Philadelphia City Council Passes Resolution to Ensure SEPTA’s Stability and Prevent Fare Hikes and Service Cuts

PHILADELPHIA, PA (November 21, 2024) Philadelphia City Council passed a resolution this morning calling on Governor Josh Shapiro and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) to flex federal funding to SEPTA to prevent fare hikes and service cuts. This resolution comes as SEPTA faces a significant deficit that threatens to impact the affordability and reliability of public transit services in the region.

SEPTA has faced significant financial challenges in recent years, exacerbated by the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, reduced ridership, and rising operational costs. If nothing is done about the funding crisis by the end of the year, then SEPTA will have to increase fares by 29% and reduce service by 20%. This could cause $40 to $50 million in annual revenue losses. 

“We have been ringing the alarm bells about this transit crisis for over a year, and no one has taken action,” said Connor Descheemaker, Transit Forward Philadelphia Coalition Manager. “Four times as many people ride SEPTA per day as travel on I-95, and we need to treat transit like the critical infrastructure it is for our region.”

Governor Shapiro has unilateral power to direct PennDOT to allocate funding from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and “flex” it to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to fund transit. This is a stopgap measure, but the only available option at this critical moment. Long-term, the Pennsylvania Legislature needs to come up with a permanent solution for public transportation funding to ensure continued and equitable access to vital public transit services for all residents in the Delaware Valley. 

“Pennsylvania is at a crossroads. Governor Shapiro can’t count on the legislature to stave off the SEPTA fare hikes and service cuts awaiting us in the New Year,” said Alex Bomstein, Clean Air Council Executive Director. “City Council is right: Shapiro must act now by flexing existing funding to save transit.”

City Council and Transit for all Pennsylvania call on Governor Shapiro and the DVRPC to work together with SEPTA to identify alternative funding solutions and ensure that transit services remain intact. Transit riders can send an email to Governor Shapiro asking to flex funding for SEPTA here. To learn more about the resolution, click here.