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Centre Area Transportation Authority Letter to the Governor's Transportation Funding and Reform Commission

Below is a list of attributes that we at the Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA) think Pennsylvania’s public transportation assistance program needs to include.  Rather than “putting another layer on the cake” of transit funding, the current programs need to be set aside in favor of a whole new approach that is:

Sufficient.  First and foremost, public transportation funding needs to be adequate to support the transit systems that currently serve our citizens – urban, rural and in between – and also address unmet needs within and outside of their existing service boundaries.

Inflation-sensitive.  At the very least, the funding stream(s) need to grow along with the “cost of doing business,” so that transit systems don’t have to endure the boom and bust cycles that have historically been the bane of public transit in Pennsylvania.

Protective of current programs.  Any new funding needs to maintain support for those “legacy” transit systems in communities that are stable or declining, so that people who have come to depend on public transit are assured of continuing service.

Forward-looking.  At the same time, the transit funding program needs to be responsive to growth – in population, trip-making and level of transit service – so that state support is not effectively “locked-in” based on how things were at some time in the past.

Allocated simply.  The current funding formulas are complex; future funding could be based on as few as three factors – service supplied (relates to costs incurred), service consumed (captures benefits received) and population (corresponds to the tax base).

Transit supportive.  Transit funding should serve to reward those local communities that support public transportation with local tax dollars, and promote the development of new service strategies that better meet customers’ needs.

Regional.  Historically, most transit systems in Pennsylvania have been viewed as simply city buses.  Today, with people traveling longer distances, for work, to shop, for medical care, etc., public transportation must encompass – and be funded for – entire regions.

Universal.  Transit funding needs to encourage the establishment of public transportation in areas that do not currently enjoy that benefit, so that all Pennsylvanians can have access to public transportation appropriate to their communities.

Let me add that here in Centre County we have very mixed feelings about the plan that the Governor has implemented to keep transit systems such as CATA afloat until a permanent solution to the state’s transit funding crisis is found.  On one hand it has helped stave off draconian service cuts (over the past four years CATA has already cut 20% of its service!), but at the same time, because most transit service is in our two large urban areas, it has cost central Pennsylvania dearly in terms of badly needed funds for bridges and highways.

Consequently, we encourage the Transportation Funding and Reform Commission to work expeditiously to develop recommendations on a new approach to state funding for public transportation.  The sooner that a new funding program can be enacted, the more quickly CATA can be placed on a firm financial foundation, and the federal funds that were programmed for bridges and highways can be restored to their intended purpose.

Sincerely,

 
Hugh A. Mose
General Manager