Published March 14, 2012
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Written with Kalea Hall
Cheers and applause filled the heated meeting room of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center as one 17-year-old girl called Gov. Tom Corbett a coward for not attending the Port Authority Public Forum.
Hundreds of other Port Authority riders faced with the possibility of losing their jobs, not being able to make appointments or to live a life of independence shared their stories with a panel of Port Authority Board members at the public forum held on Wednesday, Feb. 29, where over 350 speakers were scheduled to present their testimonies.
“It just doesn’t make any sense. There isn’t a designated funding stream for public transit,” said Anne Nalepa, Access rider from Shaler Township, at Wednesday’s forum.
The Port Authority of Allegheny County scheduled a period of public comment from Feb. 5 through March 9 following the proposal they made to eliminate nearly 50 routes, reduce others and increase fares due to its $64 million deficit. During the past month, Port Authority received over 2,300 online comments, 300 letters from postal mail and eight petitions with nearly 890 signatures.
The Port Authority Board of Directors will be voting on Friday, April 27 on whether the service reductions, cuts and fare increases will be implemented this summer. Another board meeting is schedule for June, when it will reevaluate the operating budget. However, Heather Pharo, communications contact for the Pittsburgh Port Authority, said funding could come at the last minute and change these plans.
“If something were to happen between now and April 27 that would enable us to avoid these cuts, then certainly the plans would change accordingly,” Pharo said in a phone conversation Monday afternoon. “But as it is right now, we are proceeding with the worst-case scenario.”
In February, Corbett failed to address the hardships facing Pennsylvania Public Transit. At this point, Port Authority officials claim the only way they will be able to compensate for their deficit and prevent the cuts is if they receive state funding, which has yet to be granted by the governor.
Many Pittsburgh residents who spoke at the public forum were not happy with Corbett, who was not present to hear their stories.
Nalepa was brought up to the podium with yells of thanks and praise. Nalepa, who uses Access paratransit, a public transportation system for the disabled, to get to work and back, spoke out for those disabled and in need of the transit system that provides a life of independence.
“For me as a single mom, [service elimination] means is I would lose my job and I wouldn’t be able to provide for my kids so that they can finish their education,” Nalepa said outside of the meeting room.
Nalepa works as a peer counselor for Three Rivers Center for Independent Living. There, she teaches and trains the disabled how to live independently. Unfortunately, if the bus cuts go through, she will not only lose her job, but also the majority of her clients she teaches.
“If the proposed service cuts take effect, then every consumer that has a disability who has to rely on Access Paratransit if there is no bus stop within three-fourths of a mile from their house, then legally Access is not required to provide service,” Nalepa explained.
Mother and daughter Anita and Ashely Brown were both at the forum to voice their opinion about the bus cuts.
Ashley uses the 61A and other routes to make it to her job in the Waterfront from her home in Wikinsburg.
"Since the cuts, I’ve had to give up hours. If you cut more bus services, I might as well give up my job up. Jobs are hard enough to find as it is, I want to keep mine,” Ashley Brown said when addressing the board.
Although her mother, Anita Brown, will not be forced to quit since she drives to and from her job, she still went to the forum to speak up for those she passes every day waiting patiently for their bus.
“I’ve seen people so grateful to catch a bus close to them, which is actually two or three miles away. They’ll get off that bus and walk the rest of the way. I just have to pick them up as I see them walking,” Anita said outside of the meeting room on Wednesday, Feb. 29. “They’re sad, cold and have a long walk. With these cuts, that’s only going to get worse.”
Nalepa sees the same fate for not only Access users, but all public transit users in the Pittsburgh area.
“For people who can’t drive, for whatever reason ... there’s no other option. So, you are stuck in the house, then how do you pay your bills? How do you have a house?” Nalepa said. “There is no other system to fall back on, and Access goes to the minimum service, then people just can’t get out and can’t do anything at all.”
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