The Brunch Table

If you’ve ever wanted to know the financials for Pittsburgh-area public transit, here they are. Interestingly, the state provided 62% of the year 2000 operating expenses, which helps explain why the impending state funding cuts are triggering fare increases and service cuts. There will be a public hearing on the matter on June 12 (see the afore-linked article). For comparison, you can also check out the numbers for other transit systems.

Yesterday’s LA Times has an article about the trend toward fake gated communities. Shockingly, residents are finding that there are disadvantages to actually seceding from the surrounding city; for example, hiring their own trustworthy security forces, and maintaining their own streets. Still, people want the illusion of security:

Residents of Harbor View in Newport Beach recently remodeled the unmanned white guard shacks that stand at several entryways to the community. The shacks imply a private community, but anybody is free to come and go.

“They provide a sense of identity,” said Richard Gollis, a real estate consultant who lives there.