TFAC to propose toll revenues as source for transit funding

The Transportation Funding Advisory Commission plans to present its final proposal on how to deal with Pennsylvania’s $3.5 billion transportation budget deficit. As part of the proposal, there is an increase of funding to mass transit by at least $450 million annually.


One of the suggested resources for funding transiting: redirecting all revenues from the PA turnpike towards transit. Currently , from the $450 million collected annually from Turnpike tolls only $250 million goes to mass transit and $200 million is used for the highway fund. The Transportation Funding Advisory Commission proposed to use the entire revenue to fund transit, while the lost revenue for highways would be replaced from other funding sources.

“HARRISBURG — The state transportation funding commission will recommend
redirecting a portion of turnpike toll revenue to the state's highway and mass
transit funds."It would not be a change in the total money that the turnpike is
obligated to pay," said Barry Schoch, the state Secretary of Transportation and
commission chairman. "But I think the intent here is to say, 'Let's use more of
that available turnpike money for transit rather than for highways.'"

Read more in the Daily Local News: “Commission to push for tolls to fund mass transit” by Eric Boehm, PA Independent.

"Pittsburgh is currently the only BRT system in the United States that operates a direct service model, meaning that local, limited and express services share the East Busway, accommodating a wide variety of transit needs. As the  buses serving suburban routes enter the main corridors, they transfer onto the dedicated bus lanes via connection ramps, making transfer-free trips for passengers. The BRT buses can also exit the busway and use city streets to deliver passengers to destinations."

States Stephanie Lotshaw on the “Streetsblog Capitol Hill”. [Read more here: http://dc.streetsblog.org/2011/06/20/profiles-in-american-brt-pittsburghs-south-busway-and-east-busway/]

Are you a South Busway or East Busway Rider? How does this work for you?

Do you consider  that bus service on the above mentioned Busways meets the FTA requirements

“BRT is an enhanced bus system that operates on bus lanes or other transitways in order to combine the flexibility of buses with the efficiency of rail. By doing so, BRT operates at faster speeds, provides greater service reliability and increased customer convenience. It also utilizes a combination of advanced technologies, infrastructure and operational investments that provide significantly better service than traditional bus service."

(http://www.fta.dot.gov/assistance/technology/research_4240.html )

 

ACTC elects new officers for FY2012

The membership of the Allegheny County Transit Council, the state sanctioned citizens' advisory board for riders of Port Authority of Allegheny County, has elected officers for the July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012, fiscal year. ACTC is the only such organization in the state which selects its own members and elects its own officers. The new officers are:

• President: James Robinson


• Vice President: Stuart Strickland


• Secretary: --position still vacant--


• Treasurer: Elizabeth Kuntz

Note that we still need a Secretary, whose primary job is to take minutes at monthly meetings. As a past Secretary of ACTC, as well as formerly being President, Vice President, and Treasurer at one time or another, I can tell you a bit about the position. It is not a difficult job to do, but the skill set is a bit tough to find nowadays. Mainly one needs to be able to take good notes, and compose them into coherent prose within a few days of the meeting. Since it forces you to come to meetings and pay attention, this is ideal for someone who has a desire to go on into a future in public service, transportation (particularly transit), public relations, professional writing, or the legal field.

Our new President has been on ACTC since 2009, and served last year as Vice President. The new VP (yours truly) was VP in 2009-10, and is now serving on his third six-year term as an ACTC member. The new Treasurer is a new member, eager and willing to learn how citizen participation works with a public agency. Outgoing President Jonathan Robison was a founding member of ACTC in 1984, completing his fourth six-year term. Outgoing Secretary Patrick Singleton is moving to Portland, Oregon, to pursue a Masters degree. Former Treasurer and founding member John Weinhold passed away in March.

In coming weeks and months, we will provide more detail about the incoming officer team and the direction it and the rest of the Executive Committee plans to take in the coming year.

The RedTape Chronicles : In Pittsburgh, drastic bus service cuts strand commuters

"One downtown office building security guard I interviewed said he works
from 4 p.m. to midnight, and the service cuts eliminated the 12:20 bus -- the
last bus.
“I don’t know why they didn’t cut a bus in the middle of the day
that no one would notice,” he said. “Losing that last bus really hurt.” He
said he knows some employees who’ve had to quit.

For him, taking a taxi home at night adds $200 to his monthly transit
costs, a significant bite out of his salary. He couldn't afford to lose the job,
however, which is why he requested anonymity.
Driving isn't such a great option either. Pittsburghers just trying to get to work feel like they're being hit on all sides by city and county governments that seem to have an insatiable appetite for new fees. Prices at city-operated parking garages
have doubled in recent years. Sidewalk meter rates jumped 100 percent,
too-- a quarter now only gets you seven minutes. Meanwhile, stickers hastily
placed on parking signs all over town antagonize drivers further, announcing
meter enforcement now runs until 10 p.m., four hours earlier than the old 6
p.m. cutoff. And parking ticket enforcement agents
are everywhere."

Read more of Bob Sullivan's article and Jon Robison's interview on MSNBC's Red Tape :http://redtape.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/06/21/6903901-in-pittsburgh-drastic-bus-service-cuts-strand-commuters