Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) recently asked the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to approve the use of capital assistance funds to support operating expenses.
If PennDOT approves PRT’s request, up to $106.7 million in capital funds would be used to remedy a $100 million projected operating budget deficit for fiscal year 2025-26. A mix of local, federal and reserve funds would be used to preserve service and avoid a fare increase for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
“This is not an ideal solution, but it is our best option to protect our riders by avoiding catastrophic service cuts and fare increases,” PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman said. “This also gives the Legislature additional time to come up with a sustainable long-term funding solution.”
PRT proposed significantly reducing paratransit service, cutting fixed-route service by 35 percent, and raising fares by 9 percent beginning in February.
“I appreciate the need for PRT to exercise this emergency option to avoid catastrophic cuts and keep our regional economy going,” Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said.
If the request is approved, PRT management will present a resolution amending the agency’s fiscal year 2026 operating and capital budgets, consistent with the waiver request, to the PRT board of directors.