Lawmaker working on legislation to create transit authority for Southwestern Pennsylvania
State Senator Jay Costa is trying to slow down public transit inefficiencies in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
"We're in a transit and a funding crisis right now as we speak. That's all going to continue to get more serious as we go forward without appropriate revenues coming in," Costa said.
He sent a memo mapping out legislation he's working on that would encourage smaller transit agencies to consolidate with Pittsburgh Regional Transit to create a multi-county regional transit system.
"We would call it SWEPTA, I guess, at the end of the day: Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Transit Agency. Similar to what's happening in the southeastern part of the state with the SEPTA system," Costa said.
Over the past 20 years, lawmakers have discussed the potential benefits of transit agencies joining forces in the region. Costa is bringing the idea back to life, as SEPTA and PRT are driving around with the same troubles.
PRT is facing major funding cuts, which could mean higher fares and deep service cuts.
"Each of the agencies right now across this Commonwealth, either now or in very near future, are going to be experiencing financial cliffs that they're going to have to deal with," Costa said.
"The goal is to be able to have as many counties as possible work together, either through some type of a merger or coordination of agencies, to be able to develop enhanced and more efficient transit services throughout our region," he added.
Costa said having a mass transit system would also help connect Pittsburgh and parts of Allegheny County to other counties.
If the proposed plan is approved, counties wouldn't be required to participate. It would be optional.
Costa said it wouldn't necessarily need to be through a merger, but cooperation or coordinated agreement to address some inefficiencies that exist. It could help with the administrative, management and planning side of things.
"That's where they would be able to save money, and they'd be much more efficient. And save taxpayers and ratepayers a lot more money by having more of these type of routes that are existing for them," Costa said.
Costa hopes more lawmakers get on board with co-sponsoring the future legislation.
He's said they're in the process of getting discussions rolling with each transit agency in the region.
"Certainly starting here with Pittsburgh Regional Transit and utilizing the opportunity to talk to folks about what they think is best and how they would like to be part of a regional agency. ... I suspect that we will be looking at Greene and Washington and Westmoreland and Butler and Beaver counties to be part of the conversation going forward, and trying to figure out what's best for everyone involved. Then out of that, to develop more specific criteria about what it would look like," Costa said.
Costa said he hopes to have a form of legislation compiled by summer or fall so lawmakers can advance it and debate it.
"Before we continue to throw more and more money and develop more and more crises with respect to transit funding ... that we're taking steps to be able to figure out ways to be more efficient and be more economical going forward," he said.
