(The Center Square) – Policymakers spoke in no uncertain terms at a hearing in Pittsburgh on Tuesday: both rural and urban regions will suffer if the legislature doesn’t come up with funding solutions for mass transit.
The last long-term dedicated funding measure, Act 89, was passed in 2013 and has since expired. Since then, the governor and legislature have battled over short-term solutions for the struggling SEPTA and Pittsburgh Regional Transit, or PRT, systems.
Gov. Josh Shapiro has proposed allocating 1.75% of the state sales tax to transit, a $292 million increase that would represent the first of its kind in over a decade.
State government covers more than half of operational costs for mass transit systems in Pennsylvania’s largest cities.
Notably, it’s not rider fares or contributions from local taxing authorities. In 2022, the latter represented just 7.5% of funding for both SEPTA in the Philadelphia region and the Pittsburgh Transit Authority, which operates 300 miles to the west in Allegheny County.
This stands in stark contrast to systems in Boston, Chicago and New York City, where state governments pay between 9% and 30%. The data, compiled by the Commonwealth Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Harrisburg, raises questions about the amount Pennsylvania spends to prop up its mass transit systems.
It’s also why Senate Republicans have been reticent to support Shapiro’s plan, especially without a thorough review of obselete services and public safety issues.
For Democrats, it’s a shortsighted perspective.
“The economic vitality of every one of our 67 counties is dependent on the enactment of that proposal,” said Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, or PennDOT, Secretary Mike Carroll, who noted that rural counties are “completely dependent” on the six counties that comprise the SEPTA and PRT service areas.
“How do they thrive and advance?” asked Carrol. “Having a working transit system.” He noted that the Chamber of Commerce of Philadelphia, which he says does not seem to be a “left-leaning organization” had stressed the importance of funding SEPTA.
They aren’t alone. Representatives from across Pittsburgh spoke about the demand for regional transit across business sectors and in providing for the daily needs of citizens getting to work and accessing education, food, and healthcare. They said that the problems plaguing Pennsylvania are mirrored across the country.
Shortfalls have led to cost cutting measures for systems like PRT, which has frozen wages, cut routes, and sought out solutions like manufacturing their own parts in order to stay afloat. Still, they say they’re working with outdated technology and struggling to meet the demands of the city.
“We are a moneymaker, not only for our county but for the entire commonwealth,” said Katharine Kelleman, CEO of PRT. She said her organization has demonstrated it has what it takes to survive. “But when do we thrive?” she asked.
She said that every dollar invested in transit comes with a $4 return. She noted that PRT employs 2,600 workers and has spent $2 billion within the commonwealth on parts and materials.
Shapiro’s proposed funding would add $40 million to PRT’s coffers, but Kelleman says that isn’t enough to sustain their current level of operation over the next decade. They would need $117 million to do that.
Raising fares, transit advocates say, isn’t an option. Many of the state’s most vulnerable, including senior citizens who live on a fixed income, rely on public transit to get to appointments, buy groceries, and access services that connect them to the community.
“Higher fares will result in lower ridership, with people making choices not based on where they want or need to go, but what they can afford,” said Laura Poskins, Executive Director of Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh. She noted the Pittsburgh metro area is the second oldest in the country after Palm Beach, Florida.
Mass transit also has the power to draw young people to live and work in cities like Pittsburgh, according to Kendra Ross, Head of Social Impact at tech company Duolingo. She said less than half of the company’s 450 Pittsburgh employees drive to work, a figure that represents the younger members of her workforce.
Vic Vercammen, Vice President, Safety, Regulatory & Government Affairs at Giant Eagle said that the transit system allows his company to employ people in 41 grocery stores and five warehouses in Allegheny County.
The benefits extend beyond the state’s major metropolitan areas, advocates say. Transit funding also goes to the much smaller, though still essential, transportation options provided in all 67 counties and allows the state to draw more commerce from major entertainment events like the upcoming MLB All Star game and FIFA World Cup.
“There’s no alternatives,” said Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Pittsburgh, who praised the flexibility and creativity employed to keep transit operating thus far.
The challenge, he said, would be in getting support moving forward from Senate Republicans who have pushed back on funding. “It’s only politically viable if we can get all the votes.”
