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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 17, 2013 03:03 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Randy Vulakovich |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Persons with Disabilities Shared-Ride Paratransit Program Funding for Allegheny County |
| I will soon be reintroducing HB 2363, which would amend Title 74 (Transportation) by permitting counties of the Second Class (Allegheny County) to apply for funding that is available in the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) Shared-Ride Paratransit Program, which provides reduced-fare shared-ride transit service beyond the ADA-mandated three-quarter mile service area for individuals who have a disability and who are between the ages of 18 and 64. Act 44 of 2007 expanded the PwD Program to include 65 of the Commonwealth’s 67 counties, specifically excluding counties of the first (Philadelphia) and second class from this program. When the PwD Program was instituted in 2001, the Port Authority of Allegheny County was already providing and subsidizing ACCESS service well beyond the three-quarter mile ADA-mandates service area within the County. Today, the Port Authority’s cost to provide its ACCESS service is estimated at $2.5 million per year. With service cuts possible in the near future, the cost will climb to roughly $5 million. My legislation simply creates a level playing field, helping to ensure that Allegheny County continues to provide the same level of paratransit service that other counties provide across the Commonwealth. It is important to note that in the case of Philadelphia County, there are no locations within that county that are more than three-quarters of a mile from a SEPTA bus or rail stop. Therefore, there would be no PwD-eligible trips within Philadelphia. If you have any questions regarding this legislation, please contact Nate Silcox of my staff at 717-787-6538 or nsilcox@pasen.gov. |
Introduced as SB589