As the process of approving a new Center City arena for the Philadelphia 76ers drags on, a point of contention has been the issue of transportation. After weeks of discussion, the 76ers have consented to cover SEPTA passes for season ticket holders during the venue's potential first year of operation, confirmed a spokesperson for the team. This agreement is part of a bid to alleviate SEPTA's significant financial challenges, which include a previously reported $240 million deficit, according to a report by PhillyVoice.
City Councilmember Mark Squilla has pressed for a more extensive commitment, proposing that the Sixers should pay for transit passes for all ticket holders, not just season ticket holders, for the first year and potentially beyond. In a council hearing, Squilla voiced concerns about the responsibility of both the city and the arena developers to meet public transit usage goals, including having the Sixers continue to offer transit passes until 40% of attendees are using public transit. At present, about 85% of spectators drive to events at the Wells Fargo Center, which points toward a significant shift in transportation needs if the new arena ensues, as per The Philadelphia Inquirer.
In tandem with discussions on SEPTA pass funding, city lawmakers are considering two pieces of legislation related to the arena. One would disentangle the arena's site from an existing tax financing district conducive to the Fashion District mall, while the other would establish a new oversight district around the proposed arena location. Notably, both bills were advanced by the City Council's Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, despite opposition from Councilmember at-large Rue Landau and West Philadelphia Councilmember Jamie Gauthier. They stated they had too many lingering questions about the project's broader impact on the community and the transit system, as detailed by CBS News Philadelphia.
With SEPTA already facing an operational shortfall, concerns have been raised about whether the free SEPTA passes proposed by the 76ers are a sufficient remedy to the traffic and transportation conundrums posed by the new arena. Critics argue that the proposed one-year provision of transit passes skirts the larger issue of the transit system's financial sustainability. A coalition of organizations opposed to the arena highlighted in a statement that SEPTA officials estimate the authority will face millions of dollars a year in additional operational costs as a result of the arena. They argue free passes for a season will not mitigate the larger funding gap, as reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
With the City Council in the final weeks of their session for the year, the destiny of the proposed arena hangs in the balance. Lawmakers are recognizing the pressing need to make a decision. Despite some being in favor of the project for the potential it has to rejuvenate the center city corridor, others like Councilmember Kendra Brooks have expressed skepticism about the project's placement, suggesting the arena may be better suited in another location, away from Market East. The Sixers, meanwhile, assert that the city must authorize the project within the year to meet their construction timeline, aiming to have the new arena ready for the 2031 NBA season, as indicated by PhillyVoice.
