Save Late Night Bus Service, Save The Collier Garage, Stop PRT Cuts!

Recent signers:
Gebre Lyle and 19 others have signed recently.

The Issue

After reading what is going on to Pittsburgh Regional Transit (formerly Port Authority) looking to eliminating 40 routes, eliminating the Silver Line,  eliminating bus service after 11pm, raising the fares to $3, and closing of ten park and ride lots and the Ross and Collier Garages, I am very scared about these changes.

I rely on the 28X inbound, G2, and 31 to go into Downtown Pittsburgh then transfer to the 91 to work or 61C to go to Kennywood. I also rely on the bus to go to Pirates games, which I am a partial season ticket holder, usually when games end around the 10pm hour, I usually board the last G2 to put my bike on the bike rack and get off at Carnegie to get back home. Now with PRT looking to have the cuts happen if funding is absent, I am going to be devastated. Although I already have a car, I can’t afford parking fees. I can’t afford a lot of gas. I can’t afford sitting in heavy traffic every day. It’s not just me, it’s other people.

Residents living on Green Tree Road and work at Parkway Center would lose bus/T service all together. So are among the neighborhoods of Glendale, Lyndsey Road, Kane (all in Scott Twp), Bower Hill (including Cedarhurst), Library (Bethel Park), South Park (Bethel Park), and Ridgemont. The 28X also provides an alternative in case people miss the G2 to go to Downtown/Oakland from stations on the West Busway from Bell to Sheredan Stations. If the cuts happen, the 28X would only go from Carnegie Station to the Airport. Riders in Downtown and Oakland would have to catch the G2 then transfer to the 28X at Carnegie Station. Which means very long travel and wait times.

The Collier Garage (which operates the 20, 21, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, 31, 36, 38, 39, 41, 44, G2, G3, and G31) is on the chopping block of being closed. That means hundreds of drivers would be off the job and move to either the East Liberty or West Mifflin garages, and just like when PRT closed the Harmar Garage in 2011, they would retire some of the buses without replacements to narrow the funding gap. The 21, 22, 24, 27, 31, 44 and G2 would move operations to East Liberty or West Mifflin. 

Buses are lifelines and are the best alternative to cars. My fellow bus riders, I urge you to not only sign the petition, contact your local legislators, and Gov. Shapiro to tell them to provide the $117 Million so that Public Transportation can be saved not just in Pittsburgh but Allegheny County! 

avatar of the starter
Giovanni MontagninoPetition Starter
Media inquiries

278

Recent signers:
Gebre Lyle and 19 others have signed recently.

The Issue

After reading what is going on to Pittsburgh Regional Transit (formerly Port Authority) looking to eliminating 40 routes, eliminating the Silver Line,  eliminating bus service after 11pm, raising the fares to $3, and closing of ten park and ride lots and the Ross and Collier Garages, I am very scared about these changes.

I rely on the 28X inbound, G2, and 31 to go into Downtown Pittsburgh then transfer to the 91 to work or 61C to go to Kennywood. I also rely on the bus to go to Pirates games, which I am a partial season ticket holder, usually when games end around the 10pm hour, I usually board the last G2 to put my bike on the bike rack and get off at Carnegie to get back home. Now with PRT looking to have the cuts happen if funding is absent, I am going to be devastated. Although I already have a car, I can’t afford parking fees. I can’t afford a lot of gas. I can’t afford sitting in heavy traffic every day. It’s not just me, it’s other people.

Residents living on Green Tree Road and work at Parkway Center would lose bus/T service all together. So are among the neighborhoods of Glendale, Lyndsey Road, Kane (all in Scott Twp), Bower Hill (including Cedarhurst), Library (Bethel Park), South Park (Bethel Park), and Ridgemont. The 28X also provides an alternative in case people miss the G2 to go to Downtown/Oakland from stations on the West Busway from Bell to Sheredan Stations. If the cuts happen, the 28X would only go from Carnegie Station to the Airport. Riders in Downtown and Oakland would have to catch the G2 then transfer to the 28X at Carnegie Station. Which means very long travel and wait times.

The Collier Garage (which operates the 20, 21, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, 31, 36, 38, 39, 41, 44, G2, G3, and G31) is on the chopping block of being closed. That means hundreds of drivers would be off the job and move to either the East Liberty or West Mifflin garages, and just like when PRT closed the Harmar Garage in 2011, they would retire some of the buses without replacements to narrow the funding gap. The 21, 22, 24, 27, 31, 44 and G2 would move operations to East Liberty or West Mifflin. 

Buses are lifelines and are the best alternative to cars. My fellow bus riders, I urge you to not only sign the petition, contact your local legislators, and Gov. Shapiro to tell them to provide the $117 Million so that Public Transportation can be saved not just in Pittsburgh but Allegheny County! 

avatar of the starter
Giovanni MontagninoPetition Starter
Media inquiries
Support now

278

The Decision Makers

Former Pennsylvania House of Representatives
14 Members
1 Responded
Valerie Gaydos
Valerie Gaydos
Former Pennsylvania House of Representatives - District 44
“Rep. Valerie Gaydos (R-Allegheny) strongly opposes Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s (PRT) proposal to implement service cuts and a fare increase in response to a projected budget deficit. PRT has requested $100 million per year in additional state funding to avoid these service reductions. Without the funding, the agency is planning a 35% reduction in services and a 25-cent fare increase. “The cuts and fare increases proposed by PRT is a direct attack on the mobility and livelihoods of our residents. Our communities cannot afford to lose vital transit services. From the elimination of key bus routes to the loss of service for entire neighborhoods, this proposal is devasting. We cannot allow this to happen without action from Harrisburg.” Gaydos emphasized these cuts are a direct result of years of underfunding and the failure of the state to address the growing needs of transit agencies specifically in western Pennsylvania. While Act 89 of 2013 provided a funding mechanism for transportation across the state, PRT’s share has remained stagnant. Philadelphia’s SEPTA is six times the size of PRT and gets 12 times the money that the Allegheny County Transit Authority would get. “That is not acceptable Harrisburg needs to stop shortchanging the taxpayers” said Gaydos. “The taxes we pay here should come back to benefit our communities, not be funneled away to other parts of the state. This is not just a Pittsburgh problem. This is a problem for all of western Pennsylvania. Our region has been unfairly and disproportionately impacted by decisions that prioritize Philadelphia such as the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) over the needs of our own local infrastructure and services. I will not support any PRT funding proposal that continues to syphon money away from our region." Representative Valerie Gaydos 44th Legislative District Pennsylvania House of Representatives”
Dan Frankel
Dan Frankel
Former Pennsylvania House of Representatives - District 23
Arvind Venkat
Arvind Venkat
Former Pennsylvania House of Representatives - District 30
Former Pennsylvania State Senate
6 Members
3 Responded
Wayne Fontana
Wayne Fontana
Former Pennsylvania State Senate - District 42
“Thank you for contacting me about the petition opposing cuts to late-night bus services of PRT. I share the concern about the need for additional state funding for public transit. PRT is an essential asset to our community and the potential cuts to services would be devastating. I voted for both Act 44 of 2007 and Act 89 of 2013 that provided for the current dedicated funding stream for all commonwealth transit agencies, including PRT. But after 12 years, that state funding is no longer adequate to meet the needs of our region. I support an increase in state funding to the PRT and will vote for one if given the opportunity. However, the Republicans who control the PA Senate have yet to commit to increasing public transit funding. Any increase in funding will be the result of the budget negotiations this Spring between the Senate, House, and Governor Shapiro. I will continue to advocate for additional funding for public transit in Harrisburg. In the meantime, if riders would like to submit their comments directly to the PRT, they can do so by the methods below. -Wayne Fontana How to Submit Comments: PRT is encouraging the public to weigh in on the proposed service reductions and fare adjustments. Community members can submit feedback in the following ways beginning Monday: Online: www.rideprt.org/funding-crisis In person at PRT’s Downtown Service Center (623 Smithfield Street) Calling 412-566-5525 Writing to: Pittsburgh Regional Transit, Attn: Funding Crisis, 623 Smithfield Street, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 PRT will also host three public hearings. Registration is encouraged but not required. A sign-up form will be available on Monday at www.rideprt.org/funding-crisis: HEARING #1: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on April 29 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center HEARING #2: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on May 6 at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum HEARING #3: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on June 12 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center The input gathered during the public comment period will be shared with state officials to demonstrate the far-reaching impact of potential transit cuts and the urgent need for a sustainable funding solution.”
Devlin Robinson
Devlin Robinson
Former Pennsylvania State Senate - District 37
“Hello! Thank you for reaching out to my office regarding funding for Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) and proposed service cuts. As budget negotiations are underway, and as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, my office is conducting a survey to better understand how my constituents feel about funding for PRT. Please share your thoughts in the survey below, and feel free to share with friends in the 37th Senatorial District as well https://www.SenatorRobinson.com/survey Thank you, Devlin”
Lindsey Williams
Lindsey Williams
Former Pennsylvania State Senate - District 38
“Transit authorities and advocates across the state have long sounded the alarm that public transit is in a dire financial situation. As a Board member of Pittsburgh Regional Transit and a member of the Senate Transportation Committee, I have been clear that Pennsylvanians across all 67 counties deserve public transit that gets them where they need to go every day. But with the Pennsylvania budget nearly six weeks late and transit agencies across the state facing catastrophic route cuts, yesterday Senate Republicans returned to Harrisburg for a one-day stunt that cuts public transit funding across the Commonwealth instead of supporting it. House Bill 257 steals money from urgently needed and already committed transit capital improvement projects to fund daily operations, robbing Peter to pay Paul. Pittsburgh Regional Transit alone has a nearly $2 billion backlog of infrastructure projects, an amount that grows each year due to underinvestment. With the funding cuts in HB257, our transportation infrastructure will be impossible to maintain, let alone improve. Public transit will be less safe, less secure, and more difficult to run. Moreover, this legislation mandates fare increases for multiple years. It punishes transit riders across the state – the same riders that help cut down on traffic, reduce wear and tear on our roads, and decrease air pollution. We have revenue options on the table that will allow us to fund public transit operations without stealing from already underfunded capitol projects. They include the “Transit for All PA” package that I introduced with my colleague Senator Nikil Saval (D – Philadelphia), which would help fund transit by raising the state’s car rental and leasing fees and establishing a 6% fee on ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft. We also could finally tax “skills games”. The Senate Republicans are choosing to turn a blind eye to revenue options and claim they do not have the money to do what our economy needs to thrive. The transit legislation that Senate Republicans pushed today does not provide the sustained, predictable funding that public transit needs to serve communities across Pennsylvania. Instead, it disregards the lives and livelihoods of Pennsylvania residents – students and workers, the elderly and our disabled neighbors - who use public transit every day. But Senate Republicans did not just fail public transit yesterday. By pushing through Senate Bill 160, their version of the FY2025-26 budget, Senate Republicans signaled their unwillingness to pass an agreed-upon budget that responsibly funds public education, food assistance, healthcare, human services, first responders, and other critical needs of Pennsylvanians. The ongoing budget impasse means that many of our school districts, human service providers, and counties have already missed critical state payments since June – at the very time that federal funding is being pulled out from under them. We cannot afford to wait. Students head back to school next week. Cuts to bus and train routes are imminent. Pennsylvanians deserve real solutions and meaningful negotiations towards a final budget agreement, not the political theater that they got yesterday. Sincerely, Lindsey Williams 38th Senatorial District”
Josh Shapiro
Josh Shapiro
Former Pennsylvania Governor
Former Pittsburgh City Council
3 Members
Bob Charland
Bob Charland
Former Pittsburgh City Council - District 3
Bobby Wilson
Bobby Wilson
Former Pittsburgh City Council - District 1
Barb Warwick
Barb Warwick
Former Pittsburgh City Council - District 5
Former U.S. House of Representatives
2 Members
Summer Lee
Summer Lee
Former U.S. House of Representatives - Pennsylvania 12th Congressional District
Chris Deluzio
Chris Deluzio
Former U.S. House of Representatives - Pennsylvania 17th Congressional District

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Petition created on March 24, 2025