New Infrastructure Bill will bring historic levels of funding to Port Authority for capital projects – but it will also mean historic levels of highway funding too… We need the Senate to pass the Build Back Better act for climate justice now.

For the last two years, PPT members have been calling for the federal government to step up their support for transit. We held a 300+ rider statewide town hall with Senator Bob Casey, a letter campaign demanding federal funding for transit operations, we published a report of what federal funding for transit service would do to expand job access for residents of Northview Heights and Braddock, we met with Secretary of Transportation Buttigieg himself to make the case (!) and we held a rally in front of Representative Lamb’s office; it’s no exaggeration to say that transit riders have been at the forefront of a movement for a federal infrastructure bill that meets our community’s needs and tackles the climate crisis. 

President Biden and Congress recently passed a massive infrastructure bill. For the tens of millions of people who depend on public transit every day, this new law is an important victory, and will be a historic investment in public transit. But our work is not done. Transit riders will continue to organize and demand the Build Back Better Act to ensure that federal funding is made available for transit operating needs like service expansion in underserved communities and fare reductions, and not just for capital expenses.

Specifically, the funding in the Build Back Better and infrastructure bills will allow communities like Allegheny County to:

●      Improve operations to ensure that buses and trains run frequently and reliably 

●      Help connect more lower-income residents to safe and reliable public transit options

●      Purchase new buses, trains, and streetcars, and repair or replace ones that are out of service

●      Improve public transit accessibility for seniors and persons with mobility impairments

●      Expand transit options in rural and Tribal communities 

●      Invest in transportation solutions that reduce air pollution and help address the climate crisis

On November 17th, PPT Board Treasurer Mayor Nikole Nesby spoke at a press conference with County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and PA Sen Lindsey Williams laying out how the Federal Infrastructure Bill could provide funding to transform transit in the Mon Valley, and why we still need more.

Read her comments and see the press footage below:

“My name is Mayor Nickole Nesby and I am the Mayor of the mighty city of Duquesne, Pennsylvania. I am here today to celebrate the passage of the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act because of the potential that it has for my community. 

When I say the mighty city of Duquesne, I mean it, because for years our city has been passed over, disinvested, and left to fend for itself. We had to organize our own plans for how to improve our access to public transit, how to clean up our water, how to get internet access to kids who needed it to finish their homework. 

Let me tell you about our campaign to expand the East Busway into the Mon Valley & bring the benefits of affordable, rapid, public transportation to the residents of Duquesne. See, communities like mine don’t often get transportation plans made to improve them. In fact, in 2016, when the Port Authority started the Downtown to Oakland Bus Rapid Transit planning process, they included a proposal to cut our lifeline bus service in half, with increased transfers and costs. In a community like Duquesne, where 76.6% of the residents live below the poverty line, where unemployment is over 40%, that was unacceptable. But we the residents of the Mon Valley didn’t mourn, we organized. We protested and we spoke up and we stopped those service cuts. But our work didn’t stop there because just maintaining the status quo isn’t much of a win. Residents of Duquesne deserve more investment into quality transit. We put out the Riders Vision for Public Transit, and called for an expansion of the East Busway into Duquesne and beyond, allowing rapid access for our residents to job centers and healthcare and education hubs. Duquesne community leaders like Ms. Debra Green and Linda Warman went out and surveyed hundreds of transit riders in the on Valley to figure out the best alignment for this transit and the key destinations that our people need to get to. And now we’re bringing OUR PLANS from the small but mighty city of Duquesne, PA all the way up to Capitol Hill.  

Now, the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act will be a historic investment to face the historic proportions of the issues we face. $39 billion for public transit. $55 billion for water & lead line replacement. $65 billion for broadband internet access. These resources can be life-changing, if they’re paired with the efforts and vision of residents like Ms. Debra Green and Linda Warman. 

There’s no shortage of work to do. We still have mothers pushing strollers and dodging cars on the street because there’s not been money for safe and accessible sidewalks in Duquesne. We’ve got a serious lead problem with our water, and many folks don’t have the resources to pay for that water, toxic as it is. And there are many families that don’t have access to broadband in their homes, and this past year of remote schooling has left too many of our kids behind. 

The federal infrastructure bill has the power to change this. We know now that the funds are available, that our visions, that our demands for mighty cities all across the United States like Duquesne can be realized with real dollars. 

It’s so important to celebrate our wins. It’s a damn good first step. But we ALSO need the passage of the Build Back Better Act still in Congress to make this transformation complete. Investing in early childhood education, in paid sick leave, in transit OPERATIONS FUNDING, so that we don’t get left with great transit infrastructure but no bus service. 

Let’s get to work. We know what we’ve got to do here in Duquesne– we’ve been doing it for years. We know that our residents that are experiencing these hardships are the best ones to design the solutions that should be funded. 

To our elected leaders on Capitol Hill: thank you for this important infrastructure bill. It means a lot. We’ve been where you are, where we could’ve stopped just shy of the finish line– organizing just to stay afloat, to prevent the harm from expanding. But you’re mighty, just like we are. So let’s finish the job. Pass Build Back Better too, and you’ll have moved from passing what was necessary to doing something that will be truly transformative. 

Thank you.”

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See the reporting on WPXI, featuring Mayor Nickole Nesby’s comments here: Allegheny County Leaders Detail How Infrastructure Bill Will Impact You 

Four times every year, the Port Authority adjusts its transit schedules and routes to account for construction, road closures, rider’s requests, ridership shifts, and/or all of the other unexpected changes that might affect Pittsburgh roads. These quarterly adjustments were dialed back because of the pandemic, but they seem to be back on track now that ridership is increasing.

Since 2019, PPT and the @PGH_Bus_Info Hotline have been publishing these blogs to spread the word about these changes and say what they mean for riders. Some quarters bring great changes (like Q4 2020 where we won weekend service on 95% of Local routes) some quarters are lackluster.

About the @PGH_Bus_Info Hotline

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.

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See the Q3 and Q4 changes and what they mean for riders

This italicized text below each change are comments from the @PGH_Bus_Info Hotline. We’re playing some cat-up, so this blog is a two-for-one. It covers the Q3 changes that were made back in September and the Q4 changes that were made on the 21st of November. You can check Port Authority’s website to follow these quarterly service changes. 

Q3 Service Changes: These changes are effective Tuesday, September 7, 2021.

O1-Ross Flyer – Schedules have been adjusted and some trip times have changed. Trips have been added, with service increasing to 15-minute frequency during morning and afternoon peak service hours and 20-minute frequency during off-peak hours.

These are positive changes. More frequency is great. But this is a Flyer route that on runs between 6-8am in the morning and 3-6pm in the evening. This means commuting patterns are returning to a pre-pandemic level. However, we would love to see an increased service span as a higher priority in coming changes. This is a great route that would service many of these north hills communities if it were to roll more frequently.

Red Line – Two-car trains will operate during weekday morning and afternoon peak service hours. Service will continue to follow current schedules (last updated 11/22/2020).

Blue Line – Two-car trains will operate during weekday morning and afternoon peak service hours. Service will continue to follow current schedules (last updated 11/22/2020).

Both of these were positive changes when they made them, but the decision was reversed mid-way through the quarter citing cost efficiencies, low ridership, etc. We need need a proactive strategy for bringing ridership back and increased capacity will play a big part in that. And its needed! As riders who’ve have been taking to twitter will gladly tell you: this car is geting crowded during the AM and PM commute.

Current overhead infrastructure along the Silver Line-Library prevents the addition of two-car trains to Silver Line service. Work to improve this infrastructure is expected to begin in mid-2022. 

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Q4 Service Changes: These changes are effective Sunday, November 21, 2021.

2-Mount Royal – Detour routing at The Block Northway that first began in March, 2021, due to the closure of the access road between the upper mall parking lot and Browns Lane will become permanent. See below for stop details. Trip times will not change and riders should continue to reference current schedules. 

This is a very good change for people going to the mall or the shopping center on the perimeter of the mall. 

12-McKnight – Detour routing at The Block Northway that first began in March, 2021, due to the closure of the access road between the upper mall parking lot and Browns Lane will become permanent. See below for stop details. Trip times will not change and riders should continue to reference current schedules. 

Similar to the 2, this is  great change that adds more access to jobs and shopping at these malls. 

The following stops will be discontinued effective Sunday, November 21, 2021:  

• Browns Ln at Chapel Hill (stop # 22548) – Served by the outbound 2-Mount Royal and the inbound 12-McKnight. 
• Browns Ln opp Chapel Hill (stop # 314) – Served by the inbound 2-Mount Royal and the outbound 12-McKnight. 
• Browns Ln opp Northway Mall Dr (stop #22566) – Served by the outbound 2-Mount Royal and the inbound 12-McKnight. 

Although these are three stops eliminated, we don’t think that riders will notice too much. Much of the service on Browns lane was eliminated back in 2010 during PAAC’s huge round of cuts. Service was restored on Browns lane sometime around 2016, but it was cut again just before the pandemic. So this off and on again pattern hasn’t established a consistent ridership. 

The following alternate stops will become permanent effective Sunday, November 21, 2021: 

• The Block at Northway at Northway Apartments (stop # 22751) – Served by the outbound 2-Mount Royal and the inbound 12-McKnight. 
• The Block at Northway opp Northway Apartments (stop # 22752) – Served by the inbound 2-Mount Royal and the outbound 12-McKnight.

Again these are nice changes. They get riders closer to some of the other shopping destinations from jobs and goods access.

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

And 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 September for Q3 changes and takeaways. See ya then!

On November 2nd, Pittsburghers elected Representative Ed Gainey to become their next mayor. In the leadup to this election, PPT’s Director Laura Chu Wiens and Member Emily Howe published an op-ed in the Trib to outline how this next mayor needs to center public transportation in their plans to build an equitable Pittsburgh for all.

With Gainey’s inauguration approaching on January 3rd, this piece is more relevant than ever. Read their piece below, and sign-on to support a public transit-first approach to mobility and affordable housing.

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Emily Howe and Laura Chu Wiens: 4 ways Pittsburgh’s mayor must improve public transit

Op-ed published 10/29/21 on triblive.com

Pittsburgh depends on public transit.

Recent Census numbers tell us that more than 50,000 Pittsburghers — more than 17% of our city’s population — use public transit to commute to work every day. Add students, the unemployed and other noncommuters, and the number of transit riders is much higher. In fact, 23% of Pittsburgh households do not have access to a private vehicle.

In a city that suffers from huge income, health and other racial disparities, public transit is critical to improving mobility, housing affordability, economic prosperity, air quality and quality of life.

So, as the Nov. 2 election approaches, we must ask ourselves, what can the mayor do to improve public transit?

1. Support public transit over venture-backed private mobility companies.

In “All Transportation is Local,” the TransitCenter, a foundation that advocates for improved public transit across the county, explains how “(Local government) controls how the street is used and how new development connects with transportation systems.” The same is true in Pittsburgh.

Year after year, we’ve seen the outgoing mayor bend over backward to hand over our streets and sidewalks to private mobility companies. These include self-driving car companies; $23 million to fund the Mon-Oakland Connector shuttle road for Almono LP; private sidewalk delivery robot companies; and private electric scooter companies.

The truth is that scooters, ride-hailing and other micro-mobility schemes primarily benefit upper-income, able-bodied white men. They also cannibalize public transit riders and critical transit agency funding.

It’s time for our city to prioritize people over corporations by investing public resources into public transit and infrastructure.

2. Commit to connected, comfortable, accessible, affordable and safe pedestrian and bike connections to transit.

All transit riders begin and end their trips as pedestrians or cyclists. We need pedestrian and bike connections for transit to be accessible.

The City of Pittsburgh can use its capital budget to improve transit facilities and maintenance. This includes transit-accessible and dignified features like covered bus shelters with benches; connected sidewalks and accessible curb cuts; safer pedestrian intersections with signals and traffic calming; bus bump-outs; more protected bike lanes; nonslip crosswalks; street lighting; public restrooms and water fountains located near transit; and more Healthy Ride stations co-located with transit, bike sheds and bike parking.

3. Make transit faster and more effective.

Buses carrying 40-60 passengers should get priority on our streets over gas-guzzling, congestion-causing single-occupancy vehicles. To do so, the mayor can implement policies like expanded bus rapid transit lanes; traffic signal priority for buses; peak-only bus lanes that could be used in tight spaces like Carson Street and Butler Street; and far-side stops. These innovations would help keep buses from idling at traffic lights and increase their speed and safety.

4. Pass legislation and zoning that supports transit use.

Zoning is one of the most powerful tools at the mayor’s disposal, but candidates often overlook it when thinking about improving transit. Transit riders are being displaced out of the City of Pittsburgh every day. Without funding and policies to ensure that our city has affordable housing located near quality transit lines, riders will have even less access to basic needs. Almost all cities invest money in transit operations by funding transit directly and purchasing transit passes for their employees. The City of Pittsburgh can do the same while also incentivizing or mandating that other large employers and corporate landlords purchase bulk bus passes for employees and renters.

Whether through the budget, staffing and direction of City departments, working with City Council, or using the bully pulpit to advocate for public transit riders and workers, Pittsburgh’s next mayor must support faster, more affordable, dignified and connected public transit throughout our region.

With all of the benefits that transit presents for climate, racial, gender and economic justice, it should be a no-brainer for the Pittsburgh mayoral candidates to make transit a key priority in this election. But we need your help.

When you head to the polls Nov. 2, #VoteTransit! and cast your ballot to put a public transit advocate in City Hall.

Then sign the #VoteTransit pledge to show that you care about our transit and want to see action from our city to make it better.

Have more ideas about how the mayor can support public transit in the first 100 days? Let us know. Together, we can build reliable, environmentally sustainable and affordable transit that is accessible to all.

#VoteTransit: Public Transit is a Mayoral Issue

Local transit initiatives have the power to map Pittsburgh’s future cityscape, and along with it, improve housing equity and economic growth for all residents.

While federal transit funding makes headlines as a hot-button issue in national politics, the power of local governments to bring big improvements for transit riders should not be underestimated. According to the TransitCenter, a nonprofit that works with transit agencies and advocates across the country, local government has substantial power over public transit:

“[Local government] controls how the street is used and how new development connects with transportation systems,”

All Transportation is Local, by TransitCenter, published 2017

Our #VoteTransit campaign will work to educate elected officials on these powers and organize with residents to push for our four priorities; we support public transit instead of venture-backed mobility companies, we want safe and accessible connections to public transit, we want faster and more effective transit, and we want zoning and legislation to support transit use.

Strong public transit needs to be at the center of any Mayoral plans to improve housing affordability, economic prosperity, public health, and quality of life. We reviewed the transit promises and policies of candidates Ed Gainey (D) and Tony Moreno (R) so voters can make informed decisions about the future of transit and pressure the future mayor to keep their promises. See what they’re saying below.

If public transit access is important to you, sign up here and pledge to #VoteTransit.

How can you #VoteTransit & bring improvements to PGH’s public transit?

First things first, if we want to get a transit advocate into the Mayor’s office we must register to vote. The registration deadline to vote in the General Election is October 18th. Submit your easy online voter registration here. Continue to read up on the candidates and make your plan for how you’ll get to the polls on November 2nd. Polls are open between 7am & 8pm. Find your polling place here. Voting from home? You can request a mail-in ballot until October 26th at 5:00pm and return it to the county board of elections by 8:00pm on Election Day.

Next, sign the #VoteTransit pledge to show that transit will be on your mind when you go to the ballot box on election day. Stand with riders to say that we want elected officials who will do all they can in office to build better public transit systems for all.

Our organizing can’t stop at the ballot box. Pittsburghers for Public Transit is building out our platform of specific policies that we want our mayor to implement in their first 100-days, and we need your ideas. From sidewalk investment to affordable housing, to new bus shelters; there is a lot that the Mayor’s office can do to improve transit for city residents. Take this quick survey to add your ideas for how the Mayor can improve transit and join us for our next campaign meeting every other Tuesday. 

And finally, before you go, PPT members put together a presentation on what the City can do to improve Public Transit. We’re bringing it around to different community groups, churches, and neighborhood organizations to host discussions about how we can organize together for better transit. If you want PPT to come talk with your members about public transit organizing, fill out this form and we’ll be in touch!

Let’s look at how mayoral candidates’ promises to transit riders stack up to PPT’s #VoteTransit priorities:

Pittsburghers for Public Transit is a non-partisan 501c3 non-profit organization. We are not endorsing or supporting either candidate. We work to make public transit work for all Pittsburghers.

Even though our transit system is operated by the county, there’s actually a lot that the City of Pittsburgh can do to improve (or harm) Pittsburghers’ access to public transit. Pittsburghers for Public Transit has identified these 4 areas where the Mayor of Pittsburgh has significant ability to improve transit and stand up for our #VoteTransit priorities:

1. We want Mayoral support for public transit over venture-backed private mobility companies.

2. We want comfortable, accessible and safe pedestrian and bicycle connections to public transit.

3. We want infrastructure to ensure effective and faster public transit.

4. We want legislation and zoning that supports transit use.

PPT analyzed comments that both candidates made through the spring primary and fall general election seasons to see how both candidates view public transit, affordable housing, walking, and biking, (The bottom of this blog has a full list of the sources we reviewed. As a note: Tony Moreno switched his party to run again in the General Election, but his platform and talking points remained the same, so we are including them both in this overview).

Compared to Moreno, Gainey seems to have a better grasp of the scope of issues related to transit and has made some significant promises like bus stop improvements, bus bump-outs, and sidewalk improvements. Moreno sees car infrastructure as better for business than pedestrian or bike infrastructure, stating “bike lanes save lives, but not at the cost of ruining commerce.” 

Both candidates have room for improvement and could be more specific about the policies they would promote and enact in office.

Ed Gainey (D):

1. Rep. Gainey has consistently supported funding public transit over venture backed private mobility companies:

• Opposes privatized transportation systems, including the Mon-Oakland connector. (VEEEM Q&A; Gainey’s website)
• Wants to partner with community stakeholders on transit issues, including Allegheny County and Port Authority. (City Paper; BikePGH; Just Harvest)
• Believes the city lacks transit funding, and wants to make funding more available (City Paper); also wants to ensure Port Authority funding. (Just Harvest)
• Would fight for fair funding by joining allies in Harrisburg. (BikePGH; Gainey’s website)
• He is against private transportation, and said that “transportation [should be] free.” (Pittsburgh United)
• Wants to educate the community about environmental racism. (City Paper)
• Will pursue continued investment in electric fleets for buses and city vehicles. (Pittsburgh United; BikePGH)

2. Rep. Gainey has committed to making pedestrian and bike connections to transit comfortable, accessible, and safe:

• “I’ll work to create safe pedestrian corridors for kids that connect schools and childcare providers to parks and school bus/transit stops.” (BikePGH)
• Plans to make bus stop improvements, bus bump outs, sidewalk improvements. (BikePGH)
• States that his top priorities for infrastructure investments are to make things easier for people with mobility impairments, or people that use wheelchairs and strollers. (BikePGH)
• “I believe that everyone […] should have one or more safe, affordable, and enjoyable ways of getting to work, school, parks, grocery stores, doctors offices, and other basic necessities without needing to rely on a car.” (BikePGH)
• Promised bus stop improvements, bus bump outs and sidewalk improvements. (BikePGH)
• Wants to “maintain the City’s commitment to Vision Zero to eliminate transportation fatalities and serious injuries” which includes reducing police presence. (Gainey’s website; BikePGH)
• Will create pedestrian corridors at schools/childcare facilities. (Gainey’s website)

3. Rep. Gainey appears to support effective and faster transit, but has not made substantial commitments:

• Wants “neighborhoods with the greatest need [to] receive mobility improvements that better connect residents to opportunities.” (BikePGH)
• Wants to be on top of transportation disruptions due to utility improvements or new development. (BikePGH)
• Supports high-speed transit, statewide, i.e. Harrisburg to Philly. (City Paper)
• Will collect resident feedback through the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure. (Gainey’s website)
• Will work to ensure that city services are effective. For example, ensuring that the City of Pittsburgh Public Works Department has proper equipment for snow plowing. (WESA)

4. Rep. Gainey’s position on legislation and zoning that supports transit use emphasizes connections between housing, jobs, and transit:

• Identifies “Transit accessibility, food access, and proximity to educational, recreational, and employment opportunities” as “critically important” to developing affordable housing (Design for Pittsburgh)
• Wants to create better transit to job centers. (City Paper)
• Wants to set up transportation infrastructure from “urban areas” to where job markets are, specifically commercial centers with service jobs like Robinson. (City Paper, PGH United Forum)
• Wants to demand community benefit agreements with developers. (Gainey’s website)
• Wants to expand affordable housing, particularly into transit-rich neighborhoods, and protect neighborhoods from predatory development. (Gainey’s website)
• Will increase affordable housing where there is existing transit. (BikePGH)
• Wants to center equity in transit investments (Gainey’s website) and promises to work with community development in the neighborhood to make sure development is working with the fabric of the neighborhood, and not just gentrifying it. (WESA)

Tony Moreno

1. Moreno is against the Mon-Oakland Connector, but whether he generally supports public transit over venture-back private mobility companies is unclear.

• Against the Mon-Oakland Connector because it would worsen class divides and drive gentrification in Hazelwood and Greenwood. (The Homepage)
• At the same time, Moreno consistently prioritizes infrastructure for cars in the city over bike and public transit infrastructure; also supports fossil fuels and fracking.  (PublicSource)

2. Moreno has commented that he wants to increase pedestrian connections to transit, and amenities at bus stops. However, he has been a staunch opponent of expanding bike connections to transit stops & jobs:

• To improve food access, “Target stops for improvement of, or construction of, bus shelters” and “Repair city steps closest to bus stops first, then follow-up with all others city-wide.” (Just Harvest)
• Discussions of transportation do not include transit: “The need for transportation options must include all venues from private vehicles to walking must be taken into account.” (Design for Pittsburgh)
• Sees bike lanes as competing with commerce: “I’ll say it as many times as I can: bike lanes save lives, but not at the cost of ruining commerce. There’s some areas where you don’t need bike lanes…There’s no reason to lay a bike lane down Penn Avenue, when there’s nobody that’s riding their bike to any of those restaurants there.” (City Paper)
• Believes bike lanes are not about safety, and are about removing the motor vehicle from inside the city. (Casa San Jose)
• Did not respond to BikePGH’s Mayoral questionnaire

3. Moreno seems to have a limited understanding of current transit infrastructure difficulties. When asked directly about how he would address transit infrastructure, he commented on lessening downtown traffic. He proposes making bus-only lanes by bringing in more police to patrol the streets:

• Seems to view transit optimizaiton more about reducing traffic for drivers. Part of his proposal: “you put those bus routes on a circular pattern around those same four streets that I said (Grand Street, Stanwix, Boulevard of the Allies, and Fort Duquesne) and make those run on a steady basis with the police officers they’re allowing those buses to go through and creating a bus lane that is a true bus lane only.” (City Paper)
• Believes traffic police officers are also key to reducing traffic. (City Paper)
• To improve food access, wants to “Utilize the community leaders and target underserved neighborhoods for improved bus access.” (Just Harvest)

4. Moreno identifies gentrification as an issue, but he does not bring forward many zoning policies or propose legislation to address affordability & increase transit use.

• Concerned about making the city convenient for private cars to get into and out of the city than improving infrastructure for bikes and transit: “You can’t get rid of vehicles. We know that for sure. They’re not going anywhere.” (City Paper)
• Does not mention anything about public transit or affordable housing in his “Plan for Pittsburgh” published on his campaign’s website. (Tony Moreno’s campaign website)

Pledge to #VoteTransit on November 2nd!

Sources that reviewed to compile candidate’s statements on public transit.

• Ed Gainey’s official campaign website and Tony Moreno’s official campaign website
• Casa San Jose’s Hybrid Mayoral Forum, hosted October 11th, 2021
• 2021 Mayoral candidates on Pittsburgh policies: Ed Gainey and Tony Moreno by Ryan Deto at City Paper. Published April 2nd & April 6th, 2021.
• “Responses to the BikePGH Questionnaire” by BikePGH. Ed Gainey submitted answers. Tony Moreno did not respond. Published ahead of the May 18th, 2021 primary.
• “​​2021 Primary Election: Mayor of Pittsburgh questionnaires” from Just Harvest
• #VoterEmpowermentMondays forum by Voter Empowerment Education and Enrichment Movement (VEEEM)
• Pittsburgh United’s Pittsburgh Mayoral Forum held April 8th, 2021
• “Pittsburgh Mayoral Debate” from WESA and the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation, held March 31st, 2021
• Mayoral Design Forum by Design for Pittsburgh, published ahead of the May 18th, 2021 primary
• “Which Pittsburgh mayoral candidate aligns with your environmental beliefs?” By Oliver Morrison at PublicSource
• “Mayoral candidates hold parallel views on affordable housing and controversial Mon-Oakland Connector” The Homepage

Riders’ Voices Were Heard! Riders are successful in uplifting priorities in Port Authority’s first-ever long-range plan.

(Pittsburgh, PA) Friday, September 24th – Transit Riders in Allegheny County celebrated this morning as the Port Authority Board of Directors voted to adopt its NEXTransit 25-year long-range plan. The plan directly incorporated riders’ feedback around increasing fare affordability and creating dedicated transit corridors to the Mon Valley & Eastern Suburbs.  This is a win for transit riders who have long been making these demands. 

Throughout the last two years, riders have identified specific policy and infrastructure improvements that the Port Authority has now prioritized in their long-range plan. Riders helped the agency pivot their outreach to ensure that marginalized riders’ concerns were heard. The plan that was adopted today shows that the Authority listened to riders’ feedback and named their concerns as top priorities for the next phase of the agency’s development.

Transit riders’ organizing paid off. Although initial versions of the NEXTransit plan did not address some of rider’s highest priorities, especially around fare affordability and dedicated transit corridors beyond the East Busway, transit riders continued to leverage public meetings and public feedback to uplift their goals. Their efforts were successful. Specifically:

• Around fare affordability – Port Authority’s transit fares are some of the highest in the country. Riders organized the #MakeOurFaresFair campaign in 2018 & the #FairFares policy platform in 2020 which all laid out policy ideas to guide the agency in this direction. The final version of the NEXTransit plan added more substantial language, efforts and actions toward implementing low-income fare programs at the Port Authority, not merely increasing access to fare payment mechanisms as earlier versions had focused on. An “Affordable Fares Program” was identified as the 2nd highest policy priority and program in the final NEXTransit plan.

• Regarding dedicated transit corridors Beyond the East Busway – Residents, businesses and elected officials in the Mon Valley have been working hard to extend the East Busway’s benefits into their communities. Pittsburghers for Public Transit’s Beyond the East Busway campaign worked with 16 community organizers from the Mon Valley to survey nearly 600 residents in these communities to create a vision for how to make this possible. The outcomes of the Beyond the East Busway survey, which were supported by dozens of Mon Valley and Eastern Suburb community leaders, are directly in line with the NEXTransit’s Priority Projects #4, #5, and #7. These three NEXTransit projects would create transit priority corridors that would serve the communities of Homestead, Duquesne, McKeesport, Rankin, Braddock, East Pittsburgh, Turtle Creek and Monroeville, and are intended to advance within the next five years. 

Transit riders are experts in the transit system they use every day. Their feedback needs to be centered. It is encouraging that the Port Authority recognized this in their release of the NEXTransit 25-year Long Range Plan. Now riders will continue to organize to turn these plans into action.

Demand accountability. With no public input, Mayor Peduto & City Council rushed to approve their spending plan for Pittsburgh’s $335 Million of COVID relief funding in less than 3 weeks. They have already passed bills that speed up their proposed timeline, leaving less for our next mayor and the public to influence.

Write your councilperson today to demand accountability for our city’s COVID relief funds.

On August 31, 2021, Councilman Lavelle introduced four bills to allow the City of Pittsburgh to enter “agreements” or contracts with various departments outlined in spending plans for the city’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). ARPA provides federal relief money to state and local governments to respond to COVID-19 related emergencies. The federal money is intended to flexibly “meet local needs” and to support “households, small businesses, impacted industries, essential workers, and the communities hardest hit by the crisis.” 

Yet, while federal guidelines encourage governments to determine ARPA allocations through community engagement and public processes, the current Pittsburgh ARPA spending plan was developed behind closed doors, with a commission of just 3 Council members and the Mayor’s administration. The plan was subsequently approved by council with minimal revisions in less than 3 weeks. Despite outcry from hundreds of residents and community organizations like PPT on the lack of community input and transparency in the allocation process, the ARPA spending plan bills passed City Council on July 20, 2021 with a vote of 8-1. Some City Council members claimed that plans could be amended even after being passed, and planned a few listening sessions for early August. 

These after-the-fact listening sessions unsurprisingly had little impact on slowing or amending the predetermined ARPA allocations; in fact, the four bills introduced on August 31 by Councilman Lavelle include an additional $24 million in Year 2 & 3 projected spendings to the Year 1 allocation in the budget approved by Council on July 20, 2021. Moreover, while the July vote proposed a multi-year spending plan, these bills would send the full allocation out the door immediately, and away from public oversight. These bills will allow the city to transfer money over to the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) for up to ​​$74,878,811 (Bill 2021-1806); the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) for up to $17,500,000 (Bill 2021-1805); $2,500,000 to Bill Peduto’s private organization OnePGH (Bill 2021-1803); and $80,000 to the Pittsburgh Parking Authority (PPA) (Bill 2021-1804).

This faster timeline means that almost $100 million or almost 30% of the city’s $335 million of ARPA funds will be transferred, all at once, with no City oversight or accountability to the public about how that money will be spent.  

While we can lament specific allocations in these bills like $80,000 for a parking lot in East Liberty, and $2.5 million to a new non-profit (OnePGH) that is essentially run by the Mayor and his staff, the core issue is that the Mayor and most members of City Council have eschewed their responsibility to engage residents and constituents about their needs. Councilman Burgess has even claimed that public outcry against the closed-door allocations are about “limiting council, in trying to overthrow our right and responsibilities as the fiscal watchdogs.” In fact, the latest set of bills aimed at accelerating these payments out of Council control would do precisely what Councilman Burgess is describing, by undermining the City’s power as a fiscal watchdog and not allowing Year 1 investments to play out and be evaluated on their merit and impact.

Ensuring that remaining city ARPA funds are allocated and spent in a transparent, participatory and equitable manner will remain a struggle. However, PPT and the coalition of community organizations we work with know that power is in the people. We will continue to organize for a transparent, public process to identify and fund the needs of residents, particularly those most impacted by COVID, and to demand that our City does not write enormous checks to non-City, unaccountable entities.

“The Pittsburgh Food Policy Council is calling on City Council to follow the approved spending plan and stagger payments to external entities,” says Dawn Plummer, Executive Director.

TAKE ACTION TODAY

1. We are calling on you to reach out to your Pittsburgh City Council member to ask that they amend the bills authorizing transfers of American Rescue Plan funds.  Don’t know your City Council member? Find them here.
    
2. Here’s a script:

“Dear Council Person [Insert Your Council Person’s Name Here]

Hello, my name is _______ and I am a resident of [insert neighborhood here]. I am contacting you today regarding the proposed legislation to allocate $95 million of the City of Pittsburgh’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds. 

I urge you to only allocate the funds budgeted in the first year of the City’s ARP spending plan. There is no need to rush another $25 million out the door, especially when details about how funds will be used have not been provided.

Moreover, I echo the following recommendations first made to you by City Controller Michael Lamb and encourage you to include them in the final vote on these transfers to ensure proper public accountability:

1. Incorporate language to mandate that agencies receiving large ARPA Trust
   Fund transfers of $1,000,000 or more must submit the following as requested by the
   Pittsburgh City Controller:
   a. Quarterly Progress Reports on activities
   b. Quarterly Financial Reports on activities
   c. Other information, as required.
2. Authorize and direct the Pittsburgh City Controller to have auditing authority over all
   agencies receiving ARPA funds, pursuant to the powers outlined in the Home Rule
   Charter.
3. Write separate contracts for each project funded with ARPA funds. This would require
   each ARPA project go through the rigorous process of legal review from the Department of
   Law and the Controller’s office.
4. Mandate each ARPA project to have separate tracking in city budgeting processes. This
   increases transparency and would allow the public to better understand how each dollar was allocated and subsequently spent.

Thank you for your consideration.”

---

Background information

Spending Plan for ARPA Legislation, Excel Sheet

Further Detail about the four bills from 08/31/2021 meeting:

Bill	Information about project(s) being funded	Information about organization
2021-1803: $2.5M to OnePGH	Of the $2.5 Million allocated to OnePgh to fund the “Universal Basic Income Pilot,” only $1.25 Million will be given out in cash payments to the families participating (assuming it is in accordance with the previously detailed proposal, in 2020.) “As for the OnePGH funding, Gilman said it is the only way the city can legally fund a pilot program to provide a basic income subsidy to low-income Black women to see if such a program helps. The city is among several experimenting with universal basic income that are proposing use of American Rescue Plan funding to do so, Gilman said.” (Trib article, 06/30/2021) “The money used to start the program will come from funds Dorsey gave that is allowing Pittsburgh and 15 other cities to help those who are struggling during the economic crisis brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. “A number of people in the city of Pittsburgh will be chosen to be able to receive a monthly stipend, basically a debit card,” Peduto told local CBS affiliate KDKA. He did not specify how many people would qualify, but he did outline the criteria he would look at. Peduto said that he wants to give the monthly payments to those who are currently struggling and who would be able to improve their lives with it. He is also looking to award the money to people of different backgrounds and demographics so that a study can be conducted to analyze how it works. “This is one tool to close the wealth and income gap, level systemic race and gender inequalities, and create economic security for families,” Dorsey tweeted about the program earlier this month.” (Fox Business 08/03/2021) Oversight: “Since 2005, the city has received a total of $34 million from nonprofits, Peduto said. And those contributions have been received and spent without oversight.“There is no accountability and there is no outcome from it,” he said. As a nonprofit itself, OnePGH will be required to make its spending public and Peduto said its operations will be transparent.” (Trib article, 04/29/2021)	Mission and purpose OnePGH seen as a reactionary response to the fact that Peduto admin dropped lawsuit about UPMC’s tax exempt status Brings together city’s largest nonprofits: Pitt, CMU, UPMC, Highmark Health, and supported by Heinz Endowments, Hillman Family Foundations and the Richard King Mellon Foundation. (source and amounts contributed by each org here) “This groundwork over the next five years will be an experiment in urban partnerships for the 21st century,” [Peduto] said.” 141-page prospectus that details the plans that will be pursued by OnePGH
2021-1804: $80k to Pittsburgh Parking Authority	“Addresses the lost revenue of the Public Parking Authority of Pittsburgh”  City press release The bill itself says that it will fund the “Kirkwood Avenue lot project,” which is in East Liberty.
2021-1805: $17.5M to PWSA	“$20 Million for removal of lead from our water and paint.” City press release
2021-1806: Nearly $75M to the URA	$7 million (~10%) for Avenues of Hope (source) “$2 million [2.5%] for other development in Homewood; $1 [1.2%] million for the Jasmine Nyree Campus in Sheraden that helps people with special needs and $1 million [1.2%] for the Gladstone School affordable housing development in Hazelwood.” (source)

Sources:

• 9/10/21 letter from City Controller Michael Lamb to City Council with recommendations for public accountability requrements to be included in final vote
• 8/30/21 article from the Trib Peduto seeks approval for $2.5M universal basic income program in Pittsburgh
• 4/29/21 article from the Trib Peduto announces $115 million in commitments from regional nonprofits for OnePGH
• City press release
• UrbanKind’s report/brochure about ARPA funds and allocations
• OnePGH “resilience” report from 2017
• OwnPGH article

PPT welcomes Cheryl Stephens to our team as our new Community Organizer

For nearly a decade, PPT has been a democratic member-led organization that fights for change in our community. We have won campaigns for improved bus service, fare accessibility, affordable housing, and transit equity. These successes are fueled by a dedicated family of members and volunteers who steer our efforts.

We believe that every person is a leader, that every person is an organizer.

With this belief, we have been fortunate enough to generate enough funding through our members, union partners, and foundations to grow a paid staff of three. Organizing is at our heart, so it’s no surprise that the first position we hired for back in 2014 was a community organizer. It has remained a funded position ever since, with an incredible list of people who’ve filled in over the years (shout-out to Joshua Malloy, Crystal Jennings, Chandana Cherukupalli, Molly Nichols, and Helen Gerhardt!).

Earlier this year we put out a job opening for a new person to work as our Community Organizer. We put together a highering committee made up of 5 of our Coordinating Committee Members, our previous Community Organizer, and 2 our other PPT staff members. We recieved dozens of incredibly qualified applicants for the job. After nearly two months of interviews and very difficult conversations, we can to a decision.

Now, we are excited to announce the next chapter for our organization’s history and welcome Cheryl Stephens to the PPT fam! Cheryl brings a phenomenal set of skills and experiences to the team. We’re eager for the campaigns and victories that lie ahead!

Learn a little more about Cheryl by reading her bio and some interview answers below.

Growing up in Pittsburgh and an avid public transit rider, Cheryl has seen the developing landscape of transit and understands firsthand how access to transportation can have a life-changing impact on opportunity outcomes. Civic engagement, public outreach, and service to others run at the heart of her previous experiences, beginning with her as a resident assistant and serving as a senator in the Student Government Association in college. After graduating with bachelors degrees in History and Political Science from Penn State University, she worked as an organizer with NextGen America to increase young adult voter registration and electoral participation in State College, PA. In her free time, Cheryl enjoys going to the museum (any museum) and taking walks in the park.

The PPT team is excited to have you on board! Why did you want to apply for the job? 

I am thrilled at the opportunity to join PPT. Transportation has played an enormous role in my life and the lives of people who have come before me. In many ways, access to transportation is life changing and I wanted to contribute my efforts to working on history, policy, and a way of life that does not receive enough attention. 

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?

Some of my first experiences riding Pittsburgh public transit are with riding the bus after school. I always wanted to participate in after school activities with my friends but there was not always an adult to come pick me up. I was grateful for the number of times I was able to stay and my mom would pick me up and we would walk to the bus stop. Overall, I have ridden the 71 series of buses to move around Pittsburgh. Over the years, I have watched the 71B and 75 change the most noticeably. Having the ability to go to the Southside has been amazing and I feel that the 71B has increased frequently between downtown and neighborhoods on the East side of Pittsburgh. 

What work are you excited to do? What victories do you think you’ll help us win in the coming months?

I am very excited to work on the PPT campaign for fare equity in the Pittsburgh region. I know that a future with equitable fare is possible and I look forward to giving every effort to seeing it through. 

What inspires you? What gives you energy that you want to share with others?

I am inspired by other organizers around me and a hope that as a collective we can accomplish real social change. My relationships with my friends help to keep me energized when times get tough.

What is your favorite pump-up song?

One song that helps me to stay upbeat is Just Like Fire by P!nk. I listened to that song dozens of times while working as an organizer and it is one of my favorites. I’d recommend adding it to your campaign playlist.

Check out our Coordinating Committee and Staff page to see the core team of organizers who make up PPT, and join us at our next meeting to get involved – 2nd Tuesday of every month, 7-8:30pm! – or send us an email.

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR: Thursday, August 19, 2021 — 11:00 am

CONTACT: Laura Chu Wiens, Pittsburghers for Public Transit, laura@pittsburghforpublictransit.org, (703) 424-0854

THURS 11 am: Activists in Allegheny County, PA Call on Rep. Conor Lamb to “Seal the Deal” and Pass the Full Jobs and Infrastructure Package, Prioritizing Climate Solutions, Green Jobs and Transit Justice

Event in Penn Hills is One of Over 70 Around Country Urging Support for Reconciliation Bill With Climate Protections and Transit Provisions, Groups Say Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal Alone Is Not Enough

Penn Hills, PA — On Thursday, August 19th, residents of Allegheny County will join dozens of activists and concerned residents of PA in a rally outside of Rep. Conor Lamb’s Penn Hills Office to demonstrate the need for improvements to and passage of the $3.5T reconciliation package that just passed the Senate. Event organizers will urge members of Congress to pass a full economic recovery plan that truly invests in climate justice, green jobs, and public transit.  

The rally will call on Rep Lamb to restore the $10 billion cut from public transit in the Senate bipartisan infrastructure plan that was already agreed to by both parties, to end the subsidy for fossil fuels, and to prioritize investment in electrification infrastructure. These investments will support green, family-sustaining jobs and address critical equity and public health needs in our communities.

 “Many families lack transportation to work, shopping,  medical appointments and other essential services. The current cost of purchasing a car and the lack of auto repair parts is an added hurdle for many. Penn Hills lacks adequate public transportation and sidewalks. The need for resources to help our community residents is greatly needed,” says Joyce Davis, President of Just Solutions of Western PA.

The rally will call on Representative Lamb to deliver on the full $3.5 trillion of investments already authorized by the Senate—before moving the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure deal, which is far too small on its own.

Participants will carry signs that read “No cuts to climate, transit, and worker justice!”,  “Invest in our communities”, and other signs that call for immediate action on climate change and transit funding.

“It is long past time for us to end the subsidies to industries that pollute our air and water, and invest in green industries that will offer good jobs, a clean environment, and a livable future,” Laura Jacko, Verona, Pa resident and Sierra Club Volunteer

Information for the #SealTheDeal event, which calls on Congress to ensure the communities most affected to receive at least half of the investment, not a penny less, is below:

WHERE: Rep Conor Lamb’s Office, 11 Duff Rd, Pittsburgh PA 15235
WHEN: Thursday, August 19th. 11 am.
WHO: Members of Sierra Club, Pittsburghers for Public Transit, Women for a Healthy Environment, Clean Air Council and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85.
LOCAL CONTACT: Laura Chu Wiens, (703) 424-0854, laura@pittsburghforpublictransit.org 
MORE INFO: https://www.facebook.com/events/1275118386243836/

Thursday’s event is part of a national day of action organized by the Green New Deal Network coalition in support of passage of the full jobs and infrastructure package including climate, care, and justice priorities such as electric school buses and lead pipe replacement. 71 other events are happening in 34 states across the country.

The August congressional recess is a critical opportunity for communities to share their views and concerns with their leaders. Thursday’s “Seal the Deal” events will meet members of Congress on their home turf and ensure they hear from constituents how important it is that they urgently pass the full jobs and infrastructure deal, including the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package.

The bipartisan infrastructure bill, passed in the Senate earlier this month, was not only too small to effectively combat the climate crisis but also fails to adequately protect the health of our communities. Because of this, the $3.5 trillion reconciliation budget passed in the Senate, is the Democrats’ last opportunity to invest in real climate infrastructure, including the greening & increased operations of public transportation, school bus electrification, electric vehicle infrastructure, and the removal of lead pipes, as well as large investments into the care economy. 

You can see a list of all national events, with more information about the #SealTheDeal campaign HERE: https://www.greennewdealnetwork.org/map 

# # # # #

Congrats to the new PPT Coordinating Committee Members, elected to lead us 2021-2023!

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

Our Coordinating Committee acts as our Board of Directors and is filled with up to 15 people who are elected to the seats by the rest of our membership. Our “election season” runs from May to July. Members are nominated to run for the board in May and June. If they accept the nomination they are put on the ballot and able to speak to the membership at the July meeting. Voting is then open for two weeks for any eligible PPT member to cast their ballot (PPT members are people who 1. agree with the transit bill of rights 2. have paid dues of at least $2.75 in the last year and 3. have helped us push our campaigns for transit justice).

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. This Coordinating Committee 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 2021 who’ll be leading us until 2023!

Barb Warwick

My name is Barb Warwick and I have been a member of PPT since 2019. I live in Four Mile Run and first became involved with PPT as part of the fight against the Mon-Oakland Connector. That experience really opened my eyes to the power of community activism and to what an amazing organization we have in PPT.

Professionally, I have always considered myself to be somewhat of a workhorse who is fully committed to any project I take on. Having had lots of experience in the corporate arena, I am always happy to “suit up” and meet with political leadership and transit authorities to press for policies that support equitable, affordable, and sustainable transportation systems.

My communication style is diplomatic, but persistent. And, with 20 years’ experience in marketing communications, I know how to stay on point and on message. As a writing and editing professional, I can also help ensure that content put out by PPT is always clear, concise, and engaging. The way I see it, PPT saved my community and public park from being overrun by the Mon-Oakland Connector. Whether chosen for the Coordinating Committee or not, I feel such gratitude to you all and look forward to continuing to work together for transit equity and justice for many years to come.

Dean Mougianis

Dean Mougianis has been a media producer for forty years and an educator for twenty-five. Dean began his media misadventures on a gap year (well, several) in his education when he fell in with a group of people who had the audacious idea of founding a radio station. This became WYEP-FM. He later transitioned to video, worked in a variety of production facilities, then struck out on his own as a freelancer. As a producer, writer, video editor and motion graphic artist, Dean has worked with a wide range of commercial clients, had enough of that, and began working instead for non-profit, labor, and social service clients.

Somewhere in mid-life, Dean decided to pay back the legacy of many people who taught him so much and sought out teaching opportunities. As an educator for the past twenty-five years, Dean has taught courses and workshops in various aspects of video production from beginner to advanced for Pittsburgh Filmmakers, Grove City College, Laroche College, and the Allegheny Intermediate Unit. An early convert to digital media, Dean now specializes in teaching motion graphics and animation.

Dean Mougianis – Board of Directors intentions: I see my primary role in assisting and advancing PPT’s communications and media efforts. Along with this I wish to help develop membership participation and leadership and do what I can to connect PPT to broader transit advocacy coalitions at the state and national level.

Kevin Joa, ATU Local 85

Kevin is a Port Authority bus operator and member of ATU Local 85. He was first elected to PPT’s Coordinating Committee in 2019 and just won his re-election in 2021. Kevin has taken part in PPT campaigns to encourage Port Authority board members to ride transit; push for expanded transit funding in PA; and build more affordable housing near great transit.

Before joining Local 85 as a bus operator, Kevin worked at a local public school system. Kevin also is a proud owner a beautiful dog!

Mayor Nickole Nesby

The honorable Mayor Nickole Nesby is a dedicated public servant with 20 years’ experience in legislative government. In November 2017, Nesby successfully unseated incumbent Phillip Krivacek to become the first female and African American to head the city of Duquesne, PA. She was elected to PPT’s Coordinating Committee in 2019 and is now running for her second term.

No stranger to socioeconomic disparity, Ms. Nesby was born in McKeesport, PA. Her parents were hard working steel mill workers. One of seven siblings who she had to had to raise when her mother fell victim to the crack epidemic, she refused to allow poverty to derail her goal of attaining higher education. Nesby recently completed her fourth degree, an MBS from Northcentral University in Organizational Leadership Specializing in Nonprofit. While Mayor Nesby has no children of her own.

As a first-term mayor, Nesby is dedicated to improving the quality of life for Duquesne’s population of 5,481. Plagued by systemic poverty, illiteracy and incarceration, 80% percent of its residents are welfare recipients and of that number, half have criminal records.  Deemed the worst performing school system in Pennsylvania, Duquesne was forced to close its high school in 2007.

Duquesne’s future may appear bleak, but Mayor Nesby’s aspiration is to make Duquesne a better place to live. She works so that residents to have a quality education, affordable housing, better transportation, healthcare, and parks. These are the things that all people deserve, and they can be real by working together.

Paul W. O’Hanlon

My name is Paul O’Hanlon, I’m a retired lawyer.  From 2001 to 2014, I worked for a disability rights law firm, and before that I was the Senior Housing Attorney and Housing Unit Chief with Neighborhood Legal Services Association in Pittsburgh.

I caught the “transit bug” in 1991.  At that time Port Authority began the long process of becoming accessible to passengers in wheelchairs.  Since that time I’ve been involved in advocating for the best, most accessible, area-wide and affordable public transit.  

I have been involved in a number of advocacy issues in Allegheny County, particularly around housing, accessible public transportation, and voter engagement:  

Swetha Jasti

Hello! My name is Swetha Jasti. I am very grateful to be nominated for PPT’s coordinating committee. I am a native of Kansas City and I moved to Pittsburgh five years ago to attend the University of Pittsburgh. It was in Pittsburgh that I found my roots in activism, and PPT was instrumental to this. 

During my senior year of college (2019-2020) I completed a thesis project in coordination with PPT that focused on Port Authority’s Bus Stop Consolidation project. I interviewed bus riders and operators to understand the impact of bus stop removal, particularly focusing on reduced access to riders. Additionally, in the spring of 2020 I attended a Human Rights Summit in Washington, DC along with the Pittsburgh Human Rights City Alliance. Here, I spoke to UN ambassadors about the importance of public transit in addressing human rights issues, using experience from my thesis project and Pittsburgh’s transit system. I have also canvassed with PPT on various projects, most recently to gather signatures to pass Breonna Taylor’s law and to gather rider’s opinions on Port Authority’s recent fare changes. 

As a coordinating committee member, I would dedicate my time and efforts to continue making PPT a welcoming space for all. I would work collaboratively with PPT members to reach our goals for a more equitable transit system in Allegheny County by boosting our fair fares platform, working to secure more transit funding, and holding officials to prioritize transit justice. Thank you for considering me for this position.

What is NEXTransit?

NEXTransit is Port Authority’s 25-year long-range plan. This is the first public planning document that Port Authority has developed in decades, and it will impact their policy and infrastructure priorities for the foreseeable future. In this final NEXTransit draft (p.38), Port Authority names fare affordability as the 2nd most highly ranked policy or program for them to pursue. 

But that’s good news, right? 

Well, it’s good that the Port Authority finally acknowledges that fare affordability must be a top priority, after years of advocacy and organizing by riders, social service organizations and businesses raising this demand. However, it’s deeply concerning that the Port Authority doesn’t actually propose any solutions, nor any investment to evaluate or plan to make fares more affordable. This is also coming on the heels of a decision to raise the base fare for CONNECT card users by 10% alongside the implementation of a CONNECT card free transfer policy.

It is also concerning that Port Authority’s top values stated in the Affordable Fares section reads: “Creating an affordable fare policy that is tailored to the transit agency is crucial to increasing and maintaining ridership in balance with revenue.”

We would say instead, “Creating an affordable fare policy is crucial to ensuring access to critical needs and employment for Allegheny County’s most vulnerable individuals. Port Authority is a public agency that should not be generating the bulk of their fare revenue off the backs of those who can least afford to pay.”

What is our call and the history of the fares advocacy?

In the NEXTransit draft, Port Authority says that public input around fares included “a broad, general push for continued and further efforts to support low-income riders.” (Italics added)

But the truth is that riders have actually been VERY SPECIFIC about the types of changes that they want to see. For years, thousands of riders and dozens of organizations have pushed for concrete policies to address fare affordability, yet none of these policies are reflected in the action items that the plan outlines. 

To make it crystal clear to the Port Authority, here are the policies that riders and organizations have been asking for in the Fair Fares for a Full Recovery Campaign, with more than 45 organizational supporters, in the #FairFares Policy Platform, and in the Make Our Fares Fair Campaign:  

1. We need a fare relief program pilot for low-income riders to weather the pandemic, and that this pilot should be used to evaluate the need and effectiveness of a long-term low-income fare program. 
2. We need a more equitable fare for cash riders, who are the lowest-income users of the system, with the least access to CONNECT card machines and highest likelihood to have to transfer to get to critical destinations. As a result, cash riders are paying nearly double what other riders have to pay, and that gross disparity in costs is completely by design. 
3. We need fare capping, to ensure that low-income riders are not paying more than the cost of a weekly, monthly, or yearly bus pass in single-use rides, simply because they never have enough money on hand at any given moment to pay for the full cost of a bus pass up front. In fact, Port Authority’s recent fare consultant report is particularly damning on this front: it finds that the projected fare revenue loss for Port Authority for implementing fare capping is $4-10 million dollars. To put it another way, this is a $4-$10 Million Dollar annual poor tax that low-income people are paying ON TOP of the cost of a bus pass, simply because they cannot afford to pay the full cost of a bus pass all at one time.

The NEXTransit plan needs to document the steps the agency can take towards making them a reality. The success of the Port Authority’s system and the wellbeing of its riders depends on it.

Why are their long-term plans for fares grossly inadequate?

The NEXTransit plan includes some pretty grand plans – aerial trams from the Strip District through Oakland, Light-rail extensions to the North Hills, and brand-new downtown service stations. Afterall, as CEO Kelleman said, the NEXTransit plan is our opportunity to think big…

But this big visionary thinking gets concerningly narrow when it comes who Port Authority wants to serve. 

There are critical failures in NEXTransit’s fare affordability policy recommendation (p. 38). Namely:

• There are no action items that actually increase fare affordability. They only mention increasing fare payment access and engaging in more studies.
• There is no mention of cash users, who are the lowest income riders and disproportionately harmed by Port Authority’s existing fare structure.
• Fare capping and low-income fares cannot be considered either/or solutions, because they are both needed, and they both address separate problems.
• Of the 17 total policies and programs that have been considered under the plan, of which this ranks 2nd, Port Authority does not propose any staff or any operating costs to address the issue. By contrast, they have proposed 19 other new paid staff positions and $2,280,000 in operating costs to address other policy goals, many of which did not even rank highly enough to be named in the report.
• The Port Authority is proposing to outsource a low-income fare program. We have instead been calling for low-income riders to simply be able to show their EBT cards to board for free, which would eliminate any overhead, administrative costs, or concern about difficulty accessing the program. An outsourced low-income fare program model could be good, if it were through a proven model in which another public agency like the County Human Services Department were to adopt it as part of their mandate. However, if nonprofits or businesses instead become the gatekeepers to accessing a low-income fare program, it can lead to low adoption and higher costs. And relying on philanthropic support for low-income fares rather than taxpayer funding is an inherently unstable solution. 

Port Authority’s riders are already thinking big about fare policy – look no further than the #FairFares policy platform that was published Feb 2020 with dozens of policy suggestions. It is time that Port Authority follows through on their word and starts thinking big about making a more affordable system.

How can you get involved in this advocacy for fare affordability? 

Public feedback is being collected on this draft plan until the end of August, so there is still an opportunity to influence it.

Review the full plan here, and use the NEXTransit website to submit your personal comment or a statement from your organization. Feel free to reference the talking points outlined in this blog.

The Port Authority has one final public meeting to collect feedback on the plan coming up on August 10th. We’re asking that all advocates join this meeting to uplift these demands:

Pittsburghers for Public Transit will also be doing outreach to riders to submit feedback. If you want to get involved in helping PPT’s Organizing Committee do some of this outreach, reach out to info@pittsburghforpublictransit.org