Don't Deviate From SEPTA
May 10, 2013
Craig Ey, Philadelphia Business Journal
Let's face it. We southeastern Pennsylvanians are about as popular in the rest of the state as, say, New Yorkers are in Mississippi.
You get the picture. Some people appreciate us, but let's just say it's not a groundswell.
That's why I was intrigued by the unveiling of a report last week by the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia and Econsult Solutions called "Understanding SEPTA's Statewide Economic Value."
Some people who don't use transit, particularly in more rural parts of the state, see SEPTA as a major suck on state resources. But as the new report shows, the transit system is a major driver for the economy and it puts a whole lot more back into the state than it takes.
Here are some of the findings:
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About 77 percent of transit riders in Pennsylvania use SEPTA, but the system only gets 62 percent of transit operating funding.
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Capital funding for SEPTA is at a 15-year low, but ridership on the system is at a 23-year high.
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SEPTA's capital funding is way below other major transit systems. In fiscal 2013, for example, the Boston system has a capital budget of $815 million. SEPTA's is $304 million.
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There's a lot more stuff in the report, but you get the picture. SEPTA is under-appreciated, particularly when you realize that 40 percent of the state's economy is in southeastern Pennsylvania.
I don't know about you, but I don't want to think about trying to drive on Philadelphia-area roads when and if SEPTA has to cut back on service because its infrastructure is falling apart.
Steven T. Wray, executive director of the Economy League, used this analogy: SEPTA, with its great ridership and excellent regional footprint, is like a big, old beautiful mansion in a transitional neighborhood.
If it's allowed to deteriorate, there goes the neighborhood. If it's renovated and rejuvenated, the neighborhood is likely to thrive around it.
Philadelphia is that "neighborhood." And if SEPTA is allowed to deteriorate, it will hurt the whole state. That's the biggest takeaway from the Economy League/Econsult report.
This is a business issue. And the Philadelphia business community, which often seems to be splintered into various competing factions, needs to come together to make sure that SEPTA continues to be one of the best transit systems in the country.