Flashjeff
Pink Lady's Number 1 Fan!
I live in Philadelphia, and we're faced with one hell of crisis regarding our mass transit system. Because of a lack of dedicated financing from the state government along with other problems too numerous to mention, our system (SEPTA) is staring at a whopping 62 million dollar deficit, and SEPTA has threatened to institute a draconian plan to close that gap which can only be best described as a doomsday scenario.
In a three-step process, SEPTA would raise the standard fare from it's current $2.00 a ride to $3.00, easily the highest in the nation. Next would come a reduction in weekday service by 20 percent, and the worst of it all----elimination of all weekend service for buses, trolleys and trains. That last part would result in catasttrophe, especially for the thousands and thousands of people who work on weekends and depend on SEPTA to get to their jobs. The notion of the nation's fifth largest city without weekend mass transit is nothing short of unthinkable.
As things stand, politians and the governor are doing what they can to prevent the implimentation of that plan which would go into full effect by March, unfortunately, politicians being the occasionally lower lifeforms they are have needlessly wrangled over the problem. The state legislature is controlled by the Republicans and are at odds with the governor who's a Democrat, and said legislature is headquartered in Harrisburg, in the western part of Pennsylvania, and it's hardly a secret that said legislature doesn't give a damn what happens to Philadelphia.
However, the problems with mass transit stretch all the way across the entire state, so a solution has to be found for everyone. I'm sure over cities from coast to coast are faced with similiar problems about the copious lack of funding for mass transit, a neccesity for everyone. Without mass transit, more cars would wind up on the roads and highways (the SEPTA board came right and admitted their plan would result in losing 20 percent of their ridership), resulting in more gridlock and more pollution being pumped into the air. It's a problem we all face and must find a solution to before things really get out of hand.
So, what's mass transit like in the towns and cities where you live? Are you faced with similar troubles like Philly? Check in and let us all know!
In a three-step process, SEPTA would raise the standard fare from it's current $2.00 a ride to $3.00, easily the highest in the nation. Next would come a reduction in weekday service by 20 percent, and the worst of it all----elimination of all weekend service for buses, trolleys and trains. That last part would result in catasttrophe, especially for the thousands and thousands of people who work on weekends and depend on SEPTA to get to their jobs. The notion of the nation's fifth largest city without weekend mass transit is nothing short of unthinkable.
As things stand, politians and the governor are doing what they can to prevent the implimentation of that plan which would go into full effect by March, unfortunately, politicians being the occasionally lower lifeforms they are have needlessly wrangled over the problem. The state legislature is controlled by the Republicans and are at odds with the governor who's a Democrat, and said legislature is headquartered in Harrisburg, in the western part of Pennsylvania, and it's hardly a secret that said legislature doesn't give a damn what happens to Philadelphia.
However, the problems with mass transit stretch all the way across the entire state, so a solution has to be found for everyone. I'm sure over cities from coast to coast are faced with similiar problems about the copious lack of funding for mass transit, a neccesity for everyone. Without mass transit, more cars would wind up on the roads and highways (the SEPTA board came right and admitted their plan would result in losing 20 percent of their ridership), resulting in more gridlock and more pollution being pumped into the air. It's a problem we all face and must find a solution to before things really get out of hand.
So, what's mass transit like in the towns and cities where you live? Are you faced with similar troubles like Philly? Check in and let us all know!