You’ve heard people say it over and over again : “One step at a time.” When things get crazy and out-of-hand you may often have a friend or family member give you this little piece of advice. To stop… and look at the small steps… so you can find a way to deal with the big picture.
That certainly can be applied to our current situation with the Port Authority. Right now, many people in the Greater Pittsburgh area are in a panic. If the Port Authority’s latest proposal is put in place, they will lose all transit service in their neighborhood. But let’s stop for a minute and look at the small steps, so we can understand better:
Until we see what we are, we cannot take steps to become what we should be. ~ Charlotte P. Gillman
*Note: Budget slides are from a Port Authority presentation in 2011
A projection of the Port Authority's budget through 2015. Issues relevant to the budget are in far column.
The Port Authority's Pension Expense has increased substantially
History of Port Authority Healthcare Costs
History of Port Authority Fuel Expense
The Port Authority’s budget has gone up significantly in the past several years due to increased pension, healthcare, and fuel costs. The state previously planned to toll I-80 for funding transportation, but that plan failed in the legislature.
To balance it’s budget, the Port Authority made several service reductions and fare increases in the past decade:
Mistakes are merely steps up the ladder. ~ Paul J. Meyer
*Note: Data on service reduction & fare increase history directly from Port Authority
While each of these service reductions and fare increases appeared small at the time, it adds up to a substantial effect; especially the service reductions.
A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. ~ Lao Tzu
So now we face the largest service cut ever to the Port Authority system and people ask:
What can we do? How do we stop the cuts? How do we keep the Port Authority running?
The answer: We need to speak out and urge our elected officials to take action!
Whoever wants to reach a distant goal must take small steps. ~Helmut Schmidt
The state needs to fund public transit. Steps were taken last year to investigate funding transportation, including our state’s roads and bridges. The report of recommendations was issued in August, but no action has been taken in Harrisburg since.
Our local officials took a small step last Thursday with a press conference:
Officials meet to find money for mass transit
But this is just the beginning and we will need to do more to make our voices heard!
As a community of riders we will all need to stay involved and informed & PublicTransit4Pittsburgh is working to help you do just that.
You took a good first step by reading this post. Even better if you subscribe to our blog, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter. Use our links to contact the Governor, members of the state legislature, or write a letter to the editor of our local newspapers.
Check out our PAT Changes page and the new Maps page for information on the Port Authority’s new proposal. We’ll continue keep you updated in the coming weeks and months with news, events, and updates.
There is no one giant step that does it. It’s a lot of little steps. ~Peter A. Cohen
PublicTransit4Pittsburgh~Advocating for Access
