Daley: SEPTA budget vote starts clock ticking to save service cuts, fare hikes
Already passed in the House, Senate must now approve state funding or else
Rep. Mary Jo Daley June 27, 2025 | 1:16 PM
HARRISBURG, June 26 – State Rep. Mary Jo Daley, D-Montgomery, released the following statement following the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s vote to cut services and raise fare prices in their budget.
“As a Pennsylvania state lawmaker and elected representative born and raised in Montgomery County, I’m dismayed that SEPTA was forced today to vote for shutting down 45% of its service and raising fare prices more than 21%,” Daley said.
“Make no mistake, this development is unprecedented and will send Philadelphia regional transit as we know it into what engineers, city planners and economists have called a death spiral for the region.
“What’s more, today’s vote could have been avoided altogether. As a Democrat in the state House of Representatives, we voted not once, but four times to fund transit across Pennsylvania, including for SEPTA. Each bill has gone ignored by Senate Republican leadership.
“These service cuts and fare hikes are so far reaching that they will create a ripple effect on economic activity across the state. They will also put people out of jobs and hundreds of thousands of cars onto our already struggling and expensive roads, polluting our air and adding to commute times and congestion.
“Many service cuts would begin January 1, 2026, but others are slated to go into effect as soon as August of this year. While this timeline spells disaster for riders, it still gives the General Assembly time to pass funding for public transit and prevent cuts and hikes from becoming reality. I will continue to work toward that end.”