Harmony officials have agreed to pledge $5,000 a year for five years to help launch a transit system to serve southwestern Butler County, and hope to offset that cost by leasing parking spaces for a park-n-ride lot.

Under the proposal with the Butler Township/City Joint Municipal Transit Authority, the authority would lease spaces in two borough lots for $3,000 a year.

Jeff Smith, Harmony council president, said there were about 25 parking spaces in the borough lot at Spring and German streets and 10 to 15 more spaces in a parking lot on Wood Street, about a half-block away.

He said the deal worked out to about $10 a month in revenue to the borough for each space.

The authority is working to establish bus service from southwestern Butler County to a proposed terminal in Cranberry, where riders would transfer to buses operated by other agencies that travel to Pittsburgh.

John Paul, executive director of the authority, said the authority needed $1.5 million in federal and state transportation subsidies to support the annual cost of operating the system. The subsidy would require a local match of $150,000 from municipal governments, he said.

Zelienople and Jackson have agreed to donate $10,000 each a year for five years. Mr. Paul said the other involved municipalities -- Cranberry, Middlesex, Forward, Mars, Evans City and Seven Fields -- have not made a decision.

Mr. Smith said Harmony's donation was the equivalent of about 1 mill of property tax.

He said that having a park-n-ride location in Harmony would be more beneficial to people than having them catch a bus somewhere on Route 68.

"Not only will it be safer for people who are waiting for the bus, but it will allow many more people to utilize it," he said. "While the Pittsburgh commuters will be the biggest beneficiaries of this service, the availability of public transportation will enhance property values for everyone."