Montgomery County officials urge state to act on SEPTA funding ahead of August 14 deadline

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s looming financial crisis has Montgomery County elected officials continuing to sound the alarm.

The public transit system posted new fall schedules earlier this week as transportation leaders prepare to hack services to contend with a $213 million budget shortfall.

“Reliable transportation isn’t just a luxury, it’s a lifeline. From getting to work or school. To doctor’s visits and daily errands, our communities depend on it every day,” said Montgomery County Commissioners’ Vice Chairwoman Jamila Winder in a Facebook post.

“Here in Montgomery County, we understand how critical transit is to our regional economy and quality of life. But we can’t do it alone,” she continued.

While pleas for a cash infusion have been made for the Pennsylvania General Assembly 2025-26 fiscal year, no budget has yet been passed out of Harrisburg.

Rate hikes and significant slashing of services are planned, according to SEPTA’s website, including shuttering five regional rail lines, 50 bus routes, 66 stations, and a 21.5 percent fare increase.

“We need action at the state level. I’m urging leaders in Harrisburg – on both sides of the aisle to come together and deliver the funding our transit systems need,” Winder said. “Our residents can’t afford delays.”

SEPTA’s Board of Directors authorized its budget without state funding in late June to begin preparing to implement drastic cuts and fare hikes. SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch characterized the situation as a “real doomsday scenario” in an interview with 6ABC.

While Gov. Josh Shapiro in a November 2024 statement had attributed SEPTA’s “significant funding shortfall” to “the expiration of federal pandemic relief funds,” Shapiro did announce intentions to commit $153 million in federal highway capital dollars to the Philadelphia area transportation agency.

Montgomery County officials held a series of press conferences throughout the spring to call attention to SEPTA’s impending funding crisis and implore state officials to act. Montgomery County Commissioners’ Chairman Neil Makhija emphasized that the ramifications would be widespread, impacting education and economic development across the region.

“We’re here because we’re at a crossroads. SEPTA is facing historic underfunding from the state legislature, and if we don’t act now, we’re going to see the largest service cut in the region’s history,” Makhija said in May.

In addition to the lifeline funding, Makhija suggested brainstorming sweeping reforms. Key events in 2026, such as the U.S. Semiquincentennial, FIFA World Cup games and the PGA Championship depend on it, as well as Montgomery County residents who commute to work and other needs in the region.

“We have to think beyond the basics of just keeping things where we are today,” he said. “If we funded SEPTA at the rate that other cities around the country get, we would have service every 15 minutes. We would be able to get everywhere we need to get across our region.”

In the meantime, a spokesperson urged in a statement posted on SEPTA’s website that “new state funding must be secured by Aug. 14 in order for SEPTA to avoid implementation of a 20 percent service cut beginning Aug. 24 to close a recurring budget deficit.”

The statement underscored next week’s deadline as “the point of no return” for the regional transportation agency as “service cut schedules cannot be reversed” after Thursday, Aug. 14.

Budget negotiations continue in Harrisburg as elected officials express serious reservations about the fate of public transportation throughout the greater Philadelphia area.

The issue had a partisan divide as state Sen. Joe Picozzi, R-5th Dist. looked to develop legislation for SEPTA reforms, but initial plans did not stipulate monetary accommodations, according to a Spotlight PA report.

“It’s disgraceful that Pennsylvanians have to beg Senate Republicans to fund essential services like accessible transit for our communities,” said state Sen. Amanda Cappelletti, D-17th Dist. in a Facebook post.

Specific legislation progressed through Pennsylvania’s House Transportation Committee on Thursday as members voted on HB 1788, which would allocate monies to the Public Transportation Trust Fund, which covers projects related to roads, bridges, highways, and public transportation, according to a statement from the Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus.

State Rep. Ed Neilson, D-169th Dist., who also serves as committee chairman, stressed that moving the bill through the legislative process proves crucial for the public transportation agency’s survival.

“We are out of time. It’s imperative that the Senate come back to work and help the hardworking people of Pennsylvania to keep Pennsylvania moving forward,” Nielsen said in a statement on Thursday, adding “because public transit touches every corner of the commonwealth – it is not just a ‘city issue.’”

Introduced by state Rep. Sean Dougherty, D-172nd Dist., the legislation permits increases to the fund’s sales and use tax, raising it from 4.4 percent to 6.15 percent, according to the caucus, which would amass around $292.5 million in public transit funding across the state.

“Public transit is the lifeline of many communities across all 67 counties in Pennsylvania, not just Philadelphia,” Dougherty said in a statement. “This bill takes a multi-faceted and commonsense approach in ensuring that these communities all have access to reliable, safe and efficient public transportation services.”

The House bill is expected to pass to the Senate, but it’s not clear when the Senate will reconvene. Nevertheless, the efforts were welcomed by SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer.

“Safety and security, accountability and transparency, and efficiency and innovation are central to our stewardship of SEPTA,” Sauer said in Thursday’s statement.

“We have a number of efforts already underway that are consistent with the measures outlined in this bill, and we look forward to a future where we can do more rather than enacting devastating service cuts and dismantling the transit system.”