You think its bad for PAT now, it's about to get A LOT WORSE! (Pittsburgh: retirement, education)

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Says who?

We don't have much of a recent history of street protests in the United States, if that is what you are using as your gauge. What we would want to see is a scientific poll of some sort, but I haven't seen one.

Well, on here you hear it being said that if more state funds are not funneled over to PAT then the city will go into an economic death spiral, if most people agreed with this assessment even remotely you would see some signs of that discontent whether it be actual protests, lots of news coverage on the subject or letters to the editor & responses to it, or widespread social media outrage or petitiond, etc etc, & at a more personal level, i'd hear people talking about it in real life. None of these things are occurring in any meaningful way.

I can only conclude then that most people either don't care about PAT at all or alternatively like me, see this current fight as being yet another in a long line of bandaids being applied with taxpayer monies to prop up the system temporarily without any mention of trying to fix the underlying problems with PAT yet again. Nor do they forsee an economic apocalypse on the horizon if PaT fails to get its way.

[BrianTH]

Most people I talk to in the real world are concerned, but think the state will come up with the money. I think that explains why there is not more open revolt yet.

[LIRefugee]

Also, being that the transit cuts have not happened yet, those people who may not yet be informed or who are caught up in day-to-day life may not have the impetus yet to protest. However, once the transit cuts take place (which hopefully will forever remain hypothetical cuts), and people have to deal with the effects, the reaction might be much different. It is easier to protest a tangible effect than a theoretical one.

[Blackbeauty212]

Originally Posted by UKyank

Isn't it at least a bit telling then that there's very little outrage over this whole pat funding thing then?

There will be outrage once PAT is gone...but then its already Gone, whatcha gonna do then???? Pittsburgh is a very presumptuous place as demonstrated by members here who don't think the loss of Public Transit will effect the local economy negatively, they don't take anything seriously until after its happened...

Remember the AFTER effects once the 15% cuts happened? Very little outrage before, an explosion afterwards, but then horse had already left the barn....

I've stated many time, it takes for Pittsburgh to lose something for people to wake up, and Public Transit is no different, but again once its gone it's going to be very hard to get it back. In the mean time we just keep watching how hard it will be to lure companies here over competitive cities that offer a basic vital service that Pittsburgh does not. At the same time we notice the companies already here downsize, move operations and employees to other cities that offer better public transit and less traffic congestion so that employees can actually get to work on time...

By then PAT's a shell of its former self and in a death spiral...Losing Local, State and Federal dollars as it continues to struggle to provide a level of service to maintain a certain level of funding from those sources.

Don't think the 35% cuts are the end, that's just the beginning of the Death Spiral, Bland has stated once the 35% go into effect its pretty much a guarantee that PAT will need to cut every year until there's nothing left of the system.

This is not good for Pittsburgh no matter how ignorant one maybe to situation at hand.

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

Remember the AFTER effects once the 15% cuts happened

No, there weren't many nor did it have any negative effects on the local economy either as it keeps producing better & better economic news

[Blackbeauty212]

Originally Posted by UKyank

No, there weren't many nor did it have any negative effects on the local economy either as it keeps producing better & better economic news

you stated outrage from the public and yes there was...at PAT HQ's, the DLLCC, Walking Marches...People we complaining everywhere about being Passed up at stops buses entirely too running full, service is an Unreliable Joke now...

It showing up in the Economy's numbers is lagging indicator....with the 15% service cuts PAT was still able offer some symbolance of a Transit System...35% cuts on top of 15% and PAT's system is going to look like a complete joke and those effects in the economy will start to show up much quicker. But then once they do, what are you going to do? the service is already GONE!

Remember these words from Bland himself:

"The damage of the cuts, if they come about, is likely irreversible," said Port Authority CEO Stephen Bland.

Read more: | TribLIVE | Pittsburgh | TribLIVE | Pittsburgh

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

Remember these words from Bland himself:

could there be a more biased sourced?

[gg]

Originally Posted by UKyank

Isn't it at least a bit telling then that there's very little outrage over this whole pat funding thing then?

90% of the outrage on this forum is from someone that lives in NYC. NYC isn't Pittsburgh. Last I checked they cannot be compared at all. Look at the density in NYC. The PAT thing will effect very few people here. Take away Blackbeauty's posts and responses to those posts and this thread is probably thee pages. Lets face it, most don't care all that much one way or the other. Pittsburgh is so small. Hope the effect of the cuts means more people will move into the city close to work. Then pollution goes down and people get in better shape. Who knows, Pittsburgh might really be cutting edge then.

[Blackbeauty212]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

90% of the outrage on this forum is from someone that lives in NYC. NYC isn't Pittsburgh. Last I checked they cannot be compared at all. Look at the density in NYC. T

More word from the Almighty himself....

Curtis lets get something straight.....I may live in NYC, but I come home to Pittsburgh very often (4-5 x's a year) and since I don't own a car (I live in NYC remember) I use PAT when a car is not available to me....I have friend and family in the Burgh that rely on Public Transit. I'm very much still connected to my hometown.

the PAT thing will effect very few people here. Take away Blackbeauty's posts and responses to those posts and this thread is probably thee pages. Lets face it, most don't care all that much one way or the other. Pittsburgh is so small. Hope the effect of the cuts means more people will move into the city close to work. Then pollution goes down and people get in better shape. Who knows, Pittsburgh might really be cutting edge then.

Yea No Cares and will affect very few....Could you be more out of touch with reality?

EDIT:

Public transit in Pittsburgh is not the only thing that will suffer if no solution is found. Trouble will hit every part of the state. But the impact will be felt first in Pittsburgh, which is particularly reliant on public transit as a critical component of its transportation network. Our city is one of the top 10 cities in the country for workers who use transit to get to their jobs.

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/...18703/?print=1

Originally Posted by psychomantis

[999cm999]

Found this:

About 26,931 people in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania use public transportation to commute for work. This represents roughly 20.1% of workers in the area.

Source:
How many people use public transportation to commute in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania?