Philly Transit Riders Union supports #freepublictransit

@phillyTRU

Philly Transit Riders Union - meeting - @phillyTRU

February General Meeting:
Next Sunday! 2/16 from 4pm-6pmhttps://t.co/ZaRMhTooWc

— Philly Transit Riders Union (@phillyTRU) February 9, 2020

Advice to Philadelphia from 2009 -- not taken

Let's spend $1 billion a year on Philadelphia's transportation system from 2010-2015. That's $6 billion. Let's make this investment in an effective regional system. Then let's see what happens. Make Philadelphia the nation's public-transit experiment.

Instead of spending billions to redo the South Street Bridge - scrap it. Build a walking and biking bridge. I don't know if anyone has noticed, but the Schuylkill Expressway runs a lot better without a South Street exit and entrance - they were death traps anyway.

https://www.inquirer.com/philly/opinion/20090421_The__Free_Transit__option.html 

Temple News calls for #freepublictransit for students

“It’s frustrating having to pay around $30 a semester for a class I am required to take for my major,” said Dyamond Jones, a freshman nursing major. “I just think each campus has different resources and it would definitely be beneficial to have free transportation across the city.”

Many other city-based colleges already provide free public transportation to their students. 

For example, students at the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and Chatham University are granted fare-free rides on public transit throughout Allegheny County because of the schools’ collaboration with Port Authority Transit, a public transportation company in Pittsburgh, according to the Port Authority website.

https://temple-news.com/temple-septa-consider-free-public-transportation/ 

Candidate for US Congress PA-02 calls for #freepublictransit

@Salem4Congress

Even the Carter Administration was against public transit

SEPTA boss Louis Gambaccini was told by the Carter Administration that the money allocated to address the problem of oil-dependency should not be used for public transit. The reasoning was that public transit was a small percentage of overall transport costs!

Fare-free buses are affordable and solve many car problems

hmmm let's take a look at philadelphia's billion $ budget for FY19 and you tell me whether or not public transportation can be free, the homeless can be homed, the opoid crisis can be solved. if only two violent state apparatuses could spare some change... pic.twitter.com/ZhHMdV2tFB

— lia ❤️ TWICE (@kickassical94) March 28, 2019

911 - Government cell phone lies exposed

In the face of #climate disaster oil trolls still tryna gut #publictransit

philly.com: "The proposal unveiled Tuesday by a group of Pennsylvania House Republicans would force SEPTA to cut service by 40 percent and raise fares by 20 percent by January, said Rich Burnfield, SEPTA’s deputy general manager and treasurer.

“It would definitely impact all divisions, all routes across the five counties that we serve,” he said."

Scientists calling for drastic energy reduction so Philadelphia encourages more driving

US News : "PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia's public transportation agency is reminding riders that a fare increase is set to go into effect over the weekend.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority says the fare increase goes across all modes of transportation and starts on Saturday."

Car culture means people cannot get to work

dailykos: "Another survey, by Temple University’s Institute of Survey Research, found that lack of transportation was the biggest barrier to employment, with 39 percent of respondents below the poverty line saying that not being able to get to work was more of an obstacle than a criminal history, child care problems or language barriers."

Public enthusiasm bodes well for Lancaster's 'active transportation' planning

lancasteronline.com: "The consultants helping Lancaster County develop a comprehensive walking, biking and transit plan said they’re encouraged by the high level of public interest here.

To date, about 900 people have filled out an online survey, giving opinions on existing road and trail conditions and making recommendations. And more than 100 people attended an open house Thursday, March 2, to pore over maps, learn about the plan and find out what happens next."

Lackawanna, Luzerne counties renew push for transit alliance

Times-Tribune: "Lackawanna and Luzerne counties are rekindling discussions about merging public transit systems."

Pottsville, PA - money running out for sprawl subsidy

Republican Herald: "For an hour Wednesday night, a collection of parents from the Pottsville Area School District complained about the school board’s decision in July to cut back on transportation services in the 2016-17 school year."

The American school bus has been an expensive subsidy for sprawl. Now the money is running out.

#publictransit saves US 4.2 billions gallons of gasoline per year

Free bus rides to encourage public transportation use - News - Standard Speaker: "Dave Bekisz, STS executive director, said the agency is hoping people who have never tried public transit before will accept the offer of a free ride.

“Using public transportation is the quickest way to beat high gas prices and saves the United States 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline annually. That’s why we are offering free rides to encourage more people to join our regular riders and dump the pump on June 16,” Bekisz said in a news release."

Free bus rides to encourage public transportation use

Standard Speaker: "Local residents can ride the bus for free on Thursday as part of national Dump the Pump Day.

Hazleton Public Transit, the Luzerne County Transportation Authority and Schuylkill Transportation System (STS) are among the agencies participating.

All passengers will have the opportunity to ride any fixed-route bus for free.

The annual event is meant to encourage people to ride public transportation instead of using a car. The American Public Transportation Association has sponsored it since June 2006, when gasoline prices were $3 per gallon.

According to the association’s April Transit Savings Report, individuals in a two-person household can save an average of more than $9,312 annually by downsizing to one car."

Benefits of #publictransit and how to FindMyRidePA.com

public opinion online: "Public transportation is a tremendous benefit to our society; it helps people without viable means of personal transportation get to the places they need to go; it greatly reduces traffic congestion in our urban centers; and it helps to improve our air quality.

Pennsylvanians are fortunate because we have a network of transportation resources available to help people get where they need to go, such as work or doctor appointments. Now it’s even easier for residents living in Franklin County to find these transportation resources by using an online resource, FindMyRidePA.com."

The drive for carless streets in Philadelphia

The drive for carless streets in Philadelphia: "For Jake Liefer the most unexpected perk of the papal visit weekend happened not on the Parkway or at Independence Hall, but in the serene streets of the city, where he got to take his 1-year-old daughter with him on their first bicycle ride together.

"I felt safe riding on these open streets with pedestrians and other bike riders and without having to worry about cars," the Point Breeze resident said. "It was so joyful without cars honking, engines revving.""

Businesses in the suburbs feel the pain of car culture

dailylocal: "“It was eye opening to see how much emphasis the business community places on public transportation,” he said of the planning commission’s research into the topic.

According to Waltermyer, one business owner said he could “increase his recruiting ability by 50 percent if he had reliable shuttle service to and from the train station.”"

What If the Subway Were Just … Free?

Philadelphia Magazine: "But the benefits of free mass transit are obvious. Transit workers who collect fares could be redistributed to other jobs. Lower-income residents would no longer have transit fares taking a large chunk of their paychecks (27 percent of SEPTA riders overall make less than $25,000 a year, according to SEPTA's most recent operating budget). Transit police would no longer have to police fare evasion. Plus, making transit fare-free should encourage ridership — and move people away from cars. Packed trains are more environmentally friendly than cars. Philadelphia may not have achieved Mayor Michael Nutter's goal of becoming America's greenest city, but sustainability is a stated goal of our political leadership."