Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) is announcing $8 million in competitive grant funding to allow Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) to improve ten stations along the Red Line Corridor and make the entire Red Line fully accessible to and usable by people with disabilities. The funding, administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), was made possible by a provision Casey worked to include in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
“Inaccessible public transportation means seniors and people with disabilities can’t always get to work or the doctor’s office or grocery store,” said Senator Casey. “This funding from the infrastructure law will make all stations along Pittsburgh’s Red Line accessible and bring us one step closer to granting all Pennsylvanians the transportation access they deserve.”
Senator Casey has consistently fought to expand transportation access to people with disabilities along the Red Line Corridor. The Red Line runs through Pittsburgh’s Southside, Downtown, and North Shore neighborhoods, including the region’s central business district, top cultural attractions, and academic institutions. In February 2024, Senator Casey advocated to then FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez on behalf of PRT’s application to receive federal funding. He emphasized how ensuring accessibility would reduce barriers for seniors and people with disabilities and reinforced the City of Pittsburgh’s goals to connect communities along the Red Line corridor.
As Chairman of the Special Committee on Aging, Senator Casey has worked tirelessly to expand transportation access for people with disabilities. In 2022, Casey pushed to include the All Station Accessibility Program (ASAP) Act, into the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). ASAP is a competitive grant program created by the infrastructure law that aims to ensure the Nation’s oldest transit systems are accessible to and usable by people with disabilities. Senator Casey has also introduced legislation to make public transportation more accessible for college students. In 2022, PRT received FTA funding to improve four stations along the Red Line to be accessible to and usable by people with disabilities.
Improvements to these additional ten stations— Palm Garden, Dawn, Hampshire, Stevenson, Poplar, Arlington, Smith Road, Casswell, Highland, and Dorchester — will complete PRT’s goal of making the entire Red Line fully accessible to passengers with disabilities.
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