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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | September 16, 2024 02:26 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Ben Waxman |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Sales Tax Revenues for Public Transportation |
| As we are all aware, public transportation services are on the fiscal cliff. Both SEPTA and Pittsburgh Regional Transit have warned of massive service cuts which would devastate the regions, and all transit systems in Pennsylvania are facing some level of service interruption if funding is not improved. Public transportation employs 39,000 Pennsylvanians and has a $5 billion overall economic impact. If public transportation is forced to cut services because of funding shortages, fewer rural skilled laborers could commute to major employers in the cities, and fewer urban workers could reach manufacturers in the suburbs. Imagine giant empty warehouses because businesses cannot succeed without access to a labor force. That is why I am proposing an increase to the amount of the sales tax that is transferred to the Public Transportation Fund annually. This funding shift – without raising taxes – is critical for our entire state, and it would cover the full funding shortage SEPTA is currently experiencing. Outside of the economic impact, consider the human lives affected by public transportation, such as Pennsylvanians with disabilities who use 284,800 curb-to-curb trips to make appointments, get food and medicine, or avoid isolation. In general, 64 percent of fixed-route riders who take 231.6 million trips annually say they have no other transportation option. Public transportation should not be an afterthought. We know the economic impact and the human lives affected, which makes it clear that more funding is needed. I invite you to support this effort to fully fund our public transportation system to the benefit of all Pennsylvanians. |