Proposed Port Authority cuts delayed
Share with others:
The Port Authority board is expected to postpone a scheduled vote today on fare increases and drastic service reductions.
The vote is likely to be put off until the Nov. 24 board meeting, and that would delay implementation of any service cuts until March, authority spokesman Jim Ritchie said.
"We've seen a little bit more activity and talk among state legislators about finding a solution to the statewide transportation funding crisis," he said.
Based on comments from riders and community leaders, "possibly giving everyone some space would be helpful to the entire process," Mr. Ritchie said.
The authority has warned that it must cut service by 35 percent, raise fares and lay off more than 500 employees unless the Legislature moves to fill a projected $47 million budget deficit for 2010-11.
Part of the deficit comes from a $27 million reduction in state aid stemming from Pennsylvania's failed bid to collect tolls on Interstate 80.
Under Act 44, the transportation funding law passed by the Legislature in 2007, the state would have received additional revenue, $472 million of which would have been added to funding for highway, bridge and transit programs statewide. But federal officials rejected the tolls.
Under the plan scheduled for today's Port Authority board vote, fare increases were to take effect Jan. 1 and service cuts Jan. 9.
If the Legislature fails to act and the board approves the plan in November, the new fares would still come on Jan. 1, but implementing the service reductions would take longer, Mr. Ritchie said.
Several groups opposed to service reductions planned to rally outside the Heinz 57 Center, the authority's Downtown headquarters, before today's 9:30 a.m. meeting. They want the Legislature to approve a permanent funding solution for the transit agency, which has faced repeated financial crises in recent years.
"We recognize the [authority] board is sort of up against a wall," rally spokeswoman Jennifer England said. "We'd like Harrisburg to step up and create dedicated funding streams."
"Vibrant public transit systems are critical to economic growth of a region. In Pittsburgh the 35 percent service cuts will be devastating to workers, students, young people, the elderly and others who rely on public transit and to neighborhoods that will be left without reliable transit," said Antonio Lodico of the Mon Valley Unemployed Committee.
Other participating groups include ACTION United, the Allegheny County Transit Council, Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 23.
First Published September 24, 2010 1:00 am
