Join us in congratulating County Executive-elect Sara Innamorato on her victory! Sara put out a big vision for what public transit can be in our county.
Sign on to say you’ll support her in making it real.
Congratulations to incoming Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato, the first woman to hold the role! We celebrate the fact that County Executive-elect Innamorato both lifted up the need and shared her aspiration to build a World-Class Transit System in her acceptance speech on Tuesday evening, to big applause.
Pittsburghers for Public Transit is ready to work alongside her to ensure that the needs of transit riders are met, by having frequent and reliable service countywide, by ensuring a safe and dignified working environment for transit workers, with affordable fares, and with dedicated, robust transit infrastructure on our streets. With these investments, we serve everyone and not just transit riders: World Class Transit in Allegheny County will improve our air quality, will make our streets safer and less congested, will make development more affordable to build and our region more desirable and attractive to new residents and businesses so we can all thrive.
During her campaign for County Executive, Sara Innamorato made building a World-Class Transit System in Allegheny County a core part of her vision.
She was the only candidate in the general election to fill out PPT’s #VoteTransit questionnaire and participate in PPT’s transit ride and worker ride-along. And she received the endorsement of our friends in labor at the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85. On the campaign trail, she made a strong list of commitments for when she gets into office. Here’s a recap of what Sara said she would do:
🚌 Appoint at least one rider and one operator to the PRT board
🚌 Put a moratorium on service reductions and cuts
🚌 Create a permanent zero-fare program for all SNAP/EBT recipients
🚌 Build more affordable, transit-oriented development
🚌 Work with Mayor Gainey and other local leaders to invest infrastructure dollars to improve transit, and pass pro-transit zoning reforms at the municipal level
🚌 Establish more communication between PRT and the community and transit advocates
🚌 Fully implement a bulk pass discount program to get large employers to pre-pay for transit passes for their employees
🚌 Seek PILOT [Payment in Lieu of Taxes] payments or additional taxes from large employers and non-profits
🚌 Create a new position at PRT focused on language accessibility and disability access
Sara has been a proven transit champion in the legislature. Her track record proves that she can make it happen.
It has been clear from the start of her political career that she understands how transit is a vital public utility and a public good. Her first town-hall as an elected representative was onboard the 91 bus, chatting with her constituents about improving transit and access to housing, food, and other critical resources. As a state representative, she was a member of the House Transportation Committee and one of the first legislators to join our statewide Transit for All PA! Coalition. County Executive-elect Sara Innamorato also championed efforts to expand transit funding for systems across the state, institute a zero fare program for low-income families, and open new opportunities for big transit systems to fund themselves.
We’ve shown the power and potential of a #VoteTransit campaign to educate candidates for office on transit needs, and to motivate residents to vote based on candidates’ positions on our demands.
This race was its most important test: the County Executive is the most powerful single elected position to address the needs of transit riders and workers in Allegheny County. That’s why over this year, riders discussed and developed a list of goals for the incoming County Executive, had candidates for office come on bus ride-alongs with transit riders and workers, had candidates respond to questionnaires around their transit platforms, and why dozens of PPT volunteers textbanked and ORGANIZED for voters to get out and #VoteTransit.
Join us in congratulating Sara Innamorato on her victory, and to show your support to ensure that her transit commitments become reality.
We are committed to her model of co-governance, and want to show her the transit community that will be there to support her every step of the way: