The Pennsylvania Transit Expansion Coalition (PA-TEC) is a network of transit advocates, whose agenda is responsible investment in transit expansion. Our goal is to redirect our limited transportation funding to investment in expanding rail based transit in the southeastern Pennsylvania area, and other urban cores in Pennsylvania.
PA-TEC's mission is to mobilize passionate support for responsible spending of scarce capital funding for mass transit. We strive to be the catalyst to initiate projects that develop a stronger regional core, growth in mass transit utilization, and efficiency in operation by maximizing rail miles for riders.
PA-TEC’s litmus test for allocation of capital funding outside of critical system repairs, measures a combination of proximity to the region's core, and numbers of residents un-served (or obliquely served) by rail transit.
PA-TEC supports capital investments in projects that do not contribute to new sprawl and effectively serve the region's core. Further, we believe investments in rail transportation must deliver measurable results, such as faster train speeds, more frequent service, new areas served, increased ridership and added ammenities (such as stations with heated waiting rooms). Projects we support will directly contribute to a reduction in vehicle miles travelled and grow new riders.
The goal of this website is to keep the public and elected officials informed to the issues surrounding funding and prioritization of transportation capital projects.
PA-TEC's primary focus is reform of public transportation funding and prioritization of all funding for transit capital projects.
In times of declining Federal and State funding, and economic, environmental and energy challenges, Pennsylvania must reform how
transit is funded, and implement projects at the absolute minimal cost.
The secondary focus of PA-TEC is the reinstatement of rail service on SEPTA's Fox Chase-Newtown line in southeastern Pennsylvania.
The Newtown project remains the most popular and most publically supported passenger rail expansion project in the SEPTA service region, and
remains the most unpopular project at DVRPC, Montgomery County and SEPTA.
Under current DVRPC and SEPTA policy, land development, highway expansion and exurban growth have overtaken planning priorities at DVRPC, and foregone investments to corridors within the urban core. This policy has cast aside investment in projects such as the Roosevelt Boulevard Subway and the Fox Chase-Newtown line. Exurban development will further strain dwindling resources which will further impede the region's ability to maintain existing infrastructure and services.
Since October 2009, PA-TEC has worked on the ground-level to talk with residents, township officials and transit riders to
learn and share ideas on where investments should be made in public transportation and highways.
Despite efforts by SEPTA, DVRPC and other private organizations to discredit PA-TEC's aggressive pursit of transportation funding and
spending prioritization reform, PA-TEC remains the only passenger rail expansion advocacy group in Pennsylvania that is consistently
supported by the vocal public majority.
Listed below is a partial summary of accomplishments by the PA-TEC network.