Pittsburgh's Public Transit crisis is about to get a lot worse... (Paoli: health insurance, credit)

[raubre]

Originally Posted by Gnutella

You know, if you really want to keep it on topic, then you should be discussing the public transit funding crisis in Allegheny County, not ridiculing the city that you live in for not being as cutting-edge as I'm sure you are. Same goes for every other ******* who took this topic off on the unrelated and ignorantly-exaggerated tangent that it went on.

Yeah, Pittsburgh is "behind the times" because they don't change the ****ing color schemes on the buses once every five years. That has to be one of the stupidest lines of reasoning that I've ever seen on this website.

I guess that was partially my fault. Earlier I replied to another reply about our area not being progressive...

Originally Posted by raubre

Just shows that our area isn't as progressive as thought. Pittsburgh itself is, but the outlying areas aren't. Pittsburgh also can't really be that progressive since we are behind the times anyway.

And then another poster asked me for details...

Originally Posted by UKyank

This transportation aside, how else is Pgh behind the times?

In a round about way this does (to me) tie in all together, not so much with the entertainment and restaurant trends, but our lack of progressiveness seems to impede in other things politically which will impact our daily lives especially with public transit.

[couldntthinkofaclevername]

Everybody who voted for the idiots of the Tea Party and Republicans can pat themselves on the back for this one.

And so can every idiot who didn't vote.

These people were so easy to see through. All one needed to do was go online or actually learn the damn facts about the things they lied about on their campaign ads (things they still lie about) or just simply realize that they were entitled pieces of sh*t who were out to screw everybody. Yet look what happened. Now we have this bullsh*t, Harrisburg standing in the way of progress in every PA city, school districts being slashed to historic levels, redistricting!, and I'm sure so many more great things to look forward to until 2014!

I feel bad for you guys. I really do. SEPTA used to really f*ck with Southeastern PA and hold the area ransom but nothing like this has ever happened here and I really hope it never does. I can't say it won't with a douche like Corbett running things though, or the ass-clowns who complete the clown car of idiocy that is PA politics these days.

I've got a few ideas for how to trim some fat: Cut their f*cking salaries and their perks. Isn't it funny how they are always so quick to vote yes on raising their own salaries? Most of them are taking bribes anyway so why should they get paid with money they didn't earn? I bet that would save quite a bit.

Being in office is not supposed to be an enviable position. It's a position of public service, and nobody wants or needs to lure people into being in office through these perks they get. Cut the fat and separate true leaders and people who want the job for the right reason from entitled douches like these guys and like Christie in NJ and so many other spoiled Republicans and Tea Party members.

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by psychomantis

Try buying some liquor or shopping for an automobile on a Sunday...... let me know how it works out for you! Look at the roads, the bridges, and the houses..... when I first moved here from TX it was like I traveled 30-40 years into the past, and not in a good way. I wish Pittsburgh would embrace progress like many other southern, Texan, and west coast cities; but instead it fights it tooth and nail. I grew up an army brat and had the opportunity to live in cities across the U.S. and also in 2 other countries. Just curious, but have you ever actually lived anywhere outside the northeast before?

I LOVE that Pittsburgh is "behind the times." Perhaps we can appreciate the fact that Pittsburgh is so "stuck in the past" when we consider that we avoided the foreclosure crisis and double digit unemployment rates due to our old-fashioned mores about debt (unlike many of those "west coast cities")! Compton? Bakersfield? Generally, "the times" suck, and it is a good time to be different. Now that the whole country must learn how to scale back, Pittsburgh is ahead of the curve. And I resent the comment about the old houses. Just where do you think is so much better? I can't wait to laugh! Also, we are the "city of bridges," and we have some of the most beautiful historic bridges in the country. I marvel at the beauty of the McKees Rocks Bridge every day when I drive across it.

[Blackbeauty212]

Originally Posted by couldntthinkofaclevername

I feel bad for you guys. I really do. SEPTA used to really f*ck with Southeastern PA and hold the area ransom but nothing like this has ever happened here and I really hope it never does. I can't say it won't with a douche like Corbett running things though, or the ass-clowns who complete the clown car of idiocy that is PA politics these days.
.

Dont think SEPTA going to escape this.....if it drags on too much longer SEPTA will be forced into the same boat as PAT...SEPTA doesnt have the legacy cost that PAT does so they we able to escape the wrecking ball for now but not much longer..

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

Dont think SEPTA going to escape this.....if it drags on too much longer SEPTA will be forced into the same boat as PAT...SEPTA doesnt have the legacy cost that PAT does so they we able to escape the wrecking ball for now but not much longer..

A big thing septa has going for it over pat is that septa is much more integrated, heavily relied on and necessary for the suburbs of Philly - surburbs a governor can't afford to tick off if he wants to see another term.

[Blackbeauty212]

Originally Posted by UKyank

A big thing septa has going for it over pat is that septa is much more integrated, heavily relied on and necessary for the suburbs of Philly - surburbs a governor can't afford to tick off if he wants to see another term.

Yes which is what PAT needs to become....We need a SWPTA style regional transit system.

[BrianTH]

SEPTA is on the hook too. They had the ability to start by slashing their capital budget, but they will also have to start cutting operations if nothing is done to fix the state's transportation funding crisis.

By the way, the relative newness of cities that have experienced much more rapid growth in recent decades doesn't really tell you anything in particular about their attitudes toward "progress".

[steindle]

Originally Posted by psychomantis

Try buying some liquor or shopping for an automobile on a Sunday...... let me know how it works out for you! Look at the roads, the bridges, and the houses..... when I first moved here from TX it was like I traveled 30-40 years into the past, and not in a good way. I wish Pittsburgh would embrace progress like many other southern, Texan, and west coast cities; but instead it fights it tooth and nail. I grew up an army brat and had the opportunity to live in cities across the U.S. and also in 2 other countries. Just curious, but have you ever actually lived anywhere outside the northeast before?

If progress looks like Dallas, I'm in favor of regression.

[couldntthinkofaclevername]

Originally Posted by UKyank

A big thing septa has going for it over pat is that septa is much more integrated, heavily relied on and necessary for the suburbs of Philly - surburbs a governor can't afford to tick off if he wants to see another term.

When Rendell was in office, sure.

This douche of a governor hates Eastern and especially Southeastern PA. It makes me so angry that people like him got elected.

"Funding crisis" my a$$. The only funding crisis is their bloated salaries and favoritism towards the people raping our lands and screwing us over.

[Debbie1125]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

SEPTA is on the hook too. They had the ability to start by slashing their capital budget, but they will also have to start cutting operations if nothing is done to fix the state's transportation funding crisis.

Completely true. When I read about how PAT was considering further cuts, my first thought was "I wonder when SEPTA is going to announce the same thing".

Although SEPTA does have a larger transit system it has the same problems as PAT. I am not sure how it is in Pittsburgh, but despite the fact that a large percentage of SEPTA's riders are city residents, a majority of the Board are from the suburbs.

In 2012 I fully expect to hear news of either another fare hike or service cuts. Right now the base fare is $2.00 + $1.00 for a transfer. I shake my head when I think that for a few dollars more, I can take Megabus from here to Pittsburgh.