People drive a sept bus in Philadelphia. (Thanks to the kindness of Getty Images)
When the budget deadlock in Pennsylvania came in another week, Governor Josh Shapiro announced a means that will provide a two -year financial solution for the largest mass transport agency in this state.
On Monday, Shapiro directed the Secretary of the Transport Department (Penndot) Mike Carroll for approval of the application for operational expenses from operating expenses from the South -Eastern Transport Office (SEPTA) for the apply of $ 394 million from the Public Transport Fund (PTTF).
The decision appears three days later Sept’s leadership sent a letter to Carroll with a request to move, because legislators were not able to reach a long -term financing solution since the date of the budget on June 30.
“This plan will keep the service for about 800,000 Pennsylvania for the next two years,” Shapiro told journalists during an unrelated event in Philadelphia on Monday.
Mass transport agencies throughout the community of nations, including Septa and Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT), over the past year there has been an alarm about the impact of a long -term solution on services in urban, suburban and rural areas.
While Shapiro and the democrats of the house were looking for a long -term financing solution that would bring fresh, repetitive income of the mass transport agency, Republicans in most senate rejected their proposals.
Septa established Cutting services a few weeks ago and tariff increases also had an impact.
As a result of the transmission of the SEPTA, the cuts will be lifted on Sunday, September 14. However, the raise in tariffs throughout 21.5% will also be restored on the same day.
“This is not a long -term financing solution that we must deal with our budget deficit in the amount of USD 213 million,” said SEPTA CEO Scott A. Sauer. “But in the last two weeks we have seen the destructive effects of the cuts of our clients. Our riders deserve better and deserve stability.”
Shapiro said that the decision was partly made because “people tried to get to work and wondered how to reach their destination, get families where they had to go.”
The governor emphasized 63% raise in schools in Philadelphia behind schedule arrivals and 50% of schools with a higher absence rate since the beginning of the school year, when the cuts of services come into force.
“I have to tell you that it really attracted me in my conversations with (Philadelphia School) superintendent (Tony) Watlington. It was clear to me that we cannot allow you to continue, “said Shapiro.” And of course we look not only at the daily needs of this great community, but from next year millions of people will go down the city of Philadelphia and our entire community, because we celebrate the 250th birth of this nation, and we would have to do it. “
Associated Press On Monday afternoon, he announced that PRT is “likely” to provide a similar request as septa to avoid reducing services and tariff growth.
Shapiro says that she is expecting the final budget “will not include repetitive financing of mass transit”
The topic of mass financing of transit dominated the discussion on the state budget, which Still not passed General Assembly.
House democrats are in favor of a long -term financial package for mass transport agencies, sending an additional 1.75% Total sales tax revenues their way.
Republicans in the Senate largely at this request did not expose themselves to other priorities and fiscal fears in the budget. Instead The Senate managed by GOP approved the proposal Along the party line that would allow these transport entities to transfer the confined amount of these capital funds to operations, and at the same time requires an raise in the tariff identified for inflation in 2026, 2027 and every second year (leaving the possibility of applying for exemption).
This agent was rejected by Democrats, who stated that these funds were allocated to long -term capital and maintenance projects, and preferred to finance state transit bodies by increasing the share of sales tax addressed to them.
Shapiro told journalists on Monday that his action did not reflect the GOP proposal previously approved by the Senate.
“These are clearly two different packages,” said Shapiro. “The proposal of the Senate, which was defective and was dead after arriving at the Chamber and would not receive my signature, would require mass transport systems to use their current capital financing in order to fill out the gap, and for the future there will be no source of income.”
“They would take money from existing projects and, what is important, would take half the money from the Transit Fund and sent it to road and bridge repair,” he added.
Shapiro said that although he understood the importance of repairing roads and bridges, he would not support using the money that has been intended for mass transit for financing road and bridge projects.
Republicans, including those who voted to finance mass transit, previously criticized Shapiro for bending federal funds on the highway In the direction of sept to prevent immediate cutting of services and dishes. The leader of the majority of the Senate Joe Pittman (R-Indiana) He formulated a proposal to send mass transport funds for the repair of the road and the bridge as a kind of repression During the debate last month.
“We allow SEPTA to use $ 394 million future capital dollars, which have not yet been allocated to individual projects to operate their system for the next two years,” said Shapiro.
The action also requires sept to periodically report to Penndot about the changes that they introduce to create a more capable transit system.
When discussing the current state of budget negotiations, Shapiro said that the issue of mass transit was the reason why the Republicans Senate gave for not adopting the final budget.
“The problem, which they emphasized as a reason not to do it, is now beyond the table,” said Shapiro. “Time to close it.”
Scott Martin (R-Lancaster), chairman of the Senate funds, told journalists in Harrisburg that “the problem of sept outside the table is one of them that was related to this, but there are other serious problems that we must discuss.”
“One of the biggest is the fact that we have this huge structural deficit and what we intend to do as best as possible,” said Martin. “So I would say from this perspective, we are not where I can say that I am ready to determine who is voting for.”
Shapiro said he had spent time at the weekend with the leaders of budget negotiations, including the leader of the minority of the Senate Jay Costa. While Republicans have many places in the Senate, Shapiro said that the final budget would require democratic votes.
“It became quite clear that the Costa leader would have to make votes so that every budget can spend in the Senate,” said Shapiro.
Martin said NBC10 On August 28, that the long -term SEPTA solution will not “take place” for the current budget.
Shapiro said he was joyful that the agency would continue to operate for two years as a result of the transfer of funds and that he would continue to fight for repetitive revenues for all mass transport agencies in this state.
“I expect that now there is a final budget agreement that will not include repeated financing of mass transit,” said Shapiro in response to the question from the capital star. “The Republicans of the Senate explained that they would not do it.”
“So … I expect the Commonwealth budget agreement, which includes all other important initiatives, from financing our schools to financing our cops, to financing our veterans, mental health and much more” – he added.
Rep. Ed Neilson (D-philadelphia), who chaired the Committee on the Transport of the Chamber, assigned Shapiro for approval of the transfer of SEPTa’s financing to ensure the legislators to provide legislators for two years to solve a long-term solution, although he emphasized that other transit agencies in the whole state will not benefit from this last action.
Neilson also did not say that the long -term solution of transport financing was out of the table.
“There is no single thing outside the table, including transit financing, including, let me be clear until the budget goes to the second floor, so that the governor signs. There is no one thing outside the table,” he said.
Ian Karbal contributed to this report.
