Pittsburgh Regional Transit proposed service cuts and fare increases Thursday due to the lack of state funding.
Amy Silberman, PRT's Chief Development Officer was the bearer of bad news. The agency proposed a 35% reduction which includes bus, light rail and incline service. The proposed cuts would go into effect February 2026.
PRT said the following would be affected:
40 bus routes and the Silver Line would be eliminated completely.
Service frequency on 53 bus routes and the Red Line would be reduced.
19 municipalities and three Pittsburgh neighborhoods would lose service completely.
No service after 11 p.m.
Funding to support extra service for sporting events, concerts, and the 2026 NFL Draft would not exist.
Many of the cuts would affect those 65 and older, people with disabilities and more.
“A nine percent increase in our fixed-route fairs,” said Silberman. “For our Access Para-transit program, we are proposing a 20 percent increase in fares and a decrease in our ADA service area of 62 percent."
19 municipalities and three Pittsburgh neighborhoods would lose service completely. Some of those municipalities include Ambridge, Ben Avon, East McKeesport, Glenfield and Trafford. The Pittsburgh neighborhoods affected are Banksville, Ridgemont and Swisshelm Park. The 28X- Aiport Flyer would terminate in Carnegie.
"This truly is a sad day for our region. Public transit is a lifeline for communities throughout and we are not taking this proposal lightly. We have warned that we would face service cuts and fare increases without new funding for the past year, and we remain committed to continuing to fight for the service Allegheny County deserves," said PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman. "This isn't just a Pittsburgh problem. This is an issue facing transit agencies across the Commonwealth. We are not asking Harrisburg to bail us out. We're asking state lawmakers to ensure that the taxes they receive from Allegheny County come back to Allegheny County."