Is there anything more depressing than periodic SEPTA funding crises?
The lead up ... It's a real crisis! For real this time! They're gonna send fares sky-high! The ugly middle, when more interesting problems are surfaced, and not addressed ... The city cries suburban stranglehold of the board! The suburbs cry mismanagement! No, it's the unions' fault! The system is old and decrepit! What's that smell in the Race-Vine station anyway?
And then the stopgap solution: Here's some pennies from H'burg, guys! See you next crisis!
As an attempt at "governing" this is as suspect as allowing trains to be late because leaves fell on the tracks. THE PROBLEM IS THAT SEPTA IS TOO DEPENDENT ON THE VAGARIES OF LAWMAKERS IN HARRISBURG, who, I should point out, are no more dependable than is the actual arrival time of the R5. Only one mass transit agency in the nation gets a higher percentage of its money from state government: Massachusetts' Bay Transportation Authority. Here, local governments have little flexibility in how they raise money for SEPTA; the power rests with the legislature, one of the nation's least efficient lawmaking bodies.
It's a recipe for this kind of periodic kabuki theater.
And if SEPTA is to end the cycle of crises, the legislature's regular involvement must end. At the very least, a stable source of money -- I know you've heard it before, but that's because it's true -- has to be found so that the system isn't running to lawmakers in a panic on a regular basis.
There is the tiniest bit of hope for that right now, though not more than that.
The state House is debating a transportation bill this week. It is a little insane, calling for all manner of nutsy ways to raise money -- ranging from leasing the turnpike (I still don't completely get that one) to taxes on oil companies (dead on arrival, no matter what the governor wants). State Rep. (and former Mayoral candidate) Dwight Evans says he will not allow a budget to proceed without a transportation funding solution, and the legislature must pass a budget by June 30. So there's lots of work being done right now.
At the same time SEPTA, which says its shortfall is $129 million, is planning to raise fares July 1. For a look at what SEPTA's cuts and fare increases would mean to the local economy, check out this analysis from the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia.
Except.
As John Baer points out in his excellent analysis of this situation, the transit-minded Dems may rule in the House, but any transportation bill must get through the Republican-controlled Senate. Which pretty much rules out the ideas being pitched in the House.
Except. (And this is where the sliver of hope comes in.)
There's a Senate idea for transportation funding, being pitched by indictment-be-damned Vince Fumo, who suggests putting tolls on I-80 to create a stable source of transit funding (this is also addressed in Baer's column). Hmmm.
It's simple. The tolls wouldn't come immediately. And the plan gives a little something to everyone -- money to SEPTA and other transit agencies, money for roads and bridges in the hinterlands, the preservation of patronage toll-taker jobs for Fumo.
As Baer reports, this plan is "not hated" by Senate Republicans.
Could something like that provide the stable funding that SEPTA desperately needs? And, if SETPA should get such a windfall, will it truly be able to move away from panic-mode management and instead think about ways that it could improve the system? You know, making trains and buses more convenient, better for the environment, launching more cool things like this live train schedule watcher -- maybe even extending the subway to the Navy Yard?
It would be such a relief to stop talking about funding crises and begin talking about better transit.
Comments (15)
Making all traffic on I-80 stop and idle to pay a toll to some patronage hack, probably Fumo's hack, doesn't strike me as 'better for the environment'.
Posted by Anonymous | June 25, 2007 11:09 AM
The Economy League is staffed by a whole collection of Chickem Little's yelling "the sky is falling". Their agenda is screaming for more funding for the city from every source imaginable, usually thru dire predictions of finacial doom. And I can assure you that my property values won't go down one cent, I am 10 miles from the nearest Septa bus route. That argument is a crock.
Why should car drivers pay a higher tolls to fund Septa? When we will stop rewarding bad management and make the riders who use the buses/rails pay for the service? For those of us that haven't been on a Septa vehicle in decades, this constant bailing out of an incompetant company and the ridership is a disgrace.
Posted by Anonymous | June 25, 2007 2:30 PM
Wendy
Wow, great idea, extend the subway to the navy yard, so about 200 people won't have to drive and park. That should only cost about 2 million per person in construction costs.
How is it you are not in a govt. job, you certainly seem to have the "spend other peoples money" mantra down pat. Expect a call from Fumo's office with a job offer.
Posted by jimmymack | June 25, 2007 2:38 PM
Any additional funding for SEPTA must be accompanied by reform, restructuring, and accountability.
SEPTA is currently dysfunctional, mismanaged, and unresponsive. That MUST change.
Posted by Anonymous | June 25, 2007 3:59 PM
Let's see, SEPTA's fares are already among the highest in the country. The proceeds from fares make-up the same percentage (if not higher) as other transit agencies. Philadelphia (and other local municipalities) is limited in how it can raise funds for public transportation.
Suddenly it doesn't seem so ridiculous to demand a dedicated funding source from Harrisburgh...or at least give us the option of raising the funds locally. As gas prices continue to go up, public transportation will start to look alot more attractive, so a little vision would be nice for a change.
Posted by Nutter Butter | June 25, 2007 4:28 PM
If you are talking about improving the subway and increasing ridership, wouldn't an extension running along the Roosevelt Blvd. make much m0ore sense than an extension to the Navy Yard? Unless there are some substantial increases in development in the Navy Yard to make that extension practical, I don't see a reason for it.
As far as a dedicated funding source for all of the commonwealth's transit agencies, study after study shows it has to be done.
Posted by Kevin F. | June 26, 2007 11:00 AM
Every year they need money, Every year they need money. When will it ever stop unless their is some kind of comprehensive accountabily set in place to stop 1.Waste 2.Better money management 3. A new vision to where SEPTA should be in the next ten years "A PLAN" "GOALS". What is next to probably happen is Dwight Evans will suggest that the State take over control of SEPTA like he did other City agency's.
Posted by Lamont w Thomas | June 26, 2007 1:55 PM
Kevin, I agree about the Roosevelt Boulevard extension -- that would be more useful. As for the Navy Yard, hey, I would just rather talk about growth than the usual SEPTA stagnation...
Posted by Wendy | June 26, 2007 11:15 PM
SEPTA should not get yet another blank check - it needs reform and accountability FIRST. Spend your existing funding smarter and more efficiently.
The clueless mismanagement and rubber stamp board members who never ride the system need to be shown the door.
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