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<\/p>\nPeople who work Downtown for the City of Pittsburgh will now have access to free public transit passes, thanks to a new partnership between the city and Pittsburgh Regional Transit.<\/p>\n
The PRTner Pass program offers deep discount prices on bus passes for employers who buy them in bulk for their workers. Through PRT\u2019s partnership with the city, 750 city employees will now be eligible to receive free transit passes. The team-up is funded by money set aside in this year\u2019s city budget.<\/p>\n
At a press conference Monday, Mayor Corey O\u2019Connor and County Executive Sara Innamorato praised the program. O\u2019Connor said the partnership would help City employees \u201cget around the city of Pittsburgh a lot faster.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we invest in affordable public transit, people will use it,\u201d O\u2019Connor said. \u201cAs we saw with the NFL Draft, hundreds of thousands of Pittsburghers and visitors used our public transit system. And that’s why we have to continue to invest in it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Innamorato said the program would make transit \u201cmore affordable and accessible.\u201d For employers, she said, the initiative could help attract and retain employees as well as reduce parking demand.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor residents, it means greater access to jobs, to education, to healthcare, and to opportunity without the burden of owning and operating a personal vehicle,\u201d she said. \u201cStrong public transit is essential for a strong economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
PRT\u2019s CEO, Katharine Kelleman, said the program benefits riders, the transit system and the city as a whole.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery new transit rider helps reduce congestion, supports local business, and strengthens our economy through stronger connections,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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Mayor Corey O\u2019Connor, city and county leaders speak on open enrollment for 750 Downtown City employees into the PRTner Pass Program on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026.<\/p>\n
The city of Pittsburgh is the latest and largest organization to sign on to the partnership \u2013 and officials hope more organizations join in soon. Entities like schools and housing developments would also be eligible to purchase the bulk passes on behalf of their employees or the people they serve.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody, every major employer, organization, [and] real estate owner in this city should be investing in this program,\u201d said City Councilor Barb Warwick. \u201cThe city of Pittsburgh has set the bar.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Kelsey Shannon, deputy chief of strategic initiatives with PRT, organizations seeking to join the program need only have 10 eligible riders to sign up. Apartment buildings would need to have 10 eligible units. Once they do, they\u2019ll have access to purchase the passes at a more than 70% discount.<\/p>\n
Transit advocates helped organize the press conference Monday, after having pushed for years for such partnerships. Cheryl Stephens, community organizing manager with Pittsburghers for Public Transit, called the partnership a \u201cunicorn policy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt enables freedom of movement for working people and grows needed ridership and revenue for our transit system,\u201d she said. \u201cFor employers like the City of Pittsburgh, it reduces the pressure and the cost needed for employee parking spaces here Downtown, and supports the recruitment and retention of our hardworking public servants.\u201d<\/p>\n