While the troubled Port Authority's long-term hopes of R 'n R (relief and reform) rest on the shoulders of state lawmakers, a University of Pittsburgh numbers guru has shown why it is so difficult to get legislation passed that benefits public transit.

Christopher Briem, of Bloomfield, a full-time researcher at the University Center for Social and Urban Research, did unique work off the clock. He took the 203 House legislative districts and figured out which ones have the most transit users.

He concedes his exercise was largely "documenting the obvious" because transit is big in urban areas. The Port Authority and Philadelphia-based Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority account for almost 90 percent of 400 million transit rides a year.

Five House members from Allegheny County made the "top 20" list of legislators ranked by the prevalence of constituents who commute by public transit. After them and 15 from Philly, "the numbers drop off pretty fast," Mr. Briem said. "It's more stark than one might presume."

He found that less than 1 percent of the people use any form of transit in 112 legislative districts. "I am NOT missing a zero in there," he emphasized.

That's more than enough votes to defeat any transit-funding bill in the House, whether it be the 6.17 percent gross oil company profits tax proposed by Gov. Ed Rendell, or the 0.9 increase in the state's realty transfer tax proposed by his special Transportation Funding and Reform Commission.

In addition, fewer than 5 percent use public transit in 157 legislative districts, and less than 0.1 percent use public transit in the "bottom 20" legislative districts, where small shared-ride programs operate.

"Here is my unofficial calculation of the official 'transit caucus' in Harrisburg," he e-mailed, showing the House member and percentage of transit users in each legislative district.

State's "transit caucus" with percent of transit riders:

From Philadelphia County: Thomas Blackwell, 33.5 percent; Harold James, 33.1; Jewell Williams, 31.5; Frank Oliver, 31.4; Ronald Waters, 27.7; Curtis Thomas, 26.9; John Myers, 26.6; James Roebuck Jr., 24.5; Angel Cruz, 23.7; Tony Payton, 22.9; Louise Bishop, 22.6; Rosita Youngblood, 19.5; William Keller, 17.9; Dwight Evans, 16.8; Robert Donatucci, 15.4.

From Allegheny County: Joe Preston Jr., 28.9 percent; Jake Wheatley, 26.6; Dan Frankel, 18.3; Harry Readshaw, 15.3; Lisa Bennington, 15.2.

Road kill. Departments of transportation from eight states held an inaugural meeting Jan. 30-31 in Minnesota to initiate research to reduce the number of deer-vehicle collisions.

More than 150 people a year die tangling with deer, while the cost to the traveling public (and insurance companies) amounts to more than $1 billion for vehicular damage alone.

A 2005 study by State Farm Insurance showed that Pennsylvania leads the nation in deer-vehicle collisions. In addition, PennDOT and the state Game Commission shell out more than $1 million a year to pick 35,000 carcasses off roads.

Three neighbors--New York, Ohio and Maryland--were among the eight states that participated in the meeting to identify, prioritize and guide research aimed at reducing deer carnage and collisions.

PennDOT did not take part. PennDOT did not send a representative. We want to remain No. 1.

Believe it. The U.S. Department of Transportation is expected to spend $39.1 billion on roads for the 2007 fiscal year, or $3.5 billion more than this year, and $8.9 billion on public transit, an increase of $470 million.

Plate du jour. David Goldberg spotted the Pennsylvania personalized license plate JST RELX while he was jogging in Squirrel Hill. I will; I'm off to Florida this week for "spring break."