Transit Update: Good News (with a catch), Bad News and More Bad News

Transit Update: Like the headline says there's good news with a catch, some bad news and then there was some more bad news. Bottom Line: You need to start calling your governor and your state legislature, which is unfortunate because the republicans are the pro privatizing party. Not that the dems are much better. They used to be. Lately, not so much. I didn't realize how much PAT workers hated Onorato until I went to that Pat rally a few weeks back.

Anyway.

First the sorta good news with a big catch. The governor's commission did come up with a plan back on October 19th. You can read that story here.

Here's a bit from the story:

The governor's Transportation Funding Advisory Commission in August recommended measures that would eventually raise $2.7 billion in new annual revenue for roads, bridges and public transit.

Now, the good news is that would seem to be enough to fund public transit not just for Pittsburgh but also for Philly. Here's the bad news or the catch: just about all the money raised for that $2.7 billion comes from regressive taxation. If you're
poor or middle class, then you'll pay more for roads and public transit than if you're wealthy. The best and fairest solution would be to tax the Marcellus Shale oil drillers. But, bottom line, if the governor pushes this, then you'll keep your bus service at decent levels.

This is where the bad news comes in. Governor Corbett isn't in a hurry to pass his own commission's recommendations. This is the story in the Post Gazette:

Here's the nut graph as we used to call it:

In remarks after a speech to the national Waterways Symposium Downtown, Mr. Corbett said he would "take a look" at any transportation bills proposed this year, but they would battle for attention with measures on school vouchers and Marcellus Shale regulations. He said transportation fixes might have to take a back seat, especially because the Legislature's current session is only half finished.

Here is a response yesterday by Steve Bland, the Port Authority's CEO. This is from the Tribune Review:

"We're getting less funding from the state and county government now than we were seven years ago," Bland said in an interview with reporters after a Port Authority board of directors meeting Downtown. "If the state doesn't act, there will be service cuts, there will be fare increases regardless of what the union does."

Bland acknowledged the transit agency's prospects for additional help from lawmakers in Harrisburg dimmed last month when Gov. Tom Corbett said increasing transportation funding isn't among his priorities this year. Corbett said he's hesitant to increase fees on vehicles and drivers — a recommendation from his transit advisory commission — that would help boost funding by up to $2.7 billion over five years.

Port Authority officials said Sept. 23 they're facing a potential $64 million deficit next fiscal year that they characterized as a "death spiral." It could mean cuts of up to 40 percent by July — double the cuts made in March.

Read more: Port Authority CEO: Transit cuts, fare increase inevitable without state help - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_764944.html#ixzz1cZ7x7ilh

So, this is horrible news, especially if you're in one of those areas already served by only one bus. After that bus is gone, you have no other options.Yeah, you might find yourself eligible for a car loan but I hear that's a bit of scam, too.
 

But there is a plan, apparently. It was discussed in your usual stereotypical back room deals.There might be a privatized answer on the way. Privatization, by the way, means paying more for bus service not less. Unless you like your 10 dollar a day round trip bus fare from Cranberry...Here's the story:

What they've done is successfully taken struggling transit companies and brought in their expertise and a fresh, new look and made some great turnarounds," Mr. Campolongo said.

That includes New Orleans, where Veolia took over a transit system that had been decimated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. According to news accounts, the system has ordered new buses, won a federal grant for a new streetcar line and raised its bond rating since the company took over in 2008. But some have complained that service is unreliable and far less frequent than what was in place before the storm.

Read more: http://www.postgazette.com/pg/11297/1184433-455.stm#ixzz1cZIUf8EM

Yeah, some complaints I'm sure. As stated in the beginning of this post, please write your state legislator and your governor.