PSA calls attention to transit funding shortfall

With the transit funding shortfalls the Greater Philadelphia region will face in the coming years, agencies are going to have to get creative with their fundraising. This month, the Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers has attempted just that and launched a transit funding PSA on the new Silverliner V cars.

Through November, the digital screens on the new Silverliner V cars will run a public service announcement asking riders to contact their lawmakers and tell them to support mass transit funding.

The PSA directs riders to DVARP’s website for more information on how to contact the appropriate officials.

“We’re running this PSA because many SEPTA riders don’t realize how dire the funding situation is,” said Andy Sharpe, DVARP communications director. “We want to let them know before it’s too late and SEPTA is forced to inflict dramatic service cuts or fare hikes beyond the normal inflationary ones.”

DVARP is not alone in encouraging the public to take a closer look at the region’s transportation funding shortfall. As PlanPhilly reported earlier, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission launched an interactive, web-based tool that lets users try to fund regional transit projects under predicted budgets.

As far as PlanPhilly can gather, no other major transit authorities in the country have transit funding PSAs at the moment.

DVARP’s text and photo-only video can be viewed online as well as on the Silverliner V digital screens, where it will be shown for the remainder of the month. Sharpe said DVARP is working to develop one or two videos with audio to show online.

The PSA was funded by a $5,000 grant from the American Public Transportation Association.

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