Public officials who were briefed yesterday on looming cuts in public transit said they were pleased that the reductions weren't as deep as originally proposed, but they warned that more cuts could be on the way.

"It seems like they're just buying themselves more time," said County Councilman Michael Finnerty, D-Scott, one of about 25 who attended the briefing. "In September they're just going to make more cuts."

State Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Brookline, was not optimistic that there will be dedicated funding approved by the state Legislature to be used for transit systems.

"Dedicated funding is for roads and bridges and I think that will be found," he said. As for the Port Authority, "We already give 63 percent," a reference to the fact that the state provides the authority with 63 percent of its government subsidies.

"It's going to be difficult to find dedicated funds just for transit," he said. "There are 50 senators and 203 House members and not everybody's from Allegheny County."

County Council President Rich Fitzgerald, D-Squirrel Hill, agreed.

"I don't think we can ask them for much more than the state is already giving," he said.

State Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill, was not convinced that dedicated funding was a nonstarter. He said it was clear that the authority management "worked hard to mitigate the cuts and be responsive to what the public input was."

He also said that management and the union workers need to develop ways to save more money. But after that, it's up to the Legislature. He said the dedicated funding that could be passed for roads and bridges has to have a piece for mass transit.

"The needs are clamoring for a solution and we can't ignore them" he said.

County Councilman John P. DeFazio, D-Shaler, said it was important to find more money for the transit system and supported Gov. Ed Rendell's proposal to tax petroleum companies. He said the state came up with a way to fund the construction of the stadiums, so it needs to put the same sort of attention into saving mass transit.

Some officials said they were pleased that the service cuts were not as draconian as originally proposed.

County Councilwoman Brenda Frazier, D-Stanton Heights, said she was glad that some neighborhoods slated to be completely cut off retained their bus routes.

"I'm very pleased to see, in my district, that the service was restored to Troy Hill. That would have been one of the communities that was very isolated," she said.

Members of the city planning department who attended the meeting said the key to evaluating the restored routes is how often those buses will run.

In a prepared statement after the meeting, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, who did not attend, said he was glad the authority changed its planned cuts so that service will continue for city neighborhoods that had initially faced a future with no buses.

"Pittsburghers who rely on transit have to be able to get to work, to school and the places where they need to do business. We will work with the Port Authority to help minimize negative impacts on our residents and economic development while we continue to evaluate the service changes," he said.