I am a lifelong resident of Bucks County. Like many other people in the county, I primarily get around via Public Transit. Whether it’s in Bensalem or Doylestown, from Levittown to Warminster, public transit is an essential service to get residents moving across the region. While riding the bus and train in Bucks County, I see seniors taking a safe way to go shopping at the mall, families going on a trip to Sesame Place, and people on the train to the city as an environmentally-friendly way to avoid traffic and parking.
Public transportation is an undervalued essential service and a key part of our infrastructure that underpins the county’s economy. Not only do many of the people who staff our grocery stores, restaurants and warehouses rely on the bus, but it also gets a significant portion of workers to major employment centers like the Woods School and Sesame Place.
That is why it is essential for Bucks County that Governor Shapiro’s plan to increase transit funding by $282.8 million gets passed and fully funded in both the Pennsylvania House and Senate. This funding is the bare minimum to make sure SEPTA bus and train service in Bucks is able to continue to run without drastic service cuts or burdensome fare increases.
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This proposal would not raise taxes by a single cent; rather, the money would come entirely from the existing $14 billion surplus that’s already in the state’s budget. Taking money we already have and investing it back into our community is a no-brainer decision that will pave the way for future service and infrastructure improvements.
If this critical revenue stream does not get through Harrisburg by the end of the month, service cuts would begin as soon as July 1. Riders would be forced to wait significantly longer for their buses and trains, on fewer lines. Initiatives to improve safety and cleanliness on the SEPTA system would also be reduced or cut entirely. These long-reaching effects would undo in-progress efforts to restore ridership and confidence in the system since the pandemic that are already yielding benefits. Violent crime is declining, cleaning crews are increasing staffing, ridership is increasing – all of which would be erased if this funding is not secured.
A lack of funding could also lead to the cancellation of many SEPTA construction projects in Bucks County. Federally-backed infrastructure projects, like accessibility upgrades to Bristol and Cornwells Heights Station, require sufficient funding from the state in order to match federal funds. Federal funding is competitive. If Pennsylvania doesn’t do its part to fund transit, federal transit dollars will just be moved to other states that invest more into their infrastructure.
Transit riders are also often the people in our community that have among the highest needs for transportation. Bucks County has a higher proportion of seniors in its population compared to the other counties in the SEPTA service area. Riders along many of the routes that serve our community are more likely to have disabilities, and have a lower income than the systemwide average.
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Responsible investments from the state made today will build the groundwork for better public transit in the county tomorrow. Instead of cutting service, we can look towards places where service can be expanded. More funding can be used to serve future job centers, like Keystone Industrial Port Complex or the boom in warehouses across the county.
Similar stories with public transit in Bucks County can be found all across the state for agencies big and small. Many agencies in Pennsylvania will be facing a fiscal cliff in upcoming years. The additional funding from Harrisburg will make sure both urban and rural transit riders from all four corners of the state can move safely, accessibly, and reliably to their jobs, schools, and doctor’s appointments.
This is why I support Transit for All PA’s campaign to make sure transit is fully funded, both in Bucks County and across Pennsylvania. Investment in public transit drives the economy of the entire state. Not only does it create jobs for operators, but it also creates jobs for the bus and train part manufacturers across the state. Sign onto the Transit for All PA platform and send a message to your state legislators that they must pass this budget proposal and keep Pennsylvanians moving.
