What is transit?

Transit (sometimes referred to as public transportation) includes vehicles operated by a public agency for the public such as buses, trains and dedicated vans/cars for people with disabilities and seniors. In Pittsburgh, our iconic inclines are also part of the transit network. Port Authority provides more than 62 million passenger trips per year on its buses, light rail trains, and incline.

Most of Allegheny County’s transit system is operated on regular streets, but dedicated roads known as busways and rail lines make rapid transit service possible.

Transit connects people to work, education, medical care, shopping, entertainment and other activities which make up our daily lives.

Transit fuels the economy.

Every $1 invested in public transportation generates $5 in economic returns. This means that access to transit supports our neighborhoods, our Main Streets, and our businesses, and our local economy. Transit supports job creation and business sales. The local economy thrives when employees, customers, and residents can get around town*.

The annual economic impact from Port Authority’s spending generates $929 million for Pennsylvania, supporting 6,240 jobs and more than $484 million in earnings**. Home values in areas located near busy public transit lines increased 4 - 42% more than homes in other areas of the same urban area. Port Authority service adds $3.2 billion in residential property value across Southwestern Pennsylvania.

*American Public Transportation Association, Economic Impact of Public Transportation Investment, 2020 Update, p. 36
**Southwestern PA Partnership for Mobility, Final Report, June, 2019, p. 13

Transit means job access.

About one-half of Downtown Pittsburgh’s employees use public transit to commute to work. Transit routes which run for much of the day are important in bringing late night workers to and from their jobs. Twenty-seven percent of Americans report doing some paid work at night (defined as 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.). Of all workers at all times of day, the lowest educational attainment (percent college educated) is found among people who report to work between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.

In Allegheny County, Port Authority’s 28X route carries many employees working late shifts at the Pittsburgh International Airport. The routes serving Oakland are busy well outside the traditional “rush hours” due to the 24/7 nature of the hospitals clustered there. With the medical and service sectors being as strong as they are in and around Pittsburgh, it’s easy to see why transit must be accessible at all hours.

Transit is about safety.

Riding public buses and trains is safer than being in a private car or small truck. Urban areas with high levels of public transportation use tend to have lower fatality rates per population than urban areas with limited public transportation usage. In 2018, traveling in buses and trains was more than 15 times safer than traveling in automobiles and small trucks*.

*American Public Transportation Association, The Hidden Public Transportation Safety Solution: Public Transportation, 2016 Update, pp. 11 -17 and National Safety Council, Injury Facts, 2020, Deaths by Transportation Mode.

Transit is healthy.

Using public transit can enhance your overall health. According to a Japanese study referenced by the American Heart Association*, compared to drivers, transit users were:

• 44 percent less likely to be overweight;

• 27 percent less likely to have high blood pressure; and

• 34 percent less likely to have diabetes.

Bus/train commuters had even lower rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and overweight than the walkers or bikers. The researchers suggested that one explanation could be that these commuters actually walked farther to and from the train or bus station than walkers or bikers traveled to and from work.

*American Heart Association, “Taking public transportation instead of driving associated with better health,” News Release, 2015.

Transit is good for the planet.

Public transit moves people efficiently while producing significantly less air pollution to move one passenger one mile—compared to moving a person one mile in a single-occupant car. Port Authority is dedicated to continuously reducing its impact on our air: our 2 new electric buses eliminate diesel fuel consumption (and fumes) entirely!

Transit helps to conserve energy used to transport people:

• The fuel efficiency of a fully occupied bus is six times greater than that of the average single-occupant car.

• In terms of energy consumption per passenger mile (energy used to transport one passenger one mile), transit is more energy efficient.