A new report finds that young people are increasingly moving to Pittsburgh from cities such as Philadelphia, New York City and Washington D.C.
The report, from PittsburghTODAY, examines the behaviors and attitudes of 400 + young residents living in the region.
Over the past five years, Pittsburgh has seen a seven percent influx of 20-34 year olds. That’s in contrast to years past when young people left Southwest Pennsylvania in droves.
Many of the young people moving here are coming with at least a bachelor's degree and about half of them earn at least $50,000 a year.
Doug Heuck, Director of PittsburghTODAY, says the young people interviewed for the focus groups found fault with the public transportation system here. Weaknesses identified were cost of fare, unreliable service, recent service cuts and outdated payment procedures.
“Young people want to live in a city where there is viable public transportation. Having a car to a lot of people is increasingly less attractive. So the fact that we’ve had all these transit cuts, and routes and hours are curtailed, this makes Pittsburgh relatively less attractive,” said Heuck.
Focus group participants also voiced concerns of a lack of racial integration.
