County Councilman Bill Robinson is laying the groundwork for a bid for the Democratic nomination for mayor as a variety of African-American leaders consider how  best to leverage the votes of a key Democratic constituency in the May primary.

Mr. Robinson, a former state legislator and city of Pittsburgh councilman, said Tuesday that supporters were already at work gathering the 250 signatures needed to secure a place on the ballot. "I'm in the race as of now,'' he said.  "I am circulating petitions and I anticipate talking in depth with a number of people and organizations that are telling me  I should run.''

Mr. Robinson said he planned to announce a final decision in a news conference Tuesday, the deadline for filing nominating petitions.  He said he had had an extensive conversation about the race, and the best way to use it to advance the interests of the city's black community, with city Councilman Ricky Burgess, another African-American who also has been mentioned as a potential Democratic contender. Mr. Burgess said he too had been encouraged to run for the post "by a slew of people from a wide range of our city.''  While saying that he was "very flattered by the interest,'' he declined to comment on whether he was inclined to go forward with a candidacy.

"My focus at the moment continues to be on what's best for our low and moderate income communities,'' he said.

Several prominent Democrats have also mentioned state Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Hill District, another African-American lawmaker, as a potential Democratic candidate, but Mr. Wheatley has not responded to requests for comment on the race.  Blacks represent roughly a quarter of the city's voters, so that the emergence of a significant  African-American candidacy would have the potential to be a major force in the race, particularly in the multi-candidate field that appears to be shaping up.

 The planning and uncertainty surrounding those potential candidacies reflects the overall ferment prompted by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's  surprise announcement last week that he was abandoning his bid for re-election.  At that point, city Councilman Bill Peduto and city Controller Michael Lamb were the only other candidates for the Democratic nomination, but since then, hardly a day has passed without a new name entering the mix. Council President Darlene Harris is preparing nominating petitions, as is Jack Wagner, the former state auditor general.  State Sens. Jim Ferlo and Wayne Fontana have said that they are also considering the race, though Mr. Fontana said he would defer to his Senate colleague if he were to enter the race. The fast shifting picture will be clearer by next Tuesday, the deadline to submit nominating petitions for a spot on the May 21 ballot.

It's not just Democrats saying the state should spend more on transportation infrastructure than Gov. Tom Corbett has proposed.

The Republican chairmen and ranking Democrats on the House and Senate transportation committees agree the number should be closer to the recommendations of the governor's Transportation Funding Advisory Commission, said Sen. John Rafferty, R-Montgomery and the Senate chairman.

"All four chairmen want more money," Rafferty told reporters today after an appropriations hearing for PennDOT. "We would like something closer to what TFAC had."

The advisory commission recommended reaching $2.5 billion in new annual funding, while Corbett's plan reaches $1.8 billion in its fifth year. The commission said a full $3.5 billion is needed to keep up with Pennsylvania's infrastructure needs. 

We tried to get a number out of Rafferty. He smiled but wouldn't play ball.

("How close is close?" "Close." "Is it there?" Pause. "You're going to love reading the bills.")

It's not news that Rafferty is willing to go higher than Corbett's number, but the last we checked with the House chairman, Rep. Dick Hess, he was still looking over the plan. Hess's office said he isn't available today. Steve Miskin, a spokesman for House Republicans, said the caucus wants to learn more about current spending, particularly on mass transit.

Rafferty said the bills will be unveiled in early April. He said the Senate will most likely move first, as "the House seems to be preoccupied with privatization."

"I want to keep transportation first and foremost," he said. "So if we're ready to launch, we're going to launch. If they're ready to launch, they can launch. I anticipate we'll be the first ready."

Making it official, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl asked the Allegheny County Democratic Committee to take his name off Sunday's ballot for the committee's endorsement for mayor. That leaves city Controller Michael Lamb as the only choice for the party's backing in the primary campaign. 

As a practical matter, there had been no doubt that Mr. Lamb would get the endorsement after the mayor's announcement last Friday that he was abandoning his bid for re-election.  Had the mayor's name remained on the ballot however, it could have set the stage for some inside baseball intrigue with Mr. Lamb's growing list of opponents urging votes for the Mr. Ravenstahl just to cloud the perception of Mr. Lamb's party support.  Many committee members feel free to disregard the endorsement anyway, but in a crowded field -- we'll know by next week's filing deadline how crowded -- it's seen as an advantage at least at the margins.

Q: Where did the years go? A: Into drop-ceilings and leaky pipes.

The beautiful Allegheny County Courthouse is one of finest Romanesque buildings in the country but shows its 125 years. County exec Rich Fitzgerald announced in January that the building is due a top-to-bottom, multi-year renovation and today he's naming an advistory commission of former county leaders to oversee the drive. Joining him at 2 will be former exec Jim Roddey and former commissioners Bob Cranmer, Mike Dawide and Barbara Hafer.

It's probably the first sizable renovation since its main entrance and stairway were reconfigured by Roddey with the help of Pittsburgh History & Landmarks in 2000-2002.

The commission will also look into celebrations over the county's 225th birthday -- the first Allegheny County deed was recorded in 1788 (and let's be honest, that office doesn't seem all that much different from one in the 18th century).