Defending the Pittsburgh area taxpayers and businesses against the burdensome taxation and regulation of Big Government

Previous Policy Briefs have delved into the high office vacancy rate in Pittsburgh’s Golden Triangle, largely the result of the pandemic.  The loss of revenue for office building owners caused them to seek a reduction to their assessed values which, in turn, caused property tax revenue to fall for all three taxing bodies; it became the primary excuse for both the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County to raise property tax millages in the last couple of years.  As had been mentioned in those Briefs, this isn’t just a Pittsburgh problem but one that has extended well into the city’s suburbs.  However, the suburban market appears to be rebounding in 2026.

Beginning November 18, 2026, Amtrak will add another daily train on the Pennsylvanian service which runs from Pittsburgh through Philadelphia and on to New York City.  Amtrak also offers the Keystone rail service from Harrisburg through Philadelphia to New York with several trains each day.  The Pennsylvanian takes 5-plus hours and passes through seven stations by traveling from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg.  Continuing the trip to Philadelphia adds another 2 1/2 hours passing through five more stations for a total of 7 1/2 hours between Pennsylvania’s largest cities. Going further to New York adds two more stops in New Jersey along the way.