1) The subject is Philadelphia, not Chicago or its fare cards. Just because there may have been some shenanigans in Chicago, it does not automatically apply that the same thing goes on in Philadelphia. There is a transportation funding crisis in throughout Pennsylvania impacting its roads, bridges and transit systems. PennDOT has or will be in the near future posting weight restrictions on 1,000 bridges.

Unlike other transit systems in other states, there never has been dedicated local, regional or state funding sources for Philadelphia and Pittsburgh's transit systems. State funding for transit has not kept up with expenses. Likewise for roads, gasoline taxes have not been raised although the costs of construction material in the past 20 years has soared. Of course there will be a problem.

2) In Pennsylvania, state transportation funding per capita is much higher in rural areas than in the metro areas. If tax revenues for transportation generated in the Philadelphia region could stay in the Philadelphia region, the problem would not be so acute.