PRT considering requesting waiver from PennDOT as temporary aid to funding problem

PITTSBURGH — Transit is a vital resource for many Pittsburghers, but looming funding challenges could threaten the reliability and availability of service.

Kent Baker, a student at Point Park University who lives in O’Hara Township, already walks an hour and a half just to reach the nearest bus stop.

“Every single day. I go to Point Park, my first year, I ride the bus and walk an hour and a half to the nearest bus stop,” he said.

That long walk could become even more difficult if a sustainable funding solution isn’t found for Pittsburgh Regional Transit. Baker is concerned about impending service cuts, particularly in areas like Oakland.

“I rely on them like the routes in Oakland, some of them won’t go there anymore and I’ll have to find my own way back,” Baker said.

Transit agencies across the state are feeling the same pressure. In Philadelphia, SEPTA recently requested a waiver from PennDOT to temporarily shift capital funding to cover operating expenses, a move allowed under Act 89.

“When I say capital investments, I’m talking about buses, facilities, subway cars, rail cars for PRT,” Senator Jay Costa explained. “These dollars would no longer be able to be used for that.”

When asked whether Pittsburgh Regional Transit plans to follow suit, a spokesperson confirmed the agency is considering requesting the same waiver. However, they emphasized that while allowed under state law, using capital funds for operations is not sustainable in the following statement:

“PRT faces a $100 million operating deficit that will grow each year without additional funding. Using capital funds for operations would delay critical projects and limit future improvements. We will never compromise the safety of our riders or employees.

Using capital funds for operations would only be a stopgap measure. Pennsylvania needs a long-term, reliable funding solution to provide the safe, reliable, and affordable service our communities depend on.

We appreciate legislators’ recognition of transit’s vital role in moving millions of Pennsylvanians every day, and we are committed to working together on a solution that keeps our communities connected and our economy moving."

Costa agrees, pointing out that even a proposed $140 million allocation from capital funds for PRT would be spread over two years and wouldn’t solve the underlying issues. “It’s frustrating we don’t have a recurring revenue stream,” Costa said. “At the same time, we aren’t making investments in roads and bridges. Typically, when we do transit, we do roads and bridges funding, so all these bridges that have been closed or are in disrepair, we have no resources to put in there either.”

Costa and PRT both frame the situation as not just a matter of transportation, but of public safety. Without a long-term fix, Pittsburgh’s transit future could see major cuts.

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