The leader of the Pittsburgh region’s public transit system aims to rebrand and elevate the agency and in doing so also hopes to enhance the region’s development capabilities.

The Pittsburgh Mastermind group this month heard from Katharine Egan Kelleman, CEO of the Port Authority of Allegheny County. Kelleman in January stepped into the top job at the Port Authority, which serves about 200,000 riders per day. Kelleman offered her vision for an agency that includes crafting a strategic plan, improves customer service, and, has a shared conversation that acknowledges public transit is tied directly to development.

“Transit and development are peas in a pod. We work better when we work together, from a development and transportation standpoint,” she said.
Kelleman said she looks forward to implementing changes that make public transit more accessible to more people. That also means determining what riders would like to see, and, emphasizing customer service.

“Make no small plans. Dream big. And once we know where we want to be in 25 years we know where to start,” she said.
The Port Authority, in operation since 1964, is working on several improvements that are underway or planned including on-street rapid bus transit and real-time tracking for vehicles. The Authority has a fleet of more than 700 buses and more than 80 light rail vehicles.