PITTSBURGH -- The Port Authority of Allegheny County is still losing riders on its buses and light-rail trains despite rising gasoline prices, according to a report by the American Public Transportation Association.

The report said the transit agency lost 6 percent of its riders in the first three months of this year. But the Port Authority disputes the report's results and said it has seen an increase in ridership.

A Port Authority spokeswoman said a January fare increase and a 15 percent reduction in routes caused the agency to project ridership to drop 8 percent. She said the 6 percent drop shows gas prices are slowing that loss of riders.

Port Authority officials said the company is also trying to redesign the transit system, which hasn’t had a major change in more than 40 years of operation.

"The commuting patterns of the region and Allegheny County have changed dramatically," said Port Authority spokesperson Judy McNeil. "We have a lot of job growth, and we really have not responded to that as well as we could have."

The plan's focus is to redesign the route system and analyze evolving employment and residential areas.

"We're not talking about building more busways," said McNeil. "We're not talking about building large rail systems. We're talking about how can we make our transit system more efficient for you, the taxpayer, the rider."

Officials said there will be scheduled public open houses in June in Allegheny County to solicit ideas on how to make the system more efficient. The open houses will allow the public to ask questions and offer input on new ideas and solutions for revamping the system.

The following hearings are open to the public:

June 17 at the Carnegie Borough Building

June 23 at the CCAC Boyce Gymnasium in Monroeville

June 24 at the YWCA on Wood Street Downtown or at the West View Fireman's Banquet Hall in the North Hills.

June 25 at the Bethel Park Fire Hall on Brightwood Road in the South Hills

June 26 at the CCAC South Gymnasium on Clairton Road in West Mifflin

All hearings are scheduled to start at 6 p.m.

In addition to the open houses, Port Authority officials said they would visit with communities over the summer to provide more opportunities for the public to learn about the transit development plan and provide input into the study.

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