metronews.ca
.

x

Councilman proposes to investigate SEPTA advertising on city-owned property

Published: February 16, 2012 7:00 p.m.
Last modified: February 16, 2012 7:34 p.m.
                  Text size
The occasional infighting between SEPTA and the city flared up again this afternoon when Councilman Wilson Goode Jr. introduced legislation that would allow a committee to investigate what properties belong to the city under its lease agreement with SEPTA but are being used by the transportation agency to generate advertising dollars.

"We need to consider all city infrastructure for lease or sale," Goode Jr. said Thursday. "SEPTA sold the naming rights to AT&T station for $3 million. That may be some of our money. SEPTA may have a lot of our money."

"I have already talked to SEPTA," Goode Jr. said after the meeting. "They're supposed to be providing an inventory of infrastructure that might belong to the city."

Goode Jr. said that SEPTA had no choice but to participate, but he didn't expect the process to be easy. "If SEPTA doesn't believe it's in their best interest – which they don't – they don't have to negotiate with us," he said.

"Essentially, at the end of the day, they don't have an option. The city provides them with a $50 to $60 million subsidy, which is mandated, but we don't have to give it to them all at once," he said. We"I believe we should withhold a portion of that subsidy until we have an honest conversation about the relationship between the city and SEPTA."

Goode said that, though the city provides the largest amount of funding to SEPTA, as well the highest number of its fare box funds, there are only two Philadelphia seats on SEPTA's 15-member board.

"We can't allow them to exploit Philadelphia without giving it adequate representation," he said. "We have to stand our ground."



Add your comment  

_

Comments are not reviewed before posting. If you believe a comment has violated the commenting guidelines, please alert a moderator using links provided.

Facebook
Twitter
Stumble upon
RSS

F E A T U R E D   S P O N S O R S

X