(The following report by Dan Geringer appeared on the Philadelphia Daily News website on May 23.)
PHILADELPHIA — Gov. Rendell will pay an unprecedented visit today to the SEPTA Board of Directors, which is expected to approve an 11 percent fare hike for July, then consider an additional 20 percent boost and 20 percent service cuts for September.
Rendell plans to urge the Legislature to fund SEPTA’s $100 million budget shortfall before the transit agency is forced to make the September “doomsday” service cuts and raise fares a total of 31 percent to balance its operating budget.
“To my knowledge, which dates back almost to the beginning of SEPTA, a sitting governor has never personally addressed the SEPTA board,” said Richard Maloney, the transit agency’s spokesman.
He said Rendell’s personal visit indicates the severity of SEPTA’s fast-approaching crisis and the likelihood that it will have to cut service and hike fares drastically if the Legislature does not provide realistic long-term funding.
SEPTA is legally mandated to balance its budget. It cannot operate at a deficit.
The 11 percent fare increase that is expected to be approved today would leave the base cash fare at $2 and would not require SEPTA to make any service cuts.
It would be SEPTA’s first fare increase since 2001 and is in line with the rising cost of living in the past six years.
But if SEPTA feels compelled to approve the more drastic “doomsday” plan, the base cash fare would rise from $2 to $2.50, tokens from $1.30 to $1.80, a TransPass from $18.75 to $25 weekly and from $70 to $95 monthly, and one-way Regional Rail fares would rise by as much as $1 during peak times and $2.50 off-peak.
Mayor Street, who led a Suburban Station rally earlier this month to support permanent mass-transit funding, may try to make today’s board meeting despite a crowded schedule.
“The mayor believes that the most important thing is for the General Assembly to agree on a dedicated annual mass-transit- funding source,” said mayoral spokesman Joe Grace.
“Mass transit is so critical to our economy – for our employers and our work force,” he said.
“We are well aware that SEPTA is considering fare increases and service cuts. That is not a solution.”