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WHEREAS, the transit funding crisis that has struck not only Allegheny County, but the entire Commonwealth, will have a crippling effect on public transportation; and
WHEREAS, the Port Authority of Allegheny County serves more than 250,000 residents daily, providing over 200 million trips annually; and
WHEREAS, the Port Authority of Allegheny County has undergone significant productivity improvements and cost containment procedures in the past five years, improving productivity by over 50%; and
WHEREAS, the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85, has made historic labor concessions in the past two consecutive contracts, reducing future legacy cost growth by nearly 50%; and
WHEREAS, the City of Pittsburgh, home to the nation's sixth-densest employment center and the Commonwealth's second- and third-largest economic centers, is heavily reliant on a robust transit system to achieve the economic stability and growth that has made our City and region a destination for new jobs and investments; and
WHEREAS, over half of all downtown Pittsburgh workers travel to their places of employment via public transportation and 25% of all workers in Oakland do the same, approximately 75,000 people in total; and
WHEREAS, the Port Authority of Allegheny County is planning for a 35% service reduction in September, 2012, with the potential for another 20% reduction in 2013, and another 15% in 2014 should no funding resolution be found; and
WHEREAS, over 20,000 residents of Allegheny County could be stranded daily due to the service cuts that the Port Authority is being forced to make as a result of its $64 million budget shortfall; and
WHEREAS, some estimates indicate that each stranded rider must pay as much as $9,100 annually to replace the services that the Port Authority currently provides, making daily life unaffordable for thousands; and
WHEREAS, the Pittsburgh region's roads, bridges, and parking facilities - facing their own funding crisis - do not have the capacity to handle the increased number of vehicles on the road as a result of the transit cuts; and
WHEREAS, the combination of transit cuts and increased vehicles on the roads indicates that this $64 million budget shortfall could ultimately cost Allegheny County and City of Pittsburgh residents over $220 million in new transportation costs - an unacceptable burden; and
WHEREAS, major regional employers may be forced to move elsewhere, reducing property values and vital revenue sources for the City of Pittsburgh and surrounding municipalities; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, by Executive Order, created the Transportation Funding Advisory Commission (TFAC) to identify $2.7 billion in new revenue to deal with the statewide funding crisis; and
WHEREAS, TFAC identified a combination of revenue sources to reach the necessary $2.7 billion, including $400 million for transit statewide; and
WHEREAS, Governor Tom Corbett has yet to act on the funding recommendations made by his hand-picked TFAC.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that it is the will of the Council of the City of Pittsburgh to strongly urge Governor Corbett to address this funding shortfall immediately; and
AND, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh calls on our General Assembly to endorse the TFAC funding recommendations and pass legislation to put them into effect before July 31, 2012 to ameliorate the undoubtedly negative economic consequences this funding gap has on the people of the City of Pittsburgh and the Commonwealth.