DN Editorial: Gas pains in Congress as prices rise again

TURMOIL IN THE Middle East has sent the price of gas soaring in recent weeks. It was $3.65 a gallon at some local stations yesterday, and no doubt it's going to get higher before it goes down - if it does go down.

We have, of course, been here before. Gas hit $4 a gallon in 2008. In shock, many Americans finally were motivated to make substantial lifestyle changes - driving less, buying cars that get higher mileage, cutting back on other purchases. Some even started thinking about the ramifications of a world in which oil is an even scarcer resource than it already is.

Did the changes stick? Yes, for some. But too many others are spouting the same old slogans - (as in "Drill, Baby, Drill,") egged on by politicians attempting to turn the crisis to partisan and financial advantage (i.e.: blame President Obama for it). Meanwhile, they continue to resist the investments needed for a coherent energy strategy.

A case in point is public transportation, a necessary component of any plan for energy independence, not to mention a healthier environment. The American Public Transportation Association, a nonprofit international association of 1,500 organizations involved in public transit, recently estimated that Philadelphia-area commuters who drive to work could save an average of $957 a month by selling their car and taking the train or bus to work.

The economic benefits extend well beyond individuals. APTA estimates that every $1 billion invested in public transportation creates and supports 36,000 jobs and that every $1 invested in public transit generates $4 in economic returns.

The number of riders on public transit has risen since 2005 when Hurricane Katrina sent gas prices above a (shocking at the time) $3 a gallon. While the use of public transit has fluctuated somewhat since then, it's clear that more people than ever are open to trying it. Locally, SEPTA reports that even before the recent uptick in prices, the number of "rides" per month had risen by 3 percent between last July and January. So it makes sense to make public transportation more accessible and convenient - which is obvious to everyone except some members of Congress.

The House and Senate last week passed, and Obama is expected to sign, yet another extension, the seventh, of funding for highway, transit and safety programs to continue operating until Sept. 30. But what's needed desperately is forward-thinking legislation that sets out a multiyear plan for dealing with these urgent issues. Obama has proposed a six-year, $556 billion plan that would cover highway improvements but also would give greater weight to public transit and rail projects than in the recent past. True to form, some representatives are balking. Even Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood admitted this week that the chance for comprehensive legislation to pass is slim - particularly because there's no agreement on how to pay for it - and maybe because Congress doesn't understand the urgency. To make matters worse, though, GOP leaders want to throw public-transit funding into reverse. H.R. 1 - their ransom demand of $61 billion in funding cuts in exchange for keeping the federal government operating past March 18 - includes assaults on public-transportation-safety programs, the infrastructure for a high-speed rail system. The U.S. Senate rejected H.R. 1 yesterday, but House Republicans have not backed away from the drastic budget cuts they have proposed. No matter how you get around town, you have a lot to lose if the country puts off making investments in modern transportation, including public transit. Representatives on both the national and local level need to know that now, before the train leaves the station. *