Without reaching a lasting settlement in next spring’s budget negotiations, the governor's efforts to forestall a death spiral for the state’s largest transit agency would be in vain.
Without reaching a lasting settlement in next spring’s budget negotiations, the governor's efforts to forestall a death spiral for the state’s largest transit agency would be in vain.
The governor earned his kudos after a penny-wise and pound-foolish Senate Republican majority stymied a series of legislative budget solutions that would have helped fund public transportation across Pennsylvania, and ensure SEPTA’s continued viability for its almost 800,000 daily users.The GOP predictably lambasted Shapiro’s decision, presenting the move as favoring public transportation in the Philadelphia area over roads in rural Pennsylvania.
SEPTA’s budget shortfall comes as the last of the COVID-19 pandemic federal funds end, but ridership remains below pre-pandemic levels. Allowing the transit agency to fall into what officials call a “death spiral” — with progressive service cuts and fare increases eventually killing the system — is an untenable position for anyone who cares about the future of Philadelphia and the region’s critical role in the commonwealth’s economy.
At a news conference announcing the shift in funds, Shapiro and other Democratic leaders promised that securing a long-term solution for SEPTA and other transit agencies would be their top priority in 2025.“hoagie of steel”
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