Wealthy are free-riders

A sorry story of transit and taxes: State legislators support the wealthy over the many who need mass transit - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "Another problem is that our entire tax system is set up to reward people who least need it, even as the rest of us see a steady decline in our standard of living and in the public services we have a right to expect. Transit is only one example; education is another.

A study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy showed that in Pennsylvania if your family income was between $35,000 and $56,000 in 2007 (that is, if your income put you in the middle 20 percent), you typically paid over 9 percent of your income in state and local taxes. But if you were in the top 1 percent -- with a household income in 2007 of more than $428,000 -- you typically paid less than 4 percent of your income in state and local taxes after federal offsets."

'via Blog this'

Transit ridership rises, thanks to young commuters and high gas prices

Transit ridership rises, thanks to young commuters and high gas prices: "Nationwide last year, buses, subways, and trains had their second-highest ridership since 1957 - behind only 2008, when the price of gas topped $4 a gallon. Locally, SEPTA, NJ Transit, and PATCO all report increased ridership."

'via Blog this'

The more you use #publictransit, the more you get to like it

Car Lovers Like Mass Transit More Than They Think - Commute - The Atlantic Cities: "Among the study's finer details, it's interesting to note that rider ratings on every criteria rose over the course of the month. So not only did habitual drivers enjoy their transit commute more than they thought they would, but their enjoyment went up the more they rode. The trial even seemed to have a lasting impact on drivers: when asked to rate their feelings on transit once more, two weeks after the test's conclusion, they remained as satisfied as they'd been by the end of the month."

'via Blog this'

New Study: Millennials Prefer Car “Access Over Ownership” | TheCityFix

New Study: Millennials Prefer Car “Access Over Ownership” | TheCityFix: "Here are some key findings from the study:

• 55 percent have actively made an effort to drive less, compared to 45 percent in the same 2010 study
• 78 percent say owning a car is difficult due to high costs of gas and maintenance
• 53 percent  would participate in a car-sharing service, like Zipcar – mobility and convenience is still important
• Millennials are the most likely age group to participate in the “sharing economy” (67 percent would participate in media sharing and 49 percent in home/vacation sharing)
• 40 percent  say they would participate to save more money for retirement or buying a home"

'via Blog this'

People want public #transit, but frackers run the PA government

Rabbit Transit ridership rises with gas prices, hiring - York Dispatch: "Whatever the reason, ridership continues to increase this year, Farr said. For January, Rabbit Transit provided 129,380 fixed-route rides and 7,728 express, or commuter, rides. In January 2011, the bus service provided 111,204 route and 5,931 express rides.
For the month of February, 133,956 route and 7,654 express trips were provided this year compared to 118,596 fixed and 5,962 express rides in 2011.
Ride requests continue to grow as Rabbit Transit is getting calls and emails from people interested in more rides going east and west on Route 30 and to Harrisburg, Farr said.
Funding: However, with the state transportation funding in crisis, Rabbit Transit cannot get the additional money needed to expand services, Farr said. There is no state funding available to fix local buses or purchase new buses for additional runs, he added.
"It's both the best of times and the worst of times for us," he said, referring to Rabbit Transit's ridership increases amid its financial challenges."

'via Blog this'

Pittsburghers fight #transit cuts

Anything but the car: To the PAT Board, 2012-02-29: "As every properly informed person in the room knows, PAT didn’t cause this problem, state government did, through its persistent refusal to accept that public transportation does require tax subsidy to run properly. As every properly informed politician knows, spending money on public transit actually earns money for the state in allowing the wheels of commerce to turn efficiently in the denser urban areas that generate most of the state’s revenues. But the misinformed and willfully ignorant are in power at the moment, so here we are. "

'via Blog this'

You could save $973 per month

Transit Savings Report: "The top 20 cities with the highest transit ridership are ranked in order of their transit savings based on the purchase of a monthly public transit pass and factoring in local gas prices for February, 2012 and the local monthly unreserved parking rate.*

City Monthly Savings Annual Savings
1 New York $1,216 $14,587
2 Boston $1,125 $13,503
3 San Francisco $1,099 $13,193
4 Seattle $992 $11,899
5 Philadelphia $973 $11,681"

'via Blog this'

Ready for a Mad Max world of potholes and chaos?

Corbett's Pa. budget ignores roads and bridges - mcall.com: "Is transportation funding too complex? Too costly? Is our transportation crisis lessening? No. We need at least $2 billion in new funding each year, according to the Transportation Funding Advisory Commission, which Gov. Corbett created last year. Did you notice that Gov. Corbett, in his budget message, skipped over a nearly 9 percent reduction, from $6.43 billion to $5.86 billion, in Transportation Department funding? If Harrisburg follows the $5.86 billion path, we will fall further and further behind in attacking the transportation crisis."

'via Blog this'

PA governor doing the dirty work of frackers and oil-industry

How is Pennsylvania supposed to attract investment if public transit has collapsed and our deteriorating roads are clogged with commuters forced to drive to work?


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12031/1207111-153-0.stm#ixzz1l2lVgsmH

Congress Will PAY YOU to Avoid Public Transit in 201 | InvestorPlace

Congress Will PAY YOU to Avoid Public Transit in 201 | InvestorPlace: "That’s right. You get twice as much of a write-off to drive to work instead of taking the bus. Read the details at the University of South Florida’s National Center for Transit Research.

You may pass go. Advance your token to free parking. Thanks for playing."

'via Blog this'

Occupy Delwaware #occupy

Webite               Facebook Group

Do you assume your highway will not collapse? Stop assuming.

Gov. Corbett to roll out transportation plan by Feb. 7: "The proposal is likely to fall short of the recommendations of the governor's Transportation Funding Advisory Commission, which presented a plan in August to raise up to $2.5 billion in new annual revenue for roads, bridges and public transit."

'via Blog this'