On March 20, PRT announced plans to cut over 40 bus routes due to a $100 million budget deficit. The budget deficit would take effect in July because of a lack of funding from the state. To close this budget deficit, PRT proposed a 25 cent fare increase and a 62% reduction of service, according to a press release from PRT.
The potential cuts would also make the buses stop at 11 p.m. There would also be no funding to support extra service for sporting events, concerts and the 2026 NFL draft.
PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman said the potential loss of bus services “isn’t just a Pittsburgh problem.”
“This is an issue facing transit agencies across the Commonwealth,” Kelleman said. “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.”
Kelleman said it was a “sad day for our region” when the potential cuts were announced.
“Public transit is a lifeline for communities throughout and we are not taking this proposal lightly,” Kelleman said. “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.”
Audrey Wolyniec, a sophomore history and museum studies major, sometimes has to wait up to an hour and a half to catch a 61A bus home to Wilkinsburg.
“It’s extremely difficult to get a spot on a bus,” Wolyniec said. “Sometimes, they do double up on the buses — like, they have a 61A, and then they have another one that’s, like, right down the road, but that’s never really dependable. I don’t really know what decides when they’re going to do that.”
40 bus routes and the Silver Line would be eliminated, and service on 53 bus routes and the Red Line would be reduced. Many of the routes that go through Oakland, such as the 71A, 71B, 71C and 71D will only see minor service reductions. The 61A, 61B, 61C and 61D will also only see minor reductions.
Wolyniec described the potential loss of public transit as “infuriating.”
“When you look at which neighborhoods are being cut from, you’re looking at historically impoverished, historically Black neighborhoods that aren’t in the heart of Pittsburgh,” Wolyniec said. “The people in those neighborhoods need to access different parts of Pittsburgh and the economic center but also to exist in their day to day life.”
Wolyniec sees the current situation as “extremely unfortunate” and feels it will be a hot topic moving forward.
“The two possible options that we’re left with after the result of statewide and federal fund mismanagement are route elimination or increased fares,” Wolyniec said. “I can see something like this being a battleground topic. So I hope that it doesn’t come to choosing between route elimination or higher fares, but if I had to choose one or the other, I would go for higher rates.”
Ben Ruggles, a junior civil engineering major, said he personally takes the bus past 11 p.m. to come home from work.
“This is still a city where people are still out at night,” Ruggles said. “I live in North Oakland, so I’m not affected that much, but it saves time. I wake up at like, 7 a.m. the next morning, and I still have a lot to do when I get home. So it just saves time for sure. I know Hillman’s always packed at that hour. There’s a lot of people still on campus at that point.”
Jessica Rinaldi, a sophomore pre-pharmacy major, feels the availability of buses helps her save money.
“I worked at a lab last year, and I took the bus there and back three times a week, so it helped me get there on time. I didn’t have to pay for an Uber every time, because we’re broke college kids, so paying for an Uber every time is insane”
Ruggles sees the route cuts being a logistical problem to an already crowded bus system.
“All the buses are going to get even more crowded,” Ruggles said. “People are going to be stranded in some places [and] not have access. People just need the bus system, and it’s helpful for the economy. We could end up being isolated.”
There will be multiple community hearings open to the public where riders can give feedback in April, May and June. The first hearing open to the public is on April 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the David Lawrence Convention Center.