Bus fares going up, with other changes |
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Author: Amy Zalar
Source: Herald-Standard
Date: June 24, 2006
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A proposed 25-cent increase on base fares for public transit buses, daily trips to downtown Pittsburgh, a dedicated Connellsville bus and Sunday service in the city of Uniontown were among the changes highlighted during a public hearing Friday at the Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation office.
FACT general manager George Hardy said there will be a number of service changes for FACT for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1.
Hardy said some changes will be transparent and others will be significant.
Regarding the proposed 25-cent fare increase, FACT consultant Harold Jenkins said fixed-route service rates haven't been raised since the buses began running in 2000. He said the price of fuel is really eating away at costs.
The 25-percent increase will also affect zone fares, which Jenkins said would go up the same percentage, to the closest nickel.
"They don't want to do this, but they have to," added Jackson.
Hardy said across the state, FACT had the lowest fares, and with the increase, Fayette County will be in the average range of fares across the commonwealth.
Hardy said FACT is putting the "finishing touches" on a daily commute service to Pittsburgh. Michelle Grant Shumar, head of the Fayette County Office of Human and Community Services and FACT, said plans are to begin the daily Pittsburgh service by Oct. 1.
Jenkins said 1,600 Fayette County residents commute to Allegheny County each day to work, according to information from the 2000 Census. He said the Pittsburgh trips will start at the FACT Transit Center at the Connellsville Airport and will include two other stops.
Starting July 1, Hardy said the bus that begins in Uniontown and travels to Connellsville in the morning will stay in Connellsville all day. He said additionally, the Uniontown B bus would cover services that were handled by the Connellsville bus in the city of Uniontown, such as the areas of Connellsville Street and Route 119.
Hardy said riders will still be able to commute back and forth from Connellsville to Uniontown, but they will have to ride two buses to do so instead of one.
Also, Hardy said there will be a dedicated bus for the Hopwood/Chalk Hill service area.
Beginning July 2, Hardy said there will be Sunday service in the city of Uniontown. He said the Uniontown A bus will have a full schedule. He said the change would make FACT a "full fledged, seven-day-a-week operation."
According to assistant director Gina Mahoney, for fiscal year 2006-07 the operating budget of $1,354,387 includes $257,000 from ticket revenue, $344,175 for federal operating assistance, $281,106 from state operating assistance and $290,785 in local operating assistance.
Shumar said any changes to schedules and other items could be viewed on the Web site at www.factbus.com. |
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