[PRCo] Re: 84 Larimer/96 East Liberty

[Harold Geissenheimer]

Greetings
John's remarks were on KDKA Mike Levine shoiw.

John was a wonderful guy.  A native of Tarentum,
his father had a shoe repair store there (This was
the town where Community Transit was located
in the old West Penn car barn.  I think the building
is stgill there..it became a tire business after {AT
moved to Harmar)

He was a news reporter, then became Planning
Director for the City of Pgh.  Thats where I first
met him.  He was involved with the Stadium  Authority
and the 3 Rivers Stadium.  I worked with him to
devellop the bus loop around the stadium.  He
built a strong City Planning staff that included the
present Penn DOT Secty.

When Pete Flaherty became Mayor, John left the City.
County Commissioner Stacey (also a good guy)
brought him over to PAT as Executive Director
replacing Dameron.

He was good for PAT.  We had a good team.  We
 buiult the highest ridership for PAT ever in 1974.
He was good to work for.  He was supportive
of the Mod trolleys.

He was responsible for building the US Steel Bldg
and keeping the William Penn Hotel working
with Galbraith from Columbus,   A Lutheran,
he was on the boardof ThielCollege.  He was
active at his Church in Penn Hills.

When another Flaherty became a County Commissioner
John went out to San Mateo to become ED of Samtrans,
a new merger of 15 companies.  John had a good
rekationship with his Board and set the tone for many
decades.  Since l975, Sam Trans has only had THREE
Executive Directors.  John died at an APTA meeting
in Denver in l981.  Mike Scanlon from  PAT is now
their ED.  He continues this policy.  He has taken
the lead in running the 3 county CALTRAIN to San Jose.

When he died, his wife stayed in California.

He was good forPgh and good for PAT.  He
worked long hours for decades,

Harold Geissenheimer

Bob Rathke wrote:

>A great John Mauro anecdote, Harold!  Available nowhere else.
>
>Bob 12/5/04
>
>-----------------------------
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Harold Geissenheimer" <transitmgr2 at earthlink.net>
>To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
>Sent: Sunday, December 05, 2004 7:17 PM
>Subject: [PRCo] Re: 84 Larimer/96 East Liberty
>
>
>  
>
>>Greetings
>>YES  some of  the street car route numbers continued for
>>awhile becaue John Buzzard, ex PRC/PAT Supt of Transp
>>wanted to continue the PRC numbers.  When he left, the
>>numbers were changed to the new system.  He wanted ti
>>preserve the PRC identity
>>
>>44U was the first UBus...from Bridgeville, West Liberty Ave
>>direct to Oakland from the Liberty Bridge/Blvd off ramp.
>>
>>John Mauro, a wonderful guy, had some fun with the UBus
>>He was on a radio program talking about PAT when he
>>said in half Italian, thats UBUS,
>>
>>Harold Geissenheimer
>>    
>>
>RR
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