Yesterday, Governor Shapiro approved SEPTA’s request to raid its critical capital funds– which pays for repairs, safety and accessibility improvements- to temporarily stop its service cuts. Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) is likely going to propose the same deeply flawed, stop-gap measure of spending down its capital funds to avoid cutting service in 2026.
Let’s be clear: this administrative gambit is NOT a transit funding solution.
This budget fight is not over
It’s embarrassing that our legislature and our Governor have yet to pass new transit funding, and that our largest transit agencies are turning to this as a last resort. By cannibalizing transit capital funding for transit operations, riders will face unreliable service from equipment malfunction, lack of available vehicles, and accessibility outages. Critical projects like station and stop accessibility upgrades, SEPTA Trolley Modernization, and new bus network redesign plans will be delayed or scrapped. Even worse, other transit agencies across the Commonwealth cannot flex their capital dollars to stop their proposed service cuts, and so riders in small and rural communities will be left completely in the cold.
From the beginning, we have been fighting for new funding in our state budget- dedicated, sustainable transit funding that restores and expands transit service in all 67 counties, with no communities left behind. We refuse to be divided- not across rural and urban geographies, nor across age, race, income and ability. And we will not accept a transit funding solution that robs our schools or other basic needs, or takes away rights from organized labor, among other false solutions.
We’re also staying focused- we’re in budget overtime, and our voices are more important now than ever!
The budget is not done until it’s done, and we’re going to keep up the pressure so that legislators and our Governor know that they are accountable to us for real transit funding solutions in this long overdue state budget!
How do we win?
Everyday, we are bombarded with confusing media headlines that suggest that the transit fight is over- that a partial or temporary solution has been found. When we read these stories, we can assess whether these policies fulfill our needs by just asking the following questions:
- Has a state budget passed that funds transit for all PA?
- Does this generate new funding for public transit without taking from other basic needs?
If the answer to either of these questions is no, then we haven’t yet won, and we’re going to stay focused and united until we do. False solutions create opportunities for bad actors to divide us, but we’re not going to fall for it. We know we need MORE transit funding, not less. We all deserve reliable, affordable, and accessible transit service – service that ensures access to the places, people, jobs, and healthcare that gives us the freedom to move. And we deserve to know that our elected officials are fighting for our true needs, not for false solutions.
We’re not letting up the gas now: let’s win transit for all PA and a budget that works for all our needs! Use our NEW form to tell the Governor and your legislators that we’re demanding they fulfill their commitments to fund transit.
