By I. Pliskin
Fresh off the heels of news that union workers have come to an agreement with SEPTA staving off a major strike – Philadelphia City Council has voted on Thursday to send a notice to Governor Shapiro’s doorstep urging that he use his executive power to authorize the reappropriation of highway funds into public transportation for the region.
Early in the morning at City Hall, there was a bit of a quiet stillness outside. As I got off my train and made my way to the imposing building an older man ambitiously offered me a wild picked flower in exchange for romantic interest. I declined as politely as I could and moved on as I tried to figure out which side or corner of the imposing building I was supposed to enter from. I saw a man flag down a security guard hanging around for a brief question which I couldn’t quite hear. But I figured I’d try my luck asking the guard where and how I should make my way into the building. He told me I ought to just follow the last person he talked to. I paced up to the stranger to introduce myself and let him know the predicament. He let me know that it was going to be the blind leading the blind, as he had little more knowledge of where we were supposed to be heading than I probably did. Ladies first – we found what looked like a front entrance and he figured it would somehow be more amicable if I was the first to make my way into the building in the event of any unforeseen difficulties.
Past two separate security gateways I manage to get to the room where City Council is having its deliberations for the day. The room itself is quite grand. Roman columns, gold trim and mahogany wood type stuff. It’s also literally just a pretty big space. What left a bigger impression to me than the space itself was just how densely packed it was with people. When I made my way into the room, security urged that I find myself a seat. Which is honestly odd because there weren’t really any seats available. All seats were filled and there were people lined all against the walls. I found myself a nice little corner to settle into to watch the proceedings from.
At the front and center of the room was the Council, settled down going through preliminary motions, ordinances, and other whatnots. And all around otherwise were members of the general public, many of whom came to speak and testify on behalf of Resolution 241075 to call on the Governor to use state highway funding to help finance SEPTA and stave off fare hikes. A sight to behold, all sorts of people from all types of groups and organizations not just from the city, but from the whole metropolitan area. People weren’t just there, they were organized and ready to go. Many of the groups were adorned and studying over printed out information packets. People were looking over their typed out speeches. I would note that I showed up on time and the space was filled up like it was way before I arrived.
After some proceedings the floor was opened for public comment from those who had registered to provide comment, in the order in which they registered. People began to be called by name to line up to speak up at a central podium. What followed was a mostly uninterrupted series of person after person stressing the impact of SEPTA in their personal lives, in the communities they live in and the inevitable harm that would result in either an increase in fair prices or cutbacks in service. It was about an hour and a half time between the first and final public comment.
Some commentary of note:
A self described young disabled professional emphasized the importance of public transit for disabled people to full participants in the city, and also that public transit saves lives by reducing incidences of drunk driving and just removing the number of cars on the road in general leading to less fatal accidents.
Someone from a climate control group emphasized that all price increases and service cuts threaten our collective ability to reduce greenhouse gas and also infringes on our established rights to clean breathable air.
A mother of two in the Kensington neighborhood stated how public transit was how she drops her kids off at school, that her family uses transit heavily for weekend recreation, and that service cuts would mean her family spending less on the local economy as well as her family adding to traffic congestion if they have to start using a car.
Someone in a nice suit asked if everyone who took the train down to City Hall could raise their hand, and emphasized how council people weren’t among those who raised their hand.
A lot of people mentioned how they specifically moved to Philadelphia for its transit system, and that service cuts would make them have to reconsider continuing to be residents.
A Delaware County seamstress stated that fair hikes and service cuts would put SEPTA into a “death spiral” and that a “SEPTA death spiral would be a death spiral for my business”.
Public comment was capped off by an individual in a wheelchair emphasizing the importance of accessible public transportation for those with disabilities in the city, as well as the generally marginalized.
Ultimately, City Council voted unanimously in favor of Resolution 241075, but that’s not the end of this yet. It’s still up to Governor Shapiro whether he’ll hear out the collective voices of the city and use his executive power in the way that has been proscribed. The fight isn’t over for us, the people in common. We must continue to advocate, organize, and apply pressure to the powers at be to have our collective needs and demands voiced and subsequently met.
And I don’t mean “us” abstractly. I mean you, too – the person reading this. The only thing special about the people who put their voices forward today was that they had a free Thursday morning to do so. I know that’s not nothing. I know it’s not nothing to get up in front of a big room to speak your ideas and perspectives through. I didn’t have it in me to speak up today, but I did muster up the will to show up in support of the people who could speak up. Maybe it’s time to think of where you can show up? If you’re scared, if you haven’t put yourself out there before, show up scared. If you can’t show up maybe you can call somebody, email somebody, Whatever small step you got in you. Because when we show up for each other, when we speak out for each other, we become the ones who have the power.
UPDATE 11/25
As of drafting this article Governor Shapiro proposed a $283 million cash injection for SEPTA, of which only a single $46 million payment was approved by state lawmakers. On the same day the news broke that SEPTA announced a new fare hike, and a 20% overall cut to service to begin in the new year. “Two hearings will be held on Dec. 13 – first at 10 a.m., and second at 4 p.m. – at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City.” Apparently Pre-registration is required to attend, but all links seem to point to dead ends on the SEPTA website.
The Philadelphia Partisan 