Downtown city employees get free transit
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Pittsburgh officials are building incentives into their strategy to get more people to take public transit Downtown.
Why it matters: Downtown still hasn't recovered all of its pre-pandemic crowds, especially weekday office workers.
Driving the news: Pittsburgh launched a discount pass program with Pittsburgh Regional Transit on Saturday that supplies 750 Downtown city employees with free monthly passes.
By the numbers: The city of Pittsburgh is now PRT's largest participant in the PRTner Pass program, which supplies about 1,500 passes.
- Partner4Work, Fukui Architects and Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership are among some other Downtown groups and businesses that participate.
Zoom in: When buying 10 monthly transit passes or more, passes are 70% off of normal price.
- That means employers, schools, multi-unit housing complexes and other institutions can provide transit to their employees or residents for about $28 a month instead of $97.50 each.
Zoom out: Mayor Corey O'Connor said at a Monday press conference that the city's $275,000 payment for employee transit is just one part of the administration's strategy to boost Downtown activity.
- He also touted the city's new $50 million tax diversion plan, which includes $10 million earmarked for public transit, transportation and mobility upgrades in the neighborhood.
Between the lines: Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said employers that provide perks like free transit could increase employee retention as well as help decrease traffic congestion and lower parking demand.
- She implored other large Downtown employers, like UPMC and PNC, to join the program.
The bottom line: PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman said events such as the NFL draft and recent Parkway East closure increased PRT's ridership, which generated good reviews from new riders
- She said that should show other employers that transit is worth investing in and will only improve as more riders get on board.
- "We have the bones to be a great transit city … we will get you there."