Pittsburgh Regional Transit Launches First Ever Climate Action Plan

The Pittsburgh Regional Transit agency has set a goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2045 as part of the city’s first climate action plan, according to 90.5 WESA, Pittsburgh’s NPR news station. “The agency plans to reduce the 104.5 million tons of carbon emissions it produces each year by expanding its electric bus fleet, purchasing light rail cars that use less electricity and switching to solar power to run their buildings,” writes Julia Fraser. It also aims to get more people to ride buses, both to reduce emissions and to keep their transit system solvent.

Increasing ridership is an ambitious goal, as transit ridership in both Pittsburgh and across the country dipped when the pandemic hit and has been slow to rebound. “Pittsburgh’s ridership only rebounded back to 64% of its pre-pandemic level for that week. And so far this year, fewer Pittsburghers have taken transit than in 2023, according to Pittsburgh Regional Transit data,” Fraser reports.

Buses are the biggest source of emissions for the agency and therefore the area where it can make the biggest impact. But with only nine electric buses (and 14 more on the way, according to the article) out of a fleet of 729 diesel vehicles, it will be a while before they reach their 100 percent electric goal, particularly given the challenges installing charging infrastructure and retraining mechanics, as well as growing pains the electric bus industry has faced lately. The city is also looking into hydrogen-cell-fueled buses as an alternative. It will also be expensive, as the agency already faces a “fiscal cliff” as federal pandemic relief money comes to an end this year. But just having a climate plan enables the agency to go after more money and stay competitive for current funding, Derek Dauphin, director of planning and service development at Pittsburgh Regional Transit, told 90.5 WESA.