Regular readers of this newsletter are well aware of the financial distress that the coronavirus pandemic has heaped upon Pennsylvania’s public transportation agencies.
Pennsylvania’s transportation agencies are not alone. This week, nine transit agencies, including SEPTA, held a video conference to compare notes and ask for immediate federal help.
In addition to SEPTA, participants were agencies from New York, New Orleans, Denver, Indianapolis, Cleveland, San Francisco, Salt Lake City and Miami.
Most, if not all, of the agencies are staring at layoffs and a stunted economic recovery. Once routes and services are suspended, bringing them back becomes much more difficult.
As transportation advocates, we recognize that public transportation
plays an essential role in our multimodal transportation system. Let’s hope our friends in public transit get the help they need before drastic cuts occur.
TRANSPORTATION ISSUE UPDATE
- From New York to San Francisco, public transit systems are facing budget problems.
- Pennsylvania state officials said the Appalachian Program Development has earmarked $6 million in federal funding to aid the resumption of environmental studies regarding the U.S. 219 expansion.
- Governor Tom Wolf announced that PennDOT will distribute $8.2 million in Automated Red Light Enforcement funding to 13 municipalities statewide to fund 16 safety projects.
- PennDOT announced that expiration dates for commercial driver licenses and commercial learner’s permits will be extended for Pennsylvania residents through the end of this year in response to statewide COVID-19 mitigation efforts.
- A last-minute agreement between Gov. Tom Wolf and legislative leaders has averted the need for hundreds of road and bridge projects across the Commonwealth to shut down on Tuesday.