Story by Tom Fontaine. Reprinted from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Originally published at TribLIVE.com on Monday, December 3, 2012.
Desaree Law doesn’t know whether she’d be able to continue her GED classes in McKeesport if federal budget cuts eliminate the free bus service she uses to get to classes.
“It would really hurt to see anything happen to WorkLink,” said Law, 30, of Clairton, referring to the Mon Valley bus service developed by Braddock-based Heritage Community Initiatives to fill gaps caused by Port Authority cuts.
Law said her free, 20-minute commute to GED classes would jump to almost $5 and 1½ hours each way if she couldn’t use WorkLink, designed to provide Mon Valley residents with better access to work, school, job training, childcare and remaining Port Authority routes.
WorkLink is one of three programs in Allegheny County that receive federal money from the Job Access and Reverse Commute — or JARC — program, which was eliminated this summer when Congress passed a two-year transportation funding package. Money for the program will dry up next year.
“It would really hurt to see anything happen to WorkLink,” said Law, 30, of Clairton, referring to the Mon Valley bus service developed by Braddock-based Heritage Community Initiatives to fill gaps caused by Port Authority cuts.
Law said her free, 20-minute commute to GED classes would jump to almost $5 and 1½ hours each way if she couldn’t use WorkLink, designed to provide Mon Valley residents with better access to work, school, job training, childcare and remaining Port Authority routes.
WorkLink is one of three programs in Allegheny County that receive federal money from the Job Access and Reverse Commute — or JARC — program, which was eliminated this summer when Congress passed a two-year transportation funding package. Money for the program will dry up next year.
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