State Rep. Dan Frankel and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald on Thursday called on Gov. Tom Corbett to lead the effort to find new sources of money for mass transit.

Mr. Frankel, of Squirrel Hill, Mr. Fitzgerald and a dozen other state, county and Pittsburgh officials -- all Democrats -- appeared at a news conference to build support for a proposal to raise more money from Pennsylvania Turnpike revenues for bus and light-rail service across the state. His measure, House Bill 2112, is part of a three-bill package to increase state spending on transit, road repairs and bridge maintenance.

The backdrop to the news conference was an announcement this week from the Port Authority, which operates the county's bus and light-rail vehicles, that it would have to cut service by 35 percent in September and raise fares without additional state aid to fill a $64 million budget gap. Those proposed cuts would come on top of 15 percent service reductions last year.

Mr. Frankel said he had seen evidence of "the inklings of a bipartisan solution" to provide more funds for transportation projects. The proposed House legislation resembles a Senate measure introduced by Centre County Republican Jake Corman. Both the Senate and House versions are based on the recommendations of a Transportation Funding Advisory Committee convened by Mr. Corbett, Mr. Frankel said.

Mr. Frankel was asked why no Republicans were present at Thursday's news conference. GOP senators and representatives were "playing their cards close to the vest," until they see what position Mr. Corbett was going to take on transportation bills, he said.

Republican legislators are "not going to stick their necks out until they know what the governor is willing to sign off on," state Sen. Jay Costa, D-Forest Hills, said.

A spokesman for Mr. Corbett offered little comfort to the Democrats.

"The Port Authority's problems were created locally, and they should be solved locally," Kevin Harley said. "For years, generous contracts and high management salaries, combined with unrealistic pension costs, have strained the system to the breaking point. Gov. Corbett wants to see the problem solved, but the Democrats, who have controlled Allegheny County for all but a handful of the past 80 years, will have to do their part."

Mr. Fitzgerald agreed that solving the Port Authority's financial problems would require a two-pronged effort: obtaining additional revenue and reducing legacy costs for benefits promised to retired and present employees.

"It took Port Authority nearly 50 years to get into this situation, and it's going to take time to get out of it," he said.

Mr. Frankel's proposal has the support of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, an organization of business people, civic groups and residents. Half of the people working Downtown depend on public transit, Partnership president Jeremy Waldrup said. Slashing service would be a mistake, because the county's existing transit system makes the region the envy of other parts of the country, he said.

John Tague of Greenfield was among those who attended the news conference. A member of Port Authority's Committee for Accessible Transportation, he rides on buses and relies on Access, a door-to-door service for seniors and people with disabilities. Mr. Tague uses a wheelchair.

Reductions in public transportation would make it harder for some health care and service providers to reach their clients and would leave people with disabilities "institutionalized in their own apartments," he said.