Transit funding isn’t just about transportation. It’s a public health issue.
Remember this year’s brief change in bus service to The Waterfront? Imagine hundreds of similar — but permanent — disruptions. That could be the future if transit keeps getting shorted, and it would be a health nightmare.
(Original photo by Stephanie Strasburg/Pittsburgh's Public Source)
Pennsylvania government took nearly five months longer than legally permitted to pass a budget, with most of the delay driven by transit funding woes — which, after a short pause, will continue.
Our political leadership may not appreciate that funding for public transportation is not an issue of convenience, but of public health. Transportation is connected to our mental and physical health and our access to essential needs and services. Citizens who are vulnerable or marginalized may be at increased risk of the ill-effects of public transit cuts.
A single cut to public transportation can introduce harm and change lives for the worse. Proposed cuts to bus stops outside the Waterfront Target and Giant Eagle in Homestead demonstrated these effects. Losing those stops would have meant that traveling to shop or work might have required crossing a busy intersection and a large parking lot, adding up to a fifth of a mile to a person’s trip, according to Pittsburghers for Public Transit. For older folks, people with disabilities, or individuals traveling with children, this can introduce a significant barrier for meeting essential needs.
That bus stop change was reversed following public pressure, but current policy decisions will not sustain public transportation long-term. The $50.1 billion state budget signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro on Nov. 12 provided no increase in funding for public transportation. Shapiro’s proposal at one point included $292 million more for transit by reallocating funds collected through the Sales and Use Tax, with Pittsburgh Regional Transit receiving more than $40 million annually. Because that didn’t pass the General Assembly, PRT and the more than 100,000 people it serves daily are in a precarious position.
I currently work at a facility serving people with more intense mental health needs. Research tells us that prevention is key in avoiding mental health crises, but a lack of access to transportation is near the top of the list of reasons people cite for not seeking care. It’s common for people to begin treatment, then stop, due to transportation issues outside their control.
When people defer care or drift out of care, it can escalate mental health symptoms, adding burdens to their lives and our healthcare system. If we can work on funding adequate public transportation, we may be better able to promote access to the care that ultimately prevents issues from getting so bad that people end up at the hospital.
Current research points to transportation being an inextricable part of mental health and well-being. A lack of access to transportation can lead to social isolation, restrict access to services and affect economic stability through access to employment. Difficulty accessing public transportation is related to difficulty with accessing housing and food assistance, medical and mental health care and childcare, among other services.
When inadequate, public transportation can function as a barrier multiplier, making it more difficult for folks to access needed resources. Public transportation issues might mean that a person misses a vital doctor’s appointment or delays their medical care.
Inadequate transportation can make inequities worse, and folks who are already experiencing marginalization may find that multiplied. For example, those living in poverty can have a more difficult time getting help with disabilities or obtaining care for chronic conditions.
So let’s continue to discuss a long-term funding solution for public transportation — one that prioritizes the safety and prosperity of those who use transit on a regular basis. Public transportation can improve a person’s quality of life, increase access to essential needs and services, and benefit mental and physical health. Funding public transportation is a matter of public health.
Laura Chelgren is a doctoral student studying counseling psychology at Chatham University and can be reached at firstperson@publicsource.org.
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Transit funding isn’t just about transportation. It’s a public health issue.
by Guest commentary by Laura Chelgren, Pittsburgh's Public Source December 19, 2025
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Transit funding isn’t just about transportation. It’s a public health issue.
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Pennsylvania government took nearly five months longer than legally permitted to pass a budget, with most of the delay driven by transit funding woes — which, after a short pause, will continue.
Our political leadership may not appreciate that funding for public transportation is not an issue of convenience, but of public health. Transportation is connected to our mental and physical health and our access to essential needs and services. Citizens who are vulnerable or marginalized may be at increased risk of the ill-effects of public transit cuts.
A single cut to public transportation can introduce harm and change lives for the worse. Proposed cuts to bus stops outside the Waterfront Target and Giant Eagle in Homestead demonstrated these effects. Losing those stops would have meant that traveling to shop or work might have required crossing a busy intersection and a large parking lot, adding up to a fifth of a mile to a person’s trip, according to Pittsburghers for Public Transit. For older folks, people with disabilities, or individuals traveling with children, this can introduce a significant barrier for meeting essential needs.
That bus stop change was reversed following public pressure, but current policy decisions will not sustain public transportation long-term. The $50.1 billion state budget signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro on Nov. 12 provided no increase in funding for public transportation. Shapiro’s proposal at one point included $292 million more for transit by reallocating funds collected through the Sales and Use Tax, with Pittsburgh Regional Transit receiving more than $40 million annually. Because that didn’t pass the General Assembly, PRT and the more than 100,000 people it serves daily are in a precarious position.
I currently work at a facility serving people with more intense mental health needs. Research tells us that prevention is key in avoiding mental health crises, but a lack of access to transportation is near the top of the list of reasons people cite for not seeking care. It’s common for people to begin treatment, then stop, due to transportation issues outside their control.
When people defer care or drift out of care, it can escalate mental health symptoms, adding burdens to their lives and our healthcare system. If we can work on funding adequate public transportation, we may be better able to promote access to the care that ultimately prevents issues from getting so bad that people end up at the hospital.
Current research points to transportation being an inextricable part of mental health and well-being. A lack of access to transportation can lead to social isolation, restrict access to services and affect economic stability through access to employment. Difficulty accessing public transportation is related to difficulty with accessing housing and food assistance, medical and mental health care and childcare, among other services.
When inadequate, public transportation can function as a barrier multiplier, making it more difficult for folks to access needed resources. Public transportation issues might mean that a person misses a vital doctor’s appointment or delays their medical care.
Inadequate transportation can make inequities worse, and folks who are already experiencing marginalization may find that multiplied. For example, those living in poverty can have a more difficult time getting help with disabilities or obtaining care for chronic conditions.
So let’s continue to discuss a long-term funding solution for public transportation — one that prioritizes the safety and prosperity of those who use transit on a regular basis. Public transportation can improve a person’s quality of life, increase access to essential needs and services, and benefit mental and physical health. Funding public transportation is a matter of public health.
Laura Chelgren is a doctoral student studying counseling psychology at Chatham University and can be reached at firstperson@publicsource.org.
MORE STORIES
Help us keep telling stories like this one. Your gift is MATCHED up to 12x!
We’re Pittsburgh’s Public Source, an independent, nonprofit newsroom. That means we rely on donations from readers like you to help us report accurate, timely and impactful stories for the Pittsburgh region — available to everyone without paywalls.
And right now, you have a limited-time opportunity to supercharge your support. Through Dec. 31, our generous local match pool donors will match your new monthly donation 12 times or double your one-time gift until we reach our $80,000 goal!
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