Dozens of riders and supporters celebrate getting bus service to transit deserts!

Here is the media coverage from our event. Thanks to all who made the event and these campaigns such a big success!

http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/9056072-74/bus-riders-authority#axzz3lGBgptCG

http://www.pghcitypaper.com/Blogh/archives/2015/09/09/two-transit-deserts-get-bus-service-back

http://wesa.fm/post/restored-service-baldwin-groveton-squelches-four-year-transit-desert


More recap of the event from us:

After being stuck in a transit desert for years, residents celebrated their inaugural rides into town this morning! Dozens of Baldwin and Groveton community members, along with Pittsburghers for Public Transit, rode the 44 Knoxville and 20 Kennedy to downtown Pittsburgh. Even more supporters joined them for a celebratory rally at 6th Ave and Wood St.

Riders spoke about all the work they had done in the past year to advocate for service in their communities, and they thanked Port Authority and elected officials for listening to their concerns. Dennis Donahoe, resident at Churchview Garden Apartments in Baldwin borough, was thrilled to get the service back and shared his pride for everyone who came together to make this happen.

Darnell Jones, a resident of Groveton Village highlighted the ways the community came together by making phone calls and writing letters and speaking at meetings. Now he and his neighbors can get to work, the doctor, school, and the grocery store.

His neighbor, Dietra Hawkins, talked about how she could now take the bus to her new job at a hospital. Before this extended bus service, she relied on others to give her a ride to the nearest bus stop nearly 2 miles away so that she could get to school at Bidwell Training Center.

Mike Harms and Tom Conroy, bus operators, discussed the ways transit workers helped on these campaigns, demonstrating the “power of the people.”

Laura Wiens of Pittsburghers for Public Transit highlighted the need for our entire region to come together for adequate and affordable public transit service

Port Authority’s schedule changes went into effect this week, which included extensions of 4 routes throughout the system.

A huge thanks to everyone who made these campaigns a success! And thanks for coming out to celebrate this morning!