Commentary

Thatís your plan?

For Pittsburgh’s transit agency, it’ll just be business as usual until the money runs out: The Port Authority board surprised its own administration yesterday with a proposal to maintain present fares and service levels until the cash-strapped agency goes broke, probably in March, betting that someone in Harrisburg will come to the rescue fast enough to avert a shutdown. At stake is $30 million that the Port Authority needs for the present fiscal year that’s already 6 months old and an estimated $45 million for the 2005-06 budget year that begins July 1. The outcome will affect people who account for 225,000 daily rides on buses, trolleys, the Mon Incline and ACCESS paratransit system. How about contracting out transit service?