For at least the next five weeks, Port Authority is asking members of the general public to help come up with a vision for the county's transit future.

Through a "MindMixer" website that launched today, spokesman Jim Ritchie says the hope is to start a county-wide conversation. Topics range from "What is your vision of a modern public transit system for Allegheny County?" to specific questions about whether the county should move forward with Bus Rapid Transit, create new light rail lines or further develop the busways.

Part of the impetus for launching the site is the funding package that cleared Harrisburg last year (known as Act 89), which finally gives Port Authority a chance to consider issues other than how much service to cut.

But the website's launch also coincides with the first day a group of experts from around the country will spend a week touring the county's transit infrastructure and making a series of recommendations about what the Port Authority should look like in the long-term. Those experts were culled through the Urban Land Institute — a non-profit for which Port Authority CEO Ellen McLean used to work. The week will culminate with a presentation of their recommendations on Friday.