Are failing public transit systems the canary in the coal mine for entitlements in general?

Photo above - Philadelphia's SEPTA transit system is on the ropes. Would pounding raw meat help?

Full disclosure. I have never been on a SEPTA (Philadelphia) bus or train. And I may never have the opportunity now. SEPTA is eliminating dozens of bus routes, and increasing the interval between commuter trains by as much as two hours. The article below says 700,000 daily riders could be impacted.

The city is also increasing fares by 22% on surviving SEPTA routes next Monday.

How much is SEPTA’s latest budget? $2.6 billion with a “B”. Up from $1.7 billion in 2024. Much of the 2024 budget was covered with accounting chicanery courtesy of Covid 19 pandemic grants, which have at last ended. Now SEPTA is facing a $1 billion bogey just to fix or repair the machinery on its 450 miles of track and 1,400 buses.

This would be a great day to own a Philadelphia parking lot. If you believe that some of those 700,000 riders have cars and will attempt the 1-hour trek (each way) into center city to work in their cubes at Temple University or Thomas Jefferson Health services. These are both public companies, owned by the government. You see the problem here. The dog chasing its tail. The largest private employer in Philadelphia is Comcast/Xfinity. Which is under a death watch due to people turning off their cable subscriptions.

Let me be clear – I don’t want anyone to miss their bus, pay $35 daily for parking, or get fired for absenteeism. But if cities drive out tax-paying private employers, and tax-paying individual citizens, there might be nothing left except municipal employees riding municipal buses. Unionized SEPTA transit workers are talking strike. As if stopping the rest of the trains and buses is going to unleash citizen goodwill, and the willingness to pay fare increases of 40% instead of 20%.

I’ve been to Philadelphia. The Franklin Institute. The Zoo. The Philadelphia Museum of Art (they moved the Rocky statue to the side entrance). The Riverfront Blues Festival, now a shadow of its former glory. In the past you could see acts like Beau Jocque, Keb Mo’, Taj Mahal, and Asleep at the Wheel. This year they had “Buster Brody’s one-man band” and “Ghost Town Blues”, which probably was unintentionally ironic.

Philadelphia is the birthplace of America. Even if you decide skip attractions like the cracked liberty bell, Insectarium, and the abandoned but still demonically scary Eastern State Penitentiary. But you apparently can’t get to any of those places by bus now. I dunno . . . call an Uber, I guess . . .

I’m just sayin’ . . .

SEPTA’s massive cuts are here and it’s ‘bad on so many levels’

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beckyromero · 36-40, F

City leaders in Philadelphia (or rather the voters who put them in, like you Mr. Jackson) need to decide what they want:

More congested roads, longer commute times, more money spent on gas and more smog?

Or subsidize both public transit and public parking lots, forgoing the lucrative parking lot fees which cause people to avoid using the trains to begin with, allowing residents to have more family time, less wear and tear on their vehicles, save money on gas and enjoy cleaner air?

And for the record, I am strongly against punishing people for their commuting choices (i.e. HOV lanes which squeeze the rest of the traffic into fewer lanes, congested toll pricing, converting what taxpayers had paid for free highways into toll highways, charging people higher vehicle registration fees for a vehicle of othwerwise similar weight because theirs is gas-powered, higher registration fees for older model vehicles, etc.)

GerOttman · 70-79, M

I have used SEPTA, mostly going to and from the Eagles stadium. Parking on game day can run $100 for premium lots... Recent article claims there will only be 4 game day special trains instead of the normal 10! I'm usually on the first train out after the game, traditionally we pack in tight enough to make Tokyo proud.

My take is, it's a ploy to squeeze more funds from the state. It will likely work to some degree, but you can squeeze just so much blood from a stone.

whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M

Here is a perfect example of something that isnt a prifit centre of its own.. But with it it, much of what makes a major city function, fails. Real estate in close to work locations become unaffordible for the employees needed to operate the businesses. Traffic and parking are choked and pollution rises. The knock on effect ripples through everyone. And efficient, effective public transport network is a "public good". And should be maintained, or subsidized by the city or state, to keep the city functioning.😷

beckyromero · 36-40, F

@whowasthatmaskedman

Developers run the cities and pretty much own the politicians with their campaign "contributions." So instead of placing transit centers (and their parking facilities) along routes already utilized by commuters, they instead steer the placement of those centers to where developers want to build new housing units (apartments).

The result? More traffic and less available street parking for those residents who were already living there.

And because the politicians want to encourage (read punished) those residents from using their cars, the new units often don't come with adequate off-street parking. So on street-cleaning days (twice a week, one side or the other) or in wintery cities with snow, residents drive 'round and 'round the blocks in their area hoping to snag a parking spot.

PicturesOfABetterTomorrow · 41-45, M

The bigger question is whether 2 billion is going to fix total neglect of public transportation and infrastructure in the US as a nation since the 50s.

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SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow i earmark all her money, other than her allowance. she can spend that however she wants. she can't divert or embezzle money intended for clothing, hygiene supplies at CVS, or when i send her to the gas station to fill up the car.

PicturesOfABetterTomorrow · 41-45, M

@SusanInFlorida Whatever. You are determined not to understand the point.

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow you're funny. please don't ever stop 😛

GerOttman · 70-79, M

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@GerOttman thank you. this is the first positive thing I've ever read about an online gambling site doing. mostly, they just want to give you $250 credit as a new customer, and try to get you addicted.

jackjjackson · M

The state has been subsidizing it for decades. It owns no track. It rents track for Amtrak.

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@jackjjackson so is amtrak revenue going to take a hit too?

jackjjackson · M

Yes. Causing the end of some PA Amtrak likens and some Pa to. YC lines. @SusanInFlorida

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