"We're very pleased with the direction that things are going, and we certainly hope this will resolve our operating crisis for a few years to come," SEPTA spokesman Richard Maloney said yesterday.
But he noted that neither the transportation bill nor the state budget has been approved by the legislature and signed by Gov. Rendell. Until that happens, things could still change.
(SEPTA will proceed with a fare hike that took effect on Monday. That provides for subway, bus and rail fares to increase by an average of 11 percent and for transfers to be eliminated.)
Nine days into the new fiscal year, the governor and legislators reached a tentative agreement Monday night on a state budget and some of Rendell's key agenda items, including transportation.
Rendell called the transportation plan "by far the most significant amount of money devoted to transportation needs . . . in the history of the commonwealth" and that it would shore up roads and transit for the next 10 to 15 years.
He said the state's new spending on highways and mass transit would average a total of $946 million a year over the next decade. Of that, 44 percent - $414 million - is earmarked for mass transit and 56 percent - $532 million - for highways and bridges, said Roy Kienitz, Rendell's deputy chief of staff.
In the current fiscal year, $300 million in additional funding is slated for mass transit and $450 million for highways and bridges. About 62 percent of the transit money typically goes to SEPTA.
Rendell said yesterday the new funding would have a "dramatic impact" on mass transit, and he said he hoped it would allow SEPTA to restore transfers that are scheduled to be eliminated on Aug. 1.
