SEPTA Must Be Funded

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) riders in Philadelphia are in a very tough spot right now thanks to the budget shortfall - clocking in at $213M.  The looming crisis, something we have been covering for the last few months, is about to start this coming Monday (Aug 24th) - the first day of school in the city. The problem is, the Pennsylvania legislature is about six weeks behind to pass a budget that includes more funding for public transit, so SEPTA’s stuck, and it’s about to affect more than just Philly commuters.

To use and maintain shared rail lines for five of its regional lines, SEPTA pays Amtrak around $71M a year. If those payments stop, Amtrak could lose a big chunk of its funding, which would hit services like the Keystone Line (Harrisburg to Philly to NYC) and the Pennsylvanian (Pittsburgh to NYC). Amtrak might have to slow trains down, delay repairs, or even cancel routes completely.

This past Monday, Representative Brendan Boyle (D-PA02) stated that “if SEPTA cuts or eliminates that funding to Amtrak, [the Keystone] will cease to operate.”  While PA Governor Josh Shapiro doesn’t completely agree with the Congressman, he understands that Amtrak service will be “compromised.”

So yeah, it’s a mess. And it could get worse if a Rocky-like miracle isn’t found, creating a massive headache for passengers up and down the Northeast Corridor.

Rail Passengers is asking Pennsylvania passengers to call their elected officials and deliver this simple message:

“We must find a way to fund SEPTA and close this budget gap. Transit is too important to Pennsylvania’s economy to let these systems fail!”