Pennsylvania Transit Expansion Coalition
Encyclopedia
The Pennsylvania Transit Expansion Coalition (PA-TEC) is a network of transit advocates who promote responsible investment in transit expansion. The organization's goal is to work with local transit organizations (SEPTA, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
[DVRPC]) to redirect limited transportation funding to investment in expanding rail-based transit in the Philadelphia area and other urban cores in Pennsylvania
.
line, which last operated in January 1983. Since then, the organization has expanded its goals, which, according its website, "support capital investments in projects that do not contribute to suburban sprawl or perpetuate automobile dependency."
In 2011, PA-TEC moved away from being a single-issue organization and begun focusing on the poor application of capital funding at SEPTA on projects such as fences and bus loops, which consume millions in funding. PA-TEC states that capital funding needs to be reprioritized to projects that show quantifiable results such as increase in transit use or reduction in vehicle miles travelled.
At present, PA-TEC consists of a close network of advocates with no hierarchy. The organization publishes a monthly online newsletter
detailing recent events and communications made with local politicians and townships in the region.
(OOR) determined that Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) was covered under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law (RTKL) of 2008 and was therefore required to provide access to public records in its possession. DVRPC, in response to several requests for information from the PA-TEC, had previously argued that it was exempt, as it was a multi-state agency that did not perform essential function. The OOR overruled DVRPC's assessment, statign that the RTKL eliminated the requirement than an entity perform an essential governmental function in order to be considered an agency. The OOR had further determined that members of PA-TEC, despite repeated attempts to obtain information from DVRPC, had not engaged in disruptive behavior, which the DVRPC stated had “a chilling effect” on citizen participation because they involve e-mails exchanged with leaders of the RCC, who aren't employees of the commission."
The OOR ordered the DVRPC to comply with PA-TEC's request and release all documents the group has requested; DVPRC has 30 days from the date of the rulings to produce the documents or file an appeal.
The ruling has serious consequences concerning the workings of the DVRPC. Documents produced by the DVRPC are now presumed public, resulting in the commission only able to refuse the release documents under certain narrow exceptions spelled out in the RTKL. PlanPhilly.com has called the decision "a landmark ruling."
to expand the highway and restore passenger rail service to Wyomissing, Pennsylvania
(via a redesigned Schuylkill Valley Metro
). On September 13, 2011, through an invitation by Pennsylvania House of Representatives
member Mike Vereb
, PA-TEC appeared at an open forum on the project where DVRPC Executive Director Barry Seymour was presenting. PA-TEC interacted with residents and presented an alternative plan to restore rail service between Reading and Philadelphia by Amtrak
, operating either to Harrisburg via Hershey, or to Philadephia via the International Airport, or to New York City. On October 5, 2011, under increasing pressure and opposition, DVRPC cancelled the tolling proposal and stated that the highway would be expanded under regular PennDOT programming instead.
SEPTA rejected PA-TEC's request, believing the benefits of such "signage was deemed non-existent, since SEPTA's rights to the out-of-service rights-of-way (ROW) are clearly protected as matters of real estate/railroad law, as well as the individual lease with the County. The same would apply to any other recreational trails presently being used by municipalities over SEPTA out-of-service railroad ROW's." SEPTA concluded that the expense of installing signs, "no matter how small, for the sole purpose of demarcating SEPTA's otherwise well established legal ownership rights in the ROW, cannot be financially justified." This position was echoed by Rina Cutler, Philadelphia Deputy Mayor of Transportation.
PA-TEC responded in the press by calling SEPTA's response "an act resembling Pontius Pilate
", stating that SEPTA was "going against their enabling legislation per Pennsylvania State Law." PA-TEC added that SEPTA "has washed their hands of the (Fox Chase/Newtown) line by refusing to associate their name with it in public. Without any analysis, SEPTA has rejected a taxpayer funded federal study that provides specific recommendations that best preserve dormant railways."
The transit advocacy group added that they are "concerned that SEPTA is creating an additional constituency resistant to putting rails on a (SEPTA) owned ROW, in this case the trail users," concluding that "the trail use will create an additional avenue of resistance even for those who would never be trail users. NIMBY
s... will be avid trail users, not for the sake of the trail, but to prevent rail use."
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission is the metropolitan planning organization for the Delaware Valley. Created in 1965 by an interstate compact, DVRPC is responsible for transportation and regional planning in the greater Philadelphia area.-History:The first evidence of regional...
[DVRPC]) to redirect limited transportation funding to investment in expanding rail-based transit in the Philadelphia area and other urban cores in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
History and Activities
Founded in August 2009, PA-TEC was originally created to lobby for restored passenger train service on the SEPTA-owned Fox Chase-NewtownFox Chase Line
The Fox Chase Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail system.Originally known as the Fox Chase/Newtown Branch, service was truncated in January 1983 from Newtown to its current terminus in Philadelphia at Fox Chase due to unreliable train equipment and low ridership...
line, which last operated in January 1983. Since then, the organization has expanded its goals, which, according its website, "support capital investments in projects that do not contribute to suburban sprawl or perpetuate automobile dependency."
In 2011, PA-TEC moved away from being a single-issue organization and begun focusing on the poor application of capital funding at SEPTA on projects such as fences and bus loops, which consume millions in funding. PA-TEC states that capital funding needs to be reprioritized to projects that show quantifiable results such as increase in transit use or reduction in vehicle miles travelled.
At present, PA-TEC consists of a close network of advocates with no hierarchy. The organization publishes a monthly online newsletter
Newsletter
A newsletter is a regularly distributed publication generally about one main topic that is of interest to its subscribers. Newspapers and leaflets are types of newsletters. Additionally, newsletters delivered electronically via email have gained rapid acceptance for the same reasons email in...
detailing recent events and communications made with local politicians and townships in the region.
Newtown Branch efforts
The Newtown Branch Restoration project was chosen by PA-TEC based on current transit conditions in the northern Philadelphia suburbs, estimated project cost, ridership, and benefit to the served region. A significant amount of local interest from residents along the corridor also contributed to PA-TEC's efforts. Under current DVRPC and SEPTA policy, the needs of the Newtown Line have been deemed unimportant and not a priority.DVRPC Right-to-Know Law ruling
On July 19, 2011, the Pennsylvania Office of Open RecordsPennsylvania Office of Open Records
The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records is a governmental agency in Pennsylvania that administers the Pennsylvania Right to Know Law.Decisions made by the Office of Open Records regarding appeals, called "final determinations," are available online....
(OOR) determined that Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) was covered under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law (RTKL) of 2008 and was therefore required to provide access to public records in its possession. DVRPC, in response to several requests for information from the PA-TEC, had previously argued that it was exempt, as it was a multi-state agency that did not perform essential function. The OOR overruled DVRPC's assessment, statign that the RTKL eliminated the requirement than an entity perform an essential governmental function in order to be considered an agency. The OOR had further determined that members of PA-TEC, despite repeated attempts to obtain information from DVRPC, had not engaged in disruptive behavior, which the DVRPC stated had “a chilling effect” on citizen participation because they involve e-mails exchanged with leaders of the RCC, who aren't employees of the commission."
The OOR ordered the DVRPC to comply with PA-TEC's request and release all documents the group has requested; DVPRC has 30 days from the date of the rulings to produce the documents or file an appeal.
The ruling has serious consequences concerning the workings of the DVRPC. Documents produced by the DVRPC are now presumed public, resulting in the commission only able to refuse the release documents under certain narrow exceptions spelled out in the RTKL. PlanPhilly.com has called the decision "a landmark ruling."
U.S. Route 422 Toll Proposal
In October 2011, PA-TEC developed a position outlining problems with DVRPC’s proposal to toll U.S. Route 422U.S. Route 422
U.S. Route 422 is a long spur route of US 22 split into two segments in the U.S. states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. The western spur begins in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and ends at Ebensburg, Pennsylvania...
to expand the highway and restore passenger rail service to Wyomissing, Pennsylvania
Wyomissing, Pennsylvania
Wyomissing is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States, established on July 2, 1906. The population was 8,587 at the 2000 census, but after the January, 2002 merger with neighboring Wyomissing Hills, the combined 2000 Census estimate was 11,155 making it the most populous borough in...
(via a redesigned Schuylkill Valley Metro
Schuylkill Valley Metro
The Schuylkill Valley Metro was a proposal for a 62-mile railway system that would link Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with the city of Reading, Pennsylvania in central Berks County, USA, using the SEPTA Manayunk/Norristown Line and Cynwyd Line, as well as two current freight-only rights-of-way owned...
). On September 13, 2011, through an invitation by Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two year terms from single member districts....
member Mike Vereb
Mike Vereb
Mike Vereb is a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 150th legislative district. He was first elected in 2006....
, PA-TEC appeared at an open forum on the project where DVRPC Executive Director Barry Seymour was presenting. PA-TEC interacted with residents and presented an alternative plan to restore rail service between Reading and Philadelphia by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, operating either to Harrisburg via Hershey, or to Philadephia via the International Airport, or to New York City. On October 5, 2011, under increasing pressure and opposition, DVRPC cancelled the tolling proposal and stated that the highway would be expanded under regular PennDOT programming instead.
Rejection of Security Measures for Preserving SEPTA-owned dormant railroad lines
In March 2011, PA-TEC requested that SEPTA consider demarking their four dormant railroad lines acting as rail trails with signage. PA-TEC was willing to work with the transit agency on this project, in hopes of maintain a high profile for the dormant rail corridors. Their request was based on a federal study completed by the National Transportation Research Board in 2007, which stated that such signage gives "notice to adjacent landowners and the public generally that an interim period of low-impact or recreational use does not proscribe future development of active passenger or freight rail activity. Provisions may include large, conspicuous signage along the trail alignments and/or disclosure requirements for adjoining property sale transactions that make clear the potential future use of the [rail] corridors in question."SEPTA rejected PA-TEC's request, believing the benefits of such "signage was deemed non-existent, since SEPTA's rights to the out-of-service rights-of-way (ROW) are clearly protected as matters of real estate/railroad law, as well as the individual lease with the County. The same would apply to any other recreational trails presently being used by municipalities over SEPTA out-of-service railroad ROW's." SEPTA concluded that the expense of installing signs, "no matter how small, for the sole purpose of demarcating SEPTA's otherwise well established legal ownership rights in the ROW, cannot be financially justified." This position was echoed by Rina Cutler, Philadelphia Deputy Mayor of Transportation.
PA-TEC responded in the press by calling SEPTA's response "an act resembling Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilatus , known in the English-speaking world as Pontius Pilate , was the fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, from AD 26–36. He is best known as the judge at Jesus' trial and the man who authorized the crucifixion of Jesus...
", stating that SEPTA was "going against their enabling legislation per Pennsylvania State Law." PA-TEC added that SEPTA "has washed their hands of the (Fox Chase/Newtown) line by refusing to associate their name with it in public. Without any analysis, SEPTA has rejected a taxpayer funded federal study that provides specific recommendations that best preserve dormant railways."
The transit advocacy group added that they are "concerned that SEPTA is creating an additional constituency resistant to putting rails on a (SEPTA) owned ROW, in this case the trail users," concluding that "the trail use will create an additional avenue of resistance even for those who would never be trail users. NIMBY
NIMBY
NIMBY or Nimby is an acronym for the phrase "not in my back yard". The term is used pejoratively to describe opposition by residents to a proposal for a new development close to them. Opposing residents themselves are sometimes called Nimbies...
s... will be avid trail users, not for the sake of the trail, but to prevent rail use."
Additional expansion/preservation efforts
Other passenger rail expansion efforts PA-TEC has endorsed are listed as follows:- Greenline
- Broad Street Subway (a.k.a. Orange Line) - Roosevelt Boulevard Extension
- Elwyn-Wawa extension
- West Chester RailroadWest Chester RailroadThe West Chester Railroad is a privately owned and operated tourist railroad that runs between Market Street in West Chester, Pennsylvania in Chester County and the village of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania in Delaware County....
- Passenger/freight service on the Octararo Branch in Chester County (OATS)
See also
- SEPTA
- SEPTA Regional RailSEPTA Regional RailThe SEPTA Regional Rail system consists of commuter rail service on thirteen branches to over 150 active stations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and its suburbs. Service on most lines runs from 5:30 AM to midnight...
- Fox Chase/Newtown LineFox Chase LineThe Fox Chase Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail system.Originally known as the Fox Chase/Newtown Branch, service was truncated in January 1983 from Newtown to its current terminus in Philadelphia at Fox Chase due to unreliable train equipment and low ridership...
- Delaware Valley Regional Planning CommissionDelaware Valley Regional Planning CommissionThe Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission is the metropolitan planning organization for the Delaware Valley. Created in 1965 by an interstate compact, DVRPC is responsible for transportation and regional planning in the greater Philadelphia area.-History:The first evidence of regional...
- LEED for Neighborhood DevelopmentLEED for Neighborhood DevelopmentLEED for Neighborhood Development, or LEED-ND, is a rating system that integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism and green building into the first national system for neighborhood design. LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a development's location and...