There's some great articles and websites popping up concerning the possibility of a Port Authority transit strike (or lockout) in Pittsburgh.
- As always, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has it covered. Some good stories recently: a Q&A on the strike and what could happen, a story about how riders will get to work (or not) during a strike, an explanation of the vote coming up on November 23 on whether to authorize a strike, an editorial endorsing the new contract that will be forced on the union December 1, and a great strike idea: turn the busways into bikeways!
- The Trib? Well, they have their story about the November 23rd vote. You can read the final proposals of the union and the Port Authority in their article about the forced contract. Other than that, did you know they think the North Shore Connector is a boondoggle?
- The Port Authority has some info for riders at pghtransitinfo.com. This includes some contingency plans, including carpool staging at some Park and Rides. There's also a great FAQ showing what happens to monthly passes during a strike along with other issues, and a rumor site to dispel myths about Port Authority... including those who complain about painting buses!
- And for the other side? The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85 does have a website, but the newest post is about an article from 2006. The national ATU will probably have some news if a strike occurs. Two union members have a blog for spreading "real info about transit," but no updates since September. Hope to see some more sites from union members.
- The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and Allegheny Conference run KeepPittsburghMoving.com, a site with information for employers and the public on how to survive the strike if it occurs. They even have a blog!
- The University of Pittsburgh has a wide-reaching strike plan that included expanded shuttle service to Shadyside and Squirrel Hill (current Pitt shuttles only serve North and South Oakland); express service to Edgewood, Homewood, Highland Park, and Wilkinsburg; and (for a fee) service to park and ride lots around the county. No word on whether CMU and Chatham students can ride these buses (they can ride normal shuttles run by Pitt)
- We've had a few musings about a strike here, but a post in March had my opinion on the strike situation and a flashback to the 1992 strike. Needless to say, that post is incredibly high in Google's rankings for some reason.
- A flashback to the 1976 strike at Pittsburgh's Future from March 2008. The post cites an interesting journal article about that 5-day strike from Carnegie Mellon's School of Urban and Public Affairs, now the Heinz College.
- I wouldn't say Pittsburgh transit has a "blogosphere" just yet, but there are a few great blogs that focus on transit either entirely or in part. The East Busway Blog started last summer, and they have some great articles about previous failures of Port Authority. Let's hope that list stays short. No Commuter Left Behind also started in the summer, and the author actually works on transit for the Allegheny Conference. Green is Good has bloomed nicely, and covers Pittsburgh transit well. And last but not least, the excellent Null Space blog is letting the market decide. Place your bets on a strike!
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