Philly-Area Transit Projects Move Forward Despite Funding Crisis
While Pennsylvania’s failure to toll Interstate 80 has punched a $120-million hole in SEPTA’s capital
budget, two major regional transit projects are still inching forward without state aid.
Backers of the Delaware waterfront trolley and the Rt. 422 corridor projects say they are proceeding with planning work despite the state-wide cut in transportation spending under Act 44.
The loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in annual subsidies has forced SEPTA to put the brakes on major capital projects, like City Hall station renovations, the Wawa regional rail extension and the implementation of a new smart card fare collection system.
Yet at the same time, the Delaware River Port Authority is forging ahead with an environmental assessment study for a proposed Delaware River light rail line.
The study, which should cost about $6 million, will involve preliminary engineering work on the line and begin looking at its community impact.
It’s also, as DRPA CEO John Matheussen points out, a necessary step in applying for federal New Starts funding.
If it wins a slot in the program, the federal government could pick up half of the estimated $500 million cost of building the line, he said.
That may be more likely thanks to a decision earlier this year that would allow the Federal Transit Administration to reduce its emphasis on cost-effectiveness in evaluating New Starts applications and to give
equal weight to livability issues.
