Public transit advocates have (many) seats at the table as the new Mayoral administration takes office.

Monday, December 20th, Mayor-Elect Ed Gainey held a press conference to release his plan for the mayoral transition and announce the members of the committees who are going to help him in that work. Fortunately for those that care about public transit, affordable housing and an accessible city for all, Mayor-elect Gainey has given us multiple seats at the table.

In his transition plan, the Mayor-Elect announced that he will create the vision for his new administration with the help of four committees:

1. EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT
2. EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
3. INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENVIRONMENT
4. COMMUNITY HEALTH AND SAFETY

High-quality, accessible public transit is essential to the success of all four of these committees – the Pittsburgh 100 Days Transit Platform can guide us on how to pull them all together.

Transportation is at the intersection of many critical issues; housing, economic development, clean air, community access to school, healthcare, and food. It will be important for all of Mayor-Elect Gainey’s transition committees to consider the role that accessible transportation plays in their success.

The Mayor-Elect has put many of the City’s prominent transportation advocates on the Infrastructure & Environment committee. This is exciting because, as PPT’s new Pittsburgh 100 Days Transit Platform outlines, the city’s infrastructure investment directly impacts the quality and effectiveness of our transit system. Pittsburghers for Public Transit’s own Laura Chu Wiens will sit on this committee, along with BikePGH’s Scott Bricker, Friends of the River Front’s Kelsey Ripper, Hazelwood Initiative’s Tiffany Taulton and others. The committee will be led by Dr. Jamil Bey, of UrbanKind Institute, and Christine Mondor, of evolve environment :: architecture – both of whom have supported the Pittsburgh 100 Day Transit platform and have worked with Pittsburghers for Public Transit many times in past years.

The Pittsburgh 100 Days Transit Platform has numerous recommendations that will help the Equitable Development committee in their charge to focus “on ways to accelerate affordable housing development and provide the necessary supports, especially for families whose household incomes fall between 30% and 80% of the area median income.” These households are those who are disproportionately without access to vehicles and who are using transit. They are also the households who are disproportionately pushed out of the city and farther from quality transit because of rising housing costs. The 100 Days Transit platform’s demands around inclusionary zoning (with higher affordability near great transit lines), parking reform, and transit-oriented development have a high potential for this committee.

The Equitable Development committee will be chaired by Monica Ruiz of Casa San Jose, and Bob Damewood of Regional Housing & Legal Services – both longtime friends and collaborators of PPT’s. Also on this committee are many others who’ve joined PPT in supporting transit justice, including Jennifer Rafanan Kennedy of Pittsburgh United, Carl Redwood Jr of the Pittsburgh Black Workers Center, Jasiri X of 1Hood, and Maria Montano of SEIU Healthcare PA. It’s also worth noting that a Port Authority Board Member, Stephanie Turman, has been appointed here as well.

Great public transit access is also important to Mayor-Elect’s other two committees as well; Education and Workforce Development and Community Health and Safety. The Pittsburgh 100 Days Transit Platform calls for the Mayor to announce a plan to provide transit passes to all city employees. This is a way to encourage the Port Authority to finally begin its bulk bus pass program. UPMC and other huge institutions need to begin paying their fair share for our transit system. If the Mayor plays his part in encouraging a bulk bus pass program, this will be a catalyst that allows institutions to give their employees free transit & the expanded opportunity that comes with it.

The Education and Workforce Development committee is co-chaired by Regina B. Holley, PHD, former Board Director for the School District of Pittsburgh, and Darrin Kelly, President of the Allegheny-Fayette Central Labor Council. The Community Health and Safety committee is co-chaired by Dr. Kathi Elliott of Gwenn’s Girls, and Wasi Mohamed of the Pittsburgh Foundation.

This Transition Team is an opportunity to uplift public transit and the critical ways that city policy can improve it. Read the Pittsburgh 100 Days Transit Platform and Sign-on Now to Support.

Press Conference to Launch the Pittsburgh 100 Days Transit Platform lays out an ambitious but achievable workplan for the new city administration.

On December 16th, riders, workers, and allies rallied in Oakland to launch the Pittsburgh 100 Day Transit Platform for the next Mayor of Pittsburgh. This platform highlights the role that the City of Pittsburgh plays in ensuring that all residents have access to quality, accessible transit, and puts forward a list of 18 priority actions that Mayor-Elect Gainey can pursue in his first 100 days.

The press conference included a packed list of passionate speakers spoke on the key categories of the 100 Days Platform during the press conference, ranging from building affordable housing next to frequent transit corridors to relocating abandoned bus shelters, to current routes and fixing broken sidewalks.

See the full platfom here and sign on to support this vision

In the City of Pittsburgh, Bus Lines Are Lifelines

With the dawn of a new mayoral administration, all of us have the opportunity to make history and immediately improve the experience for riders. PPT’s 100 Days Transit Policy Platform is about getting folks where they need to go and ensuring that our neighbors can safely travel to a bus stop without fear of mobility limitations. Local transit initiatives have the power to map Pittsburgh’s future cityscape while also improving housing equity and creating economic growth for all residents. As Executive Director Laura Chu Wiens stated “Public transit is essential for a healthy, economically robust, equitable, sustainable, world-class city…We have this incredible asset in this robust public transit system in our City, which leads to enormous and demonstrable benefits in reductions in congestion, improvements in public health, transportation cost savings for households.” It is past time for the City of Pittsburgh to do its’ part to make this future a reality.

Thank you once again to Bill McDowell, Teireik Williams, Kevin Joa, Pastor Love, Ms. Saundra Cole, and Rev. Sally Jo Snyder who shared their stories.

Be a part of this historic moment for transit and support the Pittsburgh 100 Days Transit Platform by clicking here, listen to Laura’s interview with the Confluence on WESA, and follow us on social media @Pgh4PubTransit for updates as we countdown to day 100! 

Check out the news coverage of the Pittsburgh 100 Days Transit Platform launch:

• Advocates urge Gainey to take decisive action on transit in his first 100 days by Margaret J Krauss of WESA
• ‘We can’t miss this unique opportunity’: Civic groups push Pittsburgh Mayor-elect Ed Gainey to make public transit a top priority by Ed Blazina of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
• Pittsburghers for Public Transit wants to shape Ed Gainey’s goals for infrastructure, development by Kevin Galvin of WESA
• Advocates unveil Pittsburgh city transit platform to improve sidewalks, development, and more by Ryan Deto of City Paper
• Proponents Announce Pittsburgh City Transit Platform to Improve Sidewalks, Development, etc. | News | Pittsburgh by Ryan Deto of Pennsylvania News Today
• Local transportation advocates asking Mayor-Elect Ed Gainey to make major changes to Pittsburgh transportation system by Shelby Cassesse of KDKA Radio.

Sign on to support below

The new Mayor can afford all residents the freedom to move.

Join PPT to release the new Pittsburgh 100 Days Transit Platform. As a new City administration takes office this platform can guide them in refocusing transportation, housing, and land use policy to benefit all Pittsburghers.

Press Conference to release the Pittsburgh 100 Days Transit Platform
Thursday, 12/16
11am – 11:45am
Fifth & Atwood Bus Station
RSVP here to the Facebook event

Reach out to info@pittsburghforpublictransit.org with any questions or to get involved.

[Accessibility Information: the event will be held outdoors in front of the new bus station at Fifth and Atwood. Seating is limited, although PPT will bring two folding chairs with armrests. Bathrooms are available inside the Faulk Medical Building next door. ASL interpretation will be available. The location is served by all of the bus routes that travel the Fifth Ave corridor in Oakland. On-street and paid car/bike parking is available at. Reach out to PPT with any additional accessibility questions: info@pittsburghforpublictransit.org]

See the list of the 25 supporters who are

Access Mob
Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh
Alliance for Police Accountability
Bike Pittsburgh
Bloomfield Development Corporation
Breathe Project
Casa San Jose
City County Task Force on Disabilities
Clean Air Council
Coalition of Organized Residents of East Liberty
Hill District Consensus Group
Just Harvest
Lawrenceville United
Neighborhood Community Development Fund
Oakland Planning and Development Corp.
Penn Plaza Support and Action
Pennsylvania Interfaith Impact Network
PGH Green New Deal Group
Pittsburgh Black Worker Center
Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group
Pittsburgh Human Rights City Alliance
Pittsburgh United
Pittsburghers for Public Transit
Polish Hill Civic Association
UrbanKind Institute
Wellness Pittsburgh
West End P.O.W.E.R.

In 2021, PPT members brought both the SHELTER and the STORM! Join us to celebrate a year of successful (and hard-fought) transit organizing.

In 2021, PPT members brought both the SHELTER and the STORM.

This year was hard – the crushing effects of the pandemic, a transit death spiral, a transit funding cliff. Jobs and housing lost. PPT members had to organize together to provide shelter for our neighbors and communities. But we didn’t stop there.

Our organizing was a FORCE. We launched a statewide campaign for expanded transit funding. We built a base to put a pro-public transit mayor in office. We laid the groundwork for a low-income fare program. We continued our push to extend the East Busway and we WON MILLIONS of federal dollars that can make it all real!

Join PPT for our year-end celebration of this phenomenal storm of organizing energy. We’re partying on ZOOM, with awards, games, and music in the mix. You helped get us this far, now come party with us!

RSVP by December 7th and we’ll mail you a surprise party-pack of goodies that you can bring with you to the online celebration!

Use the Google Form below to help the organizing effort:

It’s GO Time. Homestead to McKeesport Transit Improvements are within reach!

Let’s make sure we see through to the finish line our demands for quality transit Beyond the East Busway: the Homestead to McKeesport edition. 

The Context: 

Years of organizing from riders led to the Port Authority’s recent adoption of the NextTransit long-range plan to build faster transit corridors with nicer transit stops beyond the East Busway. One of the top-line priorities that we have fought so hard for is the improvement of the 61C corridor in the Mon Valley, and now it’s happening! Port Authority is working on a Homestead-McKeesport Transit Improvement Project and will be holding virtual public meetings on

JOIN US. Tuesday, December 7th at 12:00-1:30pm and 6:30-8:00pm. Register to attend online or by phone at 412-566-5184.

You can see an interactive map and information about the proposed project here.

What’s in the Current Proposal that will Affect Riders:

There are several changes that the Port Authority is asking for feedback on, that are included in their planning documents. Specifically, 

Bus Stop Removal or “Consolidation” – The Port Authority is proposing to eliminate bus stops, which they argue will address safety, bus speed and reliability issues. We have serious concerns about these, particularly because many stops proposed for elimination in Homestead have high ridership and high numbers of wheelchair boardings (you can read more about PPT’s position on bus stop consolidation here). Some bus stops proposed for elimination are the stops at 8th Ave and West, 8th and Ann, 8th Ave and Dickson, 8th and Andrew, and Kennywood Blvd at #4000.

Rerouting of service – The Port Authority sees an opportunity to speed up buses along this corridor by shifting some bus service, but riders need to evaluate these proposals for their impact on transit access. Most notably, the Port Authority is considering moving the Duquesne section of the 61C from 2nd Ave to Duquesne Blvd, and to reroute 53L to stay on Amity Street rather than it’s current routing on Ann and McClure streets.

Bus stop improvements to select stops – The Port Authority is considering bus stop improvements to some stops like bigger station areas, benches, and better signage.

Walking/safety improvements – The Port Authority is proposing walking and safety improvements like pedestrian islands in the middle of the street to allow for shorter street crossings, crosswalks, pedestrian crossing signals and nearby bus stop sidewalk buildout.  

Speed improvements – The Port Authority is proposing some street improvements to give buses priority over cars on the road. Some notable improvements include adding a transit queue jump at the Homestead Grays Bridge to keep buses from getting stuck at the light on 8th Ave, and adding some short bus only lanes on 8th Ave.

Check out the current Port Authority Interactive Map for full details, and offer your feedback. 

So what are some things we could be advocating for?

This is an incredible opportunity to make transit fast, comfortable, accessible, safe, and supportive of local development. We want to dream big. One way to think about what we want to see is by identifying what is wrong, so we’re asking you to think through these questions and bring your answers to Tuesday’s meeting:

Safety – Where are the places along this corridor that are unsafe for riders — getting to and from the buses? While waiting for buses? And what would make the access to transit more safe for riders? What does a safe stop look like? How will Port Authority ensure the safety of pedestrians and riders during the construction phase(s)? How do they plan to install the pedestrian islands when roads are already at the point where they cannot be wid ened further?

Bus Stop Amenities – What amenities do you see at other stops that you’d want to see at your stop? What would make the wait more comfortable at a stop? For example, would Port Authority install charging ports at renovated stops and new stations?

Speed – What is slowing down your bus trips? What would make the trip faster? (For instance, do you have issues with timely transfers? Buses stopping frequently to pick up passengers? Buses waiting at red lights or behind cars?)  

Access – How will your trip be impacted if the proposed bus stop removals go through? 

What places would you like to go or could be served more directly if the Port Authority shifted the routes along the 837 corridor? What locations would you like to be easier for you to get to in Homestead, Duquesne and McKeesport? If the project construction ends up rerouting the 59, which riders saved from service cuts, how would that impact you?

Development – What kinds of things do you want to see built by quality bus stops along this corridor? More jobs, affordable and disability accessible housing, childcare centers, grocery stores?

RSVP for the meetings and advocate for change!

Port Authority has the opportunity to make this a beautiful and safe project that can serve everyone, but they will not do it on their own. The 61C is known as the most dangerous route with high ridership. Recently two people were struck by a driver near Kennywood, and one of the victims did not survive. Mobility is a human right, and we all deserve safe and accessible transportation! This means safe sidewalks, bus stops, and shelters near where we live and where we want to travel.

The only way major change will happen is when we organize together, speak up for our communities, and bring our blueprints to the planning table. 

We need to help them realize the full vision of safe, accessible, and effective transportation. We have the ability to win everything we fought for over the past few years, but it will not happen unless we make it to the last mile and push this over the finish line. 

JOIN US. Tuesday, December 7th at 12:00-1:30pm and 6:30-8:00pm.Register to attend online or by phone at 412-566-5184.

You can see an interactive map and information about the proposed project here.

“We have to care for our neighbors and be the shelter. We have to fight for them and be the storm.” – Alisa Grishman, PPT Member

Your support for PPT will mean that more neighbors like Alisa will organize to win quality, affordable public transit in Allegheny County and across Pennsylvania. 

A note from PPT Member Alisa Grisman:

Public transit is my freedom, it enables me. My name is Alisa Grishman and I am a disability activist, wheelchair user, public transit rider, and member of Pittsburghers for Public Transit. Like tens of thousands of people across the state, my life and my independence rely on access to affordable public transit.

But public transit in PA is in trouble. Although the new federal infrastructure bill will send millions to transit agencies, it only funds infrastructure. It’s the State of Pennsylvania that’s on the line to fund the transit workers to run the essential service, and this funding will sunset at the end of this year.

No politicians are coming up with ideas to keep our systems running, and that’s why our organizing is critical. Through the Spring, we worked with hundreds across the state to build this vision for transit that moves all Pennsylvanians. Then, after months of isolation from the rest of the world, we rallied on the steps of the state capital to launch the Transit for All PA campaign!

This campaign and vision are gaining momentum. In the last 6 months we have garnered the support of more than 100 elected officials, unions, and community organizations – now we need you! Public transit is not an urban vs. rural issue. It’s not a Democrat vs. Republican issue. It’s an everyone issue. Come to a meeting, give a donation, join the next rally, get involved in this organizing force! For all that things seem grim, remember we win when we organize together.

Join this community and give  a gift of any amount—whether $5, $50, or $500—to push PPT towards our goal of raising $15,000 from 250 supporters!

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.”

—

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.

---

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. 

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.