Tube City Almanac

January 03, 2007

New Mon Valley Bus Service Unveiled

Category: default || By jt3y



News Item:

The Port Authority today proposed two different fare increases and fare structures and the elimination of more than half of its bus routes to help it address the biggest funding deficit in its 43-year-history. (Post-Gazette)



Weekday bus routes recommended for elimination include 50B, 51B, 51D, 51E, 51G, 53C, 53H, 55B, 55D, 55E, 58C, 58P, 60A, 60B, 60E, 60K, 60M, 60P, 61F, 63A, 63B, 65E, 67E, 67F, 67H, 67J, 68B and 68G.

In a nutshell, these proposals would virtually eliminate all local bus service around McKeesport, Clairton, Glassport and the Turtle Creek valley, except for routes that serve Pittsburgh; along with many local services in the Homestead, Duquesne and West Mifflin area.

The "flyers" from Port Vue and McKeesport into Pittsburgh --- the express bus routes that replaced the PATrain --- also would be axed.

The Port Authority is planning to hold public hearings before implementing the changes, but unless Dan Onorato finds a billion dollars under his couch cushions, I think a major world of hurt is about to be done to local bus riders, and your hard-working state legislature and governor deserve much of the credit.

Here are the hearings in and around the Mon-Yough area:

  • Tuesday, Jan. 23, 4 to 8 p.m., Monroeville Radisson, 101 Mall Blvd.;


  • Thursday, Jan. 25, 4 to 8 p.m., Palisades, 501 Water St.;


  • Wednesday, Feb. 7, 5 to 9 p.m., Memorial Hall, Route 88 & Sleepy Hollow Road, Castle Shannon


There was also some good news today --- slot machine gaming will apparently be able to provide $14.5 million per year for the next 30 years to build a new arena for Mario Lemieux and the Penguins. If you need to ride a bus for work or school, I hope that thought comforts you.






Your Comments are Welcome!

Things to ask: while ridership has dropped (they are providing a service, right?) why has employment stayed the same, and wages gone up (not just a little). Likewise, why are South Hills bus routes not shuttling to the rail lines?

I wouldn’t suggest wage cuts. It’s not fair. PAT employees need to live too. But something needs to happen. Providing less service is a poor answer.
Derrick - January 04, 2007



Well, as you point out, it’s a complicated problem.

First, there is virtually no economical way to provide bus service to many parts of the county, which is why the Port Authority was created. If private industry was running the service, I suspect there would only be about 10 or 12 high-density routes (like the 61C), and fares would be double or triple.

I suspect that’s why employment has stayed high while ridership has dropped —- they’re carrying fewer passengers but still operating some fairly low-density bus routes, like much of the McKeesport local service.

On the flip side, those McKeesport local routes (the “60” buses) are the only way that many elderly people have to get around, and also provide transportation for many lower-income people who are trying to get to work or school.

Second, you make a good point about the rail service —- Port Authority currently operates three incompatible modes (a bus system and two light-rail lines built to different standards) of transportation which do not efficiently interchange with each other. That’s the fault piss-poor planning on the part of Port Authority’s board of directors and its upper management.

Third, wages are high —- but I suspect that’s a problem every metropolitan transit agency has. The unions deserve the blame for that, but it takes two sides to sign a contract.

And finally, Port Authority keeps adding capital projects (like the Wabash tunnel and the North Shore connector) that then strain its operating budget.

There are plenty of fingers to point —- at county and state officials, at Port Authority management, at unions —- and I wonder, very reluctantly, if a major disaster like this one isn’t what all of the parties need to finally work on the fundamental problems instead of applying Band-Aid solutions.
Webmaster (URL) - January 04, 2007



For an interesting perspective on public transportation check out this website http://laurelsandlances.blogspot.com/
Bill - January 04, 2007



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