ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — Lack of funding is playing a huge role in public transit decisions across the state. As some state funding has dried up, millions in revenue are needed to keep these agencies going.
Currently, the different transit agencies are not permitted to work together and cannot pick up riders on similar routes.
“That’s inefficient. That’s what we are trying to develop: a place where these agencies can work together and craft routes that eliminate these inefficiencies,” said Senator Jay Costa.
In order to do that, all these transit agencies have to merge or work under one umbrella, similar to SEPTA in Philadelphia.
That’s why Costa is proposing creating a Southwestern Pennsylvania Transit Authority targeted at Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland Counties.
“Westmoreland, a lot of stuff is going on in Beaver County right now. Washington County, you have Southpointe and things happening there. There are many opportunities for us to tie together, one single network, a whole series of economic opportunities to bring people to and from work and people want to do that,” Costa said.
How it works is still being decided as he looks to his fellow state senators to get on board.
It comes at a time when Allegheny County alone has over $100 million in revenue to make up, and Pittsburgh Regional Transit is proposing fare hikes and a 35 percent reduction in fixed routes.
“We have a model to look at the SEPTA model, for example it’s one system but also has a participation with an appointee from each county on the board,” Costa said.
We asked the six existing transit authorities in these counties about the proposal.
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Pittsburgh Regional Transit CEO Katharine Kelleman said she’s open to exploring the idea of a regional transit system to find efficiencies and reduce costs.
The Westmoreland County Transit Authority also commented on the legislation, saying in part:
“At the same time, one-size-fits-all solutions pose a real risk to counties like ours. The transit needs of rural and suburban communities differ greatly from those in urban areas. Any proposed consolidation must respect those differences. Governance structures must guarantee fair representation for Westmoreland County to ensure that local voices and priorities are not lost in a larger bureaucracy.”
“The more connected we are in our counties in our economic redevelopment centers the better off we are as a region. it allows our region to grow,” Costa said.
Costa is already getting positive feedback from both sides of the aisle looking for a solution. He plans to formally introduce that bill to the Senate early next month.
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