Philadelphia, PA—A study released today by the Pennsylvania Public Interest Research Group (PennPIRG) shows the benefits of boosting transit funding for the Philadelphia metro area, and the importance of giving commuters more alternatives to driving during a time of soaring gas prices and increasing traffic congestion. In Philadelphia, the average rush hour traveler now loses 52% more of their time to congestion each yea, according to the study, while increased congestion, combined with rising gas prices, cost drivers more than $2 billion in 2005.
Rising gas costs have been a drag on the economy, and PennPIRG’s analysis shows how the average driver would have spent their entire $1500 Federal tax rebate on paying the increased cost of gas by the middle of this summer.
The study also makes the case for boosting Federal funding for SEPTA expansions, and specifically touts the benefits of extending Metro up Roosevelt Blvd. One quarter of Northeast Philadelphia residents don’t own a car and rely on the bus system for travel needs. The combination of dense housing, traffic problems, and poor transit alternatives makes Roosevelt Boulevard an optimal place for investment in a major transit project. After a four-year, $1.4 million study of the transportation problems of Northeast Philadelphia and Roosevelt Boulevard and the potential solutions, an expansion of SEPTA’s subway system into the corridor was recommended. Because the area is well-suited to such a transit improvement, ridership would be expected to rival Philadelphia’s other major subway lines at 124,500 daily boardings, replacing 83,300 daily car trips, and saving 12,900 hours of wasted time each day from reduced congestion and faster travel.
Read the full report.
