[PRCo] Interesting Story in Pittsburgh Post Gazette

[Herb Brannon]

He it is almost fifty years since all private transit companies in Allegheny
County were consolidated into Port Authority Transit and now they want to do
this ?
FROM TODAYS PGH POST GAZETTE:

Amendment delays bill to allow Port Authority competitors
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
By Tracie Mauriello, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

HARRISBURG -- A plan to make it easier for private companies to provide mass
transportation in Allegheny County took a step back on the legislative
calendar this morning when a Senate panel approved a technical amendment.

The change means the bill, if approved by the full Senate, also must go back
to the House, which already approved it in June.

Sponsored by House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-Bradford Woods, the bill
would make it easier for companies to compete with Port Authority of
Allegheny County. The legislation would give the Public Utility Commission
the power to authorize private providers of mass ground transportation to
operate in the county.

This morning's amendment clarifies that the legislation would not affect air
transportation.

Proponents of the Turzai plan say Port Authority keeps cutting routes and
raising fares even though the state provides a 66 percent subsidy. They say
busting Port Authority's monopoly would help.

Democrats such as Sen. Jim Ferlo of Highland Park disagree.

"It makes no common sense and it furthers the problem," he said. "The real
solution is through collective bargaining. The Port Authority Board needs to
come up with an operating budget that's sustainable and based on revenues
they have, or the county needs to ante up more from the county budget."
Tracie Mauriello: tmauriello at post-gazette.com or 717-787-2141.

First published on September 27, 2011 at 3:33 pm

Read more:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11270/1177967-100.stm?cmpid=news.xml#ixzz1ZD7SmToZ


-- 
Herb Brannon
In Cuyahoga Valley National Park