Mr.
David R. Ginns
The
February
22, 2006
The
Honorable Edward G. Rendell
225
Main Capitol Building
RE:
Public Transportation Funding Crisis
Dear
Governor Rendell:
The
Pennsylvania Alliance of Public Transportation Advocates (PAPTA) would like to
thank you for your announcement in the Fiscal Year 2006-07
Executive Budget Address
of a
small increase for state aid to mass transit systems, $299 million compared with
$293 million for Fiscal Year 2005/06. However, PAPTA continues to be concerned
that this amount of funding from the general revenue budget along with other
funding sources will not be adequate for the Commonwealth’s public
transportation systems, particularly those systems that were the recipient of
the flex funding in February 2005.
Without
adequate funding beyond December 2006, PAPTA is concerned that Port Authority of
Allegheny County and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Agency may
once again need to reschedule the proposed fare hikes and service cuts that were
to be implemented at the beginning of March 2005.
Shortfalls for the public transportation agencies must be addressed in
the Fiscal Year 2006/07 to avoid potential fare hikes and service cuts.
We
are concerned that the Transportation Funding and Reform Commission is not
scheduled to complete its work until November which gives the legislature
very little time to act on the Commission's recommendations. PAPTA therefore
respectfully requests that a website be developed for the Commission to ensure
input from system users as well as the general public.
We also hope that the Commission’s assessment of the relationship of
growth and development patterns and policies to the Commonwealth's
transportation systems include the implementation of Transit Revitalization
Investment Districts. PAPTA also calls for full funding for the Persons
with Disabilities (PwD) and the Job Access/Reverse Commute (JARC)
programs. The JARC program will provide the resources needed to meet growing
challenges and demands for innovative public transportation solutions that
support economic development activity. Without a strong and growing public
transportation infrastructure the Commonwealth’s ability to meet the needs of
businesses, employers and workers will be seriously threatened.
Additionally, major cuts in transit will seriously limit the ability of
transit to play a role in reducing motor vehicle accidents, air pollution,
energy consumption and traffic congestion. We
would further request that these and other matters of deliberation by the
Commission be incorporated into the development of the Pennsylvania Mobility
Plan and the 2006 PENNDOT Twelve Year Work Program.
PAPTA
is comprised of a number of local and regional transportation advocacy and
transportation related-business organizations (see enclosed list of endorsers).
Throughout the previous legislative session we campaigned diligently for the
General Assembly to develop a dedicated and reliable source of public
transportation funding statewide. This included rallies at the Capitol in
October and November of 2004, February 2005, as well as advocacy for funding
proposals advanced by the Pennsylvania Public Transportation Association.
We
greatly appreciate your direction and assistance in this matter and will
continue to provide you input to support solutions to the public transportation
crisis facing
Sincerely,
David
R. Ginns
Transportation
for Livable Communities
C
VIA FACSIMILE:
Allen D. Biehler, P.E., Secretary, Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation –
717/787-5491
Senator Robert C. Jubelirer, President Pro Tempore,
Senator Robert J. Mellow, Floor Leader,
Representative John Perzel, Speaker,
Representative H. William DeWeese, Leader,
Senator Roger A. Madigan, Majority Chair,
Transportation Committee,
Senator J. Barry Stout, Minority Chair, Transportation Committee,
Noah
Wenger, Majority Chair, Appropriations Committee,
Senator Vincent J. Fumo, Minority Chair,
Appropriations Committee,
Representative Richard A. Geist, Majority Chair,
Transportation Committee,
Representative Keith R. McCall, Minority Chair,
Transportation Committee,
Representative Brett Feese, Majority Chair,
Appropriations Committee,
Representative Dwight Evans, Minority Chair,
Appropriations Committee,
Martha Pierce, Executive Director,
Enclosure
PUBTRANS\STATE\GOVBUDGET.206
John
Tague, Allegheny
Richard
LeGrande and Reverend Jonnie Monroe, Ship of
John
Ward, Modern Transit Partnership,
Marc
Stier,
Peter
Javsicas, Pennsylvanians for Transportation Solutions, Inc. (PenTrans),
Fred
Brown, Transportation Equity Project/Transit Riders Union Evolving,
Amanda
Zeiders, Save Our Transit,
David
R. Ginns, Transportation for Livable Communities,
Esther
L. Bush, President and CEO, The Urban
League of Pittsburgh, Inc.,
Hillary
Aisenstein, Chair, Green Party of
Pat
Clark, Ground Zero/Ultraviolet Loop,
John
Tassone, Coordinator, Pennsylvania Transportation Alliance (representing rural
and disability public transportation),
National
Association of Social Workers,
John
Hanger, President and CEO, Citizens for
Lance
Haver, Director Consumer Affairs, City of
Committee
for Accessible Transportation (CAT),
Ariel
Ben Amos, Young Involved Philadelphians
W.
Craig Zumbrun, Executive Director, South Central Assembly for Effective
Governance,