Transit Worker Appreciation Day
Wednesday March 18th is National Transit Worker Appreciation Day. Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) encourages riders and residents to thank our Port Authority bus and rail operators and maintenance workers for keeping us moving.
Pittsburghers for Public Transit is coordinating over a dozen volunteers to distribute thank you cards to transit riders, who can deliver them to their bus operators. We will also be distributing cards to maintenance workers. These cards say: “Because you rock, I roll,” and “Thanks for keeping us moving.”
On March 18th, cards will be available between 12 and 1 and between 3 and 5 at both of the following locations:
-Outside Wood St station downtown
-Forbes and Bigelow in Oakland.
Riders can print out their own cards at this website
We appreciate the opportunity to thank and honor the over 2,000 public transit workers in Allegheny County who get riders to our destinations safely. These workers are out 365 days a year in rain, snow, ice, and frigid temperatures, as well as our hot summers. Bus operators collect fares, help riders find their way, handle safety issues, keep to a strict route schedule, and manage their way through traffic—along the steep and winding streets of our region. Maintenance workers maintain, repair, and clean the rails, buses, busways, stations, etc. These workers are the backbone of our transit system, and we are grateful for the work they do each day to keep Allegheny County moving.
“The drivers deal with all the traffic so that I don’t have to.” –James Keener.
“I appreciate transit workers because they drive me to all of the places I need to go safely and stress free.” –Daisha Bernal
Social media tags: #pghlovestransitworkers, #transitworkerday, #twd, #thankyoutransitworkers, #Pgh4Pubtransit
Questions?
Contact: Molly Nichols
info@pittsburghforpublictransit.org
(412) 216-9659
Here are Groveton Village residents after addressing the board. They currently face a cold 1.5 mile walk to the bus in Coraopolis:
Rebecca Kiernan, Sustainability Coordinator for the Township of Moon, also addressed the board with the following comments:
Moon is located 17 miles west of Pittsburgh off I-376. A typical suburban community, the Township developed with the automobile in mind; neighborhoods of cul-de-sacs make for a lack of connectivity, sidewalks are sporadic, and stores and amenities are not in residential zones.
In the Mooncrest community of Moon, the loss of transit service has had devastating effects for the geographically isolated and predominantly low-income neighborhood. When buses were cut in 2011, residents lost mobility and employment. Residents without vehicles walk two miles to the closest bus stop and three miles to the closest grocery store- down a steep hill and along a busy, dangerous four lane road as seen in photos below.
Roughly 20% of residents in the Township are over the age of 60, and planning for the aging population is a major theme in the Township’s proposed Comprehensive Plan. Seniors who want to age in place, and no longer drive are severely limited in access to basic resources. The Moon Area Senior Citizens Association regularly battles lack of transit in their meetings.
Robert Morris University, which has expanded its campus and enrollment has difficulty attracting commuting students. Students who live on campus have limited mobility to leave campus to explore and participate in internships and opportunities throughout the Township and the region. RMU representatives are both supportive and fully active in the Township’s efforts to enhance mobility, and participate in existing bike/ped, public transit and economic development committees.
Commuters to Moon such as myself, total more than 21,000 per day, heading to large companies like FedEx and Eaton, located in Moon’s business parks. The sheer amount of commuters redefines the lack of public transit to and around Moon as a regional issue. The University Boulevard Park-and-Ride is located half a mile from Airside Business Park, which houses Michael Baker Int’l. and other major offices, employing a substantial portion of the commuters- this stop is also one mile from RMU. The stop serves the G3 Moon Flyer, which takes people from Moon to Downtown on weekday mornings, returning empty between trips because there is not a return trip option from Downtown to Moon- it does the reverse in the afternoon. I pass the G3 daily on my way to and from work- completely empty because there is no reverse commute line.
Public transportation would reduce the more than 18,000 single occupancy vehicles commuting to Moon, easing traffic, improving regional air quality and reducing carbon emissions. Traffic on I-376 West is nearly, if not as bad as, inbound traffic to the City. Easier commutes would prevent suburban sprawl and reduce blight in the City as commuters wouldn’t need to move to the suburbs for work.
While it does not address the needs of most Township residents, opening the doors to the G3 Moon Flyer and allowing ridership on the existing trip of the reverse commute seems like an easy tweak in service that would have great regional benefits.
As Moon strives to improve its livability, we know that the Port Authority is a crucial player in enhancing mobility.
PPT celebrated the passage of the transportation bill in November of 2013, thanks to the support of people like you! 
The good news from the bill: no more service cuts. The bad news: it was designed for Port Authority to only “maintain existing service” and not to restore the service that has been cut over the years.
This is a problem. Some residents in our county walk over 2 miles to get to a single bus stop. We’ve been mobilizing residents in these “transit deserts.” Residents from Baldwin borough have gotten together to advocate for service in their community–meeting with Port Authority and elected officials, delivering over 1500 petitions, holding a Walk for Transit in September.
Port Authority is now well aware about the needs of this community just 5 miles from downtown Pittsburgh, and the campaign is continuing to push for service this year! Residents in Moon and Groveton (near Coraopolis) have also worked to get their voices heard. We know that when transit riders, transit workers, and residents come together, we gain power.
In addition to these community campaigns, PPT has been advocating for more inclusive and transparent transit planning and decision-making. Port Authority is listening, and they are now working on developing criteria for how and where to add service, including a formal process for how to respond to service requests. This kind of democratic input is crucial for improving our transit system and ensuring it meets the needs of the residents of this county. PPT has also pressured county council to recognize that additional revenue from the drink tax could be allocated for Port Authority operating costs. We understand the funds are limited, but a few million dollars a year could make a huge difference in the kind of service Port Authority can provide.
We have also been conducting research on sustainable transportation, equity, service needs, accessibility, ridership potential, and funding sources.
We are gearing up for the next year and plan to mobilize residents in at least 3 more communities. We encourage you transit supporters to get involved in our campaigns. If you’d like to make a donation, you can do so here.
Thank you for all you’ve done to support public transit, and we look forward to working with you all to ensure that we get service to these transit deserts and keep the public in public transit!
Ready to Ride! Moon residents mobilize for public transit crucial to their community.
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Here is PPT’s op-ed highlighting the issue of transit deserts:
Don’t leave transit deserts high and dry
Here is a report from WESA 90.5 where PPT asks questions about the allocation of county transportation funds: PennDot pedestrian bridge uses PAT funding
PPT presented at County Council on Sept 23 and Oct 30. For our testimony, click here, and here.
On Oct. 30, council members articulated their concern about transit deserts to Port Authority, insisting that a solution needed to be found.
PPT hopes that Port Authority and the County work together to begin to address this serious problem.