Getting on Track Good Investments for Pennsylvania’s Public Transit System Getting on Track Good Investments for Pennsylvania’s Public Transit System PennPIRG Education Fund Timothy Telleen-Lawton Frontier Group James Browning PennPIRG Education Fund September 2008 Acknowledgments The authors wish to thank Lance Haver of the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office and Nathan Wilcox of PennEnvironment for their review of and assistance with this report. The au- thors would also like to thank Tony Dutzik of Frontier Group and Phineas Baxandall of U.S. PIRG for their editorial assistance. The generous financial support of the Surdna Foundation made this report possible. The authors bear responsibility for any factual errors. The recommendations are those of PennPIRG Education Fund. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of our funders or those who provided review. Copyright 2008 PennPIRG Education Fund With public debate around important issues often dominated by special interests pursuing their own narrow agendas, PennPIRG Education Fund offers an independent voice that works on behalf of the public interest. PennPIRG Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) organiza- tion, works to protect consumers and promote good government. We investigate problems, craft solutions, educate the public, and offer Pennsylvanians meaningful opportunities for civic participation. Frontier Group conducts independent research and policy analysis to support a cleaner, healthier and more democratic society. Our mission is to inject accurate information and compelling ideas into public policy debates at the local, state and federal levels. For more information about PennPIRG Education Fund or for additional copies of this report, please visit www.pennpirg.org. Cover rendering: Courtesy of Dranoff Properties Design and layout: Harriet Eckstein Graphic Design Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Introduction 5 Transportation Problems Are Growing 7 Driving Has Increased in Pennsylvania 8 Oil Consumption Is Growing 8 Pollution Is Increasing 9 Highway Expansion Hasn’t Solved Pennsylvania’s Transportation Problems 10 Congestion Is Making Transportation Problems Worse 10 Transit Ridership Is on the Rise 11 Pennsylvania Has Great Opportunities to Invest in Transit 12 Philadelphia Area 12 Pittsburgh Area 16 Harrisburg-Lancaster Area 17 Scranton-Wilkes-Barre and Northeastern Pennsylvania 18 Lehigh Valley 18 Reading 18 Pittsburgh to Philadelphia High Speed Rail 19 Centre County Region 20 Policy Recommendations 21 Notes 23 Executive Summary ennsylvania has long spent vastly increased by 21 percent, for an addi- more public resources on highways tional 23 billion miles of annual travel. Pthan on transit to meet our trans- portation needs. While Pennsylvania’s • Despite large investments in road highway system provides the Keystone expansion projects, gridlock is increas- State with increased mobility, our historic ing on the Commonwealth’s highways. neglect of transit is inflicting a heavy price Congestion in the Philadelphia and – leaving too few of us with good alterna- Pittsburgh areas, as well as the Lehigh tives to skyrocketing gasoline prices and Valley, has gotten markedly worse increasingly gridlocked commutes. since 1990, costing the economies of There are dozens of important public the three regions an estimated $2.5 transportation projects that can play an billion in 2005. Most of that cost is important role in addressing the Com- borne by commuters through lost monwealth’s transportation challenges. time and increased expenditure on By moving ahead with these projects, gas. Pennsylvania can give more of its residents new transportation choices, reduce our • Pennsylvanians are more dependent dependence on oil, ease congestion, and on oil than ever before and many face curb pollution. crushing financial burdens due to higher gasoline prices. The amount of Pennsylvania’s transportation sys- gasoline and diesel used in Pennsylva- tem is doing an increasingly poor job nia grew 24 percent between 1990 and of moving people and goods efficiently 2005. Pennsylvania now spends over and inexpensively around the Keystone $1,000 per person on gasoline each State, while contributing to oil depen- year, more than twice as much it did dence and environmental harm. in 1990. • Since 1990, the number of miles • Global warming pollution from traveled on Pennsylvania’s highways Pennsylvania’s transportation sector Executive Summary Figure ES-1. Spending on Gasoline in Pennsylvania Has Increased Dramatically $14 $12 $10 $8 $6 $4 $2 Billions of Dollars Spent on Gasoline (Nominal) Gasoline on Spent Dollars of Billions $0 1990 1995 2000 2005 has grown more than 20 percent in example, has grown more than 20 the last 15 years. percent in the last year, after track up- grades increased the train’s top speed. Pennsylvania’s public transportation Ridership on SEPTA’s commuter rail systems already make an important system increased by nearly 8 percent contribution toward reducing oil con- in 2007. sumption, traffic congestion and global warming pollution. By building a series of critical – and often long-delayed – public transpor- • In 2006, the state’s transit services tation projects, Pennsylvania can help saved more than 110 million gallons solve its transportation problems. There of gasoline, prevented 755,000 metric are many worthy transit expansion projects tons of global warming pollution, and – many of which have been on the drawing saved Pennsylvanians more than 20 board for decades – that can expand Penn- million hours of sitting in traffic. sylvanians’ access to transit and improve the state’s transportation system. • Pennsylvanians are increasingly turn- ing to public transportation as an • The Philadelphia area is home to the alternative to higher gasoline prices biggest transit network in the state. and tougher commutes. Ridership Philadelphia’s growth, however, has on Amtrak’s Keystone Corridor, for outpaced the expansion of the region’s 2 Getting On Track run along the Philadelphia Water- front would increase the reach of existing trains from South Jersey Bradley Maule with a second line allowing access to the destinations along the Dela- ware River. o Extending the Elywn Line to Wawa and Sylmar via Chadds Ford and Oxford would expand Philadelphia’s transit network to the southwest. After decades of service cuts and budget crises, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation • The Pittsburgh area has several Authority (SEPTA) has secured critical new exciting transit projects that use exist- state funding and is poised to expand to meet ing heavy rail tracks, would build new the region’s transportation needs. light-rail lines, or simply expand bus service. transit network. While existing rail lines are heavily used, and service in o The Spine Line Light Rail would a number of areas will soon become expand Pittsburgh’s existing light- more frequent, great opportunities for rail network to include Oakland improving service to new areas have and extend towards Homestead or been left on the drawing board for Wilkinsburg. lack of funding despite their signifi- cant benefits. o Cranberry Township has plans to create a modern bus transit system o Making services more convenient to improve transportation op- and easier to use can be a relatively tions within this rapidly growing inexpensive way of increasing rid- community and for commutes to ership, from a streamlined website Pittsburgh. to free wireless internet on trains. o The Allegheny Valley Commuter o The Roosevelt Boulevard Metro Rail would shuttle residents of would be a new subway line from Lawrenceville, Verona, Oakmont, Center City Philadelphia to North- New Kensington and Arnold to east Philadelphia, where the 12- Pittsburgh’s Strip District. lane Roosevelt Boulevard is unable to handle growing congestion and o A Latrobe to Pittsburgh com- safety issues. muter rail line would link com- munities along the congested Route o Connecting Thorndale and 30 corridor, including Wilkins- Trenton, N.J., via Norristown burg, Swissvale, Braddock, East with a new Cross County Metro Pittsburgh, Wilmerding, Trafford, rail line, would facilitate east-west Irwin, Jeannette and Greensburg. travel across the region. • The Harrisburg – Lancaster area’s o Expanding the PATCO Line to CorridorOne commuter rail project Executive Summary would connect Harrisburg with If the existing tracks and ties were Lancaster to the southeast, along with upgraded, a study predicted that as several communities in between. The many as 4,267 trips might take place project is intended to be the first step on the line each day. in a larger network of regional rail transit. Mechanicsburg, to the west of • The Schuylkill Valley Metro pro- Harrisburg in Cumberland County, is posal would link Reading into the one of the areas that is being consid- Philadelphia-area rail network with 62 ered for connecting service. miles of new route. • Linking Scranton-Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania took the first step to ad- and Northeastern Pennsylvania dressing its long-term transit needs with with New York City via a connec- the creation of a dedicated state funding tion with New Jersey Transit would source for transit in 2007. Thanks to this bring new opportunities to the region. new funding source, SEPTA announced A commuter rail connection used to plans this August to expand service on exist and reinstating the service some of its busiest bus and train routes, would help relieve congestion in including the R5 to Paoli/Thorndale,