By Glenn A. Walsh
Reporting for SpaceWatchtower
The Port Authority of Allegheny County
(PAT), Pennsylvania, the primary public transit agency serving
Metropolitan Pittsburgh, has proposed a major overhaul of the public
transit system's fare system policy.
The proposed changes include
eliminating the Downtowner Zone (free-of-charge zone for buses
serving the Downtown area; subway service Downtown and on the Lower
North Side would remain free-of-charge) and Zone 2, to have one flat
zone for the entire transit system. This would mean that riders in
Zone 2 would receive a major transit fare decrease, in
the hope that suburban ridership would increase to make-up for the
lost revenue.
Cash fare would increase by 25 cents,
to incentivize the use of the electronic fare card known as the
“ConnectCard;” the cost of a transit ride would remain the same
as today (Base Fare: $2.50) when the ConnectCard is used. A $7 Day
Pass would be added to the Weekly, Monthly, and Annual Passes already
available. All fares would be paid as one enters a bus, rail car, or
rail station (currently, fares are pay-enter on inbound vehicles and
pay-exit on outbound vehicles, except after 7:00 p.m. when all bus fares
are pay-enter for the security of the transit operators).
Paper transfers would be discontinued.
Hence, people paying cash fares would have to pay the full fare for
each transit ride. Transfer fees would continue to be accommodated
using the ConnectCard.
Continuation or Courtesy Transfers
(CT), which are free-of-charge transfers provided for riding between
main bus or rail lines and shorter, feeder or shuttle bus lines,
would also be eliminated according to the proposal. Continuation
Transfers are also provided, on request, to people riding between
Downtown and Mount Washington when using the Duquesne or Monongahela
Inclines; hence, this would be a fare increase for most
Incline riders.
Beginning next year, according to the
proposal, the purchase of a ConnectCard would cost $2 per card, for
acquiring new or replacement cards. Currently, ConnectCards are
available for no charge.
Most of these changes would be
implemented on the bus system on or after 2017 January 1. Changes on
the rail systems (both the “T” Light Rail / Subway System and the
Monongahela Incline) would be implemented on or after 2017 July 1.
When implemented on the rail systems, all fares would be completely
cash-less; ConnectCards would be required for use on the Light Rail
System and the Monongahela Incline. As The Duquesne Incline is
operated by the private Society for the Preservation of the Duquesne
Heights Incline, some PAT regulations will not apply on this Inclined
Plane.
PAT held three public hearings
regarding this proposal; two on February 24 and one on March 8. PAT
will continue to receive public comments on this proposal until March
31, via the PAT web site, electronic mail, or the U.S. Mail. More
information and all details of the proposed fare policy changes can
be found at this link:
Long-time public transit advocate Glenn
A. Walsh spoke at one hearing on February 24 and the hearing on March
8. Following the February 24 statement, Mr. Walsh was interviewed by WPXI-TV 11, WESA-FM 90.5 (link to text article near the end of this blog post), and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Following Mr. Walsh's March 8 hearing statement, he was interviewed (video and audio) by Pittsburghers for Public Transit. Following Mr. Walsh's public statement before the PAT Board of Directors meeting of April 29, he was interviewed by Elaine Effort of KQV-AM 1410 NewsRadio, and his public statement was quoted in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (link to news article near the end of this blog post).
The following is the prepared text of Mr. Walsh's March 8 comments:
The following is the prepared text of Mr. Walsh's March 8 comments:
Hearing Statement -- Glenn A. Walsh
Board of Directors of P.O. Box 1041
Port Authority of Pittsburgh PA 15230-1041 U.S.A.
Allegheny
County: Telephone: 412-561-7876
Proposed Fare Electronic Mail: < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
Policy Changes Internet Web Site: < http://www.planetarium.cc >
Space
Blog: < http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/ >
2016 March 8
2016 March 8
Good afternoon. I am
Glenn A. Walsh, 633 Royce Avenue, Mt. Lebanon, a regular Light Rail and bus rider
who has chosen not to drive a motor vehicle since 1985, to
help save energy, protect the environment, and reduce city traffic congestion.
I have been an active transit advocate for more than 38 years, including 3
terms (1984 to 1989) on the Allegheny County Transit Council as a Charter
Member. My comments today are my own and do not reflect those of any
organization.
First, as I mentioned
last month, free-of-charge Continuation Transfers should be retained, at least
for the Inclines. Otherwise, this would be a clear fare increase for
Incline riders, making Incline ridership to Downtown less attractive, and very
possibly increasing crowding on rush-hour buses which serve Mount Washington.
I do approve of the
establishment of a Day-Pass. This is long overdue.
I opposed the
elimination of Zone 3 some years ago, and today, I also oppose the elimination
of Zone 2. It is quite clear that, fifty years ago when PAT had 13 zones, this
was rather ridiculous. However, three zones seems quite reasonable and provided
greater equity in assigning the true cost of public transportation. I am
dubious that one flat zone will greatly increase suburban ridership,
particularly in these times of low gas prices. I fear the additional income
lost by this change will result in a substantial fare increase for everyone in
the next year or two.
As I testified last
year, even if you charge a fee for a ConnectCard at the automated machines at
rail stations and other locations, ConnectCards should continue to be available
for no charge at the PAT Service Center. This would provide an option for
people with limited incomes.
"Port Authority formally approves new flat fare system in January."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2016 April 30.
One rider, Glenn Walsh, told the board the fare policy is a hidden increase of $1 for passengers on the Monongahela Incline because there no longer will be free transfers from certain bus routes to the incline. The transfer fee will be $1 for ConnectCard users and the full incline fare for cash customers. About 2,000 use the incline on weekdays and Sundays and about 3,500 on Saturdays. Riders who use transfers to feeder routes on busways also complained about the transfer fee or double fare during public hearings about the fare policy in March, but the authority didn’t change that provision.
"Statement before Board of Directors, Port Authority of Allegheny County: Proposed Incline Fare Increase." Public Statement
Glenn A. Walsh 2016 April 29.
"PAT Board Scheduled to Approve Hidden Fare Increase for Incline Riders." News Release.
Glenn A. Walsh 2016 April 28.
Kovash, Sarah. "Public Weighs In On Port Authority's Single Fare Proposal."
WESA-FM 90.5 Pittsburgh 2016 Feb. 24.
Glenn Walsh, who lives in Mt. Lebanon and uses public transportation to get Downtown, said he worries the change will negatively affect the inclines.
“This is going to discourage incline ridership (and) make it more difficult for the inclines, particularly the Duquesne Incline, which is operated privately, to continue operating,” Walsh said.
Link >>> http://wesa.fm/post/public-weighs-port-authoritys-single-fare-proposal
More on the Port Authority of Allegheny County:
Link >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Authority_of_Allegheny_County
More on The Duquesne Incline: Link >>> http://inclinedplane.tripod.com/
Source: Glenn A. Walsh Reporting for SpaceWatchtower, a project of Friends of the Zeiss.
2016 March 12.
2016: 75th Year of Pittsburgh's Buhl Planetarium Observatory
Link >>> http://buhlplanetarium2.tripod.com
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gaw
Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
Friends of the Zeiss < http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/fotz/ >
Electronic Mail - < gawalsh@planetarium.cc >
SpaceWatchtower Blog: < http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/ >
Also see: South Hills Backyard Astronomers Blog: < http://shbastronomers.blogspot.com/ >
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Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh:
< http://www.planetarium.
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago:
< http://adlerplanetarium.
* Astronomer, Educator, Optician John A. Brashear:
< http://johnbrashear.tripod.com >
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries:
< http://www.andrewcarnegie.
* Civil War Museum of Andrew Carnegie Free Library:
< http://garespypost.tripod.com >
* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh:
< http://inclinedplane.tripod.
* Public Transit:
< http://andrewcarnegie2.tripod.
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