FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State Rep. Mike Sturla D-Lancaster Chairman, Democratic Policy Committee www.pahouse.com/sturla	State Rep. Matt Smith State Rep. Dan Deasy D-Pittsburgh

MEDIA ADVISORY

House Democratic Policy Committee to hold public hearing

on economic impact of public transit cuts Thursday in Pittsburgh

County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Port Authority CEO Stephen Bland to testify

PITTSBURGH, April 30 – House Democratic Policy Chairman Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster, announced today that the committee will hold a public hearing to investigate the local economic impact of public transit cuts from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, May 3 in Green Tree Municipal Center’s Council Chambers, 10 W. Manilla Ave.

State Reps. Matt Smith and Dan Deasy, both D-Allegheny, requested the hearing and will serve as its chairmen. The hearing will look at the impact on the estimated 50 percent of the downtown Pittsburgh workforce who use public transit to travel to and from the city daily. Residents and workers in Allegheny County have already decried the planned 35 percent reduction in Port Authority service planned for September due to lack of funding, worsening the impact of March 2011’s 15 percent service cut.

The current hearing agenda is:

· 10 a.m. – Welcome and opening remarks

· 10:10 a.m. – Panel one:

Ø Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County executive

Ø Mark Sampogna, president, Green Tree Borough Council

Ø W. David Montz, manager, Green Tree Borough

· 10:30 a.m. – Panel two:

Ø Lynn DeLorenzo, vice president, PWC Property Solutions

Ø Danielle Cannon, property manager, Carriage Park Apartments

· 10:45 a.m. – Panel three:

Ø Jeremy Waldrup, president and CEO, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership

Ø Dennis Yablonsky, CEO, Allegheny Conference

Ø Court Gould, executive director, Sustainable Pittsburgh

· 11:05 a.m. – Panel four:

Ø Craig Stambaugh, vice president of Human Resources/Corporate Services, UPMC

Ø Bill Griffin, vice president/senior director of Contact Center Operations, Dial America

Ø Ryan Lewis, director of Contact Center Operations, Dial America

· 11:25 a.m. – Panel five:

Ø Stephen Bland, CEO, Port Authority of Allegheny County

Ø Patrick McMahon, president-business agent, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85

· 11:55 a.m.  – Closing remarks

The hearing is open to the public and media coverage is invited.