PPT’s election for our Board of Directors will run from July 9th-August 13th. All PPT Members in good standing should cast their ballots for our next leadership team!

Please read this blog with bios on all the candidates before casting your vote. An overview of our election process is at the bottom of this blog.

We are excited to announce the following candidates who were nominated to join the PPT Board of Directors. PPT Members can vote for the next round of leaders who understand the importance of our work for transit justice in Allegheny County and across Pennsylvania – leaders who are looking to become more involved in directing the course of our campaigns, communications and actions.

Learn more about the nominees in their bios below and select the one who you feel can help usher our organization and movement into a new era of advocacy, grow our community and our member leadership skills. 

As a reminder, there are 7 Board Seats open for elections. All elected Board members will serve from August 2025 to August 2027.

All candidates are listed below in alphabetical order by last name. There is a photo and short bio for each candidate to give background on their past work for transit justice and other issues. Each nominee has approved and contributed to their bio.

PPT Members can vote for up to 7 of the following candidates to fill PPT General Member seats on our Board of Directors:

• Teaira Collins (she/her)
• Tom Conroy (he/him)
• Alisa Grishman (she/her)
• Gabriel McMorland (she/her)
• Paul O’Hanlon (he/him)
• Paul Vereb (he/him)
• Abhishek Viswanathan (he/him)

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Teaira Collins (she/her)

Teaira Collins is a lifelong transit rider, a Hazelwood community leader, a mother and foster mother, and now a grandmother to six grandchildren. Ms. Teaira met Laura Chu Wiens while at Port Authority testifying for improved transit service in Hazelwood, and has since become a leader in PPT’s Our Money, Our Solutions campaign for weekend service on the 93 and the extension of the 75. Ms. Teaira spoke at the City Council Capital Budget hearing press conference about the Mon-Oakland Connector alongside Barb Warwick, and on behalf of PPT during the Poor People’s Campaign Jubilee Caravan. She recently traveled to Atlanta on behalf of PPT on a delegation to connect with other Human Rights organizers across North America, and raise the important connections between public transit, housing, healthcare and food access. She is very active in the community, volunteering with The Mission Continues to help veterans and with the Hazelwood Family Support Center to uplift young mothers. Ms. Teaira also runs her own non-profit to advocate for those like her son Judah and other families with children who have Down Syndrome, and fundraises for the National Kidney Foundation to help research related to her daughter’s health. 

Ms. Teaira’s motivated to fight for more and better transit service alongside the need for more funding, and has been leading annual lobby and visits to legislators in Harrisburg to educate them on the impact and need for transit funding. She is dedicated to continue organizing for a free low-income fare program because it is needed now more than ever for all communities. Ms. Teaira Collins has been:

• A Hazelwood leader in PPT’s Our Money, Our Solutions campaign to create a resident-based mobility alternative to the Mon-Oakland Connector. She was integral in winning weekend service on the 93 for Hazelwood residents during that campaign.
• A PPT organizing fellow for the FairFares campaign and helped sign up dozens of riders for the pilot program
• A Volunteer and community advocate for The Mission Continues, Hazelwood Family Support Center, PPS PTA, and for people with Down Syndrome and Kidney Disease.
• A Member of the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council Board of Directors

Tom Conroy (he/him)

Tom Conroy has  both a strong Union background and entrepreneurship. Tom was a bus operator for PRT for 19 years, the last six years of his employment as the union Boardman at Collier garage which gave him a seat on the board of ATU local 85. He was also the shop steward at a small union medical supply company for Teamsters local 249 for a year in the mid-1970’s. He helped my wife manage a successful hair salon from 1980 until she retired in 2022. They both took many classes and seminars on not only the technical side of our profession as barber/stylists but also classes on communication and people skills.Tom Conroy was involved with PPT when it formed. He attended the rallies to bring back service to South Baldwin, helped at a neighborhood workshop to organize those residents to fight for restored service. He’s travelled to Harrisburg several times with PPT and Local 85 to protest and rally for funding, and testified at PRT board hearings and attended a city hearing for affordable housing. He’s recently attended marches to support our immigrant community and to fight back the MAGA agenda. He completed the Organizing Fellowship with PPT this past winter/spring, and intends to remain a member of the organizing committee. Tom was also a past member of the ACLU (now signing back up!), and is becoming active in the newly formed block watch in his community. 

Alisa Grishman

Alisa has been a member of PPT for many years now, and has participated in many campaigns including the Fair Fares Campaign and Transit For All PA! She has served on the Board of Directors for four non-profits, so brings a lot of experience from that sector as well. She hopes to continue PPT’s efforts to be inclusive and equitable in all that it does.

Alisa led the effort to make PRT revise its views on allowing open strollers on buses, leading to their creation of their first official policy on priority boarding for people with disabilities. She participated in multiple Harrisburg trips with Transit For All PA! to secure funding for the continued working of public transit in the state. Alisa has spoken at PRT Board meetings, amongst other events, to help pass the Fair Fares program.  She is the founder of Access Mob Pittsburgh, a disability justice organization that seeks to improve the lives of people with disabilities through positive advocacy such as education and economic incentives.  Alisa co-hosted the Week Without Driving with PPT, BikePGH, and AARP to bring awareness to the 30% of people who don’t drive and advocate for better sidewalk, road, and transit accessibility.

Gabriel McMorland (she/her)

Gabriel is a white trans woman, who is also blind and transit-dependent. She has been active with PPT since 2015, and was previously on the Coordinating Committee from 2017-2022. Gabriel was very involved with the Don’t Criminalize Transit Riders campaign and early service campaigns, and on the current campaign around scooters and sidewalks. She was the Community Organizer at The Thomas Merton Center from 2014-2017, and TMC’s Executive Director from 2017-2023, doing work that ranged across racial justice, ecological defense, labor solidarity, immigrant rights, and other moves towards liberation. She is also a musician, and played bass in the live performance of Wheels on the Bus at PPT’s end-of-year celebration. 

Gabriel invests time and leadership into PPT because she needs PPT to succeed. She has seen many times how PPT includes the sidewalks, curb cuts, and crosswalks as part of the overall transit system, and how PPT has centered people with disabilities to ensure that everyone’s needs are served. She believes that the outcomes of PPT’s work are practical, tangible, and truly affect peoples’ lives: PPT enacts its radical values of racial justice and worker justice, and makes them real through organizing. Gabriel’s vision for PPT is to ensure that organizing and leadership development continue to be at the heart of PPT’s work. 

Paul O’Hanlon (he/him)

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.

Paul Vereb (he/him)

Paul is a retired transit maintenance supervisor who stressed safety and efficiency while employed at PRT and he understands the importance of keeping transit affordable and reliable. Paul realizes the need of effective transit for people who rely on our system, and the personal and communal affect any changes could have on our region. He also brings a worker’s perspective to the table. Although Paul’s retired, he’s a firm believer in riders and transit worker’s rights, safety, and the pursuit of a thriving system.

Paul recently participated in the PPT Fellowship program which included a rally/press conference concerning the Bus Line Redesign. He’s rallied in Harrisburgh with ATU Local 85 and spoken to Representatives and Senators in support of sufficient funding for transit. He partcipated in the spring training, giving an important and often overlooked worker’s perspective. He circulated a petition to save our routes, jobs, and service, while visiting the garages during Transit Worker Appreciation Day, garnering nearly 100 petition signers to fund transit. 

Abhishek Viswanathan

Abhishek is a lifelong transit rider (in various cities and countries) and he’s invested in making Pittsburgh’s transit system accessible, equitable, and exciting to use. He have been working with PPT for several years in various capacities, always ensuring that transit riders and workers are the main priority. His background is in data science and I have used my skills to create maps and tools for riders to better understand the impact of changes to the transit system. Abhishek also introduces his students to local transit datasets so they can work with data that is grounded in services that thousands of people (including many of them) use daily. 
Abhishek also has experience with labour, environment, and anti-carceral-tech organizing in Pittsburgh. His vision for PPT is to bring more riders and students into the fold, amplify rider and operator voices through data storytelling, and use our broad base to push for increased accessibility and affordability. He also hopes that through intersectional organizing, PPT can connect with other social justice organizations to build a city that we can all thrive in.

Some key campaigns in which Abhishek has played a vital role include

• Securing equitable infrastructure, particularly for improved bus shelters
• Evaluating the Bus Line Redesign to ensure it works for All 
• Developing the Riders Vision for Public Transit 
• Developing a Transit Fellowship in the South Hilltop 
• Banning Facial Recognition and other surveillance at CMU

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Overview of PPT’s Board Election Process

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

The Board’s Executive Committee chooses how many seats will be up for PPT’s board election each year. Our bylaws say that our Board can be anywhere from 5 to 15 people and that 2 seats are reserved for transit workers connected to a local transit union. Earlier this year our Board’s Executive Committee decided to open 7 seats to be elected from our general membership, with a minimum of one transit worker to be elected to the Board this cycle.

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

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

How can PPT members vote?

PPT Members in good standing can cast their ballots from July 9th to August 13th using the form below. The nominees with the highest vote totals are invited to join the Board of Directors for a two-year term. As a reminder, all active PPT members commit to doing the following:

1. Agree to uphold PPT’s Transit Bill of Rights. 
2. Contribute their time over the past year and/or financial resources to help us grow our movement for transit justice. Members can contribute their time and help build power by participating in our monthly meetings, volunteer-led committees, campaign organizing drives, rallies and events.

If you are unsure of your PPT Membership status, you can check by email (info@pittsburghforpublictransit.org) or by phone ( 412-626-7353 ).

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PPT Members can vote below:

Image Description: NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani smiles at a podium reading “Zohran for New York City”. His hand is on his heart, and behind him are graphic blue, red, and yellow stripes. There is a crowd gathered and a colorful banner behind him.

The most dynamic public figure of our moment has lessons for us about transit organizing!

Two years ago, the then little-known Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani had a conversation with the national coalition of transit rider unions – the TRUST – of which Pittsburghers for Public Transit and the Philly Transit Riders Union are members. He shared his observations from a grassroots campaign to win dedicated, expanded state funding from the New York State Assembly and Governor to stop a funding cliff and improve services and lower fares on the NYC Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). 

Today, he is the Democratic frontrunner for mayor of New York City.

Check out Zohran Mamdani’s clip from 2023, addressing transit rider organizers from across the United States, on strategies for organizing (and winning!) statewide funding fights:

We are excited to hear the resonances between our current transit fight and the rider organizing in our neighboring state of New York! Some of the key lessons we took away from Mamdani’s talk were:

1. Be Bold: Lead With an Ambitious Set of Demands

Mamdani points out that we are charged with expanding the perception of what is possible to win, and in fact, it is that ambitious vision that energizes the public for the fight. 

We LOVE Mamdani’s observation that the public is eager to invest more to make our buses faster, more affordable and more available, and not just prevent further draconian cuts to our already inadequate public transit systems. It’s hard to motivate riders to fight to maintain a status quo that does not meet all our needs. That’s why Transit for All PA has been organizing for service restoration to 2019 levels for ALL communities statewide, and an additional 10% service expansion on top of that to all non- Pittsburgh and non-Philly regions. 

Riders and workers are inspired by this demand! As a result, just in the last four months, more than 15,000 people have joined the Transit for All PA campaign, with hundreds of people joining the Transit for All PA statewide calls to develop and ratify our collective agenda.   

2. Take the Budget Fight Out in Public from Behind Closed Doors and Call the Question on Where Politicians Stand

Zohran Mamdani urges riders to make the budget fight public, and to call for politicians to say where they stand on the advocates’ transit demands.

This year, we brought a whopping 350 riders and transit workers from all around the Commonwealth to Harrisburg, for a massive press conference and meetings with legislators from across the Commonwealth. Transit riders in communities large and small thronged the halls of the Capitol, bringing information and their stories to every single legislative office. They called the question on where each of those legislators stood on the issue of funding transit, to ensure that our systems would not merely survive, but thrive. 

Through rallies and legislative visits in all corners of the state, our weekly participatory research, monthly communications calls, and regular statewide organizing discussions with hundreds of riders, we’re building a culture of transparent and collaborative community organizing and daylighting the budget processes that profoundly affect our lives but are often hidden behind closed doors.

3. It’s All About Effective Conversations

Mamdani describes how organizers in NYC developed a powerful communications strategy to complement their campaign. He highlights the importance of these tools to help riders easily plug in to the organizing, and a simple and clear message that connects what is happening in the legislature to people’s needs and experiences on the bus. 

As Transit for All PA, we’re training all of our members to be organizers and effective communicators of our message: better transit is possible, better transit is necessary, and better transit is transformative. Good organizing starts with a good conversation, in which we ask questions to hear the needs of other riders, and to understand what their vision is for better transit. We then help draw the line between that vision and our shared statewide solutions, as well as the action that must be taken to achieve those solutions. 

Like Zohran Mamdani suggested, canvassing with QR codes that allow riders to easily fill out letters directed to their own legislators has been a powerful tool to allow folks to take action in the moment, and get plugged into longer term organizing efforts for transit funding. As a result, we organized tens of thousands of riders to send over 190,000 (!) letters to our state elected leaders to fund the transit service we deserve. We empowered riders from across the state to lead their own canvasses and connect with their own communities and legislators with a Transit for All PA organizing toolkit. 

Effective communications tools have been game-changing, but even more important are training our members as organizers and having a clear message to communicate. Through these efforts, we have successfully propelled transit to the top of the agenda in this year’s state budget negotiations. 

4. Organize with Transit Riders, Everywhere.

Mamdani points out that we are nowhere near exhausting the communities we should organize alongside to win the transit we deserve!

We must organize with transit riders in all 67 counties of Pennsylvania, because transit is available in some form – as fixed route buses or shared ride paratransit services for older adults and people with disabilities – and needed in all 67 counties. Our small town and rural neighbors have been denied quality transit service for far too long: we aim to change that. Through our monthly Transit for All PA calls with small cities and rural communities, we are building solidarity across geographies to understand every community’s distinct needs and develop a shared statewide funding solution. 

As Transit for All PA, we are also supporting a coalition led by and for disabled riders across the Commonwealth (Public Transit Access Coalition), to ensure that their needs are central to our demands, as well as a coalition focused on the intersection of social services access and public transit (Transit Resources to Access Care).

And finally, we cannot minimize the importance of solidarity and shared leadership with organized labor. Our transit worker sisters and brothers, who run our systems day in and day out, are the people who are most expert in the issues our current transit systems face. They are also the first to speak up about opportunities to make our transit service better. Moreover, there are millions of dollars in direct economic benefits generated from workers that manufacture the goods and services that support public transit. Those workers, too, have much to offer our organizing, and they have a lot at stake in this transit funding fight.

We see once again that ambitious goals can attract wide support, and that organizing – across geographies, across constituencies- gets the goods.

PPT won more funding for bus shelters–now we’re making sure it gets spent where it’s needed!

In 2024, we decided to raise the importance of transit rider comfort, safety, and dignity by launching a Bus Shelter Campaign. Our goal was to get more shelters installed at high ridership stops in low equity neighborhoods within the city of Pittsburgh. We first assessed the condition of existing bus shelters, then conducted site visits to stops without shelters. With PPT members helping to create new tools and in collaboration with Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI), we successfully audited 25 bus stops and won the first-ever allocation of funds for Bus Stop Amenities in Pittsburgh’s 2025 Capital Budget!

This summer we’re hitting the pavement with our Bus Shelter 2.0 Campaign! Our goal is to help DOMI identify 25 eligible bus stops for the installation of the city’s remaining 10 inactive shelters (shelters located at sites that no longer serve a bus route) and provide DOMI and Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) with additional information for future installations.

Two ways to help us win more bus shelters:

In order to help DOMI find the most eligible 25 stops, we need some support from you, the expert riders of our system!

1: Crowdsource bus shelter form

DOMI has asked for your expertise: what bus stops do you see in your communities that desperately need shelters? Is there a stop on your commute route that has a DIY bus shelter, like a chair, milk crate, or shade structure that someone has placed there on their own? Do you frequent a stop that has tons of riders, but nowhere to shelter them? 

If the answer’s yes, we have a new tool for you: a crowdsourced bus shelter form! Simply input your info and some basic information about the stop, and we’ll make a list to send over to DOMI. Bookmark this form and fill it out next time you’re waiting at your stop!

Please note: this form is NOT intended for immediate response or repairs. We will use this data to inform our future campaigns, not coordinate immediate construction or repairs. If your stop needs immediate repairs or attention, please contact Pittsburgh 311 by filling out their online form, or dialing 311 or 412-255-2621 on your phone.

2: Join an in-person bus shelter blitz!

Participants will meet at PPT’s office at the Friends Meeting House on July 30th, review materials, prepare, and then split into four different groups to audit eligible bus stops in four different regions of the city. The groups will travel by car to effectively audit a large number of stops.

Note that this event will not be accessible to all members; participants will be outdoors in various weather conditions and on different terrains. 

DOMI has asked for your expertise: what bus stops do you see in your communities that desperately need shelters?

DOMI has asked for your expertise: what bus stops do you see in your communities that desperately need shelters? Is there a stop on your commute route that has a DIY bus amenity, like a chair, milk crate, or shade structure that someone has placed there on their own? Do you frequent a stop that has tons of riders, but nowhere to shelter them? 

If the answer’s yes, we have a new tool for you: a crowdsourced bus shelter form! Simply input your info and some basic information about the stop, and we’ll make a list to send over to DOMI. 

Want to do more for PPT’s Bus Stop Summer? Join our in-person bus shelter blitz!

Join us on July 30th for an in-person audit of eligible stops for new shelters!

Participants will meet at PPT’s office at the Friends Meeting House, review materials, prepare, and then split into four different groups to audit eligible bus stops in four different regions of the city. The groups will travel by car to effectively audit a large number of stops.

Note that this event will not be accessible to all members; participants will be outdoors in various weather conditions and on different terrains.

Each session will be taught by our staff organizers, and are designed to be accessible to all skill levels. Please note: this training series is designed for Pittsburgh-area residents, and will cover content connected to transit justice in the Pittsburgh region.

Check out the descriptions below and register now! 

Organizing Committee Syllabus for June 2025 – December 2025:

June 24th, 2025

• Bus Shelter Audit Training – As a follow-up to our 2024 Bus Shelter Campaign the Organizing Committee will be gearing up for a Bus Shelter 2.0 Campaign this summer. During this meeting participants will review Bus Stop Audit forms and perform a mock audit at a nearby bus stop. RSVP now!

July 30, 2025

• Bus Shelter Audit Blitz – This will be an “in-the-field” meeting where four teams will travel to different locations throughout the City to assess bus stops to determine whether they meet the criteria for bus shelter placement. Space will be limited to a maximum of 16 people.

August 26, 2025

• Review of PPTs Democratic Process – This meeting will touch on PPTs member led structure and explore different volunteer roles at meetings and events. There will be a training focused on two of the roles members volunteer for the most: facilitation and note taking. RSVP now.

September 30, 2025

• Group Canvass – Take a walk with the Organizing Committee and learn about the organizing tactic canvassing. This training aims to familiarize you with the “organizing conversation” and engaging riders at bus stops to spread awareness about who PPT is and upcoming service changes in Homestead that could strongly impact our community. RSVP now.

October 28, 2025

• Phone and Text Banking – Phone calls and text messages are the backbone of many of PPTs actions and meetings. It’s how we engage transit riders on different campaigns, invite folks to our events and build community. In preparation for PPTs Winter Member Drive, come learn, or brush up on, your phone banking skills. RSVP now.

November 18, 2025

• PPTs Membership Process – “How do I become a member?” Review what it means to be a member led organization, how to help someone become a member, and how to ask someone to become a member. Just in time for PPTs Winter Member Drive! RSVP now.

December 9, 2025

• Review and Planning Session – This will be one big debrief of months of training and skill development. What should the Organizing Committee focus on in 2026? How can you help recruit new members to the committee? RSVP now.

What is PPT’s Organizing Committee? 

PPTs Organizing Committee is responsible for the tactical execution of our strategic vision. This involves leading membership training, canvassing, phone banking, and direct action. We focus on building strong relationships and community among transit riders and workers, emphasizing peer-to-peer skill sharing and leadership development.

The Organizing Committee meets on the last Tuesday of every month, in person from 6pm – 7:30pm at PPTs accessible office at the Friends Meeting House, 4836 Ellsworth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. For more information and how to get involved, email nicole@pittsburghforpublictransit.org. 

Transit riders are pushing back against cuts that are being proposed across the state. We have put forward a legislative package that would expand transit in every corner of Pennsylvania. Now we need your help.

The time to TAKE ACTION IS NOW! Use this form to email your legislators and ask them to support the Transit for All PA! funding package!

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Transit riders have put forward the Transit for All PA! legislative funding package that would EXPAND transit service across the state. The time is now to write your reps and sign on as a co-sponsor.

Whether the cuts that have been proposed in Pittsburgh, or in Philadelphia, or in other small towns across our state, transit riders are done with decline (if you’re from Pittsburgh and you want to get involved in fighting against the proposed cuts, check out our toolkit here). We organized throughout the spring to create a slate of ideas that would generate enough funding to expand service levels in Pittsburgh and every PA County. Then we organized and convinced our legislators to introduce them as bills in the House and Senate. Now we need to keep on organizing to make our dreams a reality.

Overview of Transit for All PA! funding package

Our goal goes beyond maintaining our current levels of austerity service. Instead, we at Transit for All PA are aiming to restore transit service statewide to 2019 levels, with an additional 10% service expansion in regions outside of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. 

To do that, we calculate that $537 million is needed in new funding for FY 26. We are looking to uplift Governor Shapiro’s proposal to increase the allocation of the existing sales tax to fund public transit, but also to expand on it with commonsense and achievable tax reforms to ensure that we can stabilize, restore and expand transit to meet all our communities’ needs.

In order to reach this goal, we need to propose funding sources that will meet this need and which will increase year over year to meet inflation. Moreover, these funding mechanisms should be:

• Politically viable 
• Quickly enacted
• Not disproportionately burdensome to marginalized, disabled or low income populations
• Related to transportation
• Ideally non-competitive to other basic needs through the General Fund, and dedicated to public transportation

To find a solution, we underwent months’ worth of research and held lengthy discussions with hundreds of stakeholders statewide. We believe we can meet our goal with three collective funding mechanisms, together with the Governor’s proposed sales tax ALLOCATION increase.

PRT’s proposed cuts. How we stop them and win service expansion:

If PRT doesn’t get this funding, they have proposedd that the entire system would see a 35% decrease in service and a 9% increase in fares. Paratransit service would be cut a staggering 62%, and fares would increase 20%.

We know that transit is a public necessity, connecting people across our region–no matter their neighborhood, income level, or ability–to jobs, healthcare, food, and community. The state government’s budget proposal will revoke access to these lifelines for thousands.

Alongside our partner coalition Transit For All PA!, we’re calling on our elected officials to find a stable, alternative funding source for public transit–one that restores transit funding and service to pre-2019 levels across the state, from Pittsburgh to Erie to Philly and everywhere in between.

I’m a retired educator fighting with PPT for my small-town bus service. Will you join me by becoming a dues-paying member? 

My name is Joan Monroe. I live in Trafford, PA, a little borough east of Allegheny County. Public transit is important to me because it is the lifeblood of my community.

My community relies on public transit to access jobs, healthcare, family, and more – not to mention all those who take the bus to Trafford to shop and work! I started organizing Trafford to support transit in 2024, after Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s proposed Bus Line Redesign threatened to cut all our bus service. Then, in March 2025, PRT announced that without more funding from the state, it would have to slash all its service by 60% or more—with the worst cuts borne by senior citizens and people with disabilities who ride paratransit.

Even worse, since the funding crisis is statewide, every transit system in PA—including Westmoreland county transit—would have to make similar cuts, endangering their existence altogether. 

I wasn’t about to let that happen. I’m a retired union member, so I know the value of public services—and I know that if we organize together, we can fight for them and win. 

I knew I had to step up my organizing, and I knew PPT would help me do it.

With support from PPT’s statewide coalition, Transit for All PA!, I mobilized my community to contact our senator—who just so happens to be the PA Senate President Pro Tempore. Together, we even got a billboard put up in the middle of Trafford with her phone number!

This is why I am a member of PPT, and why I think you should join us.

Our Transit for All PA! Coalition is the only group that has proposed a real solution to this crisis—one that is realistic, achievable, equitable, and responsive to transit riders’ and workers’ needs. After just three months of organizing, we’ve sent 124,000 letters to our legislators urging them to protect public transit, and brought over 300 people to Harrisburg to rally with us for a better budget. I believe that, if we all pitch in, we can fight for transit funding that truly serves us.

That’s why I wanted to ask: will you support PPT by becoming a dues-paying member today?

It has never been more urgent to support PPT’s work.  You can join for just $2.75—the current cost of a PRT bus fare! That money goes directly towards advocacy for a transit budget that moves ALL Pennsylvanians—whether they live in big cities, or smaller boroughs and towns, like me. 

Everyone deserves access to public transportation. Will you help us make that dream a reality?

Transit for All PA! Rally and Lobby Day in Harrisburg!

Whether we live in big cities or small towns, public transit is a lifeline–it connects us to jobs, healthcare, community, and so much more. Public transit in Pennsylvania is under dire threat, but we can take action together to save and expand it.

Join Transit for All PA! for a day of rallying and meeting with state legislators to share our stories and tell them: Pennsylvania deserves transit that moves all of us!

• before 10am: Travel to Harrisburg
• 10am-11am: Rally & Press Conference
• Noon-1pm: Drop-in Lunch Hour
• 11am-3pm: Legislative Visits

Transportation

Transit for All PA! will be providing transportation from some communities to and from Harrisburg for this event.

Transportation from Pittsburgh

Buses to and from Harrisburg will be provided to attendees from Pittsburgh. Please meet at 4836 Ellsworth at 5:00 AM; the bus will depart at 5:30 AM. Stay tuned after registration for more details on how to reserve a spot on the bus.

Transportation from Philadelphia

Transit for All PA! will provide train tickets for attendees from the Philadelphia area. We will be taking the Keystone Line from the William H. Gray 30th Street. The train departs at 7:25 AM, so be sure to be there with plenty of time to board. Please stay tuned after registration for more details on how to reserve a ticket.

Transportation from Lancaster

Transit for All PA! will provide train tickets for attendees from the Lancaster area. The Keystone Line will arrive at the Lancaster Amtrak station at 8:42 AM, so be sure to be there with plenty of time to board. Please stay tuned after registration for more details on how to reserve a ticket.

Transportation from other communities

Transit for All PA! may also provide transportation from other communities in PA. We will determine which communities to charter buses to and from based on interest and funding, so please indicate if you would like transportation assistance when you fill out the form. Please stay tuned after registration for more details on how to reserve a spot.

Food

Everyone who RSVPs will receive a free lunch. Please let us know when you register if you have any dietary restrictions that must be accommodated. Reach out to info@transitforallpa.org if you have any restrictions that are not listed.

Accessibility

Please let us know when you register if you have any additional access needs (I.e., mobility devices, interpretation, etc) that must be accommodated, either during the rally or during transportation to and from Harrisburg. If you have accessibility needs that are not listed on the form, please reach out to info@transitforallpa.org.

Join the leadership team to coordinate the strategic direction of Pittsburghers for Public Transit. Nominations open until July 6th. Voting open from July 9th to August 13th.

Pittsburghers for Public Transit is a grassroots union of transit riders, transit workers and neighbors. We fight for a public transit system that is expanded, reliable, accessible and affordable to all in Allegheny County, with no community left out. We operate as a member-led organization, which means its our members who elect our Board of Directors, develop and approve our annual strategic plan, and participate in our different committees to win our campaigns.

Our Board Election Season is a special time for PPT! We are looking for a new round of leaders who understand the importance of our work for transit justice in Allegheny County, and are looking to get more involved in directing the course of our campaigns, communications, and actions. Nominations are open until July 6th. If you think you know what it takes to lead our Union, nominate yourself or someone else! The nomination of transit riders, transit workers, Youth, Black people, Indigenous people, People of Color, LGBTQ People, People with Disabilities, Immigrants, and Women are strongly encouraged.

Nominate yourself or someone who inspires you with their leadership, vision, and commitment to transit justice.

More about nominations and voting:
6 seats are open for PPT’s General Membership to run for.
1 seat is open for a PPT Member who is a unionized transit worker.

See the list of current Board Members here.

This year, the board decided to open at least 4 seats for General PPT Members to serve on the board. These people will be elected to the seats currently filled by Bobbie Fan, Dean Mougianis, Gabriel McMorland, Mayor Nickole Nesby, Paul O’Hanlon, and Teaira Collins.

Our bylaws require that each year’s election reserves a seat for a union transit worker. This person will be elected to the seat that is currently being filled by Kevin Joa.

Nominations for these seats are open until Jul 6th. All current PPT Members are welcome to nominate themselves or another PPT Member. Outgoing board members are able to self-nominate or be nominated by another to serve another term.

PPT members are all those who support the Transit Bill of Rights, have participated in a PPT action or meeting, and have given dues of at least $2.75 cents within the last year (the cost of a single PRT fare).

PPT staff will confirm with each nominee whether they accept the nomination to be on the ballot. Each nominee will also be invited to submit up to 250 words about their background, experience, and vision for the organization. This can be submitted through the nomination form, email, or via phone and PPT staff will transcribe.

All nominee bios will be sent to PPT Members the second week of June and again the first week of July. Bios and photos will also be included in the ballot. Nominees will have 3 minutes to speak at the July PPT member meeting before votes are cast to highlight their vision for PPT and how their skills will help build the organization.

Voting in the 2025 Board of Directors election will open at PPT’s monthly meeting on July 10th, and remain open until the Summer Picnic on August 13th. PPT members cast their vote via an online form that will be shared at the July meeting and emailed, or by calling PPT’s Director.

PPT Board Structure and Expectations

Each July, PPT members vote for leaders to fill seats on PPT’s 5-15 member Board of Directors. Board Members serve a 2-year term. 2 seats must be filled by members of the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 85 (the union that represents all of the Port Authority’s bus operators and maintenance workers) or another transportation union that represents workers in Allegheny County because strong community/labor solidarity is a central belief of the organization. The other seats are filled by members who have had previous experience with PPT’s work, and are looking to bring their involvement to the next level.

Members of the Board are expected to attend quarterly Board meetings and should also stay engaged with General Membership Meetings on the second Wednesday of each month. Additionally, Coordinating Committee members will need to maintain active lines of communication with PPT staff and other PPT members to advise and assist with the organization’s strategy, tactics, structure, and financial sustainability. Board Members should also serve on one of PPT’s three committees (Organizing Committee, Communications Committee, and Research Committee).

An excerpt of Article IV of PPT’s bylaws with full detail of the expectations and powers of PPT’s board is included at the bottom of this blog.

2025 PPT Board of Directors Election Schedule

• Nominations are open until July 6th.
• Bios and photos of current nominees will be sent to members before the June PPT meeting and again before the July PPT meeting. Bios will also be included on the ballot.
• July 9th, 7pm: PPT Monthly Meeting with Board Nominee introductions and Elections, voting opens
• August 13th, 11:59pm: Final deadline for PPT members to submit their ballots online or via phone

Submit nominations through the link below, or by calling PPT’s Director, Laura Wiens, at 703-424-0854:

Excerpt from Article IV of PPT’s Bylaws explaining expectations and operations of our Board:

Article IV – Board of Directors 

Section 1: Board Role, Size and Composition

The PPT Board of Directors shall hereinafter be referred to as the Board.

The Board is responsible for managing the business affairs, property, and policies of PPT. The Board shall be composed of five (5) to fifteen (15) members representing diverse interests and areas of expertise that strengthen the knowledge base of PPT. A minimum of two (2) seats will be reserved for members of the Amalgamated Transit Union or any union representing mass transportation workers in the Greater Pittsburgh Region. One of these reserved transportation union seats shall be elected in every second year. The Board shall have charge of the proper, normal, and usual expenditures and other business of the corporation; they shall enforce the provision of these bylaws; they shall abide by the policies and procedures set forth in the Policies and Procedures Manual, and shall enforce the rules and regulations set forth for the management, care, and governance of the property and affairs of the corporation. The Board may employ or appoint such person or persons, or agents, as they deem necessary to further the business of the corporation and shall set and adjust the compensation of all persons or agents so employed or appointed. 

The Board will hire an Executive Director who may hire such paid staff as they deem proper and necessary for the operation of the Corporation. The powers and duties of the Executive Director shall be assigned or delegated by the Board of Directors. The powers and duties of the paid staff, other than the Executive Director, shall be as assigned or as delegated by the Executive Director and/or the Board of Directors, in accordance with PPT personnel policies.  

Section 2. Qualifications for Board of Directors

Board members shall be elected from the eligible voting, dues-paying membership, and only dues-paying members are eligible to run in the elections. Candidates for the board must have been a dues-paying member for six (6) months prior to an election. 

Section 3. Compensation

The Board of PPT shall serve without compensation. Board members may be reimbursed for pre-approved expenses reasonably incurred on behalf of PPT. Nothing in this paragraph is intended to preclude a Board member from receiving compensation for their service to PPT in some other capacity, provided that the transaction has been reviewed and approved by the Finance Committee in compliance with PPT’s conflict of interest policy.

Section 4. Recruitment and Elections

Nominations for new Board members will be made and publicized by the Board, Membership, and/or staff, at least two (2) months before the Membership meeting at which the election will take place.  Elections for the Board shall take place every year, with five (5) seats elected in even years, and six (6) seats elected in odd years.

Elections shall be announced verbally at the two (2) immediately preceding membership meetings before the election.

Dues paying members in good standing are eligible to vote. 

Bios and platforms of candidates shall be distributed by email to members one month in advance of the vote, and publicized on PPT’s website. Candidates will have three (3) minutes to address the general membership in advance of the election during the general membership meeting. Voting will be open for a minimum of one (1) week.

Section 5. Powers

The government of PPT, the direction of its work, and the control of its property shall be vested in the Board. The Board shall be authorized to adopt such rules and regulations as may be deemed advisable for the government of the Board, the proper conduct of business of PPT, and the guidance of all committees, officers, and employees. The Board shall be empowered to do whatever in its judgement may be calculated to increase efficiency and add to the usefulness of PPT; and to carry out the main purpose of this association provided such action is not in conflict with these bylaws. 

Section 6. Limitations

PPT shall be non-partisan and non-sectarian in its activities. 

Section 7. Term of office and Maximum number of terms  

Directors shall be elected to a term of two (2) years. Board members shall serve a maximum of three (3) consecutive terms. 

Section 8. Meeting Attendance Requirement

Board members must attend a minimum of three (3) out of the four (4) quarterly board meetings per year by phone or presence. Failure to fulfill minimum board obligations may be accepted by the board as a de facto or implicit resignation. The Board member will be informed before the publication of such de facto resignation to the members.

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

Clair Hopper is thrilled to join Pittsburghers for Public Transit in an official capacity! Clair has deep family roots in the area and moved to Pittsburgh in 2021 from Houston, Texas, where she first got involved with climate and transportation justice. Like many Houstonians, Clair’s first exposure to community organizing was through disaster relief, when Hurricane Harvey interrupted her junior year of undergrad and opened up the world of mutual aid and solidarity through crisis. 

Clair made a career transition from arts education to climate and transportation justice when Houston’s worsening storms impeded her students’ ability to access education. At the same time, she joined Stop TxDOT I-45, a grassroots movement to prevent the expansion and relocation of 23 miles of Houston’s deadliest highway–a move that would displace thousands of Black and Brown Houstonians while irrevocably harming the region’s climate and environment.

With Stop TxDOT, Clair coordinated communications and assisted with direct action planning and research efforts. She also organized a walk and rally to build solidarity between communities affected by the proposed expansion, and in 2021, helped coordinate a large free food, water, and cash distribution effort in those communities after Winter Storm Uri collapsed Texas’s power grid. She will never forget the lessons learned during this terrifying and beautiful time: that even in the most destabilizing crises, beauty and transformation can be found in caring for our neighbors.

Clair came to Pittsburgh to pursue a master’s degree in Environmental History, writing a thesis on the past, present, and future of urban “renewal” and community development in Pittsburgh. Clair developed a chronic illness in 2019, and her organizing is deeply informed by her lived experience of inhabiting a sleepy, pained, disabled body. She knows that our ability to care for each other stems directly from our ability to care for ourselves: rest, sweetness, and intentionality are what build our communal roots strong enough to weather any storm.

The PPT team is excited to have you on board! What drew you to the work PPT is doing? 

When I moved to Pittsburgh, I knew I needed to find a home in transportation activism, and PPT was right there from the beginning! I was so excited to find an organization that was rooted in not only transportation policy, but also disability justice, economic justice, racial justice, and environmental justice–in other words, a truly intersectional justice project. I am also so inspired by PPT’s longevity as an organization, and their commitment to decentralized, democratic organizing. 

I had the opportunity to deepen my connection with PPT through a 2023 service term (administered by Repair the World Pittsburgh), where I helped design and administer a process for crafting a truly member-led strategic plan. It was thrilling to see how directly members can influence the decisions PPT makes, and I knew I wanted to make PPT my political home.

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

I’m so excited to do communications work again–I love to write and design, and even better when I get to write and design for people and a cause that I love! 

It’s been a hell of a first couple months with PPT–about 2 weeks after I first joined the staff, PRT announced its proposal for once-in-a-generation service cuts that could decimate our system if the state transit budget isn’t increased. It’s been an absolute whirlwind, and I’ve thrown down with the rest of the team to coordinate rallies, lobbying efforts, and community agitation around this critical fight. I’m shocked and delighted to see how much progress we’ve made in the past weeks; since I’ve joined, we’ve grown our network of supporters by about 10,000 people! So, to answer the question–I think we’ll win transit funding for all PA!

What’s your experience with transit? What routes have you ridden during different parts of your life? How has the experience varied between cities where you’ve lived and visited?

I’ve been in too many bad car crashes and know too much about climate change to want to drive if I can at all avoid it. My disabled body loves the bus–it is such a relief to have a lift when I’m too nauseous or in pain to walk, bike, or drive to work (or the store, or the doctor’s, or wherever). I also love getting to know my neighbors, and every city looks its best when seen through a bus window! 

In Houston, the bus system is excellent–despite lots of systemic walkability issues, the buses are frequent, reliable, easy to decipher, and can get you across a city almost the size of Rhode Island for $1.25. The bus helped me explore my city, learn my way around, and grow my independence as a college student. It was also a radicalizing experience to navigate Houston, a place with massive four-lane streets even in residential neighborhoods, as a pedestrian. I was often the only person walking on the sidewalk, sweating profusely and praying a driver didn’t squish me. No better way to learn the life-or-death consequences of the built environments we choose to make! Even though we don’t face the same type of challenges in Pittsburgh, I learned that it’s easy to organize for a better city when you live the shortcomings firsthand. 

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

This might sound counterintuitive, but the thing that gives me the most energy and inspiration is rest. 

When I first got sick in 2019, I had to learn the hard way to slow down–walk slower, do fewer things, say no to opportunities. This was such a painful lesson to learn. But it came with a beautiful lesson, too. If you’re not running at a thousand miles an hour, you notice what makes your corner of the world wonderful. If you walk slowly through Frick Park, you notice that there’s mushrooms everywhere, and you start to wonder what their names are, and then you start to learn more about the natural world that sustains you. If you introduce rest into your organizing, you have time to reflect on what’s working well, what patterns your work is reinforcing, and importantly, which directions you can grow in. That’s the energy that makes life delicious to live, and that’s the energy I aim to bring to my work.

What is your favorite pump-up song?

Molasses by Haitus Kaiyote–Makes me want to dance when I’m sick. Reminds me that life can be gorgeous even when it’s painful!