As of Thursday morning, residents in Butler County are theoretically able to pull out their smart phone and order themselves a ride to or from most areas of southwestern Pennsylvania from the popular ridesharing company Uber.

The company announced Thursday that it was expanding service to Butler County and other counties in the Pittsburgh region. That’s a promising sign for our transportation-challenged region, given the company’s long battle to receive permanent operating authority in Pennsylvania.

In early 2015 the Public Utility Commission granted a two year license to allow ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft to operate, but state lawmakers have yet to pass legislation formalizing regulations for ridesharing companies.

The best bill out there, proposed by Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Washington, passed the Senate last fall but has languished before the House Consumer Affairs Committee amid pushback from taxicab companies in Philadelphia.

There are signs that this freezeout could be thawing.

In July the authority gave Uber permission to operate in Philadelphia until Sept. 30. That’s positive, and lawmakers should approve Bartolotta’s bill, which provides necessary protections for riders and rules for who ridesharing companies can hire, and what vehicles they can use.

But often lost in the shuffle — and the focus on Philadelphia — is the challenge facing Western Pennsylvania residents in general when it comes to public transit.

Butler County in particular, which is home to the fast-growing Cranberry Township region to the southwest, faces a huge challenge. The region is home to hotels, restaurants, stores and communities. The one thing it glaringly lacks: public transportation options for residents there and in neighboring areas who need to get to their jobs without driving.

In June employers across southwestern Butler County told the Eagle that this vacuum is creating problems for them when it comes to filling hourly or low-paying positions — something regional economic organizations like the Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber of Commerce have agreed is a widespread issue.

Uber’s expansion is a good thing; the service has proved popular and responsible during its time in Pennsylvania. Its expansion is likely to create more jobs and transportation options in Butler County — both positive developments.

What it is unlikely to do, however, is solve the transportation issues that continue to plague workers and employers in our region.

These issues expose not only a lack of funding — The Allegheny County Port Authority says it doesn’t have to cash to expand service farther north — but the service integration and collaboration that must occur if an expansion is to be successful.

Expanding public transit to areas like Cranberry would require not just an infrastructure investment — building bus stops; park-and-ride lots; etc. — but interagency collaboration to manage bus lines that run across county and city lines.

These problems aren’t going to solve, or pay for, themselves.

Public transit is a pivotal, long-term investment that should reflect population growth and business investment in our region. It can boost the quality of life for individuals — senior citizens and students — and the economy-at-large.

The question is, is our system nimble enough to catch the ball that companies like Uber are moving forward?