by KYW's vice president and general manager David Yadgaroff

Good news is like an ice cream cone: it tastes great, but you have to enjoy it before it melts. And eventually it goes away.

SEPTA is basking in a double dip right now. Ridership is up dramatically, and for the first time since the agency was created it has what is being called a "predictable funding base." That means it won’t have to beg for cash or talk about fare increases and service cuts (see related news story).

That’s the way it should be. And hopefully riders will stay loyal, even if gasoline prices plummet.

But the benefactors of mass transit in Harrisburg, city political leaders, and SEPTA management shouldn’t let exuberance get in the way of reality. A major component of the funding plan -- placing tolls on Interstate 80 -- could fail. That would reduce the amount of money available for mass transit. Current funding levels are only certain for the next couple of years.

Now more than ever, mass transit is vital to the region’s economy. It’s essential to lay on a full-court press in Washington and Harrisburg to galvanize the promise of full funding -- before it starts to melt.

To submit a comment or reply to this editorial, send an e-mail to yadgaroff@KYW.com.