My name is Marcus McKnight. I’m a bus driver in Philadelphia and I co-founded the Philly Transit Riders Union. Are you wondering why I’m chiming in for Pittsburghers for Public Transit? Well let me tell you!
Pittsburghers for Public Transit helps lead the statewide Transit for All PA! Campaign, which is organizing AND WINNING resources for public transit across our state. Transit riders and transit workers know what we need and are building power by organizing together!
I love being a bus driver. I get to meet people from around the state, the country, and even the world. When tourists get on my bus, I always ask: Where are you from? If I visit, what should I see and do? I make them feel proud of their hometown and tell them what makes me proud to be from Philly. The local and the global meet each other on my bus. And it’s public transit that brings us all together.
Last month, the Transit for All PA! campaign had a major win for public transit here in Philadelphia. Gov. Josh Shapiro directed the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to flex $153 million in federal highway funds to fill SEPTA’s budget gap. I went to Harrisburg with T4APA! activists to lobby for funds. I asked our elected officials the same question I ask my out-of-town riders: If I visit your town, what should I see and do? I said, “That sounds great! But what about folks who don’t drive? How can they get there?” I saw it click for them. And then we got our funding.
This win felt awesome! But I know it’s only a drop in the bucket. There are 67 counties in Pennsylvania, and ALL of us need good public transit. Whether we live in a city, a town, or a rural area, public transit should be our FIRST option for getting seamlessly from Point A to Point B.
This is statewide funding, and it needs to be a statewide fight. By bottomlining the T4APA! Coalition, PPT is making sure that folks from Pittsburgh to Stroudsburg and beyond have accessible, affordable, and sustainable public transit that works for everyone.
The fight for public transit takes all of us. As a bus driver, I know that the best way to make change is for us all to get on the bus and demand better. Riders, drivers, and community members across the state have important stories that need to be told. T4APA! is the vehicle that brings our stories to our elected officials and makes sure our voices are heard.
When you support PPT, you’re supporting a grassroots coalition that works statewide to make our public transit systems work. The minimum cost of joining PPT is just $2.75, the same as one ride on PRT. And this year, the Posner Foundation has offered to match every contribution made during our Year End Member Drive up to $10,000. Turn your $100 into $200. Turn your $500 into $1,000!
Ride with us today, and make your donation monthly!