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

Introduction: In 2005, Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT), then known as the Port Authority of Allegheny County, had a passenger total for bus and light rail of 66.2 million.   By 2010, the total had fallen to 63.4 million and just before the COVID impact in 2020, passengers totaled 62.2 million.

After falling sharply in 2020, the passenger count recovered to reach 36.1 million in 2025, 42 percent below the pre-COVID reading. A further small rise in ridership in 2026 lifted the count to 38.1 million. Note that the annual counts reported are based on the fiscal year of July 1 of the prior year to June 30 of the reporting year. For example, the 2026 total is for the 12 months following July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.

This Policy Brief reviews PRT spending per passenger, county population decline and the performance of the key factors that affect public transportation use.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) earlier this year released migration data for the period of 2022 to 2023.  The data show that both Pennsylvania and Allegheny County lost more migrants than they gained.  But where did they go and where did new migrants come from?  The IRS data provides the details.