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SEPTA details plan to reduce service without state funding
A shot by SEPTA across the bow of state government using self induced euthanasia. One of the most pathetic examples of blight currently around in the world of public transit. It reads like just one footstep more before the scrapyard, and wouldn’t that be pathetic? Why do I sense a compromise as in all things political?
A shot by SEPTA across the bow of state government using self induced euthanasia. One of the most pathetic examples of blight currently around in the world of public transit. It reads like just one footstep more before the scrapyard, and wouldn’t that be pathetic? Why do I sense a compromise as in all things political?
How about having the welfare airkine users pay their way too. Or truckers whose heavy rigs damage the road pay more of their share. And the last time I looked the highway trust fund did not cover the amount of the authorization for roadwork. The airlines are subsidized with security, customs, airports, air traffic control, ntsb, faa, not to mention sweet govt contracts that help Boeing. So get off your soap box about welfare railroads. There is no form of human transport that is not govt supported in one way or another.
Why is it that politicians cut their own throats by not funding public transit and transportation. If you see what SEPTA is proposing to do if there are no funds is more than a threat but a reality check as to what would happen to commuting and getting around the City and the region if there were no public services. Roads are already choked and the air chokingly unhealthy. Where else can money be spent to avoid further problems? Not spending the money will not make the problems of and cost of public transit go away but will certainly make the people go away! Who would want to go or stay in the Philly area if you cannot get around the Philly area?
If ridership is at its highest levels, then it is obvious the fares are too low in respect to operating costs. The solution is to raise the fares until this balances out. Once again the commuter railfans expect everybody else to subsidize their welfare railroad. If too much traffic is the problem on the expressways and railfans don’t like it when the highway slush fund money collected at the fuel pump is used for highways, the solution is obvious as well. Do away with the highway slush fund at the pump and put a toll on those roads to cover costs. Contrary to the opinion of some cinder block idiots who keep showing new and improved methods of no being able to comprehend what they read, never mind they ever could, I am not advocating building more roads. Just have those who use the welfare railroad pay for what they use.
“If ridership is at its highest levels, then it is obvious the fares are too low in respect to operating costs.” Really? Not at all. It’s like the owner of a private business noticing that never before have there been so many workers in the building: the owner is not going to respond by trying to discourage employees from showing up to work. And he’s not going to target those who put in extra hours in an effort to reduce the number of employees in the building.
The reality of our economy, as anyone who is not on crystal meth can see, is that some things should be subsidized because their benefits far surpass their costs. For a private business this might mean providing free or subsidized parking and public transport tickets, a lunchroom with food below market rates, and clean, free restrooms. For the government this means especially providing transportation services so that the movement of goods and people are facilitated. Other countries, such as China and Germany, have realized this long ago and they are now reaping the benefits.
Rather than reducing service, SEPTA should be greatly expanded if Philadelphia wants to remain economically relevant in the 21st century. An ever-increasing US population that will surpass one half billion residents within the next 50 years as well as growing global competition will not be kind to those regions that failed to build for the future.
Airlines are the biggest welfare queens of all transit. Airlines use tax funded airports, use subsidized fuel, fly unprofitable EAS routes on government dollar, rely on FAA air traffic control, and buy aircraft from corporations with government contracts. Trains travel over tax paying private corporation owned trackage, make capital purchases from winning bidders, and own, operate and maintain their stations and yards. When passenger trains ask for federal help, they are asking to be able to compete with the welfare airlines, roads and waterways who cannot exist without their subsidies.
Airlines are the biggest welfare queens of all transit. Airlines use tax funded airports, use subsidized fuel, fly unprofitable EAS routes on government dollar, rely on FAA air traffic control, and buy aircraft from corporations with government contracts. Trains travel over tax paying private corporation owned trackage, make capital purchases from winning bidders, and own, operate and maintain their stations and yards. When passenger trains ask for federal help, they are asking to be able to compete with the welfare airlines, roads and waterways who cannot exist without their subsidies.
Americans love wealth redistribution schemes – as long as other peoples wealth is redistributed to themselves. A group of libertarians in California once figured that the average motorist receives a subsidy of about 88 percent of the total cost of drving. Even those not so radical figure it’s above 50%, and the most pro-highway people will admit to around 45%.
Whichever figure you like, that makes most public transit quite a bit more efficient than the private auto, no matter what the current subsidy level.
The lawmakers in PA should do a study to determine if their highways make money. The highways that don’t make money should be closed.
Another reason to vote out our pitiful excuse of a governor(Tom Corbett) this November.
In addition to Drew’s rebuttle, I’d point out that everyone on SEPTA is not on the roads. Given the high costs of expanding highway capacity, the “subsidy” is likely a bargain. And on top of that, studies have shown that properties served by transit average around 80% more in value than those without, all other factors equal. So with naturally higher property tax revenues as a result, it’s not even clear that a reduction in subsidy wouldn’t result in lower taxes for unserved communities. It’d probably mean the opposite.
Guse, sadly, ignores this, forgetting that commuter rail projects are rarely proposed by railfans, instead almost always proposed by transportation planners and local politicians keen to provide cost-effective, safe, comfortable, transportation services.
This is a typical Pennsylvania us vs. them situation with rural legislators objecting to anything regarding Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, whether it be school support, transportation, or farm subsidies. What a disgrace!
Well, the republicans are at it again! They won’t be happy until all public transportation is dead and gone. Then, every body will have to use the republican masters, “Big Oil”!
Drive the Schuykill Expressway some time and you will see the need for SEPTA to reamain as is without cuts.
People without vision are usually the one suggesting cutting or destroying whatever it is they do not like - in the case the governor and SEPTA. Hopefully he will be gone before these drastic cuts need to be made.
all PA gop needs to do is allow regional taxing in phila and pittsburgh areas for transit, but then they can’t kick and destory them as planned, even texas cities have regional user taxing in a GOP state, go figure:(
also PA highways are the worse in USA,
For david lemmo. Truckers pay there share…much more than you know. Just remember, the more you tax us, the more your food goes up…and everything else you buy…from construction materials to your office furnoture anf the car you drive as well as the gas u put in it.