<html><body> <div class="DocumentLabel" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0pt;" face="Tahoma">Jonathan B. Robison<br></font><font style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;" face="Tahoma">154 N. Bellefield Av. #66<font style=""> </font><font style=""> </font>Pittsburgh, PA<font style=""> </font>15213</font></div> <div class="ReturnAddress" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><font style="font-size: 11pt;" face="Tahoma">412-683-0237 <font style=""> </font>683-0177 <font style=""> </font><a href="mailto:jon@jonrobison" onclick="Popup.composeWindow('pcompose.php?sendto=jon%40jonrobison');; return false;" target="_blank" mce___onclick="Popup.composeWindow('pcompose.php?sendto=jon%40jonrobison');; return false;">jon@jonrobison</a>.org</font></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;; text-align: center;" align="center"><font style=""> Nov. 26, 2007</font></div> <br> <div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;;">Dear Colleague,<br> There will be NO MEETING of the ACTC Long Range Planning Committee Wednesday Nov. 28. It's the holiday season. I'm franticly busy trying to get ready a big trip - this Saturday Mary and I, Joy and Ian, and my grandson Benjamin are leaving for a visit to Ian's family in New Zealand. Our new committee vice-chair, Jennifer Bashore, will be out of town.<br> Jennifer is working on plans to follow-up on our very successful little picket at Century III mall, which objected to the mall moving the bus stop to a less accessible and less safe location. Allegheny County Council member Joan Cleary saw our group and decided to join us and talk with us for about a half hour. She then decided to introduce in County Council a resolution urging malls to work with the Port Authority to establish safe andf convenient bus stops. THANK YOU, Councilmember Cleary.<br> Jennifer Bashore is working on problems at three malls owned by the Simon Property Group - Century III, Ross Park, and South Hills Village. <br> There's a problem at Edgewood Town Center in Edgewood/Swissvale. It has NO bus service. Why? Ms. Bashore is researching the matter. <br> Some shopping malls are acting as if none of their employees use public
transportation and no transit riders shop in the mall. The malls are
private property, so the Port Authority can only wish that its riders
will be considered. But malls enjoyed heavy subsidies from us
taxpayers. We urge shopping malls to show some respect for transit riders,
specifically including restoring bus service adjacent to the stores in
the mall, at a site safe and convenient for the elderly and handicapped
who shop or work at the mall. (How would <font style="text-decoration: underline;">you</font> like walking across a dark empty parking lot to a bus stop when your shift ends?)<br> We will also keep an eye on the City of Pittsburgh and buses serving Market Square. The city of Pittsburgh has scheduled the exclusion of buses (but not cars or trucks) from Market Square, and will force PAT to modify its routes.<br> On another topic - the East Corridor. Something may be happening. County Executive Dan Onorato has released a report of his Transportation Action Team. It's central recommendation is (in caps) "IMPLEMENT RAPID TRANSIT FROM DOWNTOWN TO OAKLAND AND IN AND AROUND OAKLAND." <br> There are many questions, starting with the route and funding. But its important forward motion for those of us are convinced that the city needs an East Corridor light rail project<font style=""> connecting downtown and Oakland, the 2nd and 3rd largest trip generators in Pennsylvania. </font>What should be the role of PAT? What should be the role of ACTC in planning?<br> Please attend an important County Council meeting Tue. Dec. 4, 5 pm, in the County Court House. The Allegheny County Council will vote on a tax on drinks and car rentals which is essential to provide the local match required by the new state transit funding. There will also be a Budget Committee TOMORROW at 4 pm, preceded by a rally by transit supporters at 3:45 in the Court House courtyard.<br><font style=""> If you have any questions or comments,</font> please contact me, by phone at 412-683-0237, or by e-mail.<br>Love and Peace, <div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;;">Jonathan Robison, chairperson, </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;;">ACTC Long Range Planning Committee</div> </div><font style="" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><font style=""> </font></font><pre><br></pre></body></html>