❤️ Why Philly loves Philly

🏙️ From Cedar Park to Mt. Airy, Locals Share the Heart and Hiccups of Life in Philly

Speaking of us getting out and about, the City Cast Philly team had a blast tabling at the Art Star Craft Bazaar in May. We met some loyal readers and listeners and made new friends along the way. And when we turned on the mic, you guys had a lot to say. On this special episode, we’re hearing directly from you on what you love about Philly, what grinds your gears, and what activities you recommend. [🎧 City Cast Philly]

✈️ Understaffing Still Plagues Philly’s Air Traffic Control Tower

While flying in and out of Philly airports is still relatively safe, the control tower is strained. Nearly a fifth of air traffic control jobs are unfilled at the Philadelphia tower and the tracking system is so old that flight data is still being processed on Windows 95 with updates via a floppy disk.[🔒The Inquirer]

🚼 Can $1,000 Monthly Payments Help the Next Generation of Philly Parents?

The Philly Joy Bank, a guaranteed income pilot supporting 250 pregnant Philadelphians, launched last year in an effort to reduce the infant mortality rate in the city. Participants have since taken advantage of financial counseling, lactation support programs, and community doula support. [🎧City Cast Philly, Philadelphia Citizen]

• Related: Meanwhile, Xiente’s guaranteed income pilot program is supporting ten families’ transition out of poverty, with additional assistance from economic mobility coaches and housing counselors. Chief Executive Officer Dr. Michelle Carrera said the idea is to give families a sense of agency. [🎧 City Cast Philly]

🏛️ Local University Leadership Unite Amid Federal Funding Fears

Academic institutions tied to health systems, such as Temple, Jefferson, and Rowan Universities, have billions of dollars in medical research funding at risk due to NIH cuts. Meanwhile, a potential scale-back in Pell Grants could limit educational opportunities for low-income students. [🔒 Philadelphia Business Journal]

As the June 30 deadline approaches for Pennsylvania’s legislature to pass the next state budget, SEPTA’s long forewarned “death spiral” could become reality due to a $213 million budget deficit. This spiral would lead to severe changes in SEPTA’s services, including the elimination of 50 bus routes and five Regional Rail lines, the closure of 66 stations, a 9 p.m. curfew, and a 21.5% fare increase.

How did it get to such a breaking point?

Let’s rewind. Before SEPTA was even a thing, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Compact was signed in 1961, consolidating private rail lines in the region. SEPTA was created in 1964, but for decades SEPTA relied on unpredictable funding streams that primarily came from the state or federal governments.

In 2013, Governor Tom Corbett signed Act 89 into law. The transportation bill funded infrastructure projects throughout Pennsylvania, including public transportation. While that helped SEPTA get through a backlog of maintenance upgrades, which had racked up to $5 billion in 2014, the law expired after ten years and was not renewed.

Then came funds that SEPTA received during the pandemic. SEPTA received a $634 million bailout after revenue plummeted during the early pandemic and an additional $252 million in federal aid. The aid staved off potential service cuts and layoffs, but now the money has depleted.

Last year, SEPTA had warned that without the funding it needed, fares would increase 30%. That did not come to fruition as Governor Josh Shapiro rerouted $153 million in federal highway funding toward the agency. While that halted the hike, it was a temporary fix and SEPTA had to save money by scrapping its 50-cent discount for Key Card users.

Pennsylvania Republicans haven’t been sold on the idea of dedicated state aid for public transportation without a guaranteed funding source, like a tax on so-called “skill games”. So Shapiro’s proposal calls for increasing the portion of the sales-and-use tax for public transit. Under this proposal, SEPTA could receive $167,732,232 in additional funds.