Pittsburgh Regional Transit Facing Financial Crisis

Pittsburgh Regional Transit

PITTSBURGH –– Pittsburgh Regional Transit reported this week that it is facing a major financial crisis unless more state funding is forthcoming.

WESA, Pittsburgh’s National Public Radio station, reported this week that Pittsburgh Regional Transit is facing a severe financial crisis which will result in major service cuts to all of its services if it does not receive additional state funding. This includes complete elimination of 40 bus routes along with significant cuts on the agency’s light system (called the “T”), reductions in service on other bus routes and its paratransit service.

Specifically, in a press release issued Thursday morning (3/20/25), the agency said it must make the following service cuts:

• 40 bus routes and the Silver Line [light rail transit] would be eliminated completely;
• Service frequency [would be reduced] on 53 bus routes and the Red Line [light rail transit];
• Nineteen municipalities and three Pittsburgh neighborhoods would lose service completely;
• No service of any kind after 11:00 p.m.;
• Funding to support extra service for sporting events, concerts, and the 2026 NFL Draft would not exist;
• ACCESS, the agency’s contracted paratransit service, would see a service area reduction of 62% and a 20% fare increase.

Concurrent with the service cuts is a plan to initiate a 25-cent fare increase, which will help eliminate the projected $100 million budget deficit.

Pittsburgh Regional Transit CEO Katharine Kelleman said “This is truly 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 fight for the service Allegheny County deserves. This isn’t just a Pittsburgh problem. This is an issue facing transit agencies across the Commonwealth. We are not asking Harrisburg [the Pennsylvania State Capital) to bail us out. We’re asking state lawmakers to ensure that the taxes they receive from Alegheny County come back to Allegheny County.”

If the new budget is approved by the PRT Board next week, PRT would begin gathering public input on March 31 and hold three public hearings in April, May, and June before adopting the 2026 budget, which begins in July

Kelleman added “We started this process early to make sure riders have a voice and a say on these service cuts and fare increases. Our hearts break today knowing there could be significantly less service that connects people to their world. We know these cuts are devastating and we plan to do everything in our power to prevent them from happening.”

The agency’s Chief Development Officer, Amy Silbermann, described the cuts as “brutal,” and added that vulnerable communities would inevitably be harmed.

To read more about the proposed changes, check this PRT web page: www.ridePRT.org/funding-crisis.