PennDOT secretary visits Washington to tout governor’s $292 million transit increase
The state Department of Transportation secretary spoke in Washington Thursday urging the Pennsylvania Legislature to pass Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed budget calling for an additional $292 million for mass transit.
Mike Carroll was joined by Sheila Gombita, the executive director for Freedom Transit, at the Washington Transportation Center on East Chestnut Street to discuss how the increase in funding could benefit Washington County residents who rely on public transportation.
Carroll said the $292 million would be paid for by a 1.75% increase in the amount of sales tax transferred to public transportation funding. He clarified that this would not be a tax increase, but a larger portion of the existing sales tax that is collected.
The 2024-25 budget allocated $80.5 million for public transportation.
According to Gombita, more than 65% of Freedom Transit riders use the service to get to work or medical appointments. A third of their clients is aged 60 or older.
Gombita said that since the pandemic, Freedom Transit has relied mostly on funding from federal stimulus packages, but that money will run dry by next year.
“Freedom Transit is currently undertaking a transit development plan to set forth a five- year strategy to keep public transportation moving in Washington County,” Gombita said.
Also speaking at Thursday’s event was Terry Wiltrout, the vice president of operations for UPMC Washington.
Wiltrout spoke about how many rely on public transportation to access medical care, and its importance to low-income individuals and those with disabilities.
“Reliable and accessible transportation is fundamental to building healthy communities,” Wiltrout said.