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Tuesday, June 24, 2003

By Mike Bucsko, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Taking inspiration from the biblical people of Nineveh, Stephen Donahue and about a dozen others plan to fast for 25 hours Downtown in an attempt to persuade state legislators to provide additional funding for public transit.

Linda VanBueren, left center, of Mount Oliver, listens to speakers urging the state to restore funding to public transit systems in Western Pennsylvania yesterday outside the State Office Building, Downtown. Members of the bus and trolley riders’ group Save Our Transit gathered to draw attention to the funding cuts. In the foreground, Mark Massucci, a transit rider from Crafton, went shirtless to make his point. (Steve Mellon, Post-Gazette)

At a news conference to kick off the vigil outside the State Office Building, Donahue, a member of Save Our Transit, yesterday noted the story of how the Ninevites saved their city from destruction by fasting.

Not everyone who plans to participate in the vigil is onboard for the fast.

James McCray, a North Sider who rides the 500 or 16B Port Authority routes to Downtown, said he's all for the effort to protest cuts in public transit funding. But at 72, McCray said, he needs to fuel up himself.

"I'm going to try to stay, but I'm probably going to have to go home and get something to eat," said McCray as he sat in a director's chair outside the building.

Port Authority earlier this year announced plans to cut service at night and on weekends and raise fares to offset reductions of $4 million in subsidies and $5 million in special state transit funds. But late last week, the transit agency's board decided to delay decisions on service cuts and a fare increase until the state budget is finalized.

Speakers at yesterday's news conference to a person decried the delay and said it offers no solution to the ongoing shortage of mass transit funding. Instead, Donahue and the other public transportation advocates said pressure must be brought on state legislators to provide a steady stream of funding for public transportation.

"What I don't want to do is come back next year and do the same damn thing," said John Tague, a wheelchair-using public transit rider.

There was some levity at yesterday's event provided by women who are part of the local faction of an elderly advocacy group, the Raging Grannies. Group members Wanda Guthrie, Mary King, Bette McDevitt and Carol Rosenberger sang "Fund Our Transit" -- to the tune of "Three Blind Mice" -- and "Stop the Hocus Pocus" -- to the tune of "Hokey Pokey."

The purpose of the vigil and fast is to show Gov. Ed Rendell and state legislators the commitment of the participants to restoring public transit funding, Donahue said.

The group, which Donahue expects to include about a dozen people, planned to remain on the sidewalk on Liberty Avenue near the entrance to the State Office Building until 5 p.m. yesterday and then to move to a city-owned traffic island in Gateway Center at Liberty Avenue and Stanwix Street.

State security officials told protest organizers they could only remain in front of the State Office Building during building hours, so they planned to return at 8 a.m. today and to remain until the vigil concludes at noon.