More Pittsburghers are turning to public transit, and advocates say the increase is creating momentum for improvements across the region.
According to Pittsburgh Regional Transit
, the agency recorded more than 39 million passenger trips during fiscal year 2026, the highest annual ridership total in six years. Average weekday ridership in June also increased nearly 10% compared to the previous year.For Dan Yablonsky and the advocacy groupPittsburghers for Public Transit, those numbers show transit remains a vital service connecting people to jobs, schools and essential resources throughout Allegheny County. Founded in 2012, the organization is made up of transit riders, transit workers and supporters who advocate for better public transportation.
"Transit riders, the people who are riding public transit every day, and the people who are working on public transit every day are incredible experts in what the system needs for improvement. We approach the organizing that we're doing by talking with everyday riders and everyday transit workers to identify what the opportunities are to improve public transit," Yablonsky said.
Improvements on the horizon
Yablonsky pointed to Pittsburgh Regional Transit'sUniversity Line Bus Rapid Transitproject as one example of how the system continues to evolve. The project includes dedicated bus lanes, upgraded stations and other improvements aimed at making service faster and more reliable.
Future phases could extend those improvements even farther. In July, PRT announced it received $9 million to advance an extension through Squirrel Hill and Greenfield toward the Homestead Grays Bridge, eventually connecting with planned improvements serving Homestead and McKeesport.
"The improvements will link those core communities into Oakland and into downtown through this new PRT spine," Yablonsky said.
Making transit easier to use
There are also projects in the works designed to make transit more accessible and affordable.
The University Line includes planned off-board fare payment systems that could help speed up boarding and improve travel times. Meanwhile, PRT is transitioning to its new ReadyFarepayment system and installing new fare vending machines across the network.
Advocates have also supported programs such as Allegheny Go, which provides eligible SNAP recipients with discounted transit fares, and PRTner Pass, which allows employers to offer transit access to workers through bulk pass purchases.
As ridership continues to grow, Pittsburghers for Public Transit says the focus remains on making service easier to access and better connected for the people who rely on it every day.
Readers interested in learning more about current and future transportation projects can visit PennDOT's long-range planning resources, which outline how transportation priorities are developed and funded throughout Pennsylvania. View PennDOT planning resources.
This story was produced by reporter Gabby Sartori, [gsartori@usatodayco.com], with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pittsburgh transit ridership reaches six-year high as advocates push improvements
