Floor Remarks - SEPTA

As the representative of the Senate Republican Caucus to the Board of SEPTA, I rise to speak for the hundreds of thousands of citizens served by mass transit in southeastern Pennsylvania and by 73 other public transportation systems across the commonwealth.

Without a dedicated funding source, the future of mass transit in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania is in serious jeopardy.  We cannot allow the steady decline of systems that provide low cost and necessary transportation to workers, students, tourists, and senior citizens.  Transit relieves traffic congestion, reduces pollution, and serves those lacking other means of transportation.  Transit systems provide jobs and get people to jobs. As an example, 70 percent of the people who work in center city Philadelphia rely on transit to get to work each day.  The loss of viable public transportation systems would be economically devastating to the regions in which they operate and to the commonwealth as a whole.

Far from being a money pit, investment in the upkeep of transit systems is a winning proposition for the state's economic outlook.  Capital dollars invested in SEPTA, for instance, have been shown to have an economic multiplier effect of six dollars for every dollar invested.

Along with 26 cosponsors of both caucuses, I introduced Senate Bill 1162 to increase the amount of dedicated funding to the state's financially strapped public transportation systems by providing an additional 3.20 percent of the sales tax to mass transit.  Currently, transit receives just 2.1 percent of the sales tax, and it is not enough.

SEPTA raised fares in 2001 by $32 million.  Another fare increase would hurt riders and ridership.  Cutting service would add to already intolerable traffic congestion, increase fuel use and diminish air quality, as well as causing terrible problems for those who depend on transit to earn a living.  Each SEPTA bus removed from its route means 40 new cars on the street daily, and each train cut from service means 120 more cars.

Speaking as a board member of the state's largest transit system, I believe that SEPTA has taken all steps possible to cut costs and reduce waste, but the fact remains that systems transporting large numbers of citizens must be properly maintained to ensure safety and timely, quality service.  Added to the normal costs of upkeep and maintenance are the security concerns that the nation currently faces, and it is easy to understand that maintaining service in 74 public transit systems in Pennsylvania is not a cheap proposition.

I would like to see this crucial issue addressed in the budget and I respectfully direct your attention to Senate Bill 1162 and the need for the commonwealth to provide a stable and sustaining funding source now to save the future of mass transit for the sake of employers and workers, for senior citizens who have no other means of transport, and for the general good of the economy of this state. I would like to submit for the record remarks that detail the needs and the history of mass transit, further demonstrating the state's obligation to provide the necessary support.