PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Port Athority Proposal
by john Thursday, May. 15, 2003 at 9:34 AM
jmh17@pitt.edu (email address validated)

The Port Athority is proposing to increase fares and cut service.

Proposed changes are enumerated in this announcement which includes fare increases to most of their routes, elimination of many routes, and service after 9.00pm. This would cut their current number of service hours by almost 20%.

Since I bike most places, I wont feel the impact, but I would imagine this could have a serious effects on those who depend on the buses as their primary form of transportation. PAT is having an open forum on Wednesday, May 21 for people to express their opinions. They are also accepting comments in written form. I would strongly urge those who will feel the effects of this to attend these meetings and send letters.

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Were Marchin (again)
by Stephen Donahue Thursday, May. 15, 2003 at 11:26 AM
sdonahue412@hotmail.com 412-361-3022 or 412-802-6542

Are you pissed as hell about another Port Authority fare hike and more Port Authority service cuts? Does it make you mad that again this year we get to go to the Convention Center and tell the Port Authority just what service cuts we can tolerate?

A bunch of us public transit riders are going to MARCH to the convention cernter on WED May 21. We will gather at the State Building, 300 Liberty Ave. just after 11AM then we march at 11:30AM (on the sidewalk) up to the convention center. The Port Authority public hearings begin at NOON.

On the chopping block this year is: all sunday service, all service after 9pm, many routes, increased headways, greatly reduced saturday service, and a fare hike.

The GOV says there is no money for bus riders but he has 500 million ready to match federal dollars to build the Maglev. That is the machine that will hauol rich white men from the airport to their corporate towers in the Golden Triangle in a heartbeat

COME TO THE STATE BUILDING BEFORTE 11:30 am ON WED THE 21ST OF MAY!

We will sing!

pace e bene
Stephen Donahue

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Selective Reistance
by Devon Thursday, May. 15, 2003 at 12:59 PM

Hey all.

I strongly agree that everyone should attend this meeting and march and sing. On thing I ask of everybody is that their resistance be selective. Make sure you know what you are against. Certainly the Port Authority has a budget problem. Some of this is inevitable, some of it is due to poor management. Of course we should be hopping mad about the concept of cutting sunday service as this is extremely classist, and will affect many people who work or go grocery shopping on weekends. However, I do think that a certain amount of consolidation of bus routes is a beneficial thing. Many of the PA's routes are redundant, and only serve to make things more confusing and expensive. Lets tell them to go ahead and revamp the schedule and routes, but let them know, that people had better be able to get to work, and play and grocery any night or weekend that they want to.
Buses and bikes are what we likes!

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weekday woes
by worker Friday, May. 16, 2003 at 12:27 AM

I would LOVE to go to this march on wednesday the 21st, but I will be at work and I can't call off, like lots of people who would love to attend. All those who don't work or go to school should really attend and keep us in mind, since we ride the buses to work! FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTS! Class warfare is real!

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Reasonable Demand
by pjd Friday, May. 16, 2003 at 11:17 AM

Pittsburgh is too large a city to have no bus service on Sunday or evenings.

We need dig our heels in on one unnegotiable demand. PAT must, as a minimum, continue weekend and late evening service for those handful of routes that serve the core of city residents.

This could include just the 86B, 54C, 71A, 67C, 91A. Also, many need employment access to the (ugh) malls, so about 4 or 5 suburban routes need to provide late service.

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.
by John Friday, May. 16, 2003 at 8:43 PM

hmm..never been to an anti-tax cut for busses protest before. This will be a new twist!

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Mag-Lev and hearing
by gwen Saturday, May. 17, 2003 at 6:46 AM

I've been watching the Mag-Lev project for ten years, and I actually advocate it strongly. It's not just going to benefit the wealthy, it'll be another very useful form of public transportation for the community as a whole.

If you really want to blame something, remember that we're staring at two barely used new stadiums and are thinking of building a new Arena. Realize that Murphy wants to destroy much of downtown's current industry to put in national chains to "attract the suburban residents". This is even more tied when we realize that these additions means the need for more parking -- something that can be helped by better public transportation (little nagging voice in my head asks if parking fees is how he plans to pay for these proposals). We're still $37 Million in debt from the torn-down Three Rivers Stadium, have two new ones, and a mess of traffic for any events at these places. Brilliant.

In any case, some useful information in this comment:

Individuals wishing to testify at the hearing are encouraged to pre-register prior to the public hearing by calling (412) 566-5103 weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., or the TTY number, (412) 231-7007, for the speech and hearing impaired. Oral testimony will be limited to three minutes per speaker. Persons who have not pre-registered can register at the hearing and will be called upon to speak as time slots become available.

I will be calling on Monday. But, my personal agenda for my speaking is the Incline -- I live on Mount Washington, and if the Incline is lost, I'm stuck. Everyone marching should register to speak as well, we need all of the issues with this insanity covered.

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too late
by Stephen Donahue Saturday, May. 17, 2003 at 10:51 AM
sdonahue412@hotmail.com

All time slots for the public comment are full. There will be a stnographer in another room to take comments.
Send written comments by JUNE 1 to:
Port Authority Fare and Service Proposals
Heinz 57 Center
345 Sixth Ave.
Pgh, PA 15222-2527

If the BIG GOV has $500 MILLION for maglev (it will have ONE, repeat ONE, stop in the city limits) how come he cut the OPERATING SUBSIDY for us stupid bus riders back to what it was in 1994? Let that bastard give us $19 million out of that $500 million to run what we got now!

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be aware of the reasons...
by rwr Saturday, May. 17, 2003 at 6:51 PM

be aware of the reasons these cuts are taking place...

Bush's increase in military spending and tax cut have taken away funds from the states...as a result, state budgets in roughly 1/5 of the country (including PA) face horrible deficits.

Our Governer has been forced to make cuts to several programs and projects where there is simply no money. Port Authority in Pittsburgh is suffering from this fate.

We need to be firm with Port Authority, but aggressive towards the Federal Government. Our quality of life is disapearing. We can win a war in under a month but can't afford Public Transportation, Health Care, Supplies for Schools, ect.

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another rally at 5 PM
by John Lacny Monday, May. 19, 2003 at 8:23 AM

SEIU members and others will be gathering at 5 at the Convention Center, on Tenth Avenue (where it becomes an underpass and actually goes under the Convention Center). This was a better time for janitors who work Downtown, and it may be better for other workers, as well. So you have at least two opportunities during the day to attend a rally against the transit cuts.

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Top bus routes
by John Lacny Monday, May. 19, 2003 at 8:29 AM

Paul Donahue lists some bus routes that should not be cut:

> 86B, 54C, 71A, 67C, 91A.

These are some of them, but actually, the top five bus routes, in order, are:

1. EBA
2. 71A
3. 86B
4. 81B
5. 51C

As you can see, these are all routes that go through heavily black neighborhoods, with the first four going through the East End and the Hill, and the 51C (Carrick) going through the South Side and South Hills, but particularly through the Beltzhoover/Mount Oliver area.

Overall, though, I think Paul is right. The Port Authority shouldn't have to make cuts, but if they do, they need to at least preserve late-evening, night and weekend service on these most high-traffic routes, where people who work the nightshift especially need to take the bus to get to work.

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It's still the state's fault
by John Lacny Monday, May. 19, 2003 at 8:43 AM

rwr writes:

> Bush's increase in military spending
> and tax cut have taken away funds
> from the states...as a result, state
> budgets in roughly 1/5 of the country
> (including PA) face horrible deficits.
>
> Our Governer has been forced to
> make cuts to several programs and
> projects where there is simply no
> money.

Let's not facilitate this kind of buck-passing. It's true that the Feds are culpable for the state fiscal crises, and it's appropriate to fight for more money for the states. Nevertheless, the state of Pennsylvania needs to share a good part of the responsibility for the transit cuts mess in particular.

The Port Authority is going to try to blame ALL of its woes on the state, when in fact there are choices that the Port Authority can make even within the confines of its budget (e.g., it should at least preserve service after 9 and on weekends on the most high-traffic routes, such as the EBA, 71A, 86B, 81B, and 51C). Similarly, the state should not be allowed to blame all of its troubles on the Feds.

With Rendell talking about finding tens of millions of dollars to support local tax-increment financing projects (which -- in this political climate -- usually amount not to attempts to revitalize "blighted" neighborhoods but simple giveaways to developers), it should be possible to find the $16 million required to restore the cuts to operating revenue for public transportation statewide (which works out to about $4 million for the Port Authority, with another $1.3 million in local matching funds that comes with that).

Beyond the operating revenues in the state budget, however, there's the fact that the Public Transportation Assistance Fund (PTAF) has been grossly underfunded because it is based on unreliable taxes, and the state has consistently overestimated the amount that PTAF is going to bring in every year. The Ridge Administration royally screwed things up by deregulating electricity, which meant that electric generating plants were no longer considered "public utilities" and therefore were no longer subject to the Public Utility Realty Tax (PURTA), taking tens of millions of dollars worth of property off of the tax rolls. Certainly, the "Democratic" administration in Harrisburg now has reason to argue that its Republican predecessor left them with a mess. That doesn't alleviate the current governor's responsibility for finding a way to clean it up.

To take another example, consider that in PA, it's WRITTEN INTO THE STATE CONSTITUTION that the proceeds of the gas tax can't be used for anything but highway maintenance and construction. You currently can't use any of that money for public transit -- which is as potent testimony to the power of the automobile and highway lobbies as anything else.

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how can they cut routes?
by lucas Monday, May. 19, 2003 at 6:40 PM
ludicrouslucas@hotmail.com

raising fair is bad enough, but cutting bus routes is just plain bologna! i mean, im a student downtown, and some of my classes last until 9:30 or 10:00 at night. how exactly am i supposed to get home? walk through the hill district carrying sketchbooks, etc....?

im sure the bus riders with jobs have more of a reason to be outraged than even me right now. this is ridiculous, but i dont think ill be at the march since i have to work that morning. gotta pay the rent.

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Save 37a and 36a transport
by Howard I. Scott Jr. Tuesday, May. 20, 2003 at 2:49 PM
cahoscott@aol.com 412-561-1279 Mt. Lebanon

I am a monthly bus pass buyer and daily user of PAT to get to and from work. But if you cut the hours and lines I must use, I will be forced to take my car downtown every day and add to the terrible congestion during rush hours.

I understand that the 37a line, from downtown to Mt. Lebanon/Dormont may be cut. Seems that there are always people on it when I ride, especially older people wanting to go to the grocery story, etc. This is already a bus line that is closed most of the day, except for rush hours. I sincerely hope it stays open.

By cutting the bus services, you will cause unintended problems, and generally deminish the quality of life for people in the Pittsburgh area. Please reconsider this drastic step, this will contribute towards Pittsburgh being just another gas-hog, traffic jam community.

Howard Scott

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37A
by Marsha Zakowski Tuesday, May. 20, 2003 at 4:13 PM
412-562-2492

I have utilized public transportation to downtown Pittsburgh most of my life, beginning with the Brentwood Route when I went to college in downtown Pittsburgh. Now I ride the 37A (McFarland) bus downtown every day for work. I have to catch it at the Giant Eagle stop on Oxford Drive. If this route is discontinued and I cannot catch this bus, I will have to drive my car to downtown Pittsburgh. I cannot take an alternate 36A or B route. It is too far from where I live.
There are other people who depend on the 37A as I do and cannot catch the 36A or B.

I urge that PAT keep the 37A bus service. Thank you.

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Pat Rider disgusted
by Sonya Green Monday, May. 26, 2003 at 9:52 AM
sgreen@uswa.org

I am very disgusted regarding the bus service that Port Authority offers. I have lived in Pittsburgh for the last 10 years and I find that the cost to ride the bus has become very expensive and the service is decreasing. As a tax payer I feel that some of our taxes should be going towards transportation. I do not drive and I depend on the bus daily for transportation to get to and from work as well as doing my errands on the weekend. If service is cut from my area I will be forced to spend more money (that I do not have) to obtain othe rmeans of transportation. I believe as a resident of Pittsburgh that our comments and concerns need to be heard before a major decision is made. This will effect all bus riders tremondously. Your jobs depend on us.

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PAT Can Not Continue Without Fare Increases
by Patrick Buss Monday, May. 26, 2003 at 10:22 AM

Probably the biggest issue facing PAT is that its cost to deliver its services are TOO high. A fw years ago I saw a copy of a study submitted to the DOT which said that PAT spends about $10.00 on each rider. So if PAT is only getting $1.00 or so from each rider, the local and federal governments have to subsidize about 90% of the cost of the service.

GIven the high cost of the service, it is not efficient for PAT to spend money to get new riders. It would be more efficient for PAT to lease a new car for each new rider to the system than to spend money on additional routes.

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closer to 30%
by Stephen Donahue Tuesday, May. 27, 2003 at 10:47 AM
sdonahue412@hotmail.com

Actually, fare box revenue covers close to 30% of the operating budget for Port Authority. (this is higher than in most other systems across the USA) State law demands that for each $1 given to Port Authority that they must recover 46 cents of that (a 46% match) from the fare box or through the sale of ads. I costs PAT around 85 bucks an hour to run each bus. It costs around 110 bucks an hour to run the light rail.

The single biggest cost to running our public transit system is paying for the health care for all the employees. Socialized medicine would go a long way in helping our public transit.

Bottom line however is the STATE MUST FUND PUBLIC TRANSIT. The fare box can never be expected to cover all the costs. There is plenty of blame for this to go around but I hope that as this crisis getts hotter and more people wake up to the reality of the situation that we wil not all just start scape goating each other. There are no short cuts. We got to fight for funding.

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