Heritage Community Initiatives’ WorkLink is a fixed-route transit feeder service designed to provide efficient, cost effective, and non-duplicative services to residents of the geographically isolated and low income communities of the Mon Valley region.  Based on an independent analysis, the WorkLink program has a $134 million dollar impact in Western Pennsylvania.

Due to reallocation of funding from the Federal Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC) program, Heritage Community Initiatives (Heritage) will no longer have the means to support the WorkLink transit program after June 30, 2013.  Continued funding for WorkLink had been included in Pennsylvania Senate Bill 1; however, the legislation has yet to clear the House of Representatives.

Heritage will keep WorkLink service operating its normal route and schedule through Saturday, July 6, 2013 while we wait for passage of the State Transportation Bill.  WorkLink riders are reminded that there is no service on Thursday, July 4th due to the Independence Day holiday.

The State Transportation Bill must be passed by June 30 to ensure continued WorkLink service past July 6. Heritage encourages the community to help save WorkLink.

Here is what YOU can do!

1. Call Your Legislator
Your support is crucial to keeping the service going. Contact your State Representative and tell them to support SB 1 by June 30th and let them know how important WorkLink is to you. Click here for a sample phone call and e-mail (Word Doc).

Mon Valley Representatives:
Rep. Saccone: (412) 653-1025 rsaccone@pahousegop.com
Rep. Gergely: (412) 664-0035 mgergely@pahouse.net
Rep. Kortz: (412) 466-1940 wkortz@pahouse.net
Rep. Markosek: (412) 856-8284 jmarkose@pahouse.net
Rep. Costa: (412) 824-3400 pcosta@pahouse.net

Please visit http://bit.ly/fmkUFC to find your Representative

2. Spread the Word
Tell your friends and family about WorkLink, what it means to you and how they can help. 
Share your support on Facebook! 

Heritage Community Initiatives (Heritage) and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) have collaborated to provide a classical music experience to children in Braddock.  Christopher Wu and Rhian Kenny of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will travel to Braddock to provide a special arts education program to children enrolled in the Heritage Out of School Time (HOST) Summer Camp program on Friday, June 21, 2013. The musicians will demonstrate a violin and a flute, and teach the children about how they are used to play classical music.  The children will have the opportunity to play each instrument.

Mr. Christopher Wu, enjoys a diverse career as an orchestral and chamber musician, teacher and soloist. Wu joined the first violin section of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 1988 and has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood, and the Rochester and Buffalo Philharmonics.  As a soloist, Wu has been described by the Tribune-Review as a musician of “virtuoso command with depth of musical understanding.”

Rhian Kenny joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 1990 as Principal Piccolo. She began her flute studies at the age of 9 in Calgary, Canada.  She received a Bachelor's Degree from McGill University in Montréal.  She is active in the PSO’s education and outreach programs speaking often to groups throughout the Pittsburgh region.

This event is part of a growing partnership begun by Heritage President & CEO, Michele R. Atkins, and PSO Maestro, Manfred Honeck.  The goal of the partnership is to introduce children in underserved communities like Braddock to classical music, and to broaden their musical experience.  Future plans include a visit by Symphony members to the 4 Kids Early Learning Center in July.

WorkLink Service to End June 30, 2013 Without a State Transportation Bill

Here is what YOU can do

1. Call Your Legislator
Your support is crucial to keeping the service going. Contact your State Representative and tell them to support SB 1 by June 30th and let them know how important WorkLink is to you. Click here for a sample phone call and e-mail (Word Doc).

Mon Valley Representatives:
Rep. Saccone: (412) 653-1025 rsaccone@pahousegop.com
Rep. Gergely: (412) 664-0035 mgergely@pahouse.net
Rep. Kortz: (412) 466-1940 wkortz@pahouse.net
Rep. Markosek: (412) 856-8284 jmarkose@pahouse.net
Rep. Costa: (412) 824-3400 pcosta@pahouse.net

Please visit http://bit.ly/fmkUFC to find your Representative

2. Spread the Word
Tell your friends and family about WorkLink, what it means to you and how they can help. 
Share your support on Facebook! 

WorkLink is currently funded by the Federal Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC) program through June 30, 2013.  Dedicated JARC funds were repealed with the passage of the new transportation bill signed in July 2012, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), and projects were made eligible for the Urbanized Area Transit formula funds.  There has been no consensus about how these funds are to be allocated from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to formerly JARC funded projects.

More than 3,000 families depend on the WorkLink service to connect them to mainline Port Authority of Allegheny County bus services, places of employment, job training, childcare and other job related services.  The program provides 13,000 rides per month, and has an estimated impact of $134 million on the Western Pennsylvania region.

Heritage has been engaged in an advocacy campaign, talking to all legislators who represent the Mon Valley region to identify a funding solution. “We thank Senator Jay Costa and Senator Matt Smith for their commitment to finding a funding solution at the state level. They have been working valiantly--including many long nights, to ensure that a state transportation bill is passed that supports programs like these,” said Michele R. Atkins, Heritage Community Initiatives President and CEO at a press conference about the program on June 6.

Ms. Atkins continued, “In fact, we just talked to Senator Jay Costa this morning.  He has assured us that the Senate Bill 1, transportation funding proposal, which was passed on Wednesday, June 5 includes funding for WorkLink and RideACTA as well other programs around the state.  He has also assured that passage by the House of this bill by June 30 will keep the service running without interruption.”

Heritage Community Initiatives needs $1 million to operate WorkLink for the next year, and we are delighted to announce that we can save the WorkLink program if the transportation bill passes the State House of Representatives by June 30, 2013.  As Michele Atkins stated, “We are quietly encouraged that, if the House does their job, our riders can keep their jobs.”

WorkLink riders; Heritage Community Initiatives donors, friends and constituents; and everyone who lives or works in the Mon Valley region of Allegheny County are encouraged to reach out to their representative.  Tell them how important programs like WorkLink are to the community and ask them to support the transportation bill by June 30.