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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 no...
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