Shante' Brown, Deputy Secretary of Child Development and Early Learning | Pennsylvania Department Of Education
Following a public transit stakeholder meeting in Washington, Pennsylvania, state officials discussed Governor Josh Shapiro's proposed investments in public transit. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll was joined by officials from Freedom Transit and UPMC Washington to outline the governor's budget for public transit, which is described as a plan to enhance job creation, stimulate economic development, and ensure safe travel for Pennsylvanians.
The Governor's budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year has already secured $80.5 million in additional funding for public transit. For the upcoming year, an additional $292.5 million is proposed, marking the first significant investment in over a decade. The funds would involve allocating an extra 1.75 percent of the Pennsylvania Sales Tax to the Public Transportation Trust Fund. This plan includes a nearly $470,000 increase in funding for Freedom Transit in the 2025-26 fiscal year.
Secretary Carroll emphasized the need for this investment, stating, "To grow our economy and our communities, our infrastructure and public transit systems must both be properly funded, which is why Governor Shapiro proposed the first major new investment in public transit in a decade." He also highlighted the proposal's advancement in the House, which has not seen equivalent action in the Senate, urging the legislature to meet the state's transit needs effectively.
Speakers at the meeting included Sheila Gombita, executive director of Freedom Transit, Secretary Carroll, and Terry Wiltrout, Vice President for Operations at UPMC Washington.
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