Statement before the Glenn
A. Walsh
Board
of Health of
Effect
of Public Transit Telephone:
412-561-7876
Service
Reductions Electronic
Mail: < gaw@planetarium.cc >
and Fare Increases 2007
July 11
On
Good afternoon. I am Glenn A. Walsh of
Over the last several months, the Allegheny County
Health Department has worked hard to convince public policy makers of the
public health hazards of second-hand smoke in indoor public spaces. Hopefully,
your efforts will soon lead to a state-wide ban on second-hand smoke in most
indoor public places.
I wish to call your attention to another public health
hazard: the probable deterioration of air quality in Allegheny County, due to
continual service reductions and fare increases in public transit service,
which leads to increased usage of private vehicles, and consequently,
additional vehicle emissions. Up until now, state and county public policy
makers have only been concerned with the transportation impacts caused by
service reductions and fare increases in the Port Authority Transit (PAT)
system. It is long overdue that a quantitative study be made of the specific
air quality impacts in
The Allegheny County Health Department is uniquely
qualified to conduct such a study. Over several decades, the Health Department
has compiled air quality measurements throughout
Today, I ask that the
Particularly for a major urbanized area such as
Pittsburgh with a history of air quality problems, air quality impacts of public
transit service reductions and fare increases should receive strong
consideration by state and county public policy makers, when consideration is
given to the proper public subsidy level for public transit service.
Thank you.
gaw
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