Sen. Devlin Robinson: Standing up for Pittsburgh transit — funding, safety and accountability

Public transit keeps Pittsburgh and Allegheny moving. It gets people to work, to school, to the doctor, and to see family and friends. It keeps our economy running and our neighborhoods connected.

In fact, I know firsthand the need for a safe and reliable public transit system because this is how I traveled to and from school every day as a child. That’s why I’m fighting for a responsible funding plan that makes sure our buses, trains and inclines keep running strong for the people who depend on them every day.

Recently, the Senate passed a budget and transportation plan that provides an additional $40 million for Pittsburgh Regional Transit — the increase PRT requested, and the same amount backed by House Democrats and Gov. Josh Shapiro.

The key difference is that the Senate’s plan provides the new funding without raising taxes and without cutting other programs like education and nursing homes. We do that by using a portion of the $2.4 billion sitting idle in the Public Transportation Trust Fund (PTTF). And contrary to misleading claims from PennDOT and others, only about half of the money currently in the PTTF is spoken for — so this plan will have no negative impact on future projects.

It’s also important to understand that these new dollars are in addition to the existing $331 million state subsidy PRT already receives annually, on top of state funding for capital projects.

Let’s be honest about why we had to fight this hard.

The state budget is more than six weeks late. In large part, it’s being held hostage by the mismanagement of SEPTA, the mass transit system in southeastern Philadelphia. Shapiro and House Democrats are demanding hundreds of millions of dollars for a transit agency that has wasted public trust and public dollars.

Here in Pittsburgh, it’s a different story.

PRT doesn’t have the same depth of systemic challenges as SEPTA. It needs more funding, but it’s not in crisis. Yet the governor and House Democrats would rather leverage the entire state budget to bail out SEPTA than move forward with a responsible plan that helps transit systems statewide.

The inequity is clear.

In November 2024, Shapiro transferred $153 million in highway capital funds into mass transit — and sent every penny to SEPTA. Pittsburgh got nothing.

We were left on the sidelines while the governor drained funds meant to maintain and improve roads and bridges in communities like ours.

That’s the difference between those who just show up and those who lead.

The Senate took the lead on a responsible plan.

Our plan helps PRT and other systems across Pennsylvania without raising taxes, without raiding highway funds and without holding up the rest of the budget. We also approved important new safety measures — and much stronger accountability requirements to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.

For months, I’ve been hearing from riders, transit workers and community members about the possibility of deep service cuts and fare hikes if we didn’t act — cuts that would have hit workers, seniors, students and low-income families the hardest. Our plan prevents that.

From day one, my approach has been simple: listen to the people who ride the buses and trains, push for accountability and deliver solutions that work right now.

A reliable transit system is the backbone of our region. It helps fill job openings, keeps traffic from getting worse and makes it easier for everyone to get where they’re going.

The Senate-passed plan is a big step forward, but we still need a long-term, stable plan to fund transit without shifting the cost onto riders or letting our infrastructure fall behind.

I’m ready to work with anyone willing to lead, not just show up.

Devlin Robinson, a Republican, represents the 37th District, which includes portions of Allegheny County.