Transit riders and workers win the first funding increase in PA in over a decade. However, the one-time funding was far short of our goals and puts working people in danger. Transit for All PA! will continue advocacy through the summer to win transit improvements in all 67 PA counties.
On Thursday, July 11th, the Pennsylvania Legislature passed a one-time transfer of $80 million to the statewide Public Transit Trust Fund with the intention to revisit a sustainable, multi-year funding solution starting in the Fall. The additional $80 million dollars in operations funding is a band-aid that will only push the fiscal cliff slightly further down the road. The SEPTA region is still facing an imminent funding shortage which has been projected to yield catastrophic service cuts and fare increases. Other communities across the Commonwealth continue to operate with substantially less transit service than they did pre-pandemic. The passage of this new funding should not distract from the very urgent need to have a dedicated funding source for transit agencies across the Commonwealth. It’s time for the legislature to take this foundational part of our state’s economy and mobility seriously.
Whether you live in Harrisburg or Pittsburgh, Wilkes Barre or Erie, rural towns or Philadelphia, all Pennsylvanians deserve safe, reliable, dignified access to the places they need to go and public transportation funding is critical to making that happen. We recognize the leadership of Governor Shapiro’s administration in proposing the first public transit funding increase in over a decade to begin to close the gap between the transit service that we have and the public transit that our communities deserve. Unfortunately, the decision by the PA legislature to pass a funding measure that falls far short of the Governor’s proposed investment will not resolve the longer-term need and may still yield smaller service cuts and fare increases. And even that funding still would not give transit the opportunity for growth that riders need.
Fortunately, the Transit for All PA coalition is strong and growing, and we will continue to organize for transit funding across the Commonwealth that will keep seniors connected to healthcare, families connected to grocery stores, and neighbors connected to each other. Transit for All PA!’s coalition of transit riders and workers has been active in fighting for transit improvement in all 67 PA counties. In the last few months, 3000 people have sent letters to lawmakers demanding the funding we need to keep transit moving in Pennsylvania. We rallied in Harrisburg with hundreds of supporters calling for action. And we delivered our message to every single lawmaker to ensure our voice was heard. The tireless efforts of rider unions and transit advocates, transit workers, environmental organizations, business interests, disability groups, and more ensured that the importance of transit to our state could not be ignored.
We recognize the importance of this action while also being acutely aware that the fight continues to truly fulfill public transit service in Pennsylvania that meets the needs of 21st century communities, one that reduces congestion and protects our environment, one that advances equity in transportation, and one that is frequent, reliable, affordable, clean, and accessible.
Read press coverage on the budget announcement
- “Pa. budget deal leaves transit agencies short. SEPTA may have to cut services if there is no more money in the fall.” by Thomas Fitzgerald and Gillian McGoldrick at the Philadelphia Inquirer
- “State budget falls short on public transit funds, but talks will continue in the fall” from Ed Blazina at the Pittsburgh Union Progress
- “Compromises on education spending, tax cuts, and transit headline Pa.’s $47.6B budget” from Stephen Caruso and Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PA