Neilson statement on continued inaction from PA Senate on mass transit funding
Philadelphia House Delegation September 10, 2025 | 1:27 PM
State Rep. Ed Neilson, chair of the PA House Transportation Committee, released the following statement today on the state Senate’s passage of two Republican mass transit bills (S.B. 713 and S.B. 952):
“Today’s transit bills approved by the Senate only affect the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Agency and Pittsburgh Regional Transit without providing any additional funding to them or the other mass transit systems across the commonwealth.
“Public transit affects all 67 counties of the commonwealth -- it’s not just a ‘city issue’ -- and they all need and deserve a comprehensive long-term funding solution.
“Every transit funding bill passed by the House over the past three years was not only bipartisan but also provided support to transit agencies in all 67 counties. The Senate’s inaction only hurts their own constituents, like the seniors who rely on public transit for medical appointments and more. It also kicks the can down the road, which will force transit agencies to make difficult choices, hurting people who rely on their local buses and trains.
“House Democrats time and time again have shown our willingness to work with Senate Republicans to keep Pennsylvania moving forward with comprehensive transit funding. Even when they put stipulations on funding, the House incorporated their language into legislation, and still it languished in the Senate, never to come up for a vote.
“The most recent example is House Bill 1788, authored by state Representative Sean Dougherty, which increased safety, accountability and efficiency -- as requested by the Senate -- while investing in mass transit. The House has shown that we don’t have to pick and choose. We can have it all: safety, accountability and sustainability.
“Unfortunately, because the Senate failed to do their job, the Shapiro Administration took immediate action to aid SEPTA. While this provides temporary relief, we still need to take action for a long-term solution because now both SEPTA’s operating and capital budget expenses have fiscal holes, and we still haven’t addressed the other transit agencies across the state.
“While SEPTA and PRT have the unique ability to access these capital dollars, no other transit agency has the same ability. This includes the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority, which face 20% service cuts, and a 25% fare increase early next year.
“Senate Republicans’ inaction has hurt millions of Pennsylvanians by creating a crisis that could have been avoided.
“After immense public pressure they finally came back to work and passed their version of the several bills sent from the House more than a month ago. The Senate insisted on playing politics while House Democrats stood up for Pennsylvanians and worked to protect their livelihoods.
“Now the very same senators who set the fire want to be applauded for standing back and watching it burn.
“Again, the Senate’s actions today, and even the administration’s actions, do not fully address our statewide mass transit crisis. We must get to work and fund all mass transit now.”