Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility House passes Dougherty’s transformative public transit omnibus legislation; calls on the PA Senate to finally fund public transit

House passes Dougherty’s transformative public transit omnibus legislation; calls on the PA Senate to finally fund public transit

Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus    August 11, 2025 | 10:16 AM

HARRISBURG, Aug. 11 – Today, the Pennsylvania House passed sweeping public transit legislation (HB 1788), which was introduced by state Rep. Sean Dougherty, D-Phila., and passed with bipartisan support.

This legislation would:

  • Fund transit systems plus road and bridge projects in all 67 counties.
  • Invest in SEPTA to avoid service cuts.
  • Set requirements for safety, efficiency and accountability in public transit.

Dougherty said this legislation is timely as last week, SEPTA announced that if state funding isn’t assured by Aug. 14, service cuts will begin on Aug. 24 with sharp fare increases coming in September.

As a representative from Philadelphia, Dougherty pointed out the urgency that this funding must get passed for not only SEPTA, but public transit operations throughout Pennsylvania.

“Northeast Philadelphia runs on SEPTA, and many communities all across the Commonwealth heavily rely on public transit,” Dougherty said. “If they become reality, these service cuts will hurt real people, destroy jobs and hurt businesses of every size, not just in my district, but in communities across all 67 counties. We are out of time! The Senate needs to get back to Harrisburg immediately and finally fund public transit, because our state’s well-being truly depends on it.”

This bill is one of five that the House has passed to fund public transit without raising taxes on Pennsylvanians, but the Senate has not acted on any of the previous bills.

In hopes of finding a way forward, Dougherty included reforms proposed by Senate Republicans to add closer oversight over public transit agencies.