership and whether lower fares increase access to jobs, services, and other things residents need.

How does the pilot work?

Participation in the pilot is voluntary but includes agreeing to share info about your household and transit use. All participants will have the opportunity to receive additional compensation for participating in occasional surveys. Eligible participants will be randomly put in one of 3 groups:

1. Free fares: This group will receive unlimited free fares on all PRT trips for 12 months.
2. 50% discount: This group will receive a ConnectCard that reduces the cost of all PRT trips by half for 12 months, and is pre-loaded with $10.
3. No discount: This group will receive a ConnectCard pre-loaded with $10 but will not receive a fare discount.

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There are lots of ways that you can help ensure this pilot is a success

1. Help spread the word about the program!

You spread the word by sharing this blog and this poster with friends, family, and social media. You can also share the poster and website with any organizations you work with or belong to.

2. Let PPT know if you applied to the program and share any feedback you have about the website, application, or process.

There are still some bugs with the website and the application, so please if you apply or if you know anyone else who is applying please fill out this form to let us know if you’re participating and what issues you’re finding (or contact a PPT staffer directly). We’ll communicate them to DHS, but you should also reach out to Allegheny-Discounted-Fares@alleghenycounty.us

3. Sign your organization up as an enrollment support site with the Department of Human Services.

The Department of Human Services is going to rely on a big network of organizations across the county to help people enroll in the new discount fare pilot program. Your organization can sign up as one of these sites on the Department’s website today.

It cannot be overstated: this pilot is only happening because we all spoke up. All people deserve the freedom to move. This is an amazing milestone that we need to celebrate. But the work is not done. We need to continue getting organized and advocate for an expanded free fare program for all in Allegheny County. 

News Reports on the Pilot Program Launch:

• Hannah Wyman’s report for the Pittsburgh Union Progress, “COUNTY LAUNCHES LOW-FARE TRANSIT PILOT PROGRAM: ‘ONE OF THESE MAGIC MOMENTS’” (The Pittsburgh Union Progress is the paper being published by the unionized reporters of the Post-Gazette while they strike to end their labor dispute with the paper’s management. PPT urges people to support these reporters by subscribing to their newsletter and donating to their strike fund today.)
• From scabs at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “Pilot transit fare discounts begin for low-income riders in Allegheny County”
• Margaret J Krauss’ report for WESA: “Allegheny County will allow some people to ride public transit for free as part of pilot study“
• Talia Kirkland’s report for WPXI: “New pilot program to offer free, discounted public transit fares to qualifying SNAP families“
• Allen Warren’s report for WTAE: “Allegheny County begins discounted-fares pilot program for eligible riders“

Transit riders spent years advocating for more affordable fares in Allegheny County and we won. On November 17th, our County’s first discount fares program will go live, but community organizing is needed now more than ever.

For more than two and a half years, Pittsburghers for Public Transit has been advocating with transit riders and our partners for a discount fare program in Allegheny County. After dozens of rallies, public testimonies, media stories, reports and public meetings, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services announced in late September that a first-of-its-kind Discount Fares pilot program would launch for EBT/SNAP recipients on November 17th.

Now is the moment. This program will not be a success if we don’t connect with riders to get them onboarded into the program and into our organizing.

You can help ensure this program is a success by canvassing riders on November 17th and 18th. Volutneer below!

We will be canvassing downtown to talk to transit riders at bus stops on November 17th and 18th during the mid-day rush. Our goal is to directly sign them up for the County’s new Discounted Fares program as well as spread the word about the program. Volunteers should be ready to use their smartphones to sign people up directly, but if you don’t have a smartphone or data we could still use your help! Sign up below and if you have any questions about the canvass or if you have any accessibility needs, reach out to Dan at 551-206-3320.