Gastgeb, Fitzgerald Discuss Proposed Port Authority T System Closures

Allegheny County Council member Vince Gastgeb is meeting Friday afternoon with county Chief Executive Rich Fitzgerald to discuss the proposed closure of Port Authority T stops.

Gastgeb, who represents Upper St. Clair among other communities, and Fitgerald are meeting at the Sandy Creek stop in Bethel Park, one of the stops om jeopardy.

“I am heartened by Chief Executive Fitzgerald’s willingness to meet with me to discuss the impact of these proposed T stop closures,” Gastgeb said prior to the meeting. “This is a good first step, and will allow the Executive to see the effects of the proposed closure firsthand.  My ultimate goal, of course, is to keep as many stops as possible open, because the trolley system has existed for decades and was specifically designed from the outset to be a neighborhood-oriented service.  This is the first step in attempting to meet that goal.” 

Gastgeb has long noted that the overall issue is the efficiency with which the Port Authority conducts its operations.

“History has conclusively shown that merely providing additional funding and cutting service is not a long-term solution to the problems besetting the Port Authority,” noted Mr. Gastgeb.  “The proposed T closures are no different than the service reductions that we have all witnessed over the last few years, in that they are all stopgap measures that do not in any way address the fundamental fiscal issues besetting the authority.”

For more information, call Gastgeb's office at 412-350-6545.