Pittsburgh, PA

Transportation, Built environment | 2025

Identified transit service and infrastructure needs for residents in underserved neighborhoods. 

Public transit, especially for people who do not have a reliable vehicle or cannot drive, can provide residents with access to job opportunities, healthy food options, and essential services like health care. As part of their Bus Line Redesign initiative, Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) has considered replacing the South Hilltop neighborhoods’ only existing bus route with a micro-transit service. As the South Hilltop neighborhoods are already transit and food deserts, Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) explored how current and planned transit systems are serving South Hilltop residents. PPT has used data to make the case for transit investments that would more equitably serve these neighborhoods.

PPT organized a paid fellowship for seven residents of the South Hilltop region, who worked alongside two researchers to collect data and propose solutions to address the community’s transit needs. Over the course of 15 weeks, researchers trained the fellows in an eight-module program covering topics including canvassing in communities, bus shelter and sidewalk improvement, transit service, and zoning. Fellows and researchers collected data on riders’ experiences with local public transit infrastructure, routes, and programs in South Hilltop through field visits. Fellows also canvassed South Hilltop residents and helped them enroll in discounted transit fares through the Allegheny Go program. This research identified key community needs that could be addressed by the PRT Bus Line Redesign, including challenges for riders with disabilities and bus route changes that made it difficult to access grocery stores and health care.  

Near the end of the fellowship, fellows and researchers presented their findings to local community groups, government leaders, and transit officials at two sessions. Presentations drew on residents’ lived experiences with transportation and its effects on their access to vital services.

PPT staff expect that insights from the fellowship will serve the transit needs of South Hilltop residents by informing PRT’s Service Planning Department. PRT has already responded to community feedback, modifying the Bus Line Redesign to become the Bus Line Refresh. The presentations have helped spur accountability and transparency regarding safety and infrastructure improvements scheduled for the corridor from the City of Pittsburgh, as well as food access concerns raised by elected officials. Fellows and PPT staff will continue to inform this process by participating in ongoing community meetings, building on closeout conversations to understand how best to support fellows in their advocacy, and expanding networks with PPT and other local civic organizations. By establishing a cohort of voices in the Hilltop who have relationships of trust with fellow advocates and relationships of visibility and accountability with government representatives, PPT hopes the seeds from this fellowship continue to grow, facilitating the community’s ability to shape planning and decisionmaking around the connectivity and accessibility of their neighborhoods.