Trolley troubles

[illusionofjoy]

It would appear that, perhaps we spoke too soon yesterday when patrons of mass transit in Pennsylvania breathed a collective sigh of relief. Governor Ed Rendell had transferred highway funds to make up for the deficits of the transit authorities and riders wouldn't have to worry about fare increases or lost routes until 2007, leaving plenty of time for the state legislature to get their act together and pass legislation providing a solid income line for mass transit. It would seem, however, that the governor is unable to unilaterally move that money, as he needs approval via a majority vote by member of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission before any money earmarked for highways can go anywhere else. Some members are already saying that they plan to vote to put the kibosh on Rendell's plan. So, it seems that I'm going to be emailing a whole new set of people regarding mass transit funding. I expect similar results as I had with the state legislature.

As if to underscore the fact that Pittsburgh's mas transit system is on shaky ground, as I was commuting to work this morning, the trolley I was riding had a break down. I had been ahead of schedule, getting to my station early and even managing to be lucky enough to catch a car where there were still empty seats, so I could sit down and doze off. At around quarter 'til 7:00AM, the car I was riding in came to a sudden and jerky halt near the Dawn stop at the intersection of the T line and the South Busway/West Liberty Avenue ramp. For approximately ten minutes, the driver attempted to get the car moving again, the only result being a violent jerking motion back and forth. Giving up, he radioed for a foreman, who arrived on the scene and told the driver that an engine on the car had failed, which the driver relayed to the passengers. The car was towed to South Hills Junction, where everyone had to disembark and board the trolley behind the one they had been previously riding. I ended up being ten minutes late for work.