On Tuesday, June 4th, Pennsylvanians will convoy across the state to Harrisburg to rumble the Rotunda with the call for dedicated funding for our public transit systems. You are invited to join us!

Governor Corbett’s transportation budget falls far short of what is needed to keep our public transit healthy and fully accessible. Unless our state legislature acts to pass funding legislation to make up that shortfall, we will face more damaging fixed bus route and ACCESS system cuts in upcoming years.

Reserve your seat on the bus or to sign the petition in support of the Transit Bill of Rights. For more information, contact Mike Pastorkovich at 412-512-8928 or Treesnrivers at yahoo dot com

Citizens from around the state will descend on Harrisburg Monday, February 11 to rally for dedicated long-term and sustainable funding for public mass transit. The Port Authority buses will leave at 7:30am on February 11th from two locations, Freedom Corner at the intersection of Crawford and Centre, and from the Hillman Library in Oakland across from Schenley Plaza. REGISTER HERE for the free bus and box lunches. For more information contact Helen Gerhardt at 412-518-7387 or [ helengerhardt1 at gmail dot com ]

This event is sponsored by Pittsburghers for Public Transit with support from the Sierra Club.

On January 22 a coalition of Pittsburgh labor, religious, and environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club, gathered outside City Council chambers to call upon Governor Corbett and the Legislature to provide dedicated funding for public transportation. Members of the Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) coalition explained that such funding is needed not only to avert short-term funding crises, but to eventually expand service and lower fares. Governor Corbett is expected to lay out his transit plans on February 5. (more…)

Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) is training volunteers to help win dedicated funding to keep Allegheny County buses rolling!

1:00 – 3:00 PM Sunday, January 27
Liberty Conference Room,
Human Services Building,
One Smithfield St., Pittsburgh 1522112
(more…)

How does the Pittsburgh region begin to build a modern transportation system, one that meets the needs of both corporations and private citizens?

3:00 p.m, Monday, December 3
CCAC-Allegheny Campus
Foerster Student Service Center Auditorium
808 Ridge Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Keynote speaker: Hon. John D. Porcari, Deputy Secretary of Transportation, United States Department of Transportation

Featured speakers:

• Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County Chief Executive
• Dennis Yablonsky, Chief Executive Officer, Allegheny Conference on Community Development,

Admission free. Reception to follow.

RSVP at 412.237.4476 or LaborManagement@ccac.edu.

Graphic by M. LaMark.

Thinking of replacing that old 25 mpg-on-the-highway car with a plug-in electric vehicle? You might want to check the buyer’s guide to electric cars in the latest issue of the national Sierra Club magazine Sierra. In the article titled ‘Plugged In‘ the pros and cons of six electric vehicles (EVs) are compared, along with those of the Volt and Prius hybrids. Of concern to residents of Western Pennsylvania is whether relying on electricity produced at a coal-fired plant is less damaging to the environment than burning all that gasoline? (more…)

There has been a recent flurry of news about development in Allegheny County. It started with a July 7 critique of haphazard development along the Parkway West by architect John Conti. That was followed by the launching of a development plan for a county-owned site adjacent to the airport at the end of the parkway. On the same day Pittsburgh City Council heard of the benefits of developing and maintaining more greenspace in the city. A few days later Lisa Schroeder of the Riverlife promoted the development of a six and a half mile riverfront park along the Allegheny River north from the Strip district. The riverfront park would sit alongside Buncher Corporaton’s development plan for the Strip District, a plan that could finally include the long-discussed commuter rail service from Pittsburgh to Tarentum.

In the give and take debate over the funding of the 2-year federal Surface Transportation Act of 2012 (HR 4348) an effort to attach approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline to the bill was dropped, to the relief of environmentalists. There was also satisfaction with the removal of an effort to loosen the EPA’s proposed restrictions on coal-ash from power plants. On the down side, the bill would roll back environmental review laws for highway and bridge construction projects, with little public opportunity for proposing alternates to fossil fuel based transportation. (more…)

A sustainable transit system is essential for region that is any truly livable for all. Unfortunately, the residents of Allegheny County may see forty-six of the current one-hundred and two PAT bus routes discontinued after Sept. 2. Please join this march and rally, assembling at 3:00 pm at Eleventh and Stanwix Street in downtown Pittsburgh, proceeding to the “T” station near the Highmark Building at Sixth and Liberty, and finishing for the rally at Gov. Tom Corbett’s office at Piatt place, 301 Fifth Ave. Organized by Pittsburghers for Public Transit and endorsed by Sierra Club Allegheny Group.

After years in the planning stage, the extension of the Mon-Fayette Expressway along the Mon Valley into Oakland appears to be dying a impoverished death. A more environmentally sound option is the revitalization of the Route 51 corridor from the M-F terminal in Jefferson Hills to the Liberty Tunnels. To that end, the Urban Land Institute will hold a presentation:

6:00 to 8:00 pm, Wednesday, July 13
Brentwood Community Room
3501 Brownsville Road
Pittsburgh Pa 15227

Join presenters Greg Jones, Executive Director – Economic Development South; Ruthann Omer, Borough Engineer along Rt. 51; and Jen Bee, Design Architect with AIA to hear the latest on the challenges and opportunities facing the revitalization of the South Hills Parkway.

There is a registration fee payable in advance.

Bridge on latest section of the trail
Photo: Jon Schmitz/Post Gazette

Extension of the Great Allegheny Passage Trail all the way to downtown Pittsburgh took a big step last week with the opening of a three-mile section from Duquesne to the Waterfront. With the completion of a one-mile section through the Sandcastle site early next year, the GAPT will extend 150 mile to Cumberland MD.  Congratulations to all who worked so hard to make this ‘closing-of -the-gap‘ come true.

It may be a little while before buying an electric car becomes an option in Pittsburgh, and it might be better to wait until more ‘green’ electric power is available, but the following ‘myth-busting’ is worth reading.  Of course, the real savings come from use of public transport, and just driving a lot fewer miles. (more…)

This past week two pieces of news caught our attention. First, Allegheny County released a comprehensive plan for extending and improving bike routes throughout the county. Titled ‘Active Allegheny’ the plan recognizes the increase in the cycling and hiking along the river trails and the bike routes on roads. There is also the recognition that the safety of bikers and hikers needs to be better protected. The second news item was the announcement of Pittsburgh’s master plan for development of the contiguous brownfield lots along a 6.5 mile stretch of the Allegheny River. The ‘Allegheny Riverfront‘ plan envisions new riverfront residential development in the Strip and in Lawrenceville, a streetcar line, a green boulevard along the existing Allegheny Valley Railroad right-of-way with a continuous bicycle and pedestrian path, as well as strategies for ecological restoration and stormwater management both along the riverfront itself and in more developed industrial areas. The release of the plan will be celebrated on the evening of March 14 at the Roberto Clemente Museum in Lawrenceville. (more…)

Support of sustainable public transit systems is a major part of the national Sierra Club’s transportation policy. We therefore urge citizens to take part in two demonstrations organized by Pittsburghers for Public Transit.

2:00 pm, Saturday, November 20th
Market Square, Pittsburgh, 15222

9:00 am, Wednesday, November 24th
Port Authority Administrative Headquarters,
346 Sixth Ave, Pittsburgh, 15222

The intent of these demonstrations is to call on the Port Authority to resist cutting services, increasing fares, and laying off workers when the PAAC board meets on Nov. 24.

For more information, contact SavePGHTransit@gmail.com or find ‘Pittsburghers for Public Transit’ on Facebook.

That is not a trick question. For those who travel around Pittsburgh on those fossil-fuel-free, two-wheeled bikes, there is now a handy map showing where you can park your ‘vehicle’.

Not all the features of the mapped bike racks are known yet, so if you have some useful information please let the designers of the map know on the Updates page.