Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAT) has proposed major cuts to bus service and fare hikes for the 61 A/B/C in low-income areas like Braddock, Duquesne, McKeesport, and Rankin. These cuts and fare hikes are what will help pave the way for PAT’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) plan. The BRT is supposed to increase bus access in downtown, Oakland, Squirrel Hill, and Highland Park. But these neighborhoods are already well-served by transit.
There is an overall lack of accessible fresh and healthy food shopping options in these municipalities. Far fewer residents of the Mon Valley are able to own cars. Weakening their public transit will make it much harder for them to get to grocery stores, work, and medical care. Research makes clear the impacts this will have on their health, including increased heart disease, diabetes, and infant mortality. Furthermore, a recent study found that inadequate transportation is a leading cause of poverty in the Pittsburgh region.
HOW YOU CAN TAKE ACTION
Please join Just Harvest and our partner, Pittsburghers for Public Transit, in helping to collect Port Authority surveys to show just how important buses are to Mon Valley residents. Please share this link to the Port Authority survey with anyone you know who takes the 61 A/B/C.
And stay tuned for upcoming developments in the campaign – we will be collecting photos and stories, conducting a postcard campaign, and preparing for more public actions and meetings (like this one!) to pressure Port Authority and local officials to take appropriate action.
Want to be part of this campaign? Contact Helen Gerhardt, our grassroots organizer.
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