In Transit
In Transit
July 8, 2009
Dear Friend,
I have been elected President of the Allegheny County Transit Council (ACTC) for the coming year. So what?
Well, for me it will be a challenge. For you and for public transportation, we’ll see. Can we can make a difference?
As you probably know, the ACTC a voluntary, unpaid, non-political citizens’ advisory council to the Port Authority of Allegheny County, PAAC or just PAT, was established by the Pennsylvania Legislature in 1986. The ACTC also will provide PAT riders with a voice on transit and on the way PAT provides transit, and try to improve transit in our region.
There is a lot of work to be done. Even if I were young and healthy, and not 66 with MS, there is no way I could do half of what’s needed by myself. That’s where you come in.
Of course we have committees to divvy up the work - eight committees. The ACTC Budget Committee looks at Port Authority finances. The Legislative Committee should do more than help look for money: state, federal, and local funding for transit. Some ACTC committee should deal with SPC and with city and municipal ordinances that affect day to day operations. The work of the Membership, Recruiting, and Training Committee is primarily internal. The ACTC Operations/Customer Service and Quality Committee includes the process of handling complaints, as well as interior cleanliness. Our Physical Planning Committee looks at long-range improvements as well as implementing the Port Authority’s Connect ‘09 plan. The Policy and Environmental Planning Committee will consider transit-oriented development, land use planning, zoning, the hostility of some malls to transit, and how transit can help energy conservation. The ACTC Public Relations/Marketing Committee will look at the image of the Port Authority and public transit. Our Technology Committee considers how - and how well - the Port Authority uses technology, including the website, GPS stop calling, and the new planned “Smart Card” fare boxes. Should ACTC have a web presence? ACTC also has some committees organized by Port Authority garage or division.
If you do not have the time or inclination to be a working member of ACTC, but want to support transit, just sign up as a “Friend of Transit.” No committees, no meetings, we’ll keep in touch by occasional e-mails or you can attend our meetings on the third Wednesday of the month, 6 pm. at 345 Sixth Ave, downtown. Please contact me or Stu Strickland, our vice-president, if you have any questions. We’ll send more information on our committees.
More specifically, we will work for the funds promised to transit under Act 44 and work for our share of the federal funds under the new authorization legislation now before Congress. We hope to work for land use and development that helps transit as well as the environment. We will work with PAT to implement the Connect ‘09 plans in ways that make transit more efficient without stranding riders who have no other choice.
You see how much work there is to do. What are your ideas? Join us if you want to do more than complain about PAT. Join us if you want to help us get better public transit in the Pittsburgh area. Our revised membership is attached, in case you want to forward it to someone else. Send in the membership application.
Speaking personally. my greatest challenge will be saying “No” to worthy requests for help on non-transit issues. I must put aside all my work on the peace issue, except for my presence at the Saturday vigils. noon in Regent Square or 1pm at Penn and Highland. I must put aside work on health care, labor, glbt rights, etc. I’m still Democratic Committeeman but I will be doing much less electoral politics. Priorities are not the issue; the question is where will my help make the most difference? The answer is “Nowhere,” unless I discipline my self and prioritize. So for the next year or two, I’ll be In Transit.
I hope there will be more information, headed “In Transit.”
Love and Peace, Jonathan Robison