Here are 3 actions you can take to further Governor Shapiro’s proposal to increase transit funding for every county in PA
Just this past February, Governor Josh Shapiro announced a topline priority to provide $282.8 Million more in annual funding for public transportation across Pennsylvania! This is a critical proposal as Pennsylvanians all across our state, from big cities to small towns, as it represents the first increase to public transit funding in more than a decade. The lack of a responsive funding mechanism has exposed riders to fare hikes and service cut proposals as the transit agencies we rely on face fiscal cliffs brought on by inflation and political inaction. We saw this come to a head in Philly this past January when SEPTA put forward a doomsday proposal that would have had major cut-backs and price increases if a state funding solution was not reached soon.
Transit for All PA! has been advocating behind-the-scenes and with public actions since June, asking Governor Shapiro and the PA legislature to increase the state sales tax allocation (but not the tax itself!) to secure operations of the transit systems that millions of Pennsyavlanians rely on.
Now that the governor has announced this priority, we need the PA House and Senate to act and pass this request in the FY2025 budget. This proposal is a necessary first step to build a solid foundation for our transit systems to build on.
You can take action to grow our transit systems by stabilizing service. After you’ve sent your letters to elected officials, here are more actions you can take
- Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Here’s a template you can use with talking points.
- Call your elected officials and ask them to support Governor Shapiro’s proposal. Here’s a script to help guide your through the calls.
- Share the transit funding letter-writing campaign on your social media! Post this link to your social channels to help spread the word and share these graphics on social media!
