Bus billboards

I've been thinking recently about public transit's current woes. Bus systems around the country are experiencing a double whammy: their fuel costs are skyrocketing and their ridership is growing. High gas prices lead to route cuts or less frequent buses, which lead to crowding. PAT has cited these problems in their proposal to cut driver benefits.

There seems to be an obvious solution. I love the slogans on the sides of PAT buses - they range from "welcome to our neighborhood" in many languages (including Russian!), to "movin' groovin'" to the names of notable Pittsburghers. But couldn't PAT make up for high fuel costs by selling that space to advertisers? Don't the museums want to advertise their exhibits, or television stations their sitcoms, or restaurants their deals? These ads already appear on bus shelters.

I'd be willing to endure some advertising if it means I can still catch a bus every 5 minutes and the person driving it is happy about her pension.