Wheatley Wants 'Equitable' PAT Fares

State Representative Jake Wheatley says the Port Authority of Allegheny County's plan to hike fares for Pittsburgh bus routes is unfair because it doesn't raise rates for suburban routes.


Wheatley says while city routes are cost-effective, suburban routes aren't. He says with that in mind, the Port Authority should increase fares across the board, including the city's “T” system.


The Allegheny County Democrat says in general, suburban riders could also better afford a rate hike than city riders.


The current plan would increase Zone 1 fares by 25 cents and Zone 2 fares by 50 cents. The Port Authority says it dropped its plan to impose $4 'premium' fares on suburban and light rail routes because it didn't want to “complicate” those systems.


With the premium fares, PAT says it would offset about $5 million of its projected $47 million budget deficit. If PAT only increases Zone 1 and 2 fares, that offset would shrink to $3.5 million. The Board must make a decision on 2011 fare increases at its November 24 meeting.


Wheatley says as a member of the House Transportation Committee, he'd vote against any state funding increases for PAT unless its fare increases are equitable for all routes.

PAT Readies to Purchase New Buses

The Port Authority of Allegheny County is set to enter into a contract to purchase 53 new buses. 25 of the buses will be the longer 60-foot articulated buses and the remaining 28 will be the more typical 40-foot single-section bus. Four of the 40-foot buses will be equipped with Hybrid engines. PAT Executive Director Steve Bland says they would have liked to buy all hybrids but the funding is not there. Each hybrid bus costs about $200,000 more ($595,000 v. $393,000) than a regular diesel bus. Bland says they opted for the more expensive buses only when the authority was able to land grant funds specifically targeted to purchasing clean bus technology. He says he hopes more of those grants will be coming in the future. PAT Bus Operations Officer Bill Miller says over the life of the bus they will save about $100,000 dollars in fuel and maintenance costs. Bland notes that there are additional benefits in fewer emissions and quieter operations. He says the drivers and the riders love them.
The purchase comes at a time when PAT is facing huge budget deficits and the possibility of shrinking operations. Bland says some ask why PAT is purchasing the buses now. He says, “If we are down to one bus we still need to replace that one bus eventually.” Miller says the average age of the fleet is 8-years old. The average life of a bus is 12 years. Miller says the buses that will be taken out of service were purchased in 1996. Bland says, “We were over budget in materials and labor, in large part this year because we have had to do a lot of extra work on our aging bus fleet.” He says the new buses will help keep those expenses in check.

Change Orders Help North Shore Budget

Port Authority of Allegheny County staff updated the Authority’s board today on the progress of the North Shore Connector work and reported that they are saving money through change orders. Change orders come as the scope of the work is tweaked during the process. The entire project is $1.9 million to the good at this point. That includes the $1.5 million lost when it was fond that the wrong type of electrical cable was being installed. Pat Rail Operations Engineering Officer Winston Simmons says they have determined that the error was due to a design flaw so they are in negotiations with the designers to recover some of the costs. The Authority hopes to recover about half the cost. Simmons says that includes returning the 120,000 feet of unused cable and selling the 30,000 feet of used material as scrap copper.

In all, about 72% of the project is complete and Simmons says they are on track for the March 2012 opening. Right now there are 6 contractors working on the North Shore station alone. Simmons says as those crews finish their work they will move on to the other stations being built as part of the connector. That includes the Gateway station that Simmons says will be closed in to allow traffic through the closed intersection by January 2011. After the intersection reopens there will still be underground work and work on the steel and glass atrium to be completed.

Fare Hikes, Service Cuts Unless State Provides More $'s

17 days from the beginning of its new fiscal year and the Port Authority of Allegheny County is warning that it faces a $50.6 million dollar deficit. PAT spokesman Jim Ritchie says the transit agency has faced budget deficits in the past but this is a unique situation..."The thing that's different this time is that it's not an expense problem at Port Authority, it's a revenue problem...from the state."
PAT gets about 50% of its operating resources from the state and Ritchie says since Act 44 (transportation funding law) was passed 3 years ago, they've averaged a quarter of a percent increase in state funding while health care costs and fuel costs have spiked.
PAT is expected a $25 million reduction in state assistance this year because Act 44 has not generated anticipated revenues for highways, bridges and mass transit.
Ritchie says the agency has "done its part" through $52 million in annual savings in retirement benefits and higher employee health care and pension contributions.
"If the legislature does not find a solution to this statewide problem, we do have to turn to service cuts and fare increases....there is no other way for us."
Service could by cut by as much as 25%. Ritchie says they don't want to raise fares for Zone 1 core riders because the $2 fares pay for the cost of operating those routes. But on routes to and from outlying suburbs, the cost is $6, $7 and even $8 per rider while they are paying $2.75 for their fare. Ritchie says that's because there is one bus with a certain group of riders who take the bus all the way to downtown Pittsburgh and there is no turnover of seats...."that's why there is state funding to help pay for this service that is essential."
PAT staffers are putting together a plan for the board to consider at its June 25th meeting and it may include eliminating 30 routes, late evening and weekend service and fares for suburban riders as high as $7.

Bus Routes to Change Sunday

The Port Authority of Allegheny County will adjust 26 bus routes this Sunday.

Spokeswoman Heather Pharo says buses in the North Side, the North Hills, the Mon Valley, the South Hills, the East End, and the eastern suburbs will be tweaked to be as efficient as possible.

For example, after riders complained about April service reductions along the West Busway, PAT is adding twelve more trips per day to the G1 route.

“Unfortunately, things didn’t work out there quite the way we anticipated,” says Pharo. “We are tweaking service in that area to respond to rider feedback and further alleviate crowding.”

Pharo says street re-openings Downtown will also allow many of the bus routes that had been using inbound 5th Avenue to return to their original routing Monday.

“There’s a lot going on this weekend in terms of route changes, the detours that’ll lifted, and there are a lot of detours this weekend as well, due to the Pride Week activities,” says Pharo.

Pharo says to check for route changes, visit the Port Authority’s website or call their customer service department at (412) 442-2000.

County Seeks Downtown-Oakland Transit Line

Allegheny County officials today announced an effort to garner private capital for a transit link between Pittsburgh’s Oakland and Downtown districts.

County Economic Development & Redevelopment Authority Director Dennis Davin says in contrast to similar past endeavors, this project would entail a public-private partnership between a sponsor and state and local government.

Davin says this transit line, which could be anything from light-rail to a people-mover, would allow for expansion of institutions both in Downtown and in Oakland.

He says the county is asking for “expressions of interest” from private investors by the end of April.

“We’ve not been very specific in saying, ‘Look, we want this route developed,’ or, ‘We want this mode of transportation developed,’” says Davin.

“We’re trying to leave that open to the transportation [community]. These are the experts, so we want them to come back and say, ‘Here’s what we think makes sense. Here’s what we can fund. Here’s what works.”

Such a public-private partnership would require legislation from Harrisburg to be legal, so Davin says county government will work with state transportation committees to gain support for the project.

Davin says because of the private investment, it’s doubtful that the Port Authority would manage the line; however, he says they are taking part in the planning process.

Port Authority Previews Route Changes

The Port Authority is debuting changes to its routes at noon Friday. They will provide detailed information including maps and new schedules that will begin on April 4. The Port Authority makes small changes every three months. These are bigger changes that spokesman Jim Ritchie says will make bus service more efficient.

The changes come after years of public meetings and hearings and the prospective changes placed on the site.

The changes will affect about a third of the authority's bus and trolley routes and a quarter of its riders. About 60 routes will be affected. The changes will occur in small steps over two years.


The website is one component. Port Authority will also be distributing brochures and new schedules and having workers visit heavily used stops to talk about the schedule. The website is the main driving tool.


The changes are on the Port Authority's website.

Allegheny County Budget Signed

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato today signed the 2010 budget totaling $773.5 million. That's $10.8 million or 1.4% higher than this year's spending plan. In addition, the 2010 capital budget of $92.6 million includes 97 infrastructure and capital improvement projects. That includes $41.4 million for bridge construction, maintenance, repair and design.
Under the new operating budget, the Community College of Allegheny County will receive a 2% boost in its appropriation....up to $22.3 million.
In addition to operating funds, the Port Authority will receive $8.6 million for acquisition, construction and improvement of mass transit infrastructure including a new automated fare collection system.
The budget does not include an increase in property taxes.
Even though the county is under court order to begin a reassessment of all 575,000 properties in the county in 2010, there is no additional allocation in the new budget for that. A county spokesman told DUQ that they believe the initial work can be done with current staff and the additional expenditures including the hiring of a private company to assist in the assessments will come in the 2011 budget.

PAT Applies For Stimulus Cash For Rapid Bus

The Port Authority of Allegheny County is hoping to get federal stimulus funds to speed up its efforts to launch a “rapid bus line.” PAT has applied for $80.7 million in federal economic stimulus funds for the project to link Downtown and Oakland with the new service. PAT spokesperson Jim Ritchie says this is not another busway, “This is bus service on streets that already exist but only stopping every few stops.” He says that would make the commute much faster. He says the authority is already moving forward with the plan using existing capital dollars. It will take several years to build up the needed funds but the stimulus dollars would allow for the implementation immediately and the expansion of the effort to include more real-time monitoring of the system. Ritchie says the goal would be to use a different kind of bus than the ones used on the traditional routes, “We envision using buses that have more seats, we envision using buses that are more distinct in color or shape or something like that, that people would instantly recognize coming down the street.” The system would also include new shelters with special message boards updating the status of the next bus. Ritchie says the authority should know this spring if it has the won the competitive grant.

Restoration Begins on Beardon “T” Mural

The Port Authority of Allegheny County has begun the process of removing the tile mural that hung on the wall of the Gateway “T” station. The mural by the late Pittsburgh artist, Romare Beardon was commissioned for the station when it opened in 1984. It has been valued at $15 million dollars. Now that the station has been closed crews are removing the 13-foot by 60-foot mural piece by piece. The work will be sent to a restoration company in Ohio to be cleaned and remounted on 13-foot by 2-foot panels. It will be hung in the new station before it opens. Over the years the mural has received some water damage. Jerry Marinzel is the project coordinator for PAT. He says each tile has been numbered and photographed and the workers are in the process of scoring between each tile with a diamond tipped saw. They will then cut an inch behind the tiles and leave the cement intact to make sure no tiles are damaged. The removal process is expected to take two months and the restoration work will take about year. In all, the project is expected to cost $1-million. Marinzel says some of the money came from the portion of the station’s budget set aside for artwork and the rest has been covered by private donations. The mural titled "Pittsburgh Recollections" tells the story of Pittsburgh. Marinzel says educational materials will be created to let “T” users gain a better appreciation for the work. One of the 780 tiles was installed upside down. Marinzel says the artist supervised the instillation of the mural and the Port Authority assumes he intended the tile to be mounted upside down so when it is reinstalled it will remain upside down. More pictures of the work can be seen here.

Port Authority Asks for Public Feedback

The Port Authority of Allegheny County will be hosting two open house programs this week. The June 3 event will take place downtown at the Omni William Penn Hotel's Urban Room, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The June 8 event will be held at the University of Pittsburgh's Alumni Hall, in the Connolly Ballroom. That event will run from 2 to 5 p.m., and from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Area residents are encouraged to leave feedback on the laptop computers that will be set up at the open houses. No formal presentation will be given; rather, information will be on display and Port Authority officials will be around to answer questions. One can give feedback and find additional information at the Port Authority's website.

Port Authority Likely To Raise Fare

The Port Authority of Allegheny County will likely increase its fares starting in January of 2010. PAT spokesman Jim Ritchie says a fare hike will be a result of state funding remaining at current levels. As PAT develops a budget for the new fiscal year that starts July 1, it's counting on a $4 million increase in fare revenues. The amount of the fare boost has not been determined and public hearings will be held by the Authority before the board votes on any increase. Ritchie says the increase is not likely to be more than 25 cents added to the base fare of two dollars. He says the State's Transportation Funding and Reform Commission has recommended that fare hikes be enacted in smaller amounts more frequently rather than large jumps every 4 or 5 years.

Transit Riders May Get Tax Credit

Pennsylvania State Senator Wayne Fontana of Brookline has proposed legislation that would provide a tax credit for mass transit users. He says the details of the legislation are still to be determined but he wants to offer a $100 dollar tax credit on the state income tax form. He says the details will be worked out in committee and then brought to the full senate. State Rep. Nick Kotik of Coraopolis will serve as the sponsor for legislation in the lower chamber. Among the details to be worked out would be how riders would prove the expenses and how much an individual would have to spend to get the credit. Fontana says even the amount of the credit is open to debate. He says he thinks there will be more support from both sides of the aisle by making this a tax credit rather than some sort of subsidy to the transit agencies or the riders. Fontana says if the rest of the legislature gets excited about the idea and moves quickly there may even be a credit on the 2009 tax form. He says just incase, regular riders may want to start saving receipts. Fontana says this could put 30 million dollars into PAT riders pockets alone.

North Shore Connector Officially Over Budget

With the awarding of two construction contracts today the price of the north shore connector has gone over its original $435 million budget. The board approved a contract to lay the rail lines the entire length of the project and another for the elevators at the north shore station. The project is now expected to come in nearly $118 million over budget with three contracts yet to be bid. Those contracts are for “station finishes.” PAT CEO Steve Bland says more than $61 million coming from the “formula funds” portion of the federal stimulus package will fill half of the gap. That money is expected to be delivered in the next two months. Bland says he is optimistic PAT will also get some “new starts” money from the stimulus as well. He says there are only a handful of projects in the nation that qualify for that money. Bland says there are other pots of money to be competitively award that he thinks will flow to the connector project. He says if the project were shut down today they would have spent $320 million for nothing and if they had to mothball the project waiting for new funds it would cost $10 million right away and another $3.5 million in cost increases each month.

Port Authority Ridership Increases

The Port Authority believes higher gas prices are pushing more commuters to consider transit. Ridership was up about six percent in July. The greatest increase was on the light rail system, which saw a more than 17% jump on an average weekday. Port Authority spokesman David Whipkey says that may be partly because construction on the light rail system last summer kept ridership numbers down.

Whipkey says the Port Authority wants to keep its new customers even if gas prices fall further. He says the agency is trying to publicize how much money consumers can save by taking the bus rather than paying for gas and parking. He also says the Port Authority is working on ways to address potential capacity problems that can come with higher ridership. The agency has been holding public meetings to gain input about where bus routes should go.

Higher ridership on the light rail system can also mean greater competition for park and ride spots. Whipkey says if you're new to the system, it helps to get to those lots early, because they fill up fast.

Long Waits on Port Authority Phone Line

Some bus riders say they've spent a lot of time on hold when they've tried to call the Port Authority lately. Early in the summer, ten call center employees transferred out of the department. Spokesman David Whipkey says that's stretched the remaining employees thin. Fourteen employees are usually on duty at one time. The Port Authority is training new employees, but Whipkey says that can take four to six months. The call center has a goal of a 90-second wait time. Whipkey says now, on a good day, the wait is about five minutes.

Port Authority Says You Can Save Money By Riding The Bus

The Port Authority of Allegheny County has produced a report that documents the savings an average Pittsburgher can make by using public transit as opposed to regular car use. A report like this will be released every month because of changing gas prices. Currently, public transit riders can save more than $7,000 a year, or $666 a month. The report uses data from AAA.