With state funding no longer able to support the public transit needs of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh Regional Transit has proposed a 35% service cut and 9% fare increase that would significantly reduce the way our friends, neighbors, and people we rely on to get to work, school, doctor’s appointments, and more.

Service Reduction Prioritization

Below is the list of reduction priorities, with highest priority elimination at the top of the list, and decreasing elimination priority further down the list. This tiered prioritization was created to reduce - to the fullest extent possible - harm in coverage, ridership, and equity.

1. Eliminate very low efficiency routes (regular and commuter)
2. Eliminate local and commuter routes that have significant overlaps with other routes
3. Shorten select routes to become "feeders", including PIT Airport Service
4. Eliminate service after 11 pm for all routes, seven days a week
5. Eliminate most low efficiency routes and all low efficiency commuter routes
6. Reduce service frequencies on many routes
7. Eliminate high efficiency commuter routes
8. Eliminate some moderate efficiency routes where there is minimal service equity impact

The following map series shows these reduction priorities as PRT has to reduce its service by 35% to account for the lack of state funding. The cumulative and individual reduction is shown for each tier.

PRT has proposed reducing service by grouping and prioritizing routes into tiers. This tiered prioritization was created to reduce - to the fullest extent possible - harm in coverage, ridership, and equity.

Ninteen municipalities and three Pittsburgh neighborhoods would lose service, including the municipalities of Ambridge, Ben Avon, Brackenridge, East McKeesport, Edgeworth, Emsworth, Glen Osborne, Glenfield, Hampton, Harrison, Haysville, Leetsdale, North Fayette, Pitcairn, Reserve, Shaler, South Park,Trafford, Upper St. Clair; and the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Banksville, Ridgemont, and Swisshelm Park.

180,000 residents and 50,000 jobs will lose access to public transit.

There will be no funding to meet the demands of special events like Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates games, the 2026 NFL Draft, parades, festivals, holidays, and races.

PRT would have to close additional facilities, including the Collier and Ross Operating Divisions (two of PRT’s four bus garages), the Wabash tunnel, three bridges that support the 19L – Emsworth Limited bus route and general traffic in Emsworth, 10 park and ride lots (totaling 2,000 parking spaces), and 12 light rail stops/station pairs along the Silver Line Library.

Conclusions: Reduced Network Impacts

• No late evening service
• More transfer requirements
• Longer travel times
• More bus and train overcrowding
• Significant event traffic after sports, cultural, and other major events
• Elimination of commuter routes
• Higher peak/rush hour traffic volumes
• Environmental impacts to regional air quality, climate change
• Reduced access to jobs