CITIZEN ACCESS

Transportation

With the high cost of gasoline, the increased traffic, congestion in our area, the need to reduce greenhouse gases like CO2 and the need for southeastern Pennsylvania to curb its NOx creating smog, this area should put mass transmit on its priority list. We feel the following issues should be fast tracked by our legislators.

  • A dedicated tax for transit. Nearly all PA transit contractors are competing for funds as they are running in the red. We hear that Senator Greenleaf has proposed using a small portion of the 6% sales tax for transit. This is a good start.
  • The R-3 Elwyn to Wawa engineering work necessary to bring the extension up to federal standards is taking a very long time. It needs to be speeded up and then the construction work begun. Also, think about the WAWA station not as a terminus, but rather as transportation center where buses from Chadds Ford and beyond and perhaps a light rail shuttle to and from West Chester would be installed.
  • Add a spur on the P&W Route 100 line to Norristown to go the King of Prussia Mall.
  • Bring back the old Reading Line to Pottstown and then on to Reading using Norfolk Southern track where necessary and using diesel equipment until the commuter traffic warrants electrifying the line west of Norristown.
  • Encourage car sharing. Once people realize they can do without a car for most of their activities, the use of cars for unimportant or frivolous errands disappears.
  • Base the cost of Pennsylvania’s registration fee on the number of miles driven the year before. The more miles driven, the larger the fee. Accomplish this mileage number through the car inspection.
  • Remove the clause in Amtrak’s contract with the federal government—initiated in the past few years—that require Amtrak to raise fares exorbitantly to get their subsidy. The cost of Amtrak tickets in the N.E. corridor is hurting the use of this train.
  • With the mostly dismal sales reports from Detroit and the glowing reports from Asia, U.S. automakers know they have to raise fuel standards for their fleets. So, C.A.F.E. standards increases are less needed, especially if sales tax rates are based on the number of miles a vehicle gets on a gallon of gas.
  • Require all vehicles (except antique cars) —especially those driven less than 5000 miles in a year—to have a PA tailpipe emission test at least every third year.