Shapiro Makes Plea For SEPTA Funding In Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA — As SEPTA's "point of no return" funding deadline looms and major service cuts are on the horizon, Gov. Josh Shapiro rallied in Philadelphia this weekend in an effort to secure money for the embattled transit authority.

Shapiro Sunday visited the SEPTA Headquarters in Philly, where he met with SEPTA leadership, including General Manager Scott Sauer, and riders to discuss how public transit serves as a lifeline for many Pennsylvanians and powers the commonwealth’s economy.

SEPTA is facing a structural budget deficit of $213 million, major service cuts are planned. If SEPTA does not get the money it needs, 32 bus routes will be eliminated. SEPTA's board on June 26 approved the potential cuts.

"Every day, hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians rely on SEPTA to get to work, take their kids to school, and keep their lives moving," Shapiro said. "I’ve been one of those riders, and I know firsthand how important it is that our buses, subways, and trains are there when people need them"

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Shapiro said the SEPTA issue does not only affect Philadelphia, but rather Pennsylvania as a whole.

"It’s about that mom trying to get home to her child, that student trying to get to class, and that bus driver working hard to provide for their family, he said. "We need long-term, recurring funding for SEPTA and for every transit agency in our commonwealth — and the time to act is right now."

Sauer said the major cuts that could severely impact the system will "make it harder for people to get to work, school, doctor’s appointments — anywhere they need to go."

"We’re just days away from having to move forward with across-the-board service cuts that will impact all SEPTA customers and every community we serve," he said. "Tens of thousands will no longer see SEPTA as a viable option, and many will drive instead, adding to congestion on our roads. Everyone will feel this. We do not want to make these devastating changes, but without a funding solution, we’ll have to move ahead with a 20 percent service cut on August 24 and a 45 percent cut this fiscal year."

SEPTA has already saved more than $30 million in the last eight months, lowered its budget deficit, and embraced the accountability measures the legislature is considering, Sauer said.

Ridership increased 13 percent last year, with subway ridership up 15 percent due to reductions in crime, according to Sauer.

At the meeting, SEPTA rider Autumn Fingerhood attested to the role SEPTA plays in her life, echoing how many residents in Southeastern Pennsylvania rely on the transit authority.

"I’m a single mother of two, and my 15-year-old daughter is excited to start 10th grade on Aug. 25 — just one day after these cuts will take effect if SEPTA doesn’t get its funding," she said. "Like hundreds of thousands of families in the Philadelphia region, we rely on SEPTA. My daughter takes the bus to school, to her summer job, to after-school activities like her vocal class, and she’ll be depending on it for a part-time job starting this fall. If her bus route stops running later this month, it will upend her education, her job opportunities, and our daily lives. I'm a single mom who works hard every single day to support my children. I do not have others to rely on — I rely on SEPTA, and for me, SEPTA has been very reliable."

Following that meeting, Shapiro once again called on the state Senate to pass critical recurring revenue for SEPTA and mass transit agencies across the commonwealth.

According to Shapiro's office, nearly one million Pennsylvanians rely on mass transit every day.

Shapiro's 2025-26 budget proposal — which includes $292 million in new mass transit funding, growing to $1.5 billion over five years — would invest in 52 systems serving cities, suburbs, and rural communities alike.

Rural shared-ride services alone provide 2.6 million trips a year for seniors, helping them get to doctor’s appointments, grocery stores, and more. Meanwhile, mass transit across the commonwealth supports more than 39,000 jobs and drives $5.4 billion in economic activity each year, according to the Pennsylvania Public Transportation Association.

Shapiro proposed long-term support for mass transit systems across the Pennsylvania.

That proposal has passed the state House of Representatives four times, but the Senate has yet to act, according to Shapiro's office. Shapiro is calling on the state Senate to pass a comprehensive, bipartisan transportation funding plan.

Crews last week installed signs at about 3,000 bus stops in the region to alert riders of the looming cuts. SEPTA has also met with officials at the School District of Philadelphia, where tens of thousands of students need to find other ways to get to school.

Service cuts also include the elimination of five Regional Rail lines: Cynwyd Line, Chestnut Hill West Line, Paoli/Thorndale Line, Trenton Line, Wilmington/Newark Line. These will be cut Jan. 1, 2026

The cuts will also force a significant reduction in trips on all rail services, an end to all special service including the Sports Express, 18 additional bus route eliminations, and a 9 p.m. curfew for all rail services, all of which would also begin Jan. 1, 2026. Additional cuts would follow in subsequent years. And, a 21.5 percent fare increase will be implemented on Sept. 1, as will a complete hiring freeze.

The cuts and fare increases were proposed in response to a $213 million budget gap, which stems from a combination of the end of federal COVID relief funding and increases in the day-to-day costs of providing service to customers. SEPTA is also grappling with the impact of inflation on everyday necessities such as fuel, power and supplies.

The impact of the proposed service cuts would be felt throughout the city and region, as reliable options for everyday travel to school and work are greatly diminished, SEPTA officials said. Efforts to stave off the funding crisis led SEPTA to take on aggressive austerity measures, including a freeze on management pay and cuts to third-party consultants, have resulted in savings of $30 million. Other measures, including a 7.5 percent fare increase and the resumption of paid parking at Regional Rail lots, are generating new revenue. SEPTA is working to finalize work schedules for thousands of frontline workers and other staff, and ensuring equipment is in place and ready for service.

Time is also needed to prepare data feeds for the SEPTA App, external feeds, digital signage, platform announcements, and bus and train marquees to ensure service information is accurate.

These processes typically take a minimum of three weeks to complete for routine schedule changes, but will be compressed to less than 10 days to ensure all facets of SEPTA’s operation are ready for new schedules on Aug. 24.