PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Public Transit Riders in Big Troubel
by Stephen Donahue Wednesday, Apr. 02, 2003 at 11:31 AM
sdonahue412@hotmail.com 412-361-3022 or 412-802-6542 4618 Carroll Street, Pgh, Pa 15224

Port Authority is seriously ready to end all weekend and evening service!

Governor Rendell has cut the FY03-04 operating subsidy for public transit in this state to its lowest level since 1994. Revenue streams for this present fiscal year are, as usual, not living up to what was projected either. Bottom line is that we are in deep --you know what.

There are powerful interests in Harrisburg who hate public transit. The feds give no operating subsidies to Port Authority. Port Authority is required to operate with a balanced budget. The Port Authority is ready to call for public hearings on a plan to end all weekend and evening service as a way of balanceing the operating budget. This will be a disaster and might well be the final nail needed for the public transit coffin.

Can any interested folks take a minute and call the gov and tell him to increase the subsidy for public transit OPERATIONS. Rendell's phone # is 717-787-2500. Also there is a bus trip to the State Capitol on Tuesday, April 15. It's free! We will rally there and do the lobby thing. We will be back that evening. Call Steve at 412-361-3022 to get on the bus or for more info. Lastly, some of us are thinking of doing an encampment for public transit outside of the State Building, sometime in May.

The price of one F-16 would keep the buses and trolleys running for a long time.

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