Shapiro and Senate trade blame on SEPTA standoff
By Christina Lengyel | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Last week, SEPTA announced a major fare increase after the state’s legislative session ended without approving additional funding for the flagging system.
With each side of the state’s divided government blaming the other, SEPTA and its riders are left to make up the deficit.
“For the last two years, we have urged action in Harrisburg so that we could avoid these draconian measures,” said SEPTA Chief Operating Officer Scott Sauer.
Legislators in Harrisburg have debated the issue several times over. Passage has been tied to skills game reform and infrastructure spending for roads and bridges, but it has never made it to the governor’s desk.
In a press conference in Philadelphia, Gov. Josh Shapiro addressed the issue, saying proposals he had agreed upon had passed the House three times.
“Each and every time, the Senate has refused to act,” he said. “The ball is squarely in the Senate’s court.”
Senate leadership firmly maintains the stance that mass transit for Philadelphia cannot be negotiated without addressing the infrastructure challenges facing the rest of the state.
“There are things that we need throughout the Commonwealth, not just the public transportation and SEPTA,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, R-Greensburg. “There might be a compromise. Hopefully there is, but it’s going to have to come down to making sure that every area of the Commonwealth for transportation is addressed, not just one sector.”
Pennsylvania’s roads and bridges are rated among the worst in the nation and finding more money in the state’s bank accounts for repairs has been slow-going.
“With an issue of this magnitude requiring a funding source that won’t place additional burden on taxpayers, as well as addressing the need to put more dollars not only in mass transit but also in transportation infrastructure, it takes a governor to lead,” said Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana.
Republicans said letting SEPTA fall into the red forces much-needed changes to the transit system’s operations, from passenger safety to lack of revenue to inefficiency.
“One of the focuses that we had on SEPTA was bringing law and order back to the network,” Pittman said. “I don’t care what the rates are. If people don’t feel safe using the system, they’re not going to use it.”
The system has seen a 34% decrease in crime in the first three quarters of 2024.
“Despite funding constraints, we are committed to recruiting and retaining talented police officers and providing them with the resources they need to protect our customers and employees,” said SEPTA CEO and General Manager Leslie S. Richards.
The performance has been a bright spot in a year where law and order on mass transit has taken center stage. In New York City, 18 protestors were arrested in September following the police shooting of four people, including one officer and two bystanders, after a man jumped the turnstile. Many have been critical of New York’s earlier decision to deploy the National Guard to the subway system, one which has decreased crime by 26% according to Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Currently, over 700,000 people use SEPTA daily despite its health and safety shortcomings, which represent nearly half of the city’s population. Philadelphia’s $479 billion economy, which relies on SEPTA, makes up nearly half the state’s $974 billion GDP.
The system serves “a critical role in getting people to work, school, medical appointments, and everywhere in between,” said Sauer.
But, he warned, “we cannot confidently say that riders will be able to count on us for these critical daily trips in the future.”
In addition to the proposed 30% fare increase, SEPTA says it will have to slash 20% of its services, removing routes and reducing frequency in those that remain. Hiring freezes, budget cuts, and other improvements have not been enough to meet increased operating costs in the face of inflation and the post-COVID landscape.
The governor is currently evaluating stop-gap measures to prevent disaster for the service.
“I will not let SEPTA fail,” he said, adding that there’s “no substitution for the fact that the legislature hasn’t gotten a bill to my desk.”
As for the future, House Democrats are determined to keep pushing forward. State Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Philadelphia, said she’s hopeful the coming legislative will bring “a more productive collaboration on a responsible solution.”
“In the short term, Philadelphians who are already struggling through difficult finances will brace for another impact to their wallets and time,” she said.
