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Old Posted Aug 4, 2012, 2:47 AM
J. Will J. Will is offline
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http://www.masstransitmag.com/news/1...ansit-cut-deal

Quote:
Aug. 01 — Transit riders and employers in the Pittsburgh region said Tuesday that they're clinging to hope that Port Authority of Allegheny County will come up with a last-minute deal to avert historic service cuts planned for Sept. 2.

Few said they have contingency plans if the cuts would occur.

County Executive Rich Fitzgerald has helped feed the optimism, saying those working to erase a $64 million hole in the agency's $333.1 million budget are moving closer to a resolution. He won't predict when that might occur.

"I wish I had something more definitive to tell (riders), but I don't," said Fitzgerald, who is directing negotiations for what he said likely would be a four-year contract between Port Authority and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85, the agency's largest labor union.

Fitzgerald has said officials could avoid some or all service reductions if the union and management agree to a combined $25 million in concessions and if the state provides a bailout of up to $35 million.
Quote:
"Obviously, Sept. 2 is a drop-dead date, so we're moving with urgency," Fitzgerald said, referring to the date when 35-percent service cuts would take effect — eliminating 46 routes and scaling all others back. Up to 500 Port Authority workers could lose their jobs.

"But if an agreement comes in after that, we could rescind the cuts," he said.

Lucinda Beattie, vice president of transportation for Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, cringed at the latter option.

"You can't just turn a transit system on a dime. Jobs would be lost, riders would be confused, lives would be turned upside-down," she said.
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