Comments and Testimonies

June 3, 2004

CLEAN AIR COUNCIL COMMENTS ON THE DVRPC FY 2005-2008 TIP FOR PA

GENERAL COMMENTS ON 2005-2008 TIP FOR PA

Transit Program Versus Highway Program Funding
There is a historic pattern in the United States of highly subsidizing the nation's highway system at the expense of public transportation. In the Delaware Valley, public transportation plays a key role in revitalizing the City of Philadelphia and curbing suburban sprawl. Financial support for public transportation must be placed on an equal, if not elevated, footing as support for highways and roads, if this region is to have a chance of reversing already evident trends of unsustainable growth.

Clean Air Council is pleased to see that close to half of the funding outlined in Pennsylvania's TIP will be going towards the transit program. Ensuring that funding for the region's highway program does not overpower funding for the region's transit program has always been an objective of the Council. The Council urges DVRPC to continue to place a strong emphasis on the transit program and to ensure that the total dollar amount dedicated to public transit continues to grow rather than decreasing.

Transit Program: City Versus Suburban Projects
Clean Air Council would like to express its support for the city-based services provided by SEPTA's City Transit Division. While improvements to regional rail service and other suburban capital projects will undoubtedly attract new ridership and ensure continued use of the system, the Council feels that special attention needs to be given to SEPTA's services within the City of Philadelphia, particularly the city transit bus lines, the Broad Street and Market-Frankford subway-elevated rail lines, and the city trolley lines servicing west / southwest Philadelphia.

A large majority of SEPTA's ridership comes from within the City of Philadelphia and from those riders that have no other alternative but to take public transit. However, proposed capital-intensive projects such as the Cross County Metro (MPMS# 60313) and the Schuylkill Valley Metro (MPMS# 60565), as well as expansions and improvements to outlying regional rail stations such as the Paoli Transportation Center (MPMS# 60574) and to outlying regional rail lines such as the R3 from Elwyn to Wawa (MPMS# 60636) illustrate a preference towards suburban projects over those that help to restore the urban core. Due to the socio-economic nature of the city and its surrounding counties, these suburban projects also tend to ignore the needs of lower income, minority communities. The Council urges DVRPC to monitor the balance between funds being awarded to SEPTA's city-based services versus those awarded to SEPTA's suburban and regional rail services.

Transparency of Conformity Process
Clean Air Council would like to see DVRPC adopt a more transparent process in terms of illustrating to the public how projects conform to the air quality requirements. The FY 2005-2008 TIP states that the "TIP and Plan [DVRPC's Horizons- The Year 2025 Plan for the Delaware Valley] have been tested for conformity and found to meet all requirements." There is a perception by some in the community that any highway proposed will be determined by DVRPC to conform. In the past, the Council has attempted to better understand the process and found DVRPC less than able to provide clear answers. The Council suggests that DVRPC make sure that all materials used in conformity determinations are made public. Furthermore, the Council urges DVRPC to hold conformity training so residents and community groups can more easily determine whether DVRPC's conformity analyses are correct.

PROJECT-SPECIFIC COMMENTS ON 2005-2008 TIP FOR PA

Pennsylvania Transit Program: "SEPTA Bus Purchase Program" (MPMS# 60286)
SEPTA's Bus Purchase Program calls for all new buses purchased to fully comply with ADA requirements and to be equipped with a state-of-the-art public address system and an audio/visual annunciating system. Clean Air Council would like to see one additional stipulation added to SEPTA's Bus Purchase Program, as recorded in the TIP for PA: all new buses purchased will be either alternatively fueled vehicles or advanced technology vehicles, such as hybrid diesel/electric buses. Furthermore, all new buses should be fitted with the necessary after-treatment devices (e.g., diesel oxidation catalysts and diesel particulate traps) to ensure that they meet the upcoming 2007 standards for new heavy-duty diesel engines.

Pennsylvania Transit Program: "Eastwick Transportation Center" (MPMS# 60556)
Engineering and construction of the Eastwick Transportation Center is vital to the economic development and livability of communities in southwest Philadelphia. Construction of a new transportation hub at the Eastwick station along the SEPTA R1 regional rail line will allow passengers to use both regional rail and bus to travel between home and their places of employment- both new employers in the area, as well as long-standing employers such as the Philadelphia International Airport. Clean Air Council has worked with community members in southwest Philadelphia on efforts to improve air quality and on the design and eventual construction of the Tinicum-Fort Mifflin Trail. The Council applauds the construction of an Eastwick Transportation Center because it will provide an important alternative to automobile travel and an important link to the Tinicum-Fort Mifflin Trail.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Funds for Individualized, Targeted Marketing for Public Transportation
Clean Air Council would like to recommend that funding for an individualized, targeted marketing campaign for public transportation be added to the FY 2005-2008 TIP for PA. According to an article in the February/March edition of Metro Magazine, an individualized transit marketing pilot project in Portland, Oregon decreased car travel by 8% and increased biking and transit use by 27% in targeted neighborhoods. Funding for the pilot program was awarded to the City of Portland through a regional CMAQ grant. The FTA is now expanding this individualized transit marketing pilot program to four other cities throughout the United States. The Council urges DVRPC to consider including funding in Pennsylvania's TIP for a similar pilot program in the Greater Philadelphia Area. This pilot program would target specific communities with individualized marketing of SEPTA's services in order to reduce car travel and boost the use of public transportation and other forms of non-automobile travel. The Council is prepared to work with DVRPC and SEPTA in developing such a pilot program.