ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — (WPXI) – Lack of funding is playing a huge role in public transit decisions across the state. As some state funding has dried up, millions in revenue are needed to keep these agencies going. Currently, the different transit agencies are not permitted to work together and cannot pick up riders on similar routes. “That’s inefficient. That’s what we are trying to develop: a place where these agencies can work together and craft routes that eliminate these inefficiencies,” said Senator Jay Costa. In order to do that, all these transit agencies have to merge or work under one umbrella, similar to SEPTA in Philadelphia. That’s why Costa is proposing creating a Southwestern Pennsylvania Transit Authority targeted at Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland Counties. “Westmoreland, a lot of stuff is going on in Beaver County right now. Washington County, you have Southpointe and things happening there. There are many opportunities for us to tie together, one single network, a whole series of economic opportunities to bring people to and from work and people want to do that,” Costa said. How it works is still being decided as he looks to his fellow state senators to get on board. It comes at a time when Allegheny County alone has over $100 million in revenue to make up, and Pittsburgh Regional Transit is proposing fare hikes and a 35 percent reduction in fixed routes.