Emergency Funding for Port Authority

$45 million funding for Pittsburgh transit OK'd

(AP)
Planners in southwestern Pennsylvania have narrowly approved Gov. Ed Rendell's plan to provide $45 million in emergency funding to stave off sweeping cuts in Pittsburgh-area transit service.


Members of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, a 10-county regional planning agency, voted 27-22 Monday night to redirect unspent federal funds to the Port Authority of Allegheny County . The authority had said it would cut service 35 percent and eliminate dozens of routes because of a $47 million deficit.
Rendell said the money is needed because thousands of people would be affected by the cuts. He says the money is unused economic development funds that must be used for transportation.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says Port Authority CEO Steve Bland thanked the commission and said the agency may try to stretch the money over a longer period by making small service cuts in March and perhaps later.
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Information from: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, http://www.post-gazette.com/