Rash of Transit Funding Crises May Impact Members from Coast to Coast

It’s a headline that’s becoming more and more frequent across the country: a transit agency faces funding issues or an impending fiscal cliff, which will likely result in increased fares, service cuts, or a combination or the two.  
 
From Chicago to Philadelphia to San Francisco, multiple cities face difficult decisions about the futures of their transit agencies as the impact of reduced funding, or a lack of funding becomes a reality.  
 
No matter the exact cause, one thing is clear: SMART-TD members and the riding public will ultimately suffer the consequences. 

Death by a Thousand Cuts  

In what’s arguably the most-publicized and widest-reaching out of all the funding cuts on the chopping block (but far from the only one), Regional Transportation Authority officials in Chicago are considering reducing services by as much as 40% unless lawmakers act within the month. 
 
This means that up to 20% of Chicagoans who rely on public transit for their daily commutes and other important travel needs would be left stranded.  

In Philadelphia, SEPTA is looking at a similar scenario. As reported by the Philadelphia Tribune, SEPTA has released a budget proposal featuring a 45% cut in service, fare increases, and workforce reductions.  

In San Francisco, the municipal transit agency is looking at a $322 million budget deficit. The city has a committee working to present six different plans on how the city will close this gap. No matter what combination of cost cutting and new revenue streams this committee settles on, it may be forced to reduce the services the transit authority is able to offer.

However, these proposed service reductions extend beyond just the riding public.  
 
Cutting this infrastructure also impacts SMART-TD members, many of whom operate these vital, frontline transit vehicles every day and ensure that riders reach their destinations safely and efficiently.  
 
The fact that our brothers and sisters could be forced to pay the price for management’s lack of fiscal responsibility and longstanding budget shortfalls is an insult to the dedication and professionalism that are hallmarks of the duties that they perform.

Public Deserves Access to Fully Funded Transit 

 
Regardless of where they live, SMART-TD believes that all Americans deserve access to reliable, fully funded public transit.  
 
Reducing or cutting this vital resource is a disservice to the riding public and our members, who are dedicated to ensuring that these systems operate as intended and under the safest conditions possible. 
 
Investing in our communities means investing in public transit, and we call on local, state, and federal leaders to fulfill their fiscal duty by funding these systems so that they can operate at their full potential and serve their riders.