Rob Cunningham is prepared to pay $10 a day to keep his car parked in his driveway.

Cunningham, 57, of Cranberry is among hundreds of people soon to be displaced from their daily commute when the Port Authority of Allegheny County stops running the 13K Marshall Express bus route on March 27. He and many others hope to sign up for a bus route a private transit company wants to operate beginning the next day.

"With the cost of gas going up, traffic and just the headache, it's always been easier to ride the bus into town," Cunningham said. "Ten bucks is a lot, but it's worth it."

Port Authority will hold a public hearing Tuesday morning on an application by Ohio Township-based Lenzner Tour and Travel to operate a shuttle from Cranberry and nearby Marshall to the city. The agency, by law, regulates transit service in Allegheny County.

If approved, Lenzner will charge riders $10 a day -- paid in a $210 monthly lump sum -- for round-trip fares.

"The bus will fill in a void that the Port Authority is leaving," said Charles Lenzner, president of the transit company, which also operates shuttles from Downtown hotels to Rivers Casino. "It'll be convenient for the people to get to work and will keep cars off the road."

Lenzner plans to deploy two 57-passenger motor coaches Mondays through Fridays. The buses would pick up passengers at the park-and-ride in Warrendale at 6:15 a.m. and 6:45 a.m. and drop them off at Fifth and Sixth avenues, Downtown. Two return trips would leave the city at 4:45 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., Lenzner said.

While the daily cost is $3.50 more than what Port Authority charges, passengers getting off the bus last week said it still would be less expensive and less troublesome than driving.

"I'm all for it," said Denise Hoffman, 37, of Cranberry. "It beats driving and paying for parking."

The cost of a monthly parking lease at Pittsburgh Parking Authority's Downtown facilities ranges from $120 to $275. ALCO Parking Corp.'s Downtown facilities charge between $160 and $350 a month.

A monthly Port Authority pass to Zone 2 -- outlying suburbs -- costs $130.

Patrick McMahon, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85, which represents Port Authority employees, did not return calls seeking comment.

"Obviously, with the position Port Authority and Port Authority riders face today due to cuts in state funding, we have routes going away, which is unfortunate," Port Authority spokesman Jim Ritchie said. "We don't like it, but it's the reality we face."

In November, the Port Authority announced plans to lay off more than 500 employees, raise fares and reduce service by 35 percent in response to a $47 million budget deficit. Then-Gov. Ed Rendell shifted $45 million in unused federal funds to the agency in December, but the agency will spend only $33.8 million of that this fiscal year, leading to the layoffs of 180 employees and a service reduction of 15 percent.

"I think everyone's just happy someone stepped up to the plate to provide the service," said John Ellis, 41, of Seven Fields. "Even though it's the suburbs, not everyone has a car."

A public hearing on the proposal begins at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the board room at Port Authority's Downtown offices on the fifth floor of the Heinz 57 Center, 345 Sixth Ave.

For details on Lenzner's proposed service, call 412-749-4168.

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