METRO Magazine Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Pittsburgh's Port Authority Rewards CEO with Four-Year Contract Extension

Katharine Kelleman joined Port Authority as CEO in February 2018.

Pittsburgh's Port Authority Rewards CEO with Four-Year Contract Extension

Katharine Kelleman's new contract expires in December 2025.

Photo: Port Authority

2 min to read


Port Authority of Allegheny County's Board voted unanimously to extend the contract of CEO Katharine Kelleman for four years, through 2025.

"Katharine has exceeded our expectations in the time she's been at Port Authority," said Port Authority Board Chair Jeff Letwin. "Not only has she established a vision for public transportation and implemented a long list of improvements that benefit riders and employees, but she has also become a vital part of this community as it charts its future beyond the pandemic."

Ad Loading...

Kelleman joined Port Authority as CEO in February 2018. Under her leadership, the agency saw its highest ridership totals in more than a decade before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Through the pandemic, the agency has been able to continue to provide transit service without any layoffs.

Also during Kelleman’s tenure, Port Authority adopted its first long-range transportation plan, implemented its mobile ticketing application and a new customer-friendly fare policy, and removed employment barriers by implementing Ban the Box.

Her new contract expires in December 2025. Her base salary will be $269,500 a year, a 5% increase over her previous contract. It also includes 5% annual raises and the opportunity for annual performance bonuses of up to 20% of her salary.

"I am grateful to the Board for their continued support," Kelleman said. "We've accomplished a great deal already and I'm looking forward to so much more in the years ahead."

More Management

STraffic White Paper Cover Learn about delivering 1300 gates at 91 stations while managing fare evasion. Explore the large scale deployment, solution customization and real-world results that affect the region. Prepare for deployment in your region now.
SponsoredSeptember 9, 2026

Advancing Fare Collection Through Technology and Innovation

Learn about delivering 1300 gates at 91 stations while managing fare evasion. Explore the large scale deployment, solution customization and real-world results that affect the region. Prepare for deployment in your region now.

Read More →
A TransLink train goes by a large FIFA World Cup soccer ball structure.
Managementby Elora HaynesSeptember 8, 2026

Game Day in Motion: Moving Millions During the 2026 World Cup

Between packed transit stations and team motorcoaches, see how agencies and operators across North America tackled the transportation demands of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Read More →
A blue and white graphic with text reading "Surface Transportation Averts Shutdown, Leaves Transit Funding Gap."
Managementby Elora HaynesSeptember 4, 2026

Surface Transportation Extension Averts Shutdown, Leaves Transit Funding Gap

The stopgap keeps federal transportation programs moving, but missing advance funding could complicate the transit and rail projects agencies are planning next.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Bus Tech Talk: Transit Tech Training...What's Changed?
Busby Alex RomanSeptember 4, 2026

Bus Tech Talk: Keeping Transit Technicians Ahead of the Technology Curve

LA Metro’s Obed Mejia discusses technician training, evolving maintenance technology, fleet replacement, and strategies for getting the most out of today’s transit fleets.

Read More →
Designing Stations Around the Passenger
RailSeptember 2, 2026

Why Simulating Pedestrian Movement Has Become Essential for Modern Rail Stations

Pedestrian microsimulation is helping rail planners identify bottlenecks, test station designs, and prepare complex transit hubs for growing passenger volumes.

Read More →
Holly Arnold
Managementby Alex RomanSeptember 2, 2026

People Movement: Holly Arnold Joins Transdev and More

In this edition, we also cover recent appointments and announcements at Pace, CamTran, MCI, and more, showcasing the individuals helping to shape the future of transportation.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A Chicago rail and rail car in the city.
Managementby Staff and News ReportsSeptember 1, 2026

NITA Launches New Era of Regional Transit in Chicago

The new authority replaces the RTA and brings CTA, Metra, and Pace under a strengthened regional framework for funding, planning, fares, safety, and service coordination.

Read More →
Canada-Qatar match fans underneath a TransLink SkyTrain overpass.
Managementby Elora HaynesSeptember 1, 2026

How World Cup Mobility Put Transit and Motorcoaches to the Test

Behind the seamless trips were months of planning, multimodal partnerships, and lessons agencies and operators can carry into the next mega-event.

Read More →
DART light rail and transit bus.
Managementby Staff and News ReportsAugust 31, 2026

DART Introduces Dashboard to Track Ridership Data

The initial release represents the first phase of DART’s efforts to expand access to ridership information. Additional dashboard features, data, and functionality will be introduced in future phases.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Six people hold shovels in dirt at the SEPTA 11th Street Station ground breaking.
Managementby Staff and News ReportsAugust 31, 2026

SEPTA Breaks Ground on $44M Accessibility Upgrade at 11th Street Station

The project will add elevators and other upgrades to make the busy L station fully ADA accessible, with a yearlong closure expected to accelerate construction and save up to $3 million.

Read More →