In a power move for Pennsylvania's public transportation, Governor Shapiro is putting his money where his mouth is with a budget that aims to juice the state's transit system with a hefty $282.8 million infusion, according to a statement by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll, alongside transit leaders, is calling on locals to show some love for their transit operators on National Recognition Day, recognizing the more than 6,000 full- and part-time operators who keep the state on the move.
“Governor Shapiro's proposal shows that he values safe, clean public transit, service that is possible because of the people who provide hundreds of thousands of transit trips every day," Carroll said, and he didn’t stop there, pushing Pennsylvanians to give a shout-out to their bus and train operators, who are integral to not just the commute but also the state's economic engine, PennDOT reported. The Governor's bold budget measure seeks to snag an additional 1.75 percent of the Pennsylvania Sales Tax for the Public Transportation Trust Fund, marking it a milestone investment not seen for over a decade.
“A million times a day across the Commonwealth, Pennsylvanians choose transit to take them where they need to go. Be it to work, to learn, to shop, or receive medical attention, in all 67 counties, transit takes them there," Shawna Jones, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Public Transportation Association, noted, emphasizing the far-reaching impact of public transit that spans all 67 counties and asserting the Governor's initiative as a crucial step toward top-tier transit services for the state, this according to PennDOT's statement. The new budget would not only prop up transit agencies but would also tackle investing in a critical workforce that keeps Pennsylvanians rolling.
Lionel Randolph, a rabbittransit operator, drove the point home, “Transit means business. Employers rely on our services to access a pool of talented employees, and businesses depend on us to bring customers to their doors," he said, highlighting the essential role of public transit in knitting together the fabric of the economy, employers count on it to pool in employees and businesses lean on it to get customers through the door, according to the PennDOT release. In the same breath, he gave a personal touch to the narrative, “We're more than drivers. We're people's lifeline to where they need to go and be. I love getting people to work, we have essential workers, we carry people to the hospitals, to warehouses." Pennsylvania's vast transit services include shared ride services in all counties, fixed route bus service in 49, and fixed route rail in metropolises like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
Keen to get more citizens on board, the Commonwealth is touting the Find My Ride (FMR) tool, a digital platform that simplifies the hunt for public transit options and streamlines applications for assistance programs. It's a one-stop-shop for programs ranging from the Senior Shared Ride to those for veterans, with a feature for third parties to apply on behalf of riders—a clear nod to user-friendliness and inclusivity, as reported by PennDOT.
