Roundtable on mass transit, SEPTA highlights critical need for state funding
Southeast Delegation June 5, 2025 | 3:56 PM
State Rep. Mary Jo Daley hosted an expert roundtable today on the future of transit funding in Pennsylvania, including for SEPTA.
The roundtable featured civic and business leaders who called for immediate funding for SEPTA and explained the economic relationship that transit plays in a world-class city and Pennsylvania.
“I have voted five times in the last two House legislative sessions to support statewide transit with dedicated funding,” said Daley, D-Montgomery. “Those measures have been ignored in the state Senate, but we’re still fighting to pass funding this session, possibly along with the state budget.
“I am a devoted transit rider, and I’ve had some of my most meaningful conversations while on public transportation. I cut my carbon footprint with SEPTA, and I have met so many new people on SEPTA, because SEPTA is about people. Without it, our region and state would grind to a halt.”
SEPTA and other transit systems throughout Pennsylvania are grappling with significant budget shortfalls that put essential transit services at risk.
“SEPTA service has a tremendous impact on the economy of our region and state,” said SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer. “Without new funding for transit, SEPTA will be forced to move forward with service cuts that would significantly reduce property values, depress job and earnings growth, and result in hundreds of millions of dollars of lost tax revenues. We are grateful to Representative Daley and the region’s legislative delegation for their sustained efforts to include a statewide transit funding plan in this year’s state budget.”
This spring, SEPTA unveiled its proposed budget for fiscal year 2026, detailing the severe measures it would need to take to close a $213 million structural deficit – unless a long-term, statewide funding solution is secured.
“This is not a drill. The future of SEPTA is important not just for Philadelphia and Southeastern Pennsylvania, but for the entire state that benefits from the region’s economic activity and contributes to a large portion of the state’s revenues,” said Main Line Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bernard Dagenais. “The major cuts planned for the system reflect the budgeting reality SEPTA faces if the General Assembly is unable to come up with the additional funds needed to at least retain the status quo. As other parts of the nation wish they had our infrastructure, we ask our elected officials to take action to retain the service that helps drive our economy and reduces traffic gridlock on our roads.”
“Supporting SEPTA means more than maintaining transit service – it’s about sustaining the vital connections that keep Southeast Pennsylvania moving forward,” said Bob Previdi, policy director of Save the Train and a member of the Pennsylvania Transportation Advisory Committee. “Without adequate state funding, we risk losing access to jobs, education, health care and the everyday destinations people rely on.
“Reliable public transit is critical to our economy and quality of life. Now is the time to strengthen our investment in SEPTA and all transit systems to ensure that Philadelphia and Pennsylvania continue to lead in a globally competitive economy.”
According to the American Public Transportation Association, for every dollar spent on mass transit and SEPTA, $5 more are created in the economy. For every million dollars invested, 500 direct jobs are created, and thousands of downstream jobs are created at suppliers, vendors and support industries. For every dollar invested in transit, $3 are added in new business sales.
“With the proposed SEPTA service cuts and fare increases, traffic impacts will be felt across the entire region by all drivers and in every community. It will also hurt the commonwealth’s economy and our ability to compete globally,” said Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission Executive Director Ariella Maron. “Public transit helped shape our region's growth, perhaps most evidently along the Main Line. SEPTA service is critical to the economic and public health of our communities, and it is a critical component of our shared regional vision for the future.”
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget proposal includes $292 million in new mass transit funding next year, growing to $1.5 billion over the next five years to support 52 transit systems that serve nearly 1 million riders each day in rural, urban and suburban communities across the commonwealth. Daley said that she strongly supports the investment and looks forward to voting for a budget that prioritizes all of Pennsylvania’s transit systems.