Local advocacy groups start Port Authority fight

The small crowd that gathered outside a Port Authority board room in the Heinz 57 Center last… The small crowd that gathered outside a Port Authority board room in the Heinz 57 Center last week grew heated 20 minutes before building security even unlocked the door to let the group inside.

It was the first meeting of the Allegheny County Transit Council following Port Authority’s announcement two weeks ago that 15 percent service cuts will take effect in March.Council members, bundled against the mid-January cold, vented all sorts of frustrations.

The group is comprised of elected men and women who represent the interests of Port Authority riders. Their discussion, like many taking place in advocacy and political action groups citywide, focused mainly on finding ways to convince the state legislature to find more funding for public transit. The council members argued that if the system is downsized any further, the cuts could reduce the economic viability of Pittsburgh and the surrounding region.

“The only real answer is to work with Gov. [Tom] Corbett’s people,” one council member said, his red-knit hat pulled low.

“There’s not going to be anything to ask for,” his companion replied. “He’s pledged no new taxes and no new fees. Where’s the money going to come from? Where is Harrisburg going to get it?”

The council went on to discuss these questions and others for several hours. President Jonathan Robinson warned that getting Harrisburg’s attention won’t be easy. For the past several years, state budgets — hurt by the sluggish economy — have had little to spare for local transit authorities.

Cuts will mean fewer buses for students trying to get around the city, lay-offs for transit workers and more neighborhoods rendered hard to reach by public transit. And with at least a $3 billion budget deficit predicted for Pennsylvania next fiscal year, it will be no small task for the state legislature to redirect more money to the Port Authority.

Corbett could not be reached for comment, but Port Authority spokesman Jim Ritchie said the transit system is already in communication with Corbett’s office.

“We’ve been in communication with the state government for a long time, pretty consistently,” Ritchie said. “Particularly for the last few years with all these question marks coming up.”

Ritchie said the Port Authority’s conversation with the new governor and state legislators is following the same lines it has been since before the cuts were announced.

“We’re making sure they understand the major reforms Port Authority has enacted in the past three or so years,” he said. “We’ve made specific reforms [as part of the Transit Development Plan] that have been asked for by the state, turning the system into something more efficient today. There is clearly not much more room to cut.”

Here at Pitt, at least one group concerned about the potential impact of the cuts has already taken its message to the snowy streets. Last week, the student political action group PennPIRG coordinated a “fake sale” to raise awareness among student riders.

The group handed out free cookies, decorated with the names of buses that will be cut or reduced, at several bustling Oakland stops on Thursday. Its efforts have so far pulled in almost 200 petition cards to be sent to state Rep. Dan Frankel, who represents Pennsylvania’s 23rd District, including parts of Oakland.

“He’s our target because he’s the most likely and able to do something about it,” Isabella Goodman, PennPIRG student coordinator, said. “I think people are realizing this is as much a Harrisburg issue as it is a Pittsburgh issue. We need to find sustainable funding from the state.”

PennPIRG hopes to collect at least 2,000 public statements about the cuts by the end of the spring semester.

Rep. Frankel said in an e-mail that he is well aware of his constituents’ concerns when it comes to public transit.

“I’ve spoken publicly about the urgent need for funds for mass transit. I urged [Rendell] to provide emergency funds, which did prevent immediate catastrophic effects. Now we must work, quickly, to find a more permanent solution.”

Frankel said he would support a proposal to tax oil company profits, as well as a plan to adjust fees on drivers’ licenses, vehicle registration cards and safety stickers.

“The new administration has vowed not to raise taxes, though I’m hopeful they’ll consider a reasonable change in fees, some of which haven’t been increased since the ’70s,” Frankel said.

Several other local advocacy groups, including the Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group, are also preparing to put more pressure on Harrisburg for the sake of Pittsburgh’s ailing public transportation system.

The group’s president, Chris Sandvig, has been active in the Port Authority funding crisis for about 15 months. He said it has been difficult to inspire concern among riders and community residents, even those who depend heavily on the transportation system.

“It’s partly because of the history. The message always goes out that the sky is falling, then somewhere at the last minute a governor swoops in with a lot of cash and saves the day,” Sandvig said. “That makes sustained organization very difficult.”

Still, Sandvig said his organization has recently noticed an increase in awareness surrounding the latest funding troubles of the Port Authority. He sees the current crisis as a “serious problem” that can’t be solved with more last-minute money from governors.

“When the crisis is real, people pay attention,” Sandvig said. “That cuts across all class lines and race lines. There are people who are watchdogs in all sections of our society, but it’s really not until the thing happens that people get upset.”