A budget hearing Wednesday showed how difficult it’s going to be to convince the Pennsylvania General Assembly to provide a small increase for public transit let alone the extra money agencies like Pittsburgh Regional Transit say they need to avoid service cuts, fare increases and layoffs.
One by one, legislators from rural areas told the House Appropriations Committee and PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll in a three-hour hearing how their constituents frequently ask why they should support more money for transit when 87% of the funds go to agencies in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. PennDOT’s appearance came on the first day of budget hearings.
“My people say, ‘We don’t ride mass transit,’” said Rep. Jeff Olsommer, R-Wayne and Pike counties. “’Why are my tax dollars going to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh when I don’t use them?’”
Rep. Jim Struzzi, R-Indiana and minority chairman of the Appropriations Committee, agreed.
“It’s a question of accountability,” he said. “We can’t continue to throw dollars at problems and think they will take care of themselves.”
In his proposed budget, Gov. Josh Shapiro called for increasing the amount of money for transit by about $292 million using the same approach legislators rejected last year: increasing the amount of money from the state sales tax dedicated to transit from 4.4% to 6.15%, a hike of 1.75 percentage points.
That would increase the share for Pittsburgh Regional Transit by just over $40 million, far less than the $117 million the agency says it needs to maintain current service, fares and employment levels. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority around Philadelphia needed an emergency appropriation from Shapiro of $153.4 million in November to avoid similar cuts and says it needs more in this year’s budget.
More than 60 other agencies are much smaller, but they all say they need more funding because emergency funds they received during the pandemic are running out and ridership hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic levels. They also note that the percentage of money dedicated to transit hasn’t increased in more than 10 years despite much higher operating costs due to inflation.
Democrats pushed back against those who questioned the need for more transit funds, some noting that smaller, rural counties receive substantially more funds than they contribute in taxes.
Rep. Josh Siegel, D-Lehigh County, noted that SEPTA’s budget of more than $4 billion and the 320,000 riders a day it carries into Philadelphia make a huge contribution to the state’s economy. Disrupting that system could “throw the state economy into turmoil,” he said.
Ed Neilson, D-Philadelphia and chairman of the House Transportation Committee, said Allegheny County and the five counties around Philadelphia provide about 40% of the state’s tax revenue but receive substantially less in return. But part of the Legislature’s responsibility is to make sure all areas are funded appropriately, no matter where the money originates.
“All 67 counties have transit agencies that need help,” he said. “This isn’t about SEPTA. It’s about fairness.”
Carroll agreed.
“Too often we pit people against each other,” he said. “This is an across-the-state need. I care whether a single mother in Pike County can get to a medical appointment.”
After listening to nearly three hours of debate, Appropriations Chairman Jordan Harris, D-Philadelphia, called for an end to territorial talk about state finances. Rural counties get funding for roads and bridges and coverage from state police that they never would be able to afford without state help, he said.
“I believe in this term, that we are a ‘common wealth,’” he said, using two words to describe the state. “They should be saying two words: ‘Thank you.’
“That’s why we have a common wealth, for the common good.”
Budget hearings will continue for several weeks with a goal of approving a new spending package by June 30.
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.