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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. Michael McGeehan |
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McGeehan, Stack call for solution
to state’s transportation infrastructure crisis
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 1 -- Standing at SEPTA’s aging Holmesburg Junction Station, state Sen. Mike Stack and state Rep. Mike McGeehan joined SEPTA officials and transportation advocates today to highlight the dire need for a long-term funding solution for Pennsylvania’s crumbling transportation infrastructure.
“We are dealing with a crisis in Pennsylvania that affects every single citizen. Our transportation system is falling apart right under our tires,” said Stack, D-Phila. “For too long, the growing needs of our roads, bridges and mass transit systems have been ignored, and we are left with a daunting task to come up with a lasting funding solution.”
Last summer, the Pennsylvania Transportation Funding Advisory Commission reported that the state’s annual transportation deficit has grown to $3.5 billion.
Pennsylvania has the third-greatest number of bridges in the nation and the largest percentage of “structurally deficient” bridges.
Philadelphia’s 85 structurally deficient and 145 “functionally obsolete” bridges are used 5.5 million times every day.
“Without knowing it, motorists are putting their lives on the line every time they cross one of these bridges,” said McGeehan, D-Phila., the Democratic chairman of the House Transportation Committee. “Across Pennsylvania, bridges and sections of highways are closed because we have no way to repair them. This must not continue, for the sake of safety and economic vitality. If this Commonwealth and this city want to move forward toward a brighter future, we must start with repairing and maintaining our roads and bridges.”
In addition to state-owned structures, the bridges along SEPTA’s regional rail system have an average age in excess of 80 years.
Last year, approximately 1 million people used SEPTA daily to get to work, school, appointments, tourist attractions and more. More than 613 of those riders used the Holmesburg Junction Station, at 4799 Rhawn St., every day.
“Our regional rail lines are functional but they have been ignored for far too long,” Stack said. “The Holmesburg station has few passenger amenities and has had very few upgrades in the past 50 years. If we want to attract more residents and visitors to use SEPTA, we must make repairs and modernize. Holmesburg is just one example of the critical need to invest in our state’s public transit systems.”
Infrastructure investment creates jobs immediately and has long-term economic benefits. According to Senate Democratic Caucus calculations, a $1 investment in public transportation generates $4 in new economic activity; a $100 infrastructure investment returns $350 to our economy; and a $1 billion investment in highway and bridge improvements supports 30,000 jobs.
“Structurally sound mass transit systems are crucial to our safety, our economy, our tourism and our prosperity,” Stack said. “This crisis must not be ignored any longer. It demands a comprehensive, long-term funding solution.”
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