It's New Year's Eve and PAT is operating on normal weekday hours (home, college)

[ferraris]

I can't believe we hold big events like First Night and don't plan transportation around it. The whole idea is to stay out till at least midnight, but we have major bus routes ending service within minutes of midnight. Even if you are there on time the bus will probably be too full to board everyone anyway. Anyone know if the casino has free parking tonight?

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Pretty sure it's always been this way.

Yet somehow people still wonder why drunk driving is such a big problem in our area.

[FreightTrainRunning]

I'm not sure how that would happen. First Night is run by the Cultural Trust who doesn't have any way to force PAT to stay operating late. It would mean overtime for drivers and someone would have to pay for that.

Personally, we plan on walking down to Downtown for First Night but yeah, it sucks for people who are going to have to drive. I hit this issue whenever we go to a concert a The Consol Energy Center; taking the subway would be so easy but it shuts down at midnight and you can't guarantee that you can get out of a concert and down to Steel Plaza before then.

[grep]

Seems like the city could pay for it since it will increase public safety and decrease pollution and congestion. But that's how I feel about public transportation all the time.

[WPANative]

Originally Posted by ferraris

Anyone know if the casino has free parking tonight?

I've never paid for parking at the casino. And that's been since it's been open. I think the only time they may charge for parking is Steeler games.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by WPANative

I've never paid for parking at the casino. And that's been since it's been open. I think the only time they may charge for parking is Steeler games.

It's so annoying when they do this. Sometimes we try to go into the casino parking garage to GAMBLE, see that they're charging $20 due to the Steelers game, and then just drive to The Meadows instead to GAMBLE. One time we did just drive home and hoof it. The hour-long walk did us a bit of good.

[szug-bot]

Originally Posted by grep

Seems like the city could pay for it since it will increase public safety and decrease pollution and congestion. But that's how I feel about public transportation all the time.

right, the CITY could pay. and what about the 200 other municipalities?

so this is all the port authority's fault? even the fact that there are drunk drivers?
First Night is the Downtown Partnership's decision. dont blame PAT if service isnt there to accomodate revelers.

there are alternatives - take a cab. park a bit aways and walk. get a friend to pick you up.

[UKyank]

You shouldn't need coordination with First Night - it doesn't take someone with half a brain to know that New Years Eve should call for increased service.

They are able to magically increase service on steeler Sundays after all.

[Q-tip motha]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

Pretty sure it's always been this way.

Yet somehow people still wonder why drunk driving is such a big problem in our area.

Or people could be responsible and arrange transportation ahead of time.

Really don't see why anyone would associate the PAT with drunk driving. I don't blame them for not operating on holidays. If you've ever caught a ride on a drunk bus on a college campus you'll know why they probably don't want to deal with that crowd. Also nice of them to give their employees the holiday off because contrary to popular belief they are indeed people with families and lives at home as well.

[FreightTrainRunning]

I'd rather that we have to mop up puke from a few buses than have to mop up blood and guts from the street after a drunk driver crashes.