In early May, along with Transit Forward Philly, I was at Holmesburg Junction on the Trenton Line.  I was talking to people about SEPTA's budget pains and alerting them that their Regional Rail line, among four others, may be on the chopping block. They talked about some of the issues they see, like dilapidated Regional Rail stations, and low frequency of rail service. Some talked about SEPTA's budget cuts as “scare tactics,” yet these funding issues are easily explained.  

Many public transit organizations have busted budgets. For example, Chicago’s MTA currently has a $770 million budget gap, much larger than SEPTA's. The major reason why these gaps exist is because of the lack of federal government funding. A New York Times article noted, federal COVID funding provided $69.5 billion in America, almost five times the pre-COVID assistance.  This funding has gone dry now, and mass transit is suffering. SEPTA, with its mix of "commuter bus, commuter rail, and heavy rail services" and a substantial budget puts SEPTA in danger of budget breakdown, per Eno Center for Transportation, a nonpartisan think tank.

Regarding funding by Pennsylvania, Transportation for America's Transit Report Card ranked the Commonwealth ninth for the quality of support and accessibility of transit, below Massachusetts and above Connecticut. Pennsylvania could be funding its 57 mass transit agencies at a more appropriate level.  

Pennsylvania needs a well-functioning SEPTA. Half of the state’s economic output comes from six counties and snarling them in traffic doesn’t make sense. DVRPC states that 275,000 more cars will be on the road if the SEPTA cuts come to fruition, slowing down traffic for passengers, freight, and the 49.3 million tourists in the Delaware Valley. Fund SEPTA now!

Jayson Massey, Nicetown