(The following story by Dan Geringer appeared on the Philadelphia Daily News website on February 17.)
PHILADELPHIA — The SEPTA board delayed “doomsday” until March 6 after a Philadelphia Common Pleas judge postponed hearing the city’s lawsuit to prevent the cash-strapped transit agency from charging the nation’s highest fares with slashed service.
Gov. Rendell has already “flexed” [transferred] $13 million of unused highway funds into SEPTA’s deficit-riddled budget to keep it afloat in a sea of red ink while it awaits a dedicated funding stream from the Legislature.
Rendell’s looking to flex millions more. But his finger in the deficit dike will save SEPTA, whose debt is now $49 million, for only a few months at most.
By late spring, the Legislature must come up with permanent transit funding or SEPTA will start charging 38 percent more for 20 percent less service.
Although legislators have offered several bills ranging from temporary transit-only bailouts to a $600 million permanent rescue of roads, bridges and transit, nothing has taken even baby steps toward becoming law.
SEPTA General Manager Faye Moore spent Tuesday in Harrisburg, lobbying legislators for permanent funding.
“When I heard them announce that they were heading into recess for 30 days, I had a momentary panic,” she said.
Next Tuesday, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission meets to decide whether to “flex” more millions in highway funds to SEPTA to keep it going while it awaits possible permanent rescue by the Legislature.
“Whether DVRPC will give us $49 million to pay off our deficit or five dollars, I can’t tell you,” Moore said. “And if the Legislature gives us ‘permanent’ funding, is that ‘permanent’ only for a limited time, or ‘permanent’ forever and a day?
“We’re on our own personal roller coaster, and I don’t like roller coasters. They make me queasy, even on a good day. This whole thing has been like root canal.”