illusionofjoy | Mass transit in Pennsylvania

Yesterday evening I decided to write to every state senator in Pennsylvania to voice my support for a plan of Ed Rendell's to plug the hole in the state mass transit budget (read it here). Thus far, I've received seven replies out of the forty-five total addresses I sent the message to. I didn't expect personal replies from every senator, mind you, however, I was surprised that only four of them - James Rhoades, Anthony Williams, Lisa Boscola and Raphael Musto - had their email accounts set up with auto-responders. Even more surprising was that I received personal replies from two senators:

From: Senator Sean Logan <logan@pasenate.com>

Dear Seth:

I am pleased to inform you that I have co-authored Senate Bill 1162, which would provide a stable, predictable and dedicated funding source for the Port Authority of Allegheny County and similar mass transit organizations across the state without raising taxes. A healthy public transportation system is vital to our region's overall economic development and I have personally met with many people who rely on it for their livelihood. Please know that I intend to fight in order to bring this important legislation to the Senate floor for a vote.

I enjoyed the opportunity to share this information with you. If I may be of further assistance regarding this or any other matter, please do not hesitate to contact my office.

Sincerely,
Sean Logan
State Senator

From: Senator Jim Ferlo <ferlo@pasenate.com>

I am a co-sponsor of S1162 which would provide significant yearly dedicated funding to PAT and transit agencies state-wide. The lack and reduction of federal dollars for public transit isn't helping. PAT could also save money by not building a $700 million useless tunnel under the Allegheny River to the ball park area (people should walk across the Roberto Clemente Bridge!!) with a future $8 million dollar annual operating subsidy!! PAT must also review all of its expenditures, including labor costs. Senator Jim Ferlo

Perhaps it is just my perception, but Senator Ferlo's message seemed testy to me. It also contained some inaccurate information; the "$700 million useless tunnel" to which he refers (better known as the "North Shore Connector") is still on the drawing board. No funds have been spent on the proposal nor has any ground been broken in its construction. The North Shore Connector is just a glimmer in the Port Authority's eye, not current variable that is keeping their budget from being balanced. I wonder if, perhaps, Senator Ferlo was having a bad night. Still, he gets points for replying personally, testy or not.

Closer to home (district #37, where I live), this note came from John Pippy's office:

Dear Mr. Warren,

Thank you for contacting Senator John Pippy on this important issue.

Senator Pippy remains a vocal advocate for public transportation funding in Harrisburg. Whether through a trolley, a bus, or an incline to the top of Mt. Washington, the Port Authority provides a critical service to many people in our region. Consequently, it is imperative that public transportation receives adequate funding to meet the demands and needs of its riders.

To accomplish this goal, the Senator is a cosponsor of Senate Bill 1162, which would provide dedicated funding for mass transit in the Commonwealth. The bill currently remains in the Senate Transportation Committee under review. In addition, the Senator, along with his colleagues from Allegheny County, sent a letter to Governor Rendell urging his support of this legislation and pressing him for additional funding for mass transit. These efforts are done with the hope that the appropriation will be allocated in the very near future to maintain service levels.

Again, thank you for contacting Senator John Pippy.

Sincerely,
Matt Campion
Office of Senator John Pippy

So, now the main question is this: did my message have any impact? I'll let you know if I'm still able to ride the bus after 9:00PM next year.