PRT plan could eliminate 40 routes, raise fares

Pittsburgh Regional Transit proposes service cuts, fare hikes to address $100M deficit

PRT announced a 35% service cut

Updated: 5:22 PM EDT Mar 21, 2025

Pittsburgh Regional Transit is facing a severe funding crisis with a $50 million budget deficit projected to grow to $1.8 billion over the next decade. The PRT board voted to move forward with a proposal on Thursday that would cut service and increase fares.Officials said this is due in part to state funding has not kept up with PRT needs and financial hits from the pandemic.”This has been a long time coming, and Allegheny County deserves better than us, constantly making it happen and shrinking down. You haven’t heard us before. Consider our voices raised,” CEO Katherine Kelleman said at Thursday’s board meeting.PRT’s proposal includes a 35% service cut which would go into effect in February 2026. Officials said these cuts would lead to 180,000 residents and 50,000 jobs not having access to public transit.“Without additional funding, we are talking catastrophic service changes. We are talking a two-thirds contraction in our paratransit access network, which makes life happen. It’s life-saving and life-giving and life-making,” Kelleman said. Service Changes 40 bus routes and the Silver Line would be eliminated Service to 53 bus routes and the Red Line would be reduced 19 municipalities and three Pittsburgh neighborhoods would lose service No service after 11 p.m. No funding to support extra services like sporting events, concerts and the 2026 draft.Trafford resident Joan Monroe described the potential impact on her community.“For some people, the bus is a convenience, but for many, it’s a necessity. That’s their only option,” she said. “We have a grocery store across the bridge in Monroeville, a bank, a pharmacy, and a Dollar General. If that bus is stopped, some residents in our senior high-rise building, the Trafford Manor, will not be able to get there unless they walk.”Transit advocates are urging action to prevent long-term consequences. Laura Chu Wiens, executive director of Pittsburghers for Public Transit, said, “They’re talking about eliminating all service after 11 p.m. And so it’s not just geographic transit deserts, but, you know, for all the workers that are working second-shift jobs or early morning shifts — our janitors, our nurses, all of the industries that run. I mean, our city is going to have a very hard time securing and maintaining the workforce.”Chris Sandvig, executive director of Mobilify Southwestern Pennsylvania, added, “This is terrible. I don’t know how else to put it. It’s going to hurt so many communities, so many people and, you know, outlying communities especially. The funding bill that was created in 2013 was designed to put us where we are right now. And the reality is that we need to find a new, enduring solution for public transportation.”Additionally, the cuts are paired with a fare increase.”Allegheny County already has some of the highest, fares in the nation. We’re about 10th for motorbus nationally. And this fare increase would move us up to the fifth highest, fare in the nation,” PRT CFO Donminika Brown said.Fare Increase Current Full Fare: $2.75; Proposed fare $3.00 Current Day Pass: $7.00; Proposed $7.50 Current 31 Day Pass: $97.50; Proposed $106.50 Current Annual Pass: $1,072.50; Proposed $1,171.50PRT’s Contracted paratransit service would also see a 62% reduction in its service area and a 20% increase in fares.”Without additional funding, we are talking catastrophic service changes. We are talking a two thirds contraction in our paratransit ACCESS network, which makes life happen. It’s life-saving and life-giving and life-making,” Kelleman said.If the PRT board approves the proposal next Friday, Public feedback would start on March 31. Three public hearings would be scheduled in April, May and June.Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office also weighed in through a statement, emphasizing the need for legislative action. “Gov. Shapiro is focused on delivering results for Pennsylvanians, and his Administration has worked quickly to improve our transportation infrastructure and grow our economy — investing in mass transit, improving over 12,000 miles of roadway, and repairing more poor-condition bridges than any other state in the country last year,” spokesperson Manuel Bonder said.”For the second year in a row, the governor has proposed a historic investment in mass transit — the largest increase in state funding for transit in more than a decade — but in order to deliver that funding, the legislature needs to pass it. The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has passed the governor’s proposal multiple times, but the Senate has repeatedly failed to act. Gov. Shapiro will continue his work to bring legislators together to secure meaningful investments in mass transit,” the statement concluded.You can find more information on the proposal here.