- January 18th, 2012
- 1 Comment
Port Authority CEO says rollback plan 'not a scare tactic,' pleads for state aid
Published on Wednesday, January 18, 2012
By Jon Schmitz, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Venerable bus routes serving Mt. Lebanon, Coraopolis, Green Tree, Mount Washington, Oakmont, Edgewood and Sewickley will be among 45 routes eliminated by the Port Authority in September if there is no solution to a statewide transportation funding crisis.
Riders who aren't stranded will pay more – the authority plans a 25-cent increase in the base Zone 1 fare, to $2.50, on July 1. Zone 2 rides will go up 50 cents, to $3.75. It will be the fourth fare increase in the past 4 1/2 years. The last was in January 2011.
As part of a 35 percent reduction in service hours that would take effect Sept. 2 – the largest cut in the agency's 48-year history – all of the authority's current 102 bus and rail routes would be scaled back, some ending altogether and others with deep drops in off-peak and weekend service.
On all but 13 routes, service would terminate at or around 10 p.m. daily. Weekend service would be eliminated on the Blue Line of the Light Rail Transit system.
All routes will end service at approximately 10 p.m. except for the following: 8 Perrysville, 16 Brighton, 27 Fairywood, 51 Carrick, 61B Braddock, 71A Negley, 71D Hamilton, 82 Lincoln, 86 Liberty, 91 Butler Street, G2 West Busway, P1 East Busway, Red Line
The reduction, coupled with a 15 percent service cut last March, would leave the region's biggest transit agency with barely half of the service it offered a year ago.
An estimated 500 to 600 jobs could be eliminated, with most of that achieved through layoffs, authority CEO Steve Bland said.
To read the rest of the article, please visit the Post-Gazette website.
To view the Fare Increase Exhibit, please click here.
To view Service Eliminations and Reductions, please click here.
To view Neighborhoods Impacted, please click here.
To view the 2012 Service Reduction and Fare Increase Timeline, please click here.
I have concerns that the ability to find a bus on the schedule that will work for me is shrinking while the faires are increasing. I live in the Monroeville area and ride the 67. When I started my curren t position a bus pass, zone 2, was $90.00. It has since increaced to $130.00 and is due to increase further while frequency of busses and bus stops are being cut.Also do not forget that in a large percentage of times people have to stand anre treated like cattle. I am not in a position ecomonically to drive to work with the fuel price, parking and the condition of my car. I know other are in a tougher situation than I am but something has to give. I will probable lose ground due to fare increased, health care increases oh and I forgot to mention the cost of parking. I know I am not alone but I know myself and others need help... Thank you for your attention to this because I know I am not alone in these concerns...