Pittsburgh agency considers slashing transit, light-rail services to fill budget gap

Pittsburgh Regional Transit is proposing shutting down one of its three light-rail lines and partially cutting services on another to address a projected $100 million budget deficit in fiscal-year 2026, which begins in July 2025.

The deficit is due to a lack of state funding, PRT officials said in a press release. As a result, the Silver Line would be eliminated completely, and service frequency on the Red Line would be reduced. The light-rail service reductions would be part of an overall 35% service decrease across PRT's network beginning in February 2026. Additionally, the PRT would increase its fares by 25 cents.

All transit services would end after 11 p.m. and no longer be available for sporting events, concerts and the 2026 NFL Draft. Several neighborhoods would be cut off from all PRT transit services.

The PRT board is set to vote on the proposal on March 28. A public hearing is slated for March 31, and three more public hearings are planned for April, May and June before the board adopts next year’s budget, which begins in July.

"We started this process early to make sure riders have a voice and a say on these service cuts and fare increases," PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman said in a press release. "Our hearts break today knowing there could be significantly less service that connects people to their world. We know these cuts are devastating and we plan to do everything in our power to prevent them from happening."

PRT filled a $50 million budget gap in the 2025 budget with its reserve fund, but without a new source of state funding, the agency’s reserves will not be enough to fill a budget gap that is projected to grow every year, PRT officials said.

Act 89 of 2013 provided a long-term funding solution for Pennsylvania transportation programs, but PRT’s share of that funding has not increased in over a decade, PRT officials said. Inflation, rising health-care costs and operational expenses have widened the deficit gap in recent years.

“We hope that our voices are heard in the state capital, and we’re able to bring greater investment to public transit back,” Kelleman said.