The Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s (PRT) Board voted Thursday to approve more than $700 million in operating and capital budgets for FY 2025.
The board approved it $539.3 million operating budget, and a $162 million capital budget. Neither budget includes PRT’s $39 million share of additional funding proposed by Gov. Josh Shapiro. The governor’s plan would shift more than $280 in sales tax revenue to public transit agencies across Pennsylvania. PRT said if Shapiro’s plan passes it will amend its budget.
“Public transit is the answer to solving many of our region’s most pressing challenges, including economic recovery, inequality, and climate change,” PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman said. “This budget continues to build on the foundation we’ve established to improve the transit experience for riders and advocate for increased funding to support our system for years to come.”
The operating budget is less than 1 percent higher than last year’s budget and reflects changes in inflation, the rising costs of goods, and an industry-wide labor shortage. The operating budget also takes into consideration a 10 percent reduction in pension and employee benefit costs. The operating budget also includes a $78.2 million injection of cash from the agency’s reserves – the first time in 10 years the agency has had to use money from the deferred revenue account.
The capital budget will fund nearly 60 projects including the $17 million for the Mt. Washington Transit Tunnel rail replacement, $16.1 million for the Panhandle Bridge rehabilitation, $13 million for new cash far boxes in vehicles and $6.5 million for battery-electric charging infrastructure at the Collier garage.