Inadequate Public Transportation Financing Paints a Grim Climate Picture for Philadelphia

In the heart of Philadelphia, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) serves as a lifeline for many, managing a network that spans 2,200 square miles, reaching as far north as Trenton, New Jersey, and as far south as Wilmington, Delaware. One of its most heavily used lines, the Paoli/Thorndale, is currently facing elimination due to a funding shortfall of $213 million, caused by an impasse in state budget negotiations.

The Paoli/Thorndale line, almost 200 years old, has been an engine of the area's growth and the reason for its name, the Main Line. Before the pandemic, it carried over 6 million passengers in and out of the city in 2019. The line's impending elimination could mean an additional 275,000 cars on the road each day, according to the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission.

The impact of this increase in traffic is twofold. Firstly, increased congestion due to more cars on the road has a compounding effect, as stop-and-go traffic is less fuel efficient than traffic moving at a constant rate. This could generate an additional 300,000 metric tons of carbon in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties every year.

Secondly, reducing public transit encourages people to make less sustainable choices, affecting decisions about where to live, where to attend school, and whether it's necessary to own a car. Longer-distance commuting trips can be difficult to substitute with anything besides a private car.

Before the funding crisis, public transit in Philadelphia, specifically SEPTA, contributed about 28% of the city's greenhouse gas emissions. The state's climate action plan recommends increasing the frequency and number of public transit stops, increasing public transit's reliability and efficiency, and expanding reduced-fare options for low-income passengers.

SEPTA has its own climate goals to reduce vehicle emissions and improve energy and water efficiency. The destruction of the Paoli/Thorndale line would result in a 40 percent increase in delays on U.S. 202 in Chester County. The destruction of the trolley line owned by the Philadelphia and Western Railway, which ran alongside part of the Paoli/Thorndale route, was a precursor to this, happening in 1956 and replaced with buses.

The head of SEPTA, in January 2023, officially commented on the planned cuts to the regional rail line, addressing their impact on the region's environmental image and traffic. Philadelphia's 2025 climate action update aims to increase the accessibility of public transit and the number of trips per capita by 80%.

The 1950s saw the birth of the Schuylkill Expressway, which has been plagued by safety problems and delays from the start. The expressway is still one of the most dangerous roads in Pennsylvania. In contrast, the Paoli/Thorndale line, with its numerous historical signs marking stations that no longer exist, serves as a visible reminder of the past trolley line.

The most visible reminders of the past trolley line are a handful of historical signs posted along the path, each one a marker for a station that no longer exists. The line's elimination would not only disrupt the daily commute for many but also have significant environmental and traffic implications. The fate of the Paoli/Thorndale line remains uncertain as SEPTA navigates the funding shortfall and the impact on the region's environmental future and traffic flow.

Inadequate Public Transportation Financing Paints a Grim Climate Picture for Philadelphia