Baldwin-Whitehall Riders Would Be Affected by Massive PAT Cuts

If you're someone that relies on public transit, you're probably going to have to adjust your schedule.

Many of the Port Authority of Allegheny County's services and routes have been saved in the recent past by an unexpected influx of state money to keep the transit agency on life support, but on Wednesday, county officials said that they will have to cut Port Authority (PAT) services by 35 percent and lay off more than 500 workers if Pennsylvania legislators do not agree on a dedicated revenue stream for transit by September.

Nearly half of the PAT's 102 routes would be eliminated, while the remaining ones would see fewer trips and/or have reduced hours. PAT officials estimate that the proposed cuts could impact 45,000 daily riders. (Sept. 2 would be the effective date of the changes. A full timeline of events leading to Sept. 2 is available here.)

View the table below to see popular routes in and near Baldwin-Whitehall that would be affected.

Fares are also scheduled to increase on July 1 by a quarter for Zone 1 passengers and by 50 cents for people who grab their bus in Zone 2.

A public hearing on the PAT changes is scheduled for Feb. 29 at The David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh's Strip District.

 when it stretched $45 million in unused state transportation money over 18 months.

Gov. Tom Corbett has assembled . The commission has put forward several ideas, which include increasing registration fees and gasoline taxes, that have yet to be considered by Corbett.

State legislators passed Act 44 in 2007, which was designed to rebuild roads, repair bridges and assist public transportation. But half of the revenue that was supposed to come from leasing The Pennsylvania Turnpike and/or tolling Interstate 80 fell through, and the state has wavered on a dedicated revenue source ever since.

Potential changes in and near Baldwin-Whitehall:

Route Name

Weekday

Service Reductions

Does Not Run

Does Not Run

Route Eliminated

Y46-Y47-Y49

Service Reductions; proposed elimination beyond Clairton

48-51-51L

Service Reductions; proposed elimination of Bon Air segment

Click here to learn more about all affected routes.

"Clearly, these proposed cuts will have a significant and profound impact on our county's residents and businesses, as well as our region's economy," county Executive Rich Fitzgerald said in a press release on Wednesday.

"Solving this funding issue will require action at the local and state level. It took Port Authority nearly 50 years to get into this situation, and it's going to take some time to get out of it, as well. Everyone needs to come to the table and work together to address this issue and provide real solutions for transit.

"I'm committed to doing my part to make that happen and to move this discussion forward."

Portions of this article originally appeared on the .

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