PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

On Friday, March 30, Allegheny County's Port Authority Board voted 8-1 to cut bus service by 15 percent. The service cuts will go into effect on June 17th. In addition, transit workers will face a salary and benefits freeze, and ACCESS (a service for senior citizens and persons with disabilities) will see a $.50 increase by July 1st. Bus service could be cut an additional 10% in September if the Port Authority can't fill the remaining $45 million deficit.

Save Our Transit held an overnight an overnight vigil leading up to the Port Authority Board's meeting in which the proposal was voted on. Members of Save Our Transit and the Campaign to Stop the Bus Cuts say they will keep fighting to stop the cuts. from going into effect

[  Service cuts details |  audio from 3/28 vigil |  Rustbelt radio Rustbelt TV ]

June 2006's Critical Mass ride took place during Pittsburgh's second annual Bikefest, and Pittsburgh Indymedia was there.

Our video coverage is available online, and will be featured on an upcoming television broadcast on PCTV21.  If you want to get involved in independent TV production in Pittsburgh, we need your help, email video@indypgh.org !

Critical Mass happens on the last friday of each month, meeting at 5:30pm in front of the Carnegie Library in Oakland.

[ Watch the video (xvid/avi or quicktime/mov) ]

[ last year: Critical Mass 2005 video and photos ]

The Port Authority of Allegheny County may turn over some routes and bus maintenance to privately-run businesses, warns the advocacy group Save Our Transit. The move would cut jobs and potentially drive down wages.

[  read more | March 11th Feature ]

On Tuesday, October 5, 56 Pittsburgh public transit users and activists packed into a bus and took their case to the state capital. Stressing the need to pass Senate Bill 1162 and its companion House Bill 2697 to increase state funding for public transit, they met with a number of representatives and forced legistlators to look public transit users in the eye.

[ read more | photo | audio | Sept 13 rally | Save Our Transit website ]

Early this summer, just before their recess a bipartisan group of Pennsylvania law makers introduced legislation that moves the state a long way toward establishing a more reliable and stable source of dedicated revenue for public transit operations all across the commonwealth.

Senate Bill 1162 and its companion House Bill 2697 will increase state funding for public transit by $282 million. The Port Authority’s share of this will be around $64 million. Absent these bills bus and light rail riders in Allegheny County will likely face major service cuts in 2005 so that the Port Authority can balance its $30 deficit budget as state statute requires. As almost happened in FY03-04 the service cuts implemented by the Port Authority would about destroy all weekend and night time bus and light rail service.

On Monday, September 13th, members of the transit advocacy group Save Our Transit rallied at the City-County Building downtown to support the two bills.

[ Photos 1 2 ] [ Initial Announcement | 2 ] [ Rally Audio ]

Ghost bikes, bright white bicycles with placards declaring "cyclist struck here," are appearing around Pittsburgh as roadside memorials to cyclists struck by motor vehicles.

The people behind this project call themselves Ghost Bike Pittsburgh. GBP is a group of concerned bicycle commuters who have seen lives destroyed by the lack of concern by city government and automobile drivers in general. They see Pittsburgh as a city with an uninviting transportation infrastructure, a government reluctant to accommodate their needs, and a set of laws that leans toward the rights of motorists and ignores unprotected bicyclists.

[ Read More ... ]

A25 Critical Mass Bicycle Ride ends in Arrests

Over 100 bicyclists participated in April's monthly Critical Mass bike ride to reclaim the streets of Pittsburgh for bicycles. The route began at the Oakland Dinosaur (where it begins the last friday of every month) and went through Oakland, spanning the full width of Fifth Avenue. It was planned to proceed to Penn Circle before returning to the same point. The ride ended early when police officers began making arrests at Craig Street and Baum Boulevard.

Two arrests have been reported; jail solidarity is planned at the Pittsburgh Municipal Courthouse at 660 First Avenue downtown.

UPDATE (4.26.03, 11am): Four people were arrested, total. Two are out of jail (with 5 and 7 charges), but two are still waiting for arraignments in Arraignment Night Court (room 110 of the courthouse). The next two are slotted to be arraigned shortly but are not expected to actually be processed until the afternoon. Approximately 10 people are participating in jail solidarity downtown - food, water, blankets, and company are welcome!

Please publish your accounts, photographs, and legal updates to the open newswire as the story develops.

[ Breaking Report | Arrestee Report ] [ Photos: Ride | Arrests ]