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Background Information

'It will be a disaster': Labor leaders, teachers sound the alarm as SEPTA cuts loom

City & State, 8/14/25

“I don’t know that there is a way to plan around something this devastating,” Philadelphia AFL-CIO President Danny Bauder told City & State. “I hate to say this but, thankfully, SEPTA has a plan for how they’re going to handle the lack of funding in terms of bus routes and things like that. But this is going to be awful.”

Jesse Abrams-Morley, a teacher at Kensington CAPA High School and parent of a School District of Philadelphia student, said getting around is a top concern for him and his family. 

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SEPTA cuts are moving forward, GM Scott Sauer says

Philadelphia Inquirer, 8/13/25

“We have to wait for a proposal that is both immediate and sustainable,” Sauer said. “Two years is not the sustainable solution we were hoping for. We need something that’s going to carry us into the future.”

He said that the Senate proposal doesn’t help SEPTA “because of the deference of capital dollars,” which would cause problems down the road by postponing needed upkeep of the system’s aged infrastructure.

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Not just SEPTA: Public transit is in trouble all across PA

Including in GOP districts

Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/18/25

Most Pennsylvania transit agencies, including SEPTA, say they are approaching a reckoning called the “fiscal cliff” because the state hasn’t significantly increased its transit subsidy in 12 years. Act 89 used turnpike tolls to finance $450 million for mass transit annually, but much of that obligation was phased out two years ago.

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Despite the ways we grouse about SEPTA, it's efficient. In fact, really efficient

SEPTA operates with significantly fewer resources than its peers. Yet, somehow, SEPTA still manages to put Philadelphia into every Top 10 list of transit cities in North America

Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/17/25

SEPTA’s current budget crisis is almost completely caused by Harrisburg‘s failure to continue the successful Act 89, which helped create a yearly pool of money in the state budget for transit. In 2022, the General Assembly did not vote to renew the bill, and every year since, SEPTA has had to muster advocates and riders to beg their politicians to fund transit.

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As school nears, public transit cuts loom over students and families who rely on SEPTA

PA Independent, 8/12/25

“The funding that I am fighting for, that these lawmakers are fighting for, these union leaders are fighting for, is funding that will go to supporting mass transit in each of our 67 counties,” Shapiro said during the Aug. 10 press conference at SEPTA’s headquarters in Philadelphia. “Don’t let anybody tell you this is just a Philadelphia issue or a Pittsburgh issue. This is a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania issue, and we are working to resolve it together.” 

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SEPTA's efficiency program: Saving millions, improving transit

Railway News, 5/25/25

SEPTA, like many public transit agencies, has been grappling with budget shortfalls and the need to optimize resource allocation. The program’s inception in 2021 was a direct response to these challenges, with a core objective of making SEPTA a more cost-effective organization.

The financial impact of the E&A program has been substantial. The cumulative effect of these cost-saving measures and revenue-generating strategies has been a significant improvement in SEPTA’s financial outlook. Since its launch, the program has identified $91.4 million in annual recurring new revenue and cost savings. This impressive figure reflects the dedication and innovation of SEPTA employees in identifying and implementing efficiency improvements.

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SEPTA reports positive feedback from riders amid looming 'transit death spiral'

NBC10 Philadelphia, 7/17/25

“These survey results show that we are prioritizing what matters most to our riders,” SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer said. “Even in the face of a historic funding crisis, we continue to make significant improvements in every customer experience category, and we are committed to doing more.”

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Pa. Senate Republicans passed two years of funding for mass transit, but SEPTA says it needs more details

Philadelphia Inquirer, 8/12/25

Sen. Vince Hughes (D., Philadelphia), the minority chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said he had major concerns about the Senate’s transit funding plan and state budget spending bill. Under the plan, Hughes said he was concerned that transit agencies would be required to increase fares every year based on inflation indicators, unless they get a waiver from PennDOT. And he said he worried about what the spending bill means for Pennsylvania’s new education funding system— an issue he has championed.

By keeping education funding flat rather than continuing to dole out money under the new formulas, Hughes said, the state goes back on its court-required promise to adequately and equitably fund public education.

“To come out of the gate with a first year that was very positive, and school districts are seeing great results, and then to miss the mark so blatantly in Year Two with this proposal, it’s just very disappointing,” he added.

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