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Motion of the Council of Allegheny County urging the Port Authority of Allegheny County to immediately implement a low-income fare option to meet the current crisis, and to evaluate the possibility of long-term funding sources for such a program.
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WHEREAS, we are in unprecedented times in which unemployment claims in Allegheny County have risen nearly 800% since the Port Authority of Allegheny County made the decision to suspend fares in March of 2020, due to the deleterious effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, effective June 8th, Port Authority made the decision to reinstate full fares, despite the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic, even as unemployment claims have surged, and applications for public support programs like CHIP and SNAP are equally high; and
WHEREAS, while Pennsylvania's overall incidence of new COVID-19 cases remains low when compared to other states, it is the judgment of Council that this in and of itself should not be a cause to believe that the pandemic's deleterious effects are fully abated; indeed, the Allegheny County Health Department conducted a briefing on June 22 "to provide information on recent cases and steps the community needs to take to ensure that numbers do not continue to increase at [the current] rate," and many employers throughout Allegheny County are operating at only a fraction of their usual capacity even after the Commonwealth's stay at home order expired and with relaxed social distancing and other guidelines in force; and
WHEREAS, it is the judgment of Council that reinstating full fares will function to make it more difficult for individuals - particularly those who may earn hourly wages and/or be dependent upon tips for large portions of their income, and who are already struggling with paying their bills and providing basic necessities - to reach their places of employment; and
WHEREAS, it is further the judgment of Council that transit dependency is highly correlated to lower inc...
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