Bill Keeps SEPTA on Track

The Chamber is pleased with a major transportation bill recently signed by Governor Rendell that will provide funding to prevent more SEPTA fare increases and service cuts this year. We are optimistic that this bill will provide a resolution to mass transit’s long-term funding problems.

The law will provide $300 million in new funds money for mass transit, with an estimated $156 million for SEPTA this fiscal year for operating and capital expenditures.

As business leaders, we share a common goal - to improve the competitiveness of Greater Philadelphia.  Essential to these efforts is a dedicated funding source for public transit, which is accomplished through this bill.

A statewide transportation funding gap had threatened SEPTA with increased fares and a reduction in service, which would have meant greater hardships for employees and work disruptions for employers, especially for retail businesses, hospitals and educational facilities. 

In addition to the thousands of city-to-suburbs transit riders, an estimated 70 percent of the Center City workforce arrives on public transportation.

Recognizing the significance of mass transit to this region, the Chamber recently offered public testimony on SEPTA's proposed fare increases and service cuts. We also sent a letter to both Governor Rendell and other lawmakers stating that the financial crisis facing SEPTA and our region was immediate and urging prompt action by elected officials in Harrisburg.

The bill also includes $450 million in new funding for highways and bridges. It totals nearly $1 billion more a year for transit and highways over the next 10 years.